llall Posted June 10, 2004 Report Share Posted June 10, 2004 I'm exhausted and about ready to give up. I've spent hours and hours researching the new MDs and I can't find a replacement for my beloved Aiwa F70. After 5 years of faithful service it has developed a tendency to shut itself off in the middle of an opera. The F70 had ALC which is a necessity inside the dark Met or Carnegie Hall. This is an all acoustic environment with strong level variations. The new units can record stereo in excess of 80 mins. which has often meant mono to me in the past. Some operas have single acts that last longer than 80 mins. BUT, they want me to pay for Internet download capabilities that I don't need. I simply come home and pump my opera or symphony into my Mac, process and burn it with Sound Studio. The remote was the first thing that died on the F70, too bad because it had a record, pause, & track mark button on it. You don't see that now. All I want it is the best sound fidelity, LP2 recording length, and ALC. and I can't seem to find this simple combination. Have I missed something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted June 11, 2004 Report Share Posted June 11, 2004 You missed something alright; it's called the Sharp IM-DR420 and will most likely be the best canidate for your needs. http://minidisc.org/part_Sharp_IM-DR400+DR...R410+DR420.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llall Posted June 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2004 I looked at that one, but the Sharps don't have the same ALC. You have to set it and I can't change it once the program begins. I need the ALC so that it won't top out when the orchestra crescendos , there's a huge burst of applause, or some idiot starts screaming Bravo! next to me. I suppose I'd have to experiment by trying it once on Auto High and then if that didn't work trying Auto Low. I'd probably only run the risk of loosing one performance that way. The Sharp does seem to have the best reputation for quality of sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llall Posted June 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2004 I've downloaded the manual. I'll read through it today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 As a muscian employed by an opera company, thank you for going to see the opera! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llall Posted June 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Can't keep me away from it! :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheron Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 I've been making minidisk recordings of live opera for about two years, and I urge you to consider NOT using ALC, as it kills the dynamic range of the music. These issues, including applause and bravos, are best dealt with as you edit on the computer, before burning to disk. Set the record volume to the midpoint, and you'll be surprised how much more natural your recordings will sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llall Posted June 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 This is the first time I've heard this. I'm VERY interested. You're saying I should use the manuel level setting...... I notice the Sharp 420 has a L (0-20) and a Hi (21 -30) adjustment for the microphone sensitivity. I don't know what this means other than at NYCO I have to use low on my old machine since they put in that "sound enhancement" system. I should set this on Low and give it a shot, right? (I have excellent mics, BTW, Sound Professionals) The instructions say "Adjust the recording level so that the max. volume from source makes the reading swing somewhere between -4dB and 0dB." This isn't something you can do in an opera house. You can't moniter anything after you turn the things on. I understand that I can adjust the input level in Sound Studio, but if the machine tops out while recording, I don't think I can fix that, can I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheron Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 My recorder is a Sharp MT77, and it too has a volume adjustment from 1 to 30. I usually set the volume to 17, unless there is something unusual about my seating in the theater (like being in the first row, next to the percussion section). At this setting, the music will not overmodulate, although applause and my wife's coughing will <g>. After moving the recording to my PC, I attenuate the applause and coughs, then normalize the file to 90%. If the voices sound too distant, I use dynamic range processing (2:1, -20db) to bring them closer. Finally, I may use hiss or noise reduction, but very sparingly, since the cure can be worse than the disease <g>. The result has a good S/N ratio, with balanced applause (like a broadcast recording). My advice is to try recording a non-critical performance, using a setting of 12-13. Check out the levels on the VU display during intermission, and adjust the volume accordingly. When you get home, play with the file on the computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llall Posted June 14, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 It's so nice to find a discussion about the unique problems of recording in a large acoustic hall. Most people are troubling over recording in heavily amplified surroundings. Our problems are large symphany orchestras. What software are you using on your computer for processing after you record? I'm not sure my Sound Studio is sophisticated enough. Maybe I'M not sophisticated enough to totally understand it. If recording is 50% of the project then the editing is the other 50%. I get too many bad opera recordings from other amateur pirates. I want mine to be GREAT! This is why I've selected the Sharp for my replacement MD. I'm just a bit fearful of going manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheron Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 The software I use is CoolEdit Pro (recently renamed Audition, after it was bought by Adobe), but I don't know if its available for Mac. Perhaps you should ask other Mac users on this board what they recommend for audio editors. Once you get the hang of it, its a quick and simple task to prepare the files for burning. Good luck, and nice chatting with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llall Posted June 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Thanks Wheron, It's seldom I can run across people who are doing what I'm doing. Thanks so much for all your in put. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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