portable recording device

[thehunt]

I'm not an IT expert so excuse my ignorance. I need to have a portable recording device which i can take with me to record a lesson and me playing which i can then download onto my computer at home. I don't have a laptop and don't think my phone will record for an hour.
What is there on the market?
I don't have cassette tapes anymore.
Any advice glady and greatly appreciated.
Phil🙂

 

[old git]

Zoom H2 works great and downloads through USB or if you have an iPod, a Mikey or other special mike will allow recording but not sure about downloading.
Young Colin can confirm regarding the Zoom and there are quite a few being used by CafSax members.

 

[Chris98]

Although I can't comment from personal experience, I was at one point thinking about getting the Olympus SL10 for similar purposes to you. But the SL11 is due out soon.

This Sony might be worth waiting for: Sony PCMM10 Preview

...or you could always go for video as well with the new Zoom Q3

What is important to you, ease of use, sound quality, cheapness?

Have a look at this site, it's American but most models are available over here: Portable Digital Audio Recorder Comparison Chart

All the best,

Chris

 

[c9off]

I also use a zoom (H4), simply a great bit of kit, use it every week.. this (or equivalent) would be future proof for whatever you might want/need & also seem to hold their value really well.

cheers
Geoff

 

[thehunt]

Got my H2 this morning, can't wait to try it out. You techno buffs out there is a 1GB memory card enough? That's what it came with. thanks

 

[oldcorollas]

any thoughts on the Olympus DS series? like this
no good for music?

 

[c9off]

Got my H2 this morning, can't wait to try it out. You techno buffs out there is a 1GB memory card enough? That's what it came with. thanks

I record mp3 (rather than higher quality wav), which if you do the same will give you more than enough.. instructions give a useage/kbps rate seem to recall...

enjoy!

 

[thehunt]

thanks, i'll give it a whirl tonight.

 

[Moz]

Got my H2 this morning, can't wait to try it out. You techno buffs out there is a 1GB memory card enough? That's what it came with. thanks

I use a 4Gb card in mine. I had it running at band rehearsal tonight for about 3/4 hour and I still have 5 hours of recording time left and this is using 44.1Khz data rate. If you record using MP3 and find it's really good recording that you want to keep and do things with then you may later regret recording it at an inferior rate.

Martin

 

[thehunt]

I used it at band practice last night, i suppose i'm just getting used to what it can do, had a listen back on earphones which sounded good but i need to download, won't be able to do that until tonight. One thing i have not found out is how do you erase tracks? Thanks

 

[c9off]

I assume that you, like I, will use the Zoom for practice recordings rather than releasing an album?! (if not then just ignore the following!!):

The 'system' I have developed for the last 15 months is to record from start to finish in 144 MP3, logging song list (often 30+ over 3.5 hours, many songs needed to begin with but less so now). Rather than connecting unit via USB I take directly from the SD card (last track within stereo folder) naming it say 081009. I then drop into Audacity (takes a while on the laptop!!).

Working backwards I extract the last full play (or part thereof if needed) for each song I wish to keep, by highlighting & exporting, inserting song name before the date. Thereby creating a searchable folder, should any other band members want a track or two I can email, or burn the entire collection.

H2 firmware has been updated to allow many very high capacity SD cards but bear in mind that to process that data may take forever!

hope this assists
cheers
Geoff

 

[thehunt]

Oh please bring back the cassette tape!!!
I have not yet seen how to adjust the bit rate ( hope that is correct terminology ) or how to assign names to tracks.
I noticed that when you record something in 2 channel or four channel you then have to put it back into it's respective channel for playback. Anyway thanks for the advice, i'm sure that once i start using it it will be more intuitive. ( i hope ... )
Thanks Phil

 

[Moz]

H2 firmware has been updated to allow many very high capacity SD cards but bear in mind that to process that data may take forever!

hope this assists
cheers
Geoff

The H2 is a lovely machine but under no circumstances allow it to do any of the processing eg turning 4-channel surround into a stereo file unless you intend to live forever. As was said already, much faster than downloading from the H2 is to take the card out and put it into a USB 2 card reader.

If you decide to record in surround where you use all four mics then download a bit of software from

http://im-research.com/.

It's called the Vortex Zoom Encoder. It's free for thirty days then you have to buy it -- if I recall it costs the princely sum of £9.

It works.

Cheers

Martin

PS Just looked the price -- it is $25 which when I registered was about £9 although thanks to Leeman Brothers and one or two unmentionable government officials the exchange rate probably means you'll have to mortgage your house to get it.

 

[thehunt]

As i have not really had time to work out how to use my zoom took it last night to my first lesson with a new teacher. It recorded everything in WAV files. The last 5 minutes my teacher played some amazing solos for me ( we were working on my improvising ) got home but it had stopped recording 5 minutes previous. aaaahhh!!! Still i did manage to find what i had recorded after a while so not unduly upset.
I've set it now just to record in MP3, when i have some more dosh i'll get a bigger card. Thanks for all your advice guys, much appreciated. Phil

 

[Pee Dee]

Oh please bring back the cassette tape!!!

Argos sell the Sony shoebox cassette recorder/player 🙂))

 

[kevgermany]

...
I've set it now just to record in MP3, when i have some more dosh i'll get a bigger card. Thanks for all your advice guys, much appreciated. Phil

I think there's a limitation on how big an individual recording can be, and it's much smaller than the big cards.

 

[Moz]

I think there's a limitation on how big an individual recording can be, and it's much smaller than the big cards.

I have left mine running for over an hour and a half before now with no problems (as I previously mentioned, I use a 4Gb card).

Always stop recording by pressing the record button again and give it a few moments to write the file. If power is lost before you do this you will lose everything you recorded. I know of no limitation apart from card space and with a 4Gb card you have over five hours of recording at 44.1Khz.

Martin

 

[Young Col]

I'd missed the progress of this thread but since Mr OG asked me to confirm his view of the Zoom, I do. Not because I have one of my own, but because I've had OG's one on loan for several months. I found it really easy to set up and use in basic modes and I wouldn't really want it to do much more than that. One of the first things I found was how stuffy my tone sounded at home - that's because I practice in a bedroom full of soft furnishings and hardly any natural reverb.

I recommended the Zoom to a friend who plays bass in a rock band and he sent me a recording he made of his band live at an outdoor event. It sounded remarkably good.
Colin