Bullet1979

Thanks for the tip here... it sounds like this is the direction I need to go. I have Adobe Audition on my PC - can you recommend any particular plugins to get this job done?

I've been having this issue with my live recordings for some time now where my recordings come out super quiet and I have to raise the volume very extensively to have the recordings be even close to normal volume for listening purposes - and they still end up being a little too quiet because I can only amplify the recording so much before the audience between songs will cause clipping. My latest recording is especially suffering from this because it was a quieter-than-usual show due to it being a solo show as opposed to a full band. So I suppose I have two main questions... 1: What is the best process I can follow to amplify the recording to a good level when the audience between songs records louder than the music itself? 2: Any advice on not having this happen anymore in the future? Is the only way to turn the levels down between songs? I use core-sound cardioids w/battery box into the line-in of an Edirol R-09. Even with the recording at level 30 (highest) my recordings come out whisper quiet before mastering. I've also used sound professionals in-ear microphones into the line-in of a Sony MZ-RH10 with the same outcome. Thanks for any advice!

It doesn't look like they are "fake," however the auctions mention they are from bulk - meaning they are shipped without packaging and most documentation/accessories. They are being sold as just the microphone and a different cable than what normally comes with the microphone if bought as manufactured. At worst, if they're not brand spankin' new, they could be refurbished - which honestly isn't as bad as the term has led people to think.

Just to let you know, the auction for the batteries says it's for the RM-MC40ELK remote.

I suppose I'll start the bidding at $130

That's a pretty nice trick there - I take it that the unit does not deplete too much battery blinking on REC/PAUSE? Most of the time I'm wanting to record a band, I have to sit through a few opening bands so it could be a while - I suppose I could set things up during the final opening band. How long is the longest you've had the unit blinking on hold waiting to start recording?

Yeah, I will always record in the highest quality available for the recorder I'm using - so the RH910 was recording in PCM WAV and MZ-R55 in SP. I wouldn't be so scrutinizing with my recordings, but I have a website where I put all of my recordings up for people to download and listen to - so I have to sort of keep in mind that different people will have different set ups so I try to establish a good middle ground with lows and such... All of your help has been soo greatly appreciated. I'm going to another show tomorrow and I'll probably do the same thing, recording with cardioid and binaurals - this time I will try the manual levels. I just wish the damn recorders would retain the manual setting instead of having to re-set it every time you want to record - I hear the RH1 is the only recorder to not have this fault... is that correct? I'm usually trying to be as stealth as possible (I have the bands' permission but not necessarily the venues') so that's why I've always used auto in the past. A440 - do you happen to know what recorders that specific remote is compatible with? Is that the one I've heard of that's usually roughly $50 on ebay? I'll look in to uploading my recordings to the gallery - do I do full shows or just single songs? And if it's just a song or two, do you think the one I uploaded is a fair representation or should I choose a song that's more consistently loud?

I had a MZ-RH910 in my left pocket connected to the core-sound cardoids mounted in a two separate slits I cut in a baseball cap and then I had a MZ-R55 in my right pocket connected to the binaurals in my ears. I did have them both on automatic as far as input level goes - I'll have to try manual next time. By the way... with Audacity when I use the preview function, it only plays about 2-5 seconds - is this normal? The reason I ask is when I use Adobe Audition it processes while playing back so you could listen to the entire song or however much you choose. I suppose I'll have to noodle around with it and see what kind of results I get. I don't have anything super fancy as far as speakers go, but they're decent at least. I have a Logitech 2.1 speaker system that has always sounded excellent on studio stuff and a lot of other live recordings... I've only recently started to get experimental like this making recordings with two setups at one show to cross-reference. I think I'll definitely have to look in to core-sound's binaural microphones... Thanks for the reply!

Ok, so I went to a show on Sunday night and recorded with both setups at the same time - with my binaural mics (the ones I'm having this issue with), I used a cutoff of 95hz as recommended by Guitarfxr. The recording still has a blown sound to it, which is making me think that Greenmachine is correct in that this problem is because the microphones themselves cannot handle the SPL of such loud concerts. If this is the case, does anyone have any recommendations as far as stealthy binaural microphones that are hopefully in a reasonable price range that can handle higher SPLs? I really like the natural and dynamic sound of the binaural microphones. I have uploaded a song from the show from both microphone recordings, and I'd really appreciate if you guys would have a listen and give your input on what the problem could be. Like I said, the binaural recording is much more dynamic and natural sounding (especially with headphones) but the bottoming out/blown sound takes a lot from the recording. Also, I recorded two other sets that night with just the binaural microphones and they have this same low-end problem - I would be so so very appreciative if one of you guys who are established in Audacity to maybe take a stab at 'mastering' the song I uploaded and give me a crash course in what effects and settings you used. Sorry if I'm annoying but this literally is the best resource for people like me who really want to know how to record shows with the best possible results. Anyway, without furhter ado... Core-Sound Cardioid microphone -> battery box -> line in SoundProfessionals Binaural ->battery box w/95hz cutoff ->line in I chose this song because there are different levels at different timings, usually around each minute mark of the song. Full band enters around the 2 minute mark, which is where the problems are most evident. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to listen and give input - it is greatly appreciated!

For the recordings for which I have this issue, the microphones are the SP-TFB-2's into this battery box to the line in on my Sony MZ-RH910 HI-MD recorder. Otherwise, I use core-sound's stealthy cardioid microphones with the brick of a battery box they make (which cost $250 altogether) into the line-in of same recorder as above. I don't ever have the bass problem with recordings from this set of microphones, but it doesn't recreate the sound as well or as dynamically as the soundprofessional mics.

No, sir, I am running Windows Vista so no such EQ... Any other plugins that you would recommend as far as a multi-band EQ for Audacity or Audition?

Thanks for all of your replies so far - everyone is always a very valuable wealth of information here. And no, the Ludo recording definitely isn't near as bad as what I have recorded from shows in bigger venues - it was simply the most easily accessible set of files I had that would sort of represent what I was wanting to remedy. I've had recordings where there's almost a cloud of fuzz in the recording from the bass drum/bass. A440 - I hate to come off as an extreme noob, but I just started using Audacity and I just couldn't wrap my head around any EQ functionality in that software. What's the best technique using said software to add a nice curve to get a better mix from such recordings? I had always used Adobe Audition/Cool Edit Pro with Steinberg's Freefilter, but somehow I don't have Freefilter any more after switching computers and OS's.

Ok... so I finally got tired of recording shows and getting a pretty decent recording minus the fact that the bass is WAY too overpowering and bottoms out any headphones/speakers I play them through - so I use high pass filters that I can usually never find a happy medium with (either takes out too much or not enough).... So I purchased a battery box w/bass rolloff that has 7 different settings. My question is: What setting have you guys gotten the best results from? I'm talking about going to small to medium sized clubs/venues where the sound is normally very loud. To give an example of such recordings, here is a link to a song from a show I recorded recently: http://download.yousendit.com/E78B40566AB7AB81 The settings I have as options are: 16hz, 69hz, 95hz, 107hz, 160hz, 195hz, 888hz.

I'd like to get some input on what software you all recommend for mastering your recordings once you've gotten it transferred to your PC. I record usually with core-sound cardioid microphones through a battery box into the line input of my MZ-RH910 - this makes for a quiet recording that always has to have the volume raised up. For this task, what do you recommend? In the past I've used Adobe Audition 2.0 and did a batch normalize followed by Steinberg's LoudnessMaximizer. I don't think any clipping occurs in this method, but perhaps there's a better way to go about this process? The other scenario is when I record with my soundprofessionals SP-TFB-2 microphones through a battery box into the line in - this scenario always has WAY too much low end. I haven't found a great process for filtering out the low-ends that distort the audio while keeping some of the low-ends that contribute to a nice dynamic recording. The best way around this is probably using a battery box with a bass roll-off (right?), but what if I don't have one? Anyone's input on this would be greatly appreciated!

Ok, so I've gone from a MZ-R55 to a MZ-RH910 which I've used for the past 10-15 shows that I've gone to and now I think I want to upgrade to the RH1. My main concern though is the lack of external battery attachment for the RH1. In the past, neither recorder is even close to impressive when recording with a mic (especially plug-in powered) without the external battery case. The battery life estimates from the manufacturer and on the minidisc.org equipment browser are WAY more than I've ever achieved with said recorders (MZ-R55 would get 45 minutes tops using gum battery). So - to those who have used the RH1 to record at live shows and such: Is it true that the RH1 can last at least a few hours on it's own battery without the need for a battery attachment? My absolute worst nightmare is running out of battery at a show and I really really want the replies to be a resounding yes that it will last. I just have to be sure if I'm going to be spending $350-400 on one. Thanks for any input!

I'd like to know if anyone has had any experience with recorders that DON'T set off metal detector wands at live shows. I used to use a MZ-R55 and I know that it is detected because I was caught once . Ever since that experience, even though I use a different recorder, I have always taken my equipment back to the car when I realize they're using wands. Currently I'm using a MZ-RH910 which appears to be made primarily of hard plastic - so my question is: Have any of you taken your recorders in that were not detected by metal detectors? I have permission from all the bands that I record, but the venues themselves usually stand in the way... Any input would be greatly appreciated!

How are these mics for live concerts, specifically - loud concerts? I like the stealth design of the microphones so I'd definitely be interested in the performance of these in really loud shows with the typical rowdy audience.