Request for help

[ReginaThe1st]

Hello,

I was wondering if I could get some help and advice regarding gear to purchase to record live vocals. I am an operatic soprano with a big, loud voice, and I need to record my lessons, rehearsals, performances, etc. for review purposes, and eventually to post to my website.

I am planning on purchasing a Sony Minidisc (I don't know which one) and a microphone (I don't know which one). I tend to overdrive mics, so it is hard for me to find one that will work.

Can anyone provide some basic help/guidance for me? I just need to get started with the basics.

Thank you so much in advance for your help and patience.

Regina

[RockyJ]

Hi Regina, I record these types but am relatively new.

My first is in the recording section

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?act=m...album&album=209

I've since change mics to my homemade omni's.

[dex Otaku]

I am planning on purchasing a Sony Minidisc (I don't know which one) and a microphone (I don't know which one). I tend to overdrive mics, so it is hard for me to find one that will work.

Regardless of the equipment you end up with, it's easy to solve the overdriving problem - just move the mic farther away.

[A440]

Every Hi-MD with a microphone input will work the same for you. There aren't that many:

MZ-NH700, MZ-NHF800, MZ-NH900, MZ-R910, MZ-R10 and the pricey MZ-NH1. There are also two Mac-compatible models, MZ-100 and MZ-10, which otherwise are exactly like the MZ-R910 and MZ-R10. The MZ-R1, which will upload old minidisc recordings, is promised for late spring/early summer.

Hi-MD units will upload recordings to your computer (PC) for burning to CDs, etc. and can record in PCM (CD-quality files). Any previous MD unit will not upload--you would have to record your recordings out of the headphone jack in realtime--and only records in compressed formats.

The recording capabilities are the same in every unit. Other features vary.

For your mic question you should go to a pro music store and ask about a low-sensitivity mic that can handle high SPL (sound pressure levels = volume). Or ask some of your fellow opera people what they use.

One way to avoid overloading with a basic mic is to run it with a battery module and record through Line-in rather than Mic-in. (Mic-in provides a little power to the mic and amplifies the signal with a built-in preamp. Line-in expects a stronger signal.) Power extends the dynamic range of a microphone. I use this:

http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm

with these:

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

at very loud rock concerts. But you don't need tiny stealthy microphones, so another kind of mic may be more suitable for you. See if you can find out what your fellow Brunnhildes use.

[bjsilva]

I was wondering if I could get some help and advice regarding gear to purchase to record live vocals. I am an operatic soprano with a big, loud voice, and I need to record my lessons, rehearsals, performances, etc. for review purposes, and eventually to post to my website.

Hi Regina,

For the right combination between portability and quality I recommend an "all-in-one" stereo mic such as the Audio Technica AT822 or the Rode NT4, but if those are out of your budget the Sony MS907 can do surprisingly well. With recording classical music good microphone placement is extremely important - to get the right balance of room acoustics and clarity of the source (i.e. not too distant or close). Experimentation is essential.

In your past experiences, unless you were using really low quality equipment it's likely you were not overdriving the microphone but rather whatever you were recording into (i.e. the recording level was too high). This is something you'll have to check on your minidisc before you start recording, and for most recordings you'll want to set the recording level manually (instead of automatic, which will alter the dynamics). Although a battery box may be useful sometimes, with proper microphone placement you will not "over-power" even the MS907 mic.