Slightly OT: field recorders - what do people like and how do they use these things?

[RunOutGroove]

OK, I realize that these things are really more pro audio/musician/filmmaker type devices then they are anything that would be considered home audio, but they are audio devices nonetheless, right? Anyway, I've been thinking about buying one of these things to record rehearsals of the band I play in. At the very least, it would give us a sense of weak points in the music and at the very best, it could be more than that... though I realize that it'll never be a substitute for a real studio recording (particularly because the basement where we play is nothing special acoustically... to say the least).

I wonder what folks use for these things, what they like/dislike about them and tricks that they use with them (particularly for recording live music in a cramped space)? It seems that Zoom and Tascam are the popular brands... but why one over the other and which model? I see that these things go for cheap enough that I'd probably get something a bit higher up the line than the basicc model, something with 4 channels, rather than two and with aux mic inputs as I have access to some recording mics that I can use

 

[mfrench]

I've been using a Tascam DR70D 4-channel recorder since they came to market, and I love it.
The onboard mic preamps are really nice, and I do not miss having outboard preamps (I had Grace Lunatec V2 and V3 for years prior, and never thought I'd even slightly consider onboard convenience preamps to be of any value)
I also used an Edirol R44 4-channel recorder for a couple of years, and found it to be an ultimately qualified recorder.
But since 2017((?) - since its release date) I've been running the DR70D with ultimate confidence.
I also spent a few years with the Sound Devices 722, two channel stereo recorder, and it is a bomb-proof, high quality build. But this one is ultimately far more spendy

 

[mfrench]

Some thoughts and pics on how I power the DR-70D.

I use a USB lithium battery called a Power Bank, from Amazon
It is velcroed with adhesive backed Velcro, and mounted to the underside of the recorder. This makes a nice tight low profile package.
The power is supplied by a short right angle to right angle USB cable from the battery to the USB input port on the recorder. This is a fine rigging for field use, and lasts way farther than I have ever needed.

 

[webbb]

Here's another vote for Tascam .... I have used the DR2-d since it came out. It has two built in mics plus it simultanously acce;pts two more channels via 1/8 inch plug. I actually made a quite nice recording of my brother-in-law's Steinway with two condenser mics over the top (performer perspective) plus the internal mics about six feet away (audience perspective). I also use it to take a two track mix from whatever mixing console I am at plus the room sound from the internals. I liked it so much I bought a second one. Power via two eneloop cells lasts about 3 hours. A friend liked mine and uses the DR-05x for two channel live recordings (it is either the internals or external via 1/8 inch jack, but not both). I think the successor to mine would be the DR-40x, which even sports xlr inputs.
I have also briefly used a Zoom H4, and I own a Zoom 2 track digital interface. I'm not as delighted with them, somehow. Possibly just from being a Tascam user for decades.... DA-38, DA-88 and DA-P1 DAT portable deck.

 

[RunOutGroove]

Tough choices.... I'm on a drumset forum as well, where I asked the same question, and the majority of folks liked Zoom rather than Tascam. I won't be ready to buy the thing for another week or two at least and it'll depend on what I see for sale at that time (I hate to buy stuff new, when there's cheaper used stuff available), though right now, in a quick search of my area I see a few of both brands for sale, and newer higher end models too... for very cheap.

Honestly, I think that I'd likely be happy with either of these and I'm impressed at just how cheap, capable and compact these things are. The tech really is amazing! If these things were around in the era of the Grateful Dead, think of just how many really high quality bootlegs there might be, without all of that tape his that I remember on those recordings. A friend of mine just recorded a rehearsal of one of the bands I'm in, in both audio and video, with his cell phone and though it won't win any recording or video awards, it's kind of amazing to me just how good the quality is... quality that will be even better I'm sure with one of these dedicated recorders.

 

[mfrench]

@RunOutGroove
This is the "Recording Gear" section of a field recordist, "Tapers", remote live music recording forum. You might learn a lot from them.

Zoom is good gear. But, in my response I stuck with what I have personally used. I've never used Zoom gear.

Recording Gear

Established in 2002, Taperssection.com is the forum community of live concert recordists. Taperssection is full of archived information and professional recordists who are ready to help you with your live sound recording questions

taperssection.com

 

[lini]

I wonder what folks use for these things, (...)

Actually quite a few people use digital field recorders for hifi purposes as a modern replacement for other analogue and digital recorders - for example for digitising vinyl records. The two among the pretty affordable and very compact, two-channel models, that I still like best for hifi use, are the Sony PCM-M10 and the Roland R-05 - but unfortunately both were discontinued several years ago (the Sony a bit earlier than the Roland). And unfortunately neither Sony, nor Roland have come up with at least as good or even better successors yet.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Bone Yard]

Give me a big-ole vintage boombox anyday for field recording. In the 70's a lot of the high-end boomboxes were designed around recording music sessions, it easy to find old Van Halen or Clash Photos with a boombox sitting next to the equipment in the studio.

It sounds like your looking for a digital solution, my collection is all tape with monsters like the Technics 646D and Walkman Pro D6, sprinkled with some JVC added, and lot's of Marantz PMD's.

 

[twiiii]

This where technology has really taken off and left me behind. The last field recorder I used was a 2 channel Nagra using audio tape on 5 inch reels, Even with one mill tape you didn't get much recording time with only 900 ft. It had the first gen of Dolby so it was quiet and of course we were using back coated tape back then. It wasn't mine It belonged to the radio Station. When digital came along with the beginning of the 80's I was to busy doing other sound related jobs and retired. Oh I did an occasional job here and there but that was with full studio Reel to Reels in field cases with larger mixers and as few mics as I could get away with. I will admit I used a portable Nakamichi when I traveled to record steam engine sounds using either AKG mics or an Audio Technika stereo mic. I preferred my old Neumann set up using phantom power adapter but it was a lot of effort. I bought a video set up for taping my field trips on narrow gauge and full gauge rail road events featuring steam. 8444, 611, 4449, 1218, 3985, and used my iPhone 10X with a stabilizer to capture 4014. I wish I had the 15 pro i have now. Went to Durango for Christmas and rode the train and shot over 1000 stills with my Nikons. My brother in law used his 15 pro and got some fantastic shots. Maybe we will go for fall color and both shoot video.

 

[59volvo]

I use a Tascam DR07 mkII w/12DB attenuators on the the RCA input to bring the levels down within range to record radio broadcasts and vinyl needle drops. works good and can record file formats ranging from 128kmp3s to 24/96 wav which is more than I will ever need.