subsekt

Hey guys!

im planning on buying a field recorder. whats your recorder of choice and how much would a decent one cost? im not planning on recording anything specific. i was thinking of the usual stuff like scramble egg etc.

looking forward to your tips

I know James - Mslwte - was using his Iphone for ages with great results.. I'm sure you could experiment with any phone.

I got a Tascam DR07 MkI. Bought it 2nd hand & in perfect condition for €75.

Heres some of the Tascams on musicstore.de/ireland

http://www.musicstore.de/is-bin/INTERSH ... fferSearch

I do a LOT of field recording for my music.
I`ve been using a Hi-MD with a really nice sony stereo mic for ages and getting good results, but the whole deal isn`t very user friendly.

Have finally after asking people, checking out loads of reviews etc, have decided to go for the Tascam DR07 Mk2.
It fits my requirements, ease of use, portability, price, build quality, fidelity
I`ll be using it a lot for my album so I`ll report back on my results, but it seems to fit a lot of requirements in the price range.

This is popular and cheap: http://www.thomann.de/se/zoom_h2n.htm
I had the original Zoom H2, I then sold it as I wanted an Edirol instead. I regretted that though as there wasn't so much of a difference between the 2.

i think ill go for the tascam dr07 Mk02. i read its got an reverb effect in it. is it any useful?

Had a Microtrack for ages but the battery is kinda dead. Was a great device tho.

Think i'll go for one of the mic amps for the iPhone once they're available for the new iPhone 5 port.

Btw, i strongly recommend checking out those Soundman OKM in-ear mics. Amazing binaural results with those!
http://www.soundman.de/en

I have a Zoom H2 and it does the job. No idea how it compares to other models. It is very plastic-y, and the OS isn't great, but then you get what you pay for!

I actually struggle with how to use my recordings. Are there any common signal chains that you would use to turn say, me hitting a pan, into some kind of evil Techno Porc noise?

Any advice on this front would be great!

rktic wrote:Had a Microtrack for ages but the battery is kinda dead. Was a great device tho.

Think i'll go for one of the mic amps for the iPhone once they're available for the new iPhone 5 port.

Btw, i strongly recommend checking out those Soundman OKM in-ear mics. Amazing binaural results with those!
http://www.soundman.de/en

Interesting, do you have some? are they worth the £120?

http://www.kmraudio.com/soundman-okm-ii ... c-solo.php

Has anybody here ever used an iPhone as a field recorder using apps like SpaceSampler? If so, does it work fine?

bram2000 wrote:I have a Zoom H2 and it does the job. No idea how it compares to other models. It is very plastic-y, and the OS isn't great, but then you get what you pay for!

I actually struggle with how to use my recordings. Are there any common signal chains that you would use to turn say, me hitting a pan, into some kind of evil Techno Porc noise?

Any advice on this front would be great!

No common signal chain as it totally depends on what you are trying to achieve.

A little reverb, some compression to control the sound a little if it is percussive, then it`s a case of fucking about with stuff.
Abletons corpus is a great effect for percussive sounds.

hnrk wrote:i think ill go for the tascam dr07 Mk02. i read its got an reverb effect in it. is it any useful?

The MK2 is definitely better, especially the mics. I wouldn't take the reverb as much of anything besides as added bonus/gimmick. It should work fine if you don't need special inputs.

I use loads of field recordings and foley, 2 of my faves are still Zoom H4n and Zoom H4 for different settings. The H4n is more rugged, mics can swivel but they lack protection. Little things like that. They also have loads of internal effects and amp/mic simulation, a lot of which are quite useful when using mic inputs on the XLR (they also have dual combo XLR/TRS with phantom power).

People sometimes complain of noise, but it's nothing that can't be fixed. Noise usually comes from low quality memory cards, and batteries. If you get good quality Class 10+ cards, make yourself a nice little windscreen cover for the mics, the noise vanishes. Any other noise can easily be removed with minimal EQ, or even using the low cut on the device itself when recording. I usually have the low cut filter set to 2. I actually like a little noise, but if you want to go the extra step you can also build an external power supply to hold the batteries. There is pretty much 0 noise when using an external power source. For the low prices of these units, I would not expect it to sound as amazing as some of the Nagra or high end Sony units I've used, but I was extremely pleased with the price vs. results.

Lost to the Void wrote:I do a LOT of field recording for my music.
I`ve been using a Hi-MD with a really nice sony stereo mic for ages and getting good results, but the whole deal isn`t very user friendly.

Have finally after asking people, checking out loads of reviews etc, have decided to go for the Tascam DR07 Mk2.
It fits my requirements, ease of use, portability, price, build quality, fidelity
I`ll be using it a lot for my album so I`ll report back on my results, but it seems to fit a lot of requirements in the price range.

Just reporting back on my purchase of the tascam DR07 Mk2

It is excellent, easy to use, and really sensitive mics.
You absolutely need a windscreen/wind muffler for it as the mics are real sensitive, but you can pick them up for about 15 quid on ebay.

Building up some nice sounds for the album now.

Reporting in as one of the happy DR07 MKII Owners as well. Smooth and steady.

I bought the DR07 Mk2 a couple months ago. It's my first field recorder so I don't have much to compare it to, but using it is easy and it sounds pretty good to me.

I've got the Zoom H4n. It does what it's supposed to do very well. The noise floor is kind of high but that doesn't bother me, I think it gives it a natural sound. You have to be careful when handling it not to let it move in your hands too much because it picks up a lot of noise when you do. I'm guessing that's a problem with handheld recorders in general though, not just the H4n. All around I'm satisfied with it.

I don´t know if this is where I should share this, but I found this amazing "song" with some nice field recording in youtube.

youtu.be/VjzUXN10_Ao

nice link. gotta love trains!
i grew up beside tracks and think it might have left some subconscious mark on my young mind at the time.

I recently picked up a zoom H2n but have not really put it to use yet.
The mid-side thing is impressive and it's a doddle to use.
My first one as well so I can't compare it to any others (sound quality, ease of use,etc.)

Was planning on recording some machines from work but realise now that I could and should record everything and anything as I will probably find a use for it some day...maybe!

surface wrote:I recently picked up a zoom H2n but have not really put it to use yet.

I'm the same way. I can't think of interesting things to record. My H4n has been sitting in my recording booth collecting dust.

Take it everywhere with you and record anything that makes a sound many of the sounds you can record in a normal day in a normal town/ city can make interesting atmospheres when run through a reverb.

The kitchen is a great source of sounds! I made a really cool techno loop by flipping a bunch of door keys in a sauce pan!

I too live with a railway track behind my house and have recorded the trains going past. Freightliners are my favourite. Big chunky Diesel engines that are slower than your pendolino and are about half a mile long ha ha.

I've got a Yamaha C24, had it since May, but only just taken it out for it's first field recording session yesterday. Currently chopping up sounds in Sound Studio the indoor stuff seems to really good quality, no unwanted ambient sounds to filter out.