Topic: recording gear/setup recomendations

[Zoharbareket]

Hi there good people,

(I looked for a thread on this topic before posting, but surprisingly I couldnt find one. if I just plain missed it, please let me know)

I was wondering if anyone could recommend specific recording fear and setup I could use for my home recording. My Ipad's mic is not bad at all, but I would like something better. as I am saving up for a new guitar these days, I don't want to spend a lot of $$ on it, but would still like to have something that capture's the guitar sound well.

Thank you very much,

Zohar

[Pan]

Hi Zohar.

If you are to do simple one track live recordings, I would recommend a Zoom H2 portable recorder, or some similar gadget. Once you get familiar with the settings and optimal positioning, making recordings becomes quite easy. You can, of course,  later edit the recordings with freeware programs like Audacity, but excluding the computer from the actual recording process is a big relief, IMO.

http://www.samsontech.com/zoom/products/handheld-audio-recorders/h2/

Personally, I've gone through buying external sound cards, condenser mics, and audio programs, and quite frankly, when the urge of recording hits you, setting up all the abovementioned stuff, with mic stands and cables and whatnot, only to find that the current version of Windows doesn't support the available drivers of your software, or some such crap, can be a real downer! I just can't be bothered with all this, so keeping it simple is the way to go, at least for me. Others might be technically less challenged, of course. 

Just my 2 cents

Cheers

Pan

[Zoharbareket]

thank you Pan, I will look into those H2 gizmos.

and thanks John for moving my question to where it should be, I still havent got my head around what goes where here......sorry!


z

[bnemerov]

Hi Zohar,

Another vote for the Zoom H2 (less than $200.00 US).
Pan has it exactly right about ease of use....and with selectable higher sample rates and word-length (24 bit @ 48k works well) commercial CD quality recordings can be made (with a good sounding room and proper recorder positioning).

good luck,
bruce

[uncle bud]

Hi fellas - question from the peanut gallery. The H2 is now no longer in production, and the model now is the H2N. Am I right? And if so are.either of you using the H2N?

I think there's a model with video now, too, for the youtubers.

[Pan]

Hi fellas - question from the peanut gallery. The H2 is now no longer in production, and the model now is the H2N. Am I right? And if so are.either of you using the H2N?

I think there's a model with video now, too, for the youtubers.

Hi Uncle Bud

I have the old H2. I would expect the new H2n to be just as good, if not even better as the older model. But perhaps checking some reviews would be cautionary.

I also have a Zoom Q3HD video recorder. With it my feelings are a little mixed.
The audio recording quality is very good, but the camera lens is fixed, with no zoom (and they have the nerve to call the unit "Zoom"  ), which IMO limits the ideal recording possibilities regarding the audio, because you'll have to position the unit so that the desired image fits the screen, which again might not be ideal for the mics.
Also, the camera doesn't perform especially well in dim lit rooms.
I've managed to shoot good quality concert video with it, but failed on other instances. The recorder should be placed near in front of the PA speakers, and you should hope for a quiet audience. Of course, the unit has a line-in, for direct recording from a mixing board, but I haven't got around trying this option, which would require a dedicated cable with a stereo mini-plug at the Q3HD end. A tripod is needed, to position the unit securely anywhere. Or you can attach it to a mic stand, with a separate handle that resembles that of a microphone.
Also, when recording outdoors, the wind noise easily becomes a problem, and you should have a wind screen for the gadget, but to be fair, I guess this would be true with any mic. Needless to say, all the extra stuff must be purchased separately.
Lastly, perhaps it should be added, that the Q3HD also can record audio only, if you have a limited budget, and wish to try both worlds. To sum up, I would consider the Q3HD a good audio recording device with a so-so video camera. I haven't made any scientific comparisons with the audio quality of the two units, though.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Pan

[bnemerov]

Unca Bud--

It's the original H2 for me, but I think the H2n is basically the same unit with additional built-in mics that allow for more pickup patterns.
I haven't done any serious comparison of the two though as I'm still happy with what I've got.

best,
bruce

[uncle bud]

Thank guys. Some time ago, I had read reviews that voiced preference for the original H2, but don't recall there being a whole lot of differences in features.

Pan, I can relate to the preference for simplicity, having quickly hit the wall in more complex recording set ups on a PC. Though I still intend to work on that.

[Rivers]

The Zoom range is now a couple of clicks higher than H2x. I have the H4n, discussion is here, I recommend reading the links within the thread: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=8714.msg71934#msg71934, particularly this one: http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/zoom/h4n.htm

I like it and recommend it. Performed flawlessly over a week's workshops at Port Townsend. Easy operation which is essential in my opinion, since I can't switch my brain quickly from amateur sound engineer to amateur musician, I'm not wired that way. One or two button presses after setting levels is all I can handle. The H4n did everything I asked of it and the results were excellent.

I added the 'portable recorders' tag to this thread, click on it to see more discussions.

[uncle bud]

Thanks for the reminder, Mark. I knew there was something somewheres.

[Zoharbareket]

thank you guys, thats great help!

I will check both the h2n and the h4n.

Z