Live Sound Recording

[Conflow]

Live Sound Recording

Many forum members might be interested in this subject,so here's a solution coming from

a guy who has spent his life in this Business:-

1)

Outdoor & Live Sound Recording has many limitations not the least being that you normally

get 'one-shot' to do a 'sound take' and in consideration of this and Recorder size and weight

you quickly narrow down your choice of equipment to virtually zero !.

2)

Choice of 'Kit' is virtually nil unless you can afford a Nagra or Lowe-Opta or Sony Pro and they

start at $ 1500+ for 'Battery Operated Kit' and with the goodies about $4000.

3)

The 'Kit' needs the following features:- Infinite Stand-by Readiness - Stereo Phones Monitor,

Digital Auto-Volume Control - Preview in Record - Stereo Line Output - Speaker Monitors -

Stereo Microphone - Noise Reduction - Ability to record 'Raw Audio' - Restricted Audio Range.

4)

Noiseless instantaneous 1 Button Start with 'Auto-Level' immediately available.

SOLUTION

The 'Sony Stereo Walkman Recorder/Player Model:-GX-400' is the ideal tool to fit the bill.

My 'Kit' measures 170x130x40mm - complete with everything in a Virgin Atlantic Bag.

The Unit also boasts a Digital FM Radio so you can 'record' locally Off-Air. The tiny Stereo

Mic is very sensitive and if you make up a 'Parabolic Reflector' for it, it out-performs others

costing $hundreds$. A 150mm lenght of 100mm Plastic Drainpipe cut in ½ and using one bit

as a Reflector (Mic fixed on the mid-epicentre) I can record the Following:-

* Boeing 737 take-off from 100 Mtr without overload. * Ducks on the Weisensee Lake.

* ICE Train in Munich Bahnhof standing on the Platform -and- inside the Train

* Midnight Bells in Munich simply standing on the Street at a distance of 400Mtr

* Conversation in 707 Jet - the Auto-Level is so good. * Distant Rainfall & Thunder.

* Digital FM reception is excellent - Uses the Headphone Lead as an aerial - make a 'dummy lead'

Additional Kit

*1½ Mtr Stereo Lead from Recorder to Computer -uses 3,5mm Stereo MiniJacks (Jap type)

*Set of 'Lightweight Head-Wrap Stereo Headphones 32ohm) - Do not use Ear-Plug Type.

*Spare Batteries, it uses 2xAA Cells or 2xLR6 Cells - use Duracell Only.

*Spare Cassettes 15 or 30minute type 'Standard IECII' - designed for this solely.

That's it - now don't be tempted to make more than 2 minutes Recording of any item,its simply

a waste - make many different 'clips' of Sounds and stitch them together with Audacity.

I hope this has been useful.

Brian.Conflow.

p.s You will have to Shop around for this item, start with Google Search.

Prices:- Euro 150...$250.Au...UK.Pounds 100-120

[ContaxMan]

Thanks for this very useful information, Brian. Do you have any thoughts on digital audio recorders?

[Alan Lyons]

Hi Brian & Rodger,

I assume this thread is in response to the other one by ADB. As I said over there the recording of locatiob sound is challanging and the equiptment can be expensive. But the end result can add a lot to a soundtrack. This can be beyond most new workers and a fair few advanced workers.

I don't wish to turn people away from this area but if the cost of the equiptment seens to be beyond anybody I would suggest looking a the BBC sound effects CDs which are available in the bigger record stores. The sounds are recorded by professional engineers for brodcast and you can fine most of what you need.

I would suggest that if members gey the opertunity to record outdoors then they should give it a go. It is challanging but a good capture is like a good photograph, you will always remember the day you got it right.

Alan

[Conflow]

Live Sound Recording-2

Andrew,Roger, and Alan

Alan,

The thread was in response to Andrews request and for others with a like interest. I also

use 'CD-Effects Discs' - nothing wrong with them at all - they are great for 'fill-in' effects.

However they won't convey the nuance's and ambient's and natural harmonics of a new

Live Recording consistent with the photographs taken by Andrew in that place at that time.

When one see's Photos with live sound the 2nd dimension is added to a PTE Show.

The 'subjective effects' are terrific, all thats missing is Zoom & Pan - to make it come alive.

It's what I have been working at for the past 2 years -

Roger

Digital Sound Recording. OOhh what a quagmire? - it nearly drove me around the bend.

Excuse me if I am brutally direct about this - Its all about cost,reliability,and ergometrics.

To put in bluntly-

A simple 60 min Cassette Tape or LP.Record can store 750mB of Data = 1 x CD-Disc.

There is no Portable Digital Recorder out there capable of doing that job and re-playing on

the spot for Euro 150 or less with the reliabilityand quality and format needed for future editing.

Each one has a different format and the cheap Recorders suffer terribly from Temperature instability

when 're-playing' Live Recordings. Note:- I did say 'Live Recordings' not pre-recorder Music.

Within the terms of reference here stated there are only 3 Machines I would consider:-

Maycom MP3+Mic Tube - Sony MiniDisc MZR-408 - Sony Network Walkman N10-HDI and all

of these are above 100-200 Uk.Pounds and limited to 128mB Memory cards except MiniDisc.

Sure there are others that are 'Semi-Portable' such as Tascam, Fostex, Sanyo, Philips etc.

but these are stretching the imagination when the term 'Portable Recorder' is used !!

I'm sticking with my trusty Sony WM/GX400 and will shortly be upgarding to the WM/GX680.

Andrew

The Sony GX400 is now available in UK at around 80 to 100 UK.Pounds. I found these on

the 'Alta-Vista' Search page under 'Sony Walkman Recorders'

Regards to all,

Brian.Conflow.

[ContaxMan]

Thanks Brian - you've saved me a lot of research!