Which MD recorder?

[dgbalfour]

I wish I had found this board sooner!

My sister is a flautist and wants to record her concerts and practise sessions so she can listen to herself and improve. She is often accompanied by a piano and the environments can range from a bedroom to a church. I bought her a Sony ECM-MS907 mic on recommendation and have used it with a (borrowed) Net MD recorder (not sure of the model, but it had a Mic input) with good results.

So I bought her a MZ-NH600 for Christmas. Unfortunately I was under the impression that the battery in the MS907 was for a pre-amp (since reading this board I now know it's not!) so the NH600 won't do - I need something with a Mic input rather than just a line in. I don't want to go down the route of battery boxes and pre-amps, partly due to the expense and partly due to the complexity. She will be getting her friends to use this at concerts, and using it herself at home - she doesn't want lots of bits of kit.

So what MD recorder would you recommend? There are several available that have the Mic input, the NH700 being one of them. I want to keep the cost down (for now), would there be any advantages for her in going for the higher end models (NH900, NH1)? I want to stick with Hi-MD as it was a faff getting stuff off the Net MD.

I am also considering non-MD formats, is there anything that records to MP3 (probably need 160kbps) or WAV that would do the same job as well or as simply?

Many thanks for any advice, I'm afraid I'm new to this!

David

[bobt]

I wish I had found this board sooner!

My sister is a flautist and wants to record her concerts and practise sessions so she can listen to herself and improve. She is often accompanied by a piano and the environments can range from a bedroom to a church. I bought her a Sony ECM-MS907 mic on recommendation and have used it with a (borrowed) Net MD recorder (not sure of the model, but it had a Mic input) with good results.

So I bought her a MZ-NH600 for Christmas. Unfortunately I was under the impression that the battery in the MS907 was for a pre-amp (since reading this board I now know it's not!) so the NH600 won't do - I need something with a Mic input rather than just a line in. I don't want to go down the route of battery boxes and pre-amps, partly due to the expense and partly due to the complexity. She will be getting her friends to use this at concerts, and using it herself at home - she doesn't want lots of bits of kit.

So what MD recorder would you recommend? There are several available that have the Mic input, the NH700 being one of them. I want to keep the cost down (for now), would there be any advantages for her in going for the higher end models (NH900, NH1)? I want to stick with Hi-MD as it was a faff getting stuff off the Net MD.

I am also considering non-MD formats, is there anything that records to MP3 (probably need 160kbps) or WAV that would do the same job as well or as simply?

Many thanks for any advice, I'm afraid I'm new to this!

David

The NH700 will do you just fine, the higher end models dirr in some features such as digital output stages etc, but you could not tell the difference recording wise. The 700 will be limited to it's own recordings to be digitally uploaded, the RH1 would do all your discs.

Look further in the forum for guitarfixrs impressions of the new Tascam unit.

Take care and welcome

Bob

[A440]

The recording guts of all the Hi-MD units are the same. If an affordable MZ-NH700 is still around, that's all you need.

I'd love to know where the NH700 is available, in fact, so after you grab yours let us know.

You could also get her a Microphone Madness battery module for $60 and plug it into the NH600 line-in jack. It should get a loud enough signal from a close spectator, and it's only the size of a car alarm remote. She could plug it in, have her friend plug the mic into it and you'd be good to go.

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

The only thing you have to remember is to unplug the mic from it between uses. While the mic is plugged in, the batteries are draining. You could leave it connected to the recorder.

Another digital recorder to consider is the Edirol R09--just drag-and-drop, no SonicStage uploading--but people say that the mic inputs on the Hi-MD units are quieter.

Edited March 24, 2008 by A440

[Strungup]

@440

man it seems like no one actually reads a post before they reply anymore , we are getting way out of form on communication here guys .

QUOTE(David B @ Mar 25 2008, 02:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I wish I had found this board sooner!

. I don't want to go down the route of battery boxes and pre-amps, partly due to the expense and partly due to the complexity.

[A440]

@440

man it seems like no one actually reads a post before they reply anymore , we are getting way out of form on communication here guys .

I did read the post. I was addressing the fact that it's neither expensive nor complex to use a battery box. Cheaper by far, and probably simpler, than getting a whole new MD recorder. And the sound from line-in is nice and clean.

[greenmachine]

I doubt there would be enough gain for recording unamplified instruments. The recordings would be fairly quiet (and probably noisy if normalized). Plus there are the the annoying auto track marks when recording from the line-in. A recorder with mic-in and/or built-in mics doesn't seem like a bad idea.

[Strungup]

I guess the words " I Dont want " really doesnt have a meaning then.

hmmm I guess I need to relearn the english language .

[A440]

I doubt there would be enough gain for recording unamplified instruments. The recordings would be fairly quiet (and probably noisy if normalized). Plus there are the the annoying auto track marks when recording from the line-in. A recorder with mic-in and/or built-in mics doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Unamplified instruments in a practice room or small concert hall are loud enough. I've used this setup with my BMC-2, and I expect it would also work with the powered mic unless it has much lower sensitivity.

From far away in a concert hall, you're right, it might be too quiet. Mic-in might be better, but not necessarily, because it picks up every rustle of everyone around you. The lower sensitivity of the battery box--line-in setup can sometimes be helpful there.

I've recorded orchestras through battery box/line-in and through mic-in, and I'm really not sure which I prefer.

Mic-in is always a good option to have. But if it's a question of expense, a battery module is worth a try. It would be useful to have even if David B went on to get a mic-in recorder now or later.

Guitarfxr, sometimes people don't really know what they want until they are better informed about the options. My first battery box was as big as the MD unit and so bulky to carry around that I thought I was better off with an attenuator. I didn't want to use the battery box. When I found the mini-module, which was tiny and easy to use, what I wanted changed.

Can we still be friends?

[greenmachine]

I would agree if we were talking about a sensitive mic and close miking, but to capture two instruments at the same time, you'll have to keep some distance, plus the ECM-MS907, like most Sony mics, is not exactly sensitive with its effective output level of -56 dBm ±4dB (0dB=1mW/Pa, 1kHz).

[Strungup]

@440 , I have no probs with freindship , but I believe in respecting someones wishes , when they say they dont want something , and gives specific reasons why they dont want it ............ who are we , to OVER emphasize our OWN value , to you the Batt box isnt cumbersome , or excessive , because you have a specific purpose , and a certain level of audio requirement from your gear , in other words ,.. YOU , Know exactly , what you want from your gear . But that doesnt mean it will fit with what he is after ,That is all I was trying to present .

I will be recording an Irish group in a Recording studio on the 12 of april . So let me use this as an example .

I .... am the Engineer , .... They , Have NO recording experience , I , CAN say how I think it should go , and do the RECORDING aspect of everything , but when it comes down to the Final mix , ......... who's opinion is going to matter ?

Yes I can tell them , what I think sounds good , but as a group they are going to listen as well , and might want something sonically COMPLETELY different that what I have going on in my head . And ........... It is THEIR CD . they are paying for it .

I am VERY sensitive to when someone says " That isn't what I want ", It is a Very important part of communication .

Just my 2 cents worth .

Edited March 26, 2008 by Guitarfxr

[dgbalfour]

Thanks for all your help, it's much appreciated.

I did consider the battery box route after initially finding this forum - I post a lot on car forums and it really winds me up when different people ask the same question time and time again without first doing the search! I decided against it from a complexity point of view as I also thought I would need a pre-amp, it's interesting to read this may not actually be the case. However, I have used a Mic input on an MD before, and the recording was exactly what I wanted.

I will try and get myself a NH700 to replace the NH600, but I'll have a look at the Edirol R09 too now.

My thanks again.

David