The "what portable recording device should I buy?" thread

[billygomberg]

So.  Long story very short - my laptop and edirol got stolen out of my bag before I left brookln for he holidays.  I have insurance so I'm counting onnsome coverage.  I don't really hav a choic about laptop - new MacBookpro it is - but I'm looking for any input on portable recorders.  What do you use/wha works for you.  I used my r09 for field recording/ live recording (from mics or line in) / studio recording.

  Let me know and I'll report back on research and purchases. It'll be great 

[radere]

I use a Zoom H2, and it manages to suit my needs pretty well. That said, I only really do basic field recordings with it (which I later EQ and process fairly heavily, so having pristine audio quality isn't exactly something I'm terribly concerned with up front)...I would never use it for a line in recording or anything more dynamic than environmental sounds. I've heard great things about the H4N though, which is essentially the H2's big brother. It has XLR inputs, which is a feature I'd really like to have...

[mfischer]

i have the H4N and i love it.  they really fixed everything that was wrong with the H4. the menus are much better to navigate through.  it has a functioning date stamp (so that all of your recordings no longer have the exact same unchanging creation date)
the thing that sold me is the ability to record using the built in mics (which sound very good) and the xlr(1/4" combo) jacks at the same time.  it makes it possible to capture say, a live recording from the mixing board + the room or make a quadraphonic recording of an environment. 
it also makes a decent USB audio interface.

all that being said...


anyone want to buy my old H4?

[theowlbox]

I also have the H4n; the xlr inputs also accept jacks, so its good for taping from mixing desks if you haven't (like me...) got the relevant cables to hand, or sorted out the nuances of balanced outs.

The tripod screw(?) is really useful for cutting down on handling noise too.
The windshield seems a little primitive (just a foam hat), but that's the only gripe so far.
J

[mac]

I'm a happy H4n owner as well. do agree with previous posts, cons, pros. batteries seem to last forever, especially in stamina mode, even if you switch the device on and off frequently. in-built mics sound great with some noise. it's is packed with options and features (effects, pre-amps, compressor, limiter, metronome, tuner, etc.). As disadvantages I find it quite wind sensitive and not very good for recording subtle, quiet, precise sounds on lower gain levels when using external mics. Other than that, I think it's the recorder in this price range or maybe even higher if you consider all features.   

for more information on recorders, prices, features available out there check following sites:

http://transom.org/tools/recording_interviewing/200703_recorder_reviews/
http://corporatetalkradio.com/pdr.html

I also highly advise reading Aaron Ximm's web site for excellent, in-depth advice and great thoughts about choosing recorders / other field recording gear, and field recording in general:

http://quietamerican.org/links.html

hope this helps,
bests

[dib]

i use the r-09hr -- great upgrade from the regular r-09 (24-bit/96kHz)

i was comparing both the 09 and the h4 and ended up going for the 09 based on form factor. the h4 is an awkward size in my opinion - also cheaper on the construction - hopefully they fixed this in the h4n

[pcaeldries]

I had very positive results with the recently released SONY PCM-M10. Has omnidirectional internal microphones with decent self noise levels (-17dBA) as well as a decent line input. Self noise is significantly lower then the Zoom H4n or the Tascam range of handhelds. Omnidirectionals might not suit all applications however.

--Peter

[darren mcclure]

i use the H2, and like radere, i use it mainly for recording environmental sounds which i later process.  for the price, the inbuilt mics are pretty decent.  it's very compact and portable, and the mic-stand holder is useful when making hand-held recordings as it reduces handling sounds.
the menu is very logical and maybe most importantly it has a reasonably fast start-up, so you can catch sounds quickly.  mine starts from being switched off to record-ready in 5 seconds.

[billygomberg]

[jimmy behan]

Good call Billy, I've been very pleased with the performance of mine the past year and a half or so.
You've probably discovered that a windscreen is a must when outdoors, even walking around indoors will result in wind rumble from air currents over the mics, though the hi-pass can help.
If you don't fancy spending EUR55 for the Sony AD-PCM1 windscreen, the Rode 'dead kitten' screen fits and is only about EUR23.
The fit is a little tight but is does the job.

Here it is on mine on a Gorillapod:

[billygomberg]

yeah yr absolutely right about the need for a windscreen.  It's not necessary ALL of the time, but the mics are sensitive enough that it is worthwhile.  I've already ordered the "official" windscreen for $45...do you like the Gorilla pod for the D50?  the tripod that sony markets for it is like $70 which is a complete ripoff.

[jimmy behan]

yeah yr absolutely right about the need for a windscreen.  It's not necessary ALL of the time, but the mics are sensitive enough that it is worthwhile.  I've already ordered the "official" windscreen for $45...do you like the Gorilla pod for the D50?  the tripod that sony markets for it is like $70 which is a complete ripoff.

45 bucks doesn't sound too bad billy.
I'd be curious to hear how it works for you. Sometimes I feel mine takes a bit of the high end off, and wonder if the sony screen could do a better job. I don't have much experience with using screens apart from mine and wonder if you can expect them to be totally transparent.
The gorillapod is cool and fairly cheap, though the D50 is quite weighty and care needs to be taken if you're setting it up at a slanting angle or wrapping it around a branch or whatever, but its worth getting. 70 bucks for a mini-tripod sounds outrageous to me! The price of the accessories is really taking the mick. And of course you have to get your own strap as there's none included, though thankfully, at least there's a fitting for it on the device.

[billygomberg]

yeah yr absolutely right about the need for a windscreen.  It's not necessary ALL of the time, but the mics are sensitive enough that it is worthwhile.  I've already ordered the "official" windscreen for $45...do you like the Gorilla pod for the D50?  the tripod that sony markets for it is like $70 which is a complete ripoff.

45 bucks doesn't sound too bad billy.
I'd be curious to hear how it works for you. Sometimes I feel mine takes a bit of the high end off, and wonder if the sony screen could do a better job. I don't have much experience with using screens apart from mine and wonder if you can expect them to be totally transparent.
The gorillapod is cool and fairly cheap, though the D50 is quite weighty and care needs to be taken if you're setting it up at a slanting angle or wrapping it around a branch or whatever, but its worth getting. 70 bucks for a mini-tripod sounds outrageous to me! The price of the accessories is really taking the mick. And of course you have to get your own strap as there's none included, though thankfully, at least there's a fitting for it on the device.

B&H gave me a free case for the D50 which comes w/a strap, even says "PCM D50" on it.  It's a pretty solid case but I really liked the little LowePro camera case I used w/my R09 - much easier to open, so that may get replaced in the future, we'll see.

yeah I thought it was pretty bold of Sony to market the "official" tripod @ $70 - it's just a tabletop stand, and the D50 has a totally standard fitting.  So I'm doing a little research on tripods, looking for something small enough that I can pack w/the rest of my gear.

[Vurki]

Hello

I bought a matched pair of Rode NT1-A microphones http://www.rodemic.com/microphone.php?product=NT1-Ahttp://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/pro_products/fr2le.shtml

What do you think, can I trust to its preamps, that they are good enough for my Rodes? Do you know some other recorders that would fit for me?

Thank you

[mac]

that is one nicely designed recorder. and certainly looks portable. has stereo line in, most of the options as buttons, like delete or low cut. if the mics and electronics are comparable to the other zooms than it's an excellent entry level recorder.



more about the h1 here:
http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h1/index.php