llall

Thanks Wheron, It's seldom I can run across people who are doing what I'm doing. Thanks so much for all your in put.

It's so nice to find a discussion about the unique problems of recording in a large acoustic hall. Most people are troubling over recording in heavily amplified surroundings. Our problems are large symphany orchestras. What software are you using on your computer for processing after you record? I'm not sure my Sound Studio is sophisticated enough. Maybe I'M not sophisticated enough to totally understand it. If recording is 50% of the project then the editing is the other 50%. I get too many bad opera recordings from other amateur pirates. I want mine to be GREAT! This is why I've selected the Sharp for my replacement MD. I'm just a bit fearful of going manual.

This is the first time I've heard this. I'm VERY interested. You're saying I should use the manuel level setting...... I notice the Sharp 420 has a L (0-20) and a Hi (21 -30) adjustment for the microphone sensitivity. I don't know what this means other than at NYCO I have to use low on my old machine since they put in that "sound enhancement" system. I should set this on Low and give it a shot, right? (I have excellent mics, BTW, Sound Professionals) The instructions say "Adjust the recording level so that the max. volume from source makes the reading swing somewhere between -4dB and 0dB." This isn't something you can do in an opera house. You can't moniter anything after you turn the things on. I understand that I can adjust the input level in Sound Studio, but if the machine tops out while recording, I don't think I can fix that, can I?

Can't keep me away from it! :grin:

I've downloaded the manual. I'll read through it today.

I looked at that one, but the Sharps don't have the same ALC. You have to set it and I can't change it once the program begins. I need the ALC so that it won't top out when the orchestra crescendos , there's a huge burst of applause, or some idiot starts screaming Bravo! next to me. I suppose I'd have to experiment by trying it once on Auto High and then if that didn't work trying Auto Low. I'd probably only run the risk of loosing one performance that way. The Sharp does seem to have the best reputation for quality of sound.

I'm exhausted and about ready to give up. I've spent hours and hours researching the new MDs and I can't find a replacement for my beloved Aiwa F70. After 5 years of faithful service it has developed a tendency to shut itself off in the middle of an opera. The F70 had ALC which is a necessity inside the dark Met or Carnegie Hall. This is an all acoustic environment with strong level variations. The new units can record stereo in excess of 80 mins. which has often meant mono to me in the past. Some operas have single acts that last longer than 80 mins. BUT, they want me to pay for Internet download capabilities that I don't need. I simply come home and pump my opera or symphony into my Mac, process and burn it with Sound Studio. The remote was the first thing that died on the F70, too bad because it had a record, pause, & track mark button on it. You don't see that now. All I want it is the best sound fidelity, LP2 recording length, and ALC. and I can't seem to find this simple combination. Have I missed something?

Sure is nice to see something about the problems of live recording of classical music. I've pretty much burned out my 1999 Aiwa AM-F70 and I'm shopping for a new unit. I use mine for live opera recording. I have a fine set of Sound Prof. mics and when I come home, I pump everything into my Mac computer and edit it with Sound Studio software, then burn it to CDs. So, all I'm using my recorder for is capturing a live, performance. The Net aspect of the new Sony's doesn't do me much good as most of the software is for Windows. I hate to pay for stuff I won't use, but I absolutely need GREAT SOUND. This music is all acoustical but we're talking from full orchestras to a lone piano in a recital Hall. You need ALC because you can't sit there and adjust the recording levels in a dark opera house and I don't want it to top out. You can't fiddle with it once the house lights go down. It has to be quiet, and the backlight turned off. I'm looking for the new LP2 for those times when an act runs over 90mins and I don't want to go mono. God bless those new long battery, lives. I've seen Sony N910, Sharp DR 420 and DR7 recommended here. Any others I should consider? Faithful capture of aucoustic sound is the main criteria.