I need a cheap but decent recording solution for my n510

[Fat Tires]

Hi everyone. Kurisu suggested that I ask all of you recording experts for some assistance in getting my recording rig up to snuff.

I own a Sony mz-n510 NetMD recorder and an AudioTechnica ATR35s battery powered microphone that I've been trying to use so that I can record myself and others speaking. As you may know the n510 lacks a mic in jack, so I have been forced to use the line in jack instead. I am getting very low volume no matter what I try when I try to record myself with this equipment.

Please advise me as to what type of equipment I ought to look at in order to be able to record my voice and hear it at a decent volume out of the recorder, or should I look into buying a recorder with a mic in jack?

Thanks in advance for any help that you can offer.

[Reactive]

Hello there,

your microphone produces a tiny amount of signal, this is normally boosted many hundreds of times thru the microphone pre-amplifier directly behind the mic jack on your recorder.

Some of the mini electret microphones available on the market today do produce fairly high signals when, and only when the sound that they are recording is very loud (ie rock concert, train, aircraft ect ect).

I am not surprised that your only able to hear a very low volume. You need either a recorder with a mic jack (and hence a built in pre-amp) or an external pre-amp that will feed the signal into your line-in jack. Pre-amps start at around $150 for a basic unit and go up from there depending on the features you need.

I hope that helped?

[Fat Tires]

Gerry,

Thanks for your info, although it's not really what I wanted to hear. I'm not prepared to spend $150 on a pre-amp for a job that I'll only do occasionally. I guess I'll need to see if I can find a used recorder that may do the trick for me.

I'm really looking for a cheap solution to my problem.

[A440]

Since you've already got a NetMD unit for anything you want to do with prerecorded stuff, there's no reason not to seek out an older recorder with Mic-In.

Look on Ebay for the Sony MZ-R700 or MZ-N707 (the NetMD upgrade of the MZ-R700), which have both served me for a whole lot of recording. You can probably find them for under $100 and they will do what you want. There are Sharps also, like the MT 190. Obviously on Ebay you have to look at feedback and really scrutinize the photo. But I got both units on Ebay and they've been just fine.

Even older models, like MZ-R37 and MZ-R50, have diehard fans, though they are a little larger and only record in SP, not LP2 or LP4.

[Fat Tires]

Thanks for the tip. I am looking into that solution. I have no problem buying an older model. MDLP isn't even as much of a big deal to me either. I am looking to go cheap though. By cheap I mean under $50.00. We'll see if I can find a vintage model for that kind of money.

[Christopher]

eBay's a treasure trove for that, Nismo; I'm sure you'll find something in no time.

[Fat Tires]

Thanks Kurisu. I'm sure that I'll find something. I just need to be patient.

[techristian]

WAIT DON'T SPEND THAT EXTRA MONEY! This may help you. I posted this on another thread.

oK

I have been doing some reading. Some have said that the N510 will record LINE LEVEL source. This is very good. I may still be able to find my old Realistic PHONO pre-amp. It runs on a single 9 volt battery and is stereo. Because it uses RCA PHONO plugs, I would only need to make an adapter to fit whatever microphone and another adapter for the MZ-N510 input.

If I can't find the old pre-amp , PAiA electronics makes a pre-amp kit for only around $25. I built PAiA kits since the 70's so that isn't a problem for me.

Dan

http://teachmedrums.com

[Fat Tires]

That's really interesting. Please tell me more about this phone pre amp.

BTW, did you really write for DCTalk? I'm impressed as long as it wasn't for their first record.

[dex Otaku]

I already posted this in the other 510-related thread, but here goes again:

Phono preamps can NOT be used with microphones. Part of the purpose of a phono preamp is to apply a rather harsh equalisation curve to flatten out the pre-emphasis that records are cut with. Putting a mic through that EQ would result in sound with an extremely loud low-end and a high-end that drifts off to nowhere.

Phono preamps also lack the plug-in power that condenser microphones require to work.