Important recording! Line in or Mic? - need advice ASAP

[sonofabass]

There's a BIG concert (at least to me ;-) this weekend that I have simply got to get recorded.

I'm using my trusty Sony MZN707 and a Sony ECM719 mic.

My questions are:

1. Should I use the battery in the mic and go to the line in OR, as suggested by someone else on the forum, run the mic into a headphone volume control into the mic input?

2. I'd love to know any "stealthy" tecniques that folks have used to get their minidiscs into shows. I'm thinking about just putting in my pants... hell, what are they gonna do, make me drop them? lolOnce I'm in, who cares. I've seen people get video cameras in and record the WHOLE show...shit. :-)

Any info is GREATLY appreciated!

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm not familiar with the mic, so I don't know what its battery will do with line-in. Battery boxes tend to be 9V, and I doubt a little button battery (if that's what the mic uses) will put out enough juice. But I see that Sony sells it as usable with plug-in power (the mic jack) or battery. If there are instructions, do they say where to plug it in with battery power?

I use an attenuator cord (volume control) with my MZ-707, but the best thing would be to try a test at home--blast your stereo and record the music each way and see how it comes out. Five minutes well-spent.

As for getting it in...what's the security? If it's metal detectors you might want to do the pants bit. If it's an arena gig with bag search, I put the MD in a slightly roomy case that holds my binoculars, and keep the MD tucked underneath. You can open the top, show the binoculars and waltz on in.

Or keep the mic someplace separate (or in your pants), and if they do find the MZ-N707, tell 'em it's a pager or MP3 player. They've probably never seen one anyway.

Don't forget to use a fresh battery. My MZ-N707 indicator always shows it as full or near-full and then suddenly empty, and you'll kick yourself if you lost the concert for lack of a Duracell.

Happy recording.