Audio recording live events (not music)

[dsato]

I am a photojournalist looking to record audio of the events that I photograph. I will be using my minidisc recorder to record ambient sound, interviews, etc. I am wondering what a good recorder would be as well as a mic that preferrably will be well suited in gathering both ambient and conducting interviews. Thank you for your help.

[akijikan]

A little more detail on what you want:

1) Do you need/want to make stereo or mono recordings?

2) Do you need/want uncompressed (Linear PCM (wav)) recordings? Follow-up, what's the longest time you'll need to record (est).

The first question would address what type of mic you need. A stereo or mono mic depending on your needs.

The second question addresses the type of recorder. A Hi-MD recorder offers the ability to record without compression (non-audiophiles wouldn't know the difference between the sony compression, and uncompressed). A Hi-MD also lets you record approx 94 minutes of uncompressed audio or approx 8 hours of Hi-SP (256 kbps ATRAC3plus; again, undecernable from uncompressed to the average ear) to a $7 1 gigabyte Hi-MD disc. They can also format regular $2 80 minute MDs in to Hi-MD mode for 28 minutes uncompressed or 2 hours 20 minutes Hi-SP. Another major point about Hi-MD is that is that you can directly upload your microhpone and analog line-in (but not optical (digital)) recordings to your computer and convert to WAV for any use you can think of.

If you don't need/want uncompressed or long-running recordings and you don't need/want to upload your recordings to the computer, there are the less expensive NetMD/MDLP recorders that are no longer made but can be aquired on ebay. They use regular 60,74, or 80 minute MDs to record in SP, (disc stated capacity) LP2, (double stated) or LP4 (quadruple stated). As stated, you cannot directly upload any recordings to the computer. All copying of audio would have to be recorded real time.

Over all I discourage the purchase of a NetMD/MDLP recorder. Too limited and too much hassle. Any extra cost for a Hi-MD unit is supremely worth it. In fact, a great deal on the lowest cost Hi-MD recorder that meets your needs is available at minidisc canada. It's the MZ-NH700 for $138 shipped. All you would need is a new power adapter (since the units are Austrailian surplus) but those can be had easily. Best of all it comes bundled with a stereo microphone and 5 80 minute blank MDs.

Edited December 26, 2005 by akijikan

[A440]

The NH700 package doesn't come with a mic, but it is such a bargain that the lack of a mic is no big deal. There are plenty of good affordable ones. Sony mics tend to add more self-noise than some other alternatives.

How important is stereo depth to you? You obviously don't need it for interviews, but you might want it for ambience.

For maximum realism, the best solution would be a pair of small omnidirectional mics. Separate them 6 inches--like your omnidirectional ears--and you'll get a very realistic soundscape. Put them together, and you can put them on an interview subject's collar.

I use these all the time for music, but they're also sensitive enough for speech.

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-2

Get them with the clips attached.

Are interviews rather than ambience the priority? Then you could use a one-point stereo mic, which won't give you a realistic ambient soundscape--the elements are too close together--but will give you the added warmth of stereo.

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/.../item/SP-SPSM-1

Don't plug it directly into the MD, because it will pick up the whir of the machine. Put it on an extension cord.

Or hey, here's an all-purpose compromise, since you don't have to worry about stealth.

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...item/SP-SPSM-4F

Microphone placement makes a big difference in your results. Put it close to your interview subject (like on a TV talk show) or it will pick up room resonance and your interview will sound like it's happening at the bottom of a well.

Eventually, you may want to get more specialized mics for each purpose. Cardioid mics, which are directional, will provide the maximum clarity for an interview. But they shut out sound behind you, so ambient recordings with them sound odd.

Edited December 26, 2005 by A440

[akijikan]

Oops my bad...

[dsato]

thank you for the replies. as for sound, i would probably prefer stereo for recording the ambient noise but am not 100% convinced that this is necessary. the audio will usually be accompanying still photos in a slideshow for the web on either a program called soundslides or using flash.

as for recording times and compressed vs. uncompressed...i imagine i would record the whole time i am out shooting, which at times may be a couple of hours, though i will only end up using 4 or 5 minutes of audio in the end.

am i correct in assuming that the old sony md players require you to upload audio files in real time to your computer, while the Hi-MD players allow some form of quick drag and drop? if so, it seems as if the MZ-NH700 you are suggesting would fit the bill for all that i am seeking and at a reasonable price as well.

thank you very much for your help.

[The Low Volta]

am i correct in assuming that the old sony md players require you to upload audio files in real time to your computer, while the Hi-MD players allow some form of quick drag and drop?

well... almost.

- All pre-HiMD models (including MDLP) required realtime rerecording to PC through headphone out (on MD) -> line in on PC

- HiMD allows digital transfer through USB, but it's no drag-n-drop yet... SonicStage is required for this operation and this Sony-software only works on PC, so if you have got a mac, either get one of the M-models (M10 or M100) as they allow PCM->mac digital UCB transfers or you are still bounded to realtime rerecording

but if you have got a PC, SS isn't that hard to use...just get the latest version (3.3) from our downloads section in stead of installing the one on the CD with your purchase

[A440]

For what you're doing--collecting sounds that need to be on the computer--there's no question whatsoever that you should get Hi-MD. NetMD would end up with lower fidelity (compressed sounds recorded to the computer through an analog output) and infinitely higher frustration. SonicStage isn't drag-and-drop--it's more of a drag that should be dropped--but its latest versions are adequate and it will give you fully usable files.

For what you're doing, you might be better off with a Sony ECM MS907. MS stands for mid-side: it has a switchable pickup pattern and can give you true mono for those interviews. Downside: not much bass response, since it only goes down to 100 Hz. But for a computer slideshow you're not going to need boomin' lows.

SoundProfessionals also makes what claims to be an improved-specs version of it, though I'm not sure if it's actually switchable like the Sony:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-PSM-3

Take a look at this post:

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?s=&sh...indpost&p=47556

Edited December 26, 2005 by A440

[dsato]

thank you again for the help. i am sorry that i have yet more questions...my main concern is the realtime recording that will take place using a mac. low volta suggested "either get one of the M-models (M10 or M100) as they allow PCM->mac digital UCB transfers." are these models Hi-MD? and would i be better off getting this for the transfer speeds over a better quality recorder? i only make such a big deal about this because i will often be working on deadline and dont necessarily want to wait 2 hours to get a recording into my computer to edit down. thanks!

[The Low Volta]

The M-models are HiMD: they are almost exact copies of the RH10 and RH910 but with added PCM->mac ability (and therefore a bit more expensive)

Transferring PCM recordings digitally still takes quite some time (not completely realtime so you'll still win some time, but still quite long)... but a further advantage with the digital transfer method (which the M-models provide for mac) is that there is no SQ-degradation as the entire process is digital (no analogue stages which can introduce faults/noise)

The other recording modes (HiSP and HiLP) are faster to transfer, but this is only possible to a PC (even with the M-models only PCM is transferable to mac)