Home recorder

[bonzo]

Hi guys, first off I hope I'm posting in the right place, please move me if I'm not!
Some advice please. I would like to record my practice sessions at home so I can check my progress and record a few tunes. I have been using my phone up till now but it's not really up to the job. I've looked online but have only found computer based home studio recording  stuff. I'm looking for the 'modern' equivalent of a tape machine. Something self contained but with maybe the ability to be run through a bigger system ie line out.
All suggestions and advice welcome, or if anyone is moving anything along let me know.

Best wishes to you all, John 

[Stevie]

MM may well chime in with a recommendation for the Zoom H4n. I desired one too but the non-competitive apparently rigged market made me resist the temptation. Then a stunning deal came up for me on a Tascam DR100 Mk2 at BHP Foto Video in the USA and baby sister bought it for me on one of her trolley dolly trips across The Pond. I can heartily recommend the Tascam, but I would be the first to concede that in terms of versatility, the Zoom has the edge. I think the Tascam is easier to use though.
Plenty of other options will emerge from those with better experience than myself.

[Pickers Ditch]

Wotcha Bonzo - we bought one of these to record rehearsals and found it to be pretty good for a 4 piece blues band.

tascam.com/product/dr-05/

I've not tried recording my attempts at reso slide (haven't got the courage to be honest) but I'll give it a try next week.

[creolian]

If you want to go very high end I can recommend any of the drive based recorders from Sound Devices. www.sounddevices.com/products/recorders/788t

I used one ( 744t four track ) with a Mid Side setup combining cardioid and figure 8 Schoeps mics for a number of years. Their two track recorder is also pretty sweet.

More recently I've used primarily a MacBook as a recorder with a digital Yamaha board on the head end.  After using every kind of tape based recording machine and I hate to admit it... the laptop has become the "modern equivalent."  ( I'd still prefer a mono Nagra )

The only thing I question with a lot of the small recorders popular the days is the AD converters and the preamp circuitry. Built in mics are against my religion... Try before you buy.

One thing I notice that is going to affect quality in any recording is either improper use of good microphones or just crap mics to begin with. You really can't go wrong with dynamic mics like shure sm57s and 58s. My absolute favorite microphone that doesn't cost too crazy much is an AKG 414.

I,ll add that many videocameras have decent audio ability and some IO options and no one uses them very much anymore. Lightly used handy cams are available here for peanuts in the pawn shops.  Maybe you've got one on the shelf ?  

HtH 

J

[bonzo]

Thanks guys, wotcha yerself PD, from not having heard of this an hour ago I've already developed GAS for the tascam! How does it play back? A built-in speaker is mentioned but what other ways are there? Hope these don't sound like silly questions, I'm used to Hi Fi setup but not familiar with this type of gear. (I guess I was thinking of something like a ghetto blaster!) I'll do more reading up on it but your personal experiences are a much better guide.

Thanks again, any more information would be welcome.

Best wishes to you all, John

[bonzo]

Thanks Creolian, you posted while I was doing my one finger typing! Looking for something simple preferably not involving computers at this stage.(Think tape recorder!) Thanks for the suggestions though.
Best wishes, John

[Pickers Ditch]

PM'd

[Stevie]

If my Tascam DR100 is anything to go by, the internal speaker is only there to let you match up a cryptic file name to an individual recording. Your average mobile 'phone speaker(s) are better, (especially my HTC BoomSound). Pipe it out to something with a bit more guts or some headphones and you're done. The recorded quality of these little boxes is excellent to these worn out ears.

I also have a laptop based system running Reaper together with an M-Audio NRV10 which combines a 10 in 10 out FireWire interface with an 8+2 mixer. Too much for this old brain to handle (lacking the skills and experience more likely). Like new but it just gathers dust.

I don't think you'd be disappointed with any of the modern handheld digital recorders, they're a lot of fun.

[Deleted]

I record into a mic (on a tascam dp004) and with a pick-up simultaneously. Gives a nice effect, mix it to taste.
TT

[Michael Messer]

Hi Bonzo,

When you say that your phone is not up to the job, what phone and app are you using?

I have an iPhone 6 and a Zoom iQ7 microphone. I use various apps; one is Zoom's own recording app, but most of the time I use Apple's own Music Memos. I use my phone for recording gigs, rehearsals, ideas, new songs.... etc. I usually put the phone on a Gorilla tripod and then I can position correctly. I think it is a very practical and easy way to record.

My iPhone is connected via bluetooth to a couple of speakers that I have around the house; a Bose Soundlink Mini speaker that goes everywhere with me, and a Dali Katch bluetooth speaker that I use for more definition. Nothing can replace my old 50s tube Quad hifi, but they are very good.

I am just considering upgrading my Zoom mic to the Rhode i-XY.

Stevie, I do still have my Zoom H4n that I bought in 2009 to record with Louisiana Red. I have hundreds of gigs and even made an album on it. That machine is still going strong and is another option that is a fantastic and easy tool to use.

Shine On
Michael

[5slide]

Just as an option for something even more affordable, I have a zoom H1 and just use it for practice and recording for my YouTube channel. It doesn't have a lot of the features of the H4n but for simple recording it's great.

[5slide]

Michael, with your iPhone and mic set up, would you say that's a good option for recording YouTube videos? I'm looking for a way I can shoot videos and have better quality sound than the in-built iPhone 6 mic.

[bonzo]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful suggestions. I have to say some of the more technical ones were a bit like trying to read Chinese to me! 
Michael your suggestion about the mobile phone intrigued me. I have a Samsung Galaxy S7 and know nothing about apps that I could use. I've found that it recorded well but the playback through it's built in speaker didn't do much for me. That's what I had meant by not up to it! After a conversation with Pickers Ditch aka Malcolm this morning I ran the phone through my Yamaha acoustic amp and got a clear if not very loud playback. So anything I do eventually buy I know I can run through a more powerful amp with the appropriate interconnect. 
This must sound pretty basic stuff, but at the moment it's all I need. I just want to hear myself as others might and learn from mistakes and hopefully improve on any good bits!
I'd be very pleased to hear from you all with any more information and suggestions, particularly about any apps as Michael has mentioned. I've learnt more in the last couple of days than I could have imagined, I can see a whole world of fun about to open up!
Thanks again to you all, best wishes, John

[slide496]

Apr 30, 2017 9:24:15 GMT 5slide said:

Michael, with your iPhone and mic set up, would you say that's a good option for recording YouTube videos? I'm looking for a way I can shoot videos and have better quality sound than the in-built iPhone 6 mic.

Hope you don't mind my responding as well!

You might look into the videomic me for the iphone, I am not sure if it will do the distance you want, I set mine to see how it did at singing - but I think it captures the sound well and has the advantage of letting you keep the iphone plugged in. Here's a sample I made of the device (the black thing on the white iphone) so you can see how far away it was. The video capture was separate on an ipad and the two were composited in adobe premiere, fade ins and visual stuff but no eq adjustments to the audio per se - I had heard of people running into lagging problems with compositing devices so I kept them to my apple products.. You might need an extension cord for the mic if they make them that will allow you to pull back - not sure what you are trying to record. www.rode.com/microphones/videomicme

[Stevie]

For Android it has to be "Audio Evolution" but you need to augment it with the USB audio app from the same developer. It's more than a match for Garageband from.what I've seen. It's great on a 7" and up screen. It's free to try out which is highly recommended before spending.