Compact Digital Recorders

[lemonstar]

Is anyone here using either of these devices or an equivalent compact digital recorder? I'm considering one of these as I think it will suit the way I work. For years I've simply used my digital camera as a kind of audio notebook for capturing ideas when I feel like quickly testing out my lyrics/vocals/guitar part while I'm trying to write or develop an idea - that, essentially, is the way I normally work (I also just write lyrics in my a notebook - as songs firm up I type up the words and chords into an old freeware editor Keynote - it has a tree type structure that allows my to organise the ideas by date)

I found plenty of reviews on these devices (still wading through the details) so I'm aware of a few quirks in both devices but there may be newer devices around that I'm not aware of or haven't yet looked at.

There are a good set of reviews on digital recorders here:

http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/audio/port...der-comparison/

For the most part I'll just record vocals and acoustic guitar but I may also want to record electric guitar and keyboards. I don't have a pre-amp/compresser/limiter - the Joe Meek 3Q mono pre-amp box plus mic was something I was considering but that's mor cash and doesn't really help me with working the way I want to.

I 've sometimes made recordings with 2 Sony condenser mics (fed through a cassette deck that acts as a pre-amp) and the M-Audio Delta Audiophile 2496 on my PC but I don't think I have the time, space or motivation to set the mics up and record properly - that's why I just reach for the camera and capture/playback things quickly.

I wondered if anyone else had any other thoughts about these devices(other kit I might consider and perhaps this way of working)

cheers

Neil

[musicthom]

I much prefer to use a Boss Micro BR you can see a reviw here Review

and for the money i find it usefull

[Nick]

I use one in a similar way you describe. I have a set up at home if I want to multitrack stuff but if I just want to practice something or do something quickly I use a Zoom H2. I'm very happy with it and it goes with me to sessions, singarounds, work, the car, and is about a foot away from where I'm typing at the moment.

I've used it to record gigs (indoor and outdoor); to practice me singing with a guitar; practice singing; practice with my wife; practice with various bands; sessions in pubs and singarounds; and I'm very happy with the results. If you want to multitrack it would be no use as it doesn't - I'd do it at home if I want to do that. But for what I want it for and the cost it worked out fine and I have no regrets.

Quality is decent and I occasionally tweak it on the computer afterwards just to adjust levels.

Some examples -

1 Recorded at an outdoor gig in the summer with it perched on the front of the stage - full band (Box of Goats) with drums, two guitars and bass and vox: EXAMPLE 1

2 Recorded in the car in work car park - perched on dashboard in front of car. Me learning a song I wanted to sing. Guitar and vocal: EXAMPLE 2

3 Recorded in front room at home perched on middle of coffee table. Two guitars, two voices (and mobile phone). Practice of a song we hadn't done before for a gig. Self, wife and friend Mark: EXAMPLE 3

4 Recorded in a village hall playing with some friends to entertain a Womens Institute night (!) - recorder sitting on floor behind players. Two fiddles, guitar, whistle and humming : EXAMPLE 4

5 Recorded in our local pub at a singaround - unrehearsed and just how it happened; recorder sitting on shelf in corner of pub. This has two or three guitars, two concertinas at least, harmonica, three fiddles, bass, trumpet, lots of voices: EXAMPLE 5

Like they used to say in the American Express ads - Never leave home it

Hope that's of some use. It definitely doesn't need a lot of setting up and the sound is ok as long as you don't let it distort.

Edited December 29, 2008 by Nick

[lemonstar]

Thanks everyone - Nick the clips you linked to really showed me how versatile the H2 is - I was particularly impressed with the first one and the one in the car - I think a small portable will suit me. The Boss BR and the BR-600 look good too as I can record onto seperate extra channels. I'm going to wait a couple of weeks because the NAMM show is on Thur 15th Jan - Sun 18th Jan and some new devices may get announced then - I understand that some manufacturers make the release date coincide with NAMM so they can surf on the back of the publicity it generates. The Korg 1 bit device looks like the best option for pure front end quality but at the other extreme things like the Zoom HD8-CD offer a lot of mic/amp simulators and effects, mixing control/multi-tracking capability if you don't want to go down the DAW route. (I won't actually need to simultaneously record on more than 2 channels) I'm still not exactly sure whether to start off small, simple and low cost, say £100-£150 (it always has its merits) or leap in and spend £350-400; compromising and going for something in the middle is always going to leave the door open for some regrets. If the H4's display wasn't so small and the UI so widely criticised I might have gone for that (a shame as the Tascams, etc have quite reasonable size displays) but I probably won' tbe taking it out and about as much Nick does so a larger/less portable device (with a bigger display) is not going to be a negative.

[john]

Hey

Let us know what you end up getting, how you end up using it etc.

Cheers

John

[FinnArild]

I have the H4 for capturing samples, but for ideas I just use my Nokia N95 phone recording software.