<p>What do you use for recording private lessons? We are looking for something to record our daughter's private voice lessons - just for her to play back and refresh her memory. What has worked well for you: audio-tapes, mini-CDs, MP3s, something else? Thanks!</p>
<p>We really like our Edirol R-09.</p>
<p>Yeah, the Erirol R-09, with the little case and tripod, rocks.</p>
<p>And with a good mic (AT-822, for example), a mic pre-amp and compressor (good cheap ones are M-Audio and Really Nice Compressor), you have a great little inexpensive high-quality digital recording set-up.</p>
<p>Thank you Bassdad and hkstrpd. This looks great! But at the $400 price, I worry that she might put it through the laundry in Interlochen! This should be something that we get for regular year-round use. It has all the features I've been looking for. Do you recommend something inexpensive that would work for camp?</p>
<p>My son uses his Apple computer...with a really good microphone. He used the same for recording his audition tape for Aspen, and recording his recital. He also has a mini disk player (sony, I think).</p>
<p>Take a look at the Zoom H2, which can be gotten for about $200.</p>
<p>If you want something dirt cheap that will not likely be left in a pocket and put in the wash, consider a small boom box with a built-in cassette recorder. Unfortunately, all of those that I have ever seen have an Automatic Gain Control circuit that will eliminate most of the dynamics from the music. Everything will come out at nearly the same volume regardless of whether she was singing loud or soft.</p>
<p>Thumper1, Thank you! That's good news. My D may bring her Macintosh to Interlochen for her creative writing elective. What microphone do you use? Does it have a USB connector?</p>
<p>BassDad, Thanks. I'll take a look at the Zoom H2.</p>
<p>My husband has used a sony minidisc recorder for years and years with a good microphone.
When son asked for one, we got him one (very used but great condition) on ebay for perhaps $150 with a good microphone included. He loves it.</p>
<p>Better check on PCs and Interlochen. When DD went 2 summers ago, PCs were not allowed, but she was a music camper...</p>
<p>Regardless there's few power plugs in the cabins and no internet for sure...</p>
<p>DS uses the Apple...I'm not sure what kind of microphone he uses. I know he tried several different ones, and the last one he bought was a high end one from Radio Shack of all places. But it worked perfectly for recording trumpet. His mini disk player uses the same mike and he is very happy with that also. He will be taking that with him to Aspen...not the computer. No access, no outlets, no internet...no need.</p>
<p>ImperialZeppelin: The Creative writing majors have to bring a laptop - though they don't have internet access. I need to check with them about the Creative writing electives. </p>
<p>Thumper1: Any details you might recall about a good Mac- compatible microphone will be appreciated.</p>
<p>For recording lessons, we have used an Olympus digital voice recorder. You really don't need anything fancy and it can run $100-!50. Downlads to computer to save or just plays back. Does a decent job on Mom's recording of performances, too. :)</p>
<p>A lot depends on what you want to do with the recording. Digital voice recorders and low-end cassette decks are OK for recording lessons as a reminder of what the teacher said, but they will not capture musical nuances. Recordings made with such devices may satisfy a parent, but will give an inaccurate representation of a performance to someone who is looking for specific details in dynamics and phrasing. They also give a poor representation of the tone quality produced by many instruments and voices because they do not capture very high or very low frequencies as accurately as they do the mid-range. </p>
<p>If you intend to share these recordings outside the immediate family, I suggest that you look into something like the previously-mentioned Zoom H2, Roland R-09 or the Apple laptop solution. I am not a big fan of minidisc for some rather technical reasons involving lossy compression techniques and copy protection schemes. The medium is getting more and more obsolete by the day, but it does produce first-generation recordings that are only a small step down from the highest fidelity settings on the current crop of digital recorders. Expect to have some difficulties making digital-to-digital copies with minidisc, particularly with the low-end consumer models. Second-generation and later copies that have been converted to analog and then re-recorded digitally can be quite a bit worse than a properly-made digital-to-digital copy.</p>
<p>BassDad-
We actually sought out a slightly older model minidisc recorder because of some of the limitations you mention. The older ones did not run into problems with copy protection using the included software.
Son routinely uses his to record his own practice sessions and gets very good quality.
Sometimes, simplier really is better.</p>
<p>I agree that minidisc is reasonably simple and does a pretty decent job. If you already have one and/or have invested the time to learn how to use it well, it is a reasonable solution. I don't think it is such a good idea for someone just starting out to buy a used model of an older technology that employs a rotating disk drive and a moving laser. They might be lucky and get one that has been treated well and not used very much, or they might wind up with one on its last legs. As you mention, the currently available models that can be purchased new have built-in copy protection limitations, unless you get into the expensive realm of professional grade equipment. The newer semiconductor-based recorders have more forward-looking features, interface with PC's and Macs without the need for additional hardware or software and have very few moving parts.</p>
<p>By the way, I just noticed that the Zoom H2 is not expected to ship until next month. That may be a little late for the OP. The $200 price is list and for pre-order only. The good news is that it will probably sell for $150 on the street after it has been out a few months.</p>
<p>OK...here's what my son says. Keep in mind, he's recording a trumpet, not voice. He uses his mic with an Apple computer and a mini disk player (and yes, he knows the oddities of the minidisk, and probably would not buy it now).</p>
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<blockquote> <p>There are many many mics out there in different places. It's a lot like wine...you can get an amazing one for a low price or spend a lot of money and not necessarily get what you need.</p> </blockquote>
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<p>I recommend checking out <a href="http://www.sweetwater.com%5B/url%5D">www.sweetwater.com</a>. It's a big recording equipment warehouse and there is a really good tutorial on the different types of mics out there. There are TONS of vocal mics out there. </p>
<p>I use the Sony ECM-MS907. It's about $60 and I've been very happy with its recording quality.>></p>
<p>I have some questions...</p>
<p>If you buy a recorder and use a good mic with it, will it affect the playback quality on a computer? (I'm pretty sure that it won't change the playback on the speakers...) I just bought a very inexpensive recorder, and expect it to arrive tomorrow, but I didn't buy a mic because I wasn't sure I'd need it.</p>
<p>Thanks for this thread.</p>
<p>There's an old saying "wimpy in, wimpy out". Basically, your mic is very important but so are the other recording components you use. If you have a poor quality recorder, the best mic in the world won't make the quality better. Conversely, if you have a terrific recorder and a lousy mic, you won't probably end up with a good result either. It's the package. Truthfully you can't skimp on either. And as my son noted...sometimes it's not the cost. You can spend a lot and get junk...or spend modestly and get exactly what you want.</p>
<p>What thumper says is true, but there is a bit more to consider. What, exactly do you mean by "a very inexpensive recorder"? In general, electronics offer more "bang for the buck" than transducers. An inexpensive recorder can do a decent job, but a cheap microphone or speaker usually sounds cheap.</p>
<p>Are we are talking about a $50 gadget that is oriented toward capturing the spoken word rather than music? They are typically limited to about a 3000 Hz bandwidth and have an Automatic Gain Control (AGC) circuit that cannot be turned off. They will not record music well no matter what microphone you use.</p>
<p>If we are into the realm of a digital recorder that uses high bit rate MP3 or linear PCM (16 bits/44.1 kHz sampling or better), then there are some recorders available that can be pretty darned good, yet very inexpensive (at least when compared with what you would have spent for similar quality not very long ago.) With this level of equipment, you will be in a position to notice some differences in quality depending on the microphones, preamps and mixers used in the recording chain, and on the amplifiers and speakers used in the playback chain.</p>
<p>Another consideration is that you need the right microphone for the given application. A large diaphragm condenser might be just the thing for certain solo voices, but will probably not sound as good as a small diaphragm when recording a choir from far enough away to get a blended sound. If you are recording drums or the output of a speaker up close, you may find that a dynamic mic fits the bill. If you want really good results, you need to pin down your objectives then do a bit of research before spending any money.</p>
<p>What is it that you want to record? What is your budget? I have worked as an audio engineer and producer and may be able to make some suggestions.</p>
<p>Since the topic is here...
BassDad, would you mind giving some suggestions for me? I'm looking to record some private practising (e.g. in a practice room) and some rep class performances (e.g. in a medium size, mostly empty, hall), and with piano, of course. I'm not quite into the professional stuffs, some backgroud noise etc. is fine, but I do want decent sound quality and hopefully faithful sound quality as well - no sweetener needed... And portability is quite important, as I don't want to carry anything big and heavy with me. Does Edirol R-09 meet the needs?</p>