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Glitchdog
Glitchdog
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location digital audio recorder for PP ingest?

Feb 3, 2012 8:15 PM

Tags: #audio #digital #recorder

We'll be doing some serious editing in PP this year in the field. I"ll have a small crew w/an audio guy and I was wondering what digital audio recording device people are happy with.

 

My research thus far has come up with a real mix. Many have noisy mic preamps or don't seem to hold up well in the field. I"m guessing that any of these devices audio would be supported in PP,  especially wav, which many seem to record in.

1110 Views   15 Replies   Latest reply: Glitchdog, Feb 22, 2012 2:45 PM
 
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  • Jim Simon
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    1. Jim Simon,
    Feb 3, 2012 9:49 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    The Zoom H4n seems to be a popular choice.

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    2. Glitchdog,
    Feb 4, 2012 10:35 AM   in reply to Jim Simon
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    Thanks Jim. The Zoom seems to be very popular with our local film school grads. One of the grads was doing an internship with us and had a problem with his zoom (a basic model) in the field. It stopped recording wav and would only record a very compressed mp3. I have only read one post from a user of the H4n and he felt the product, casing was not designed for heavy field use, but I have no way of verifying this. He was a little grumpy from the post I read, so I take it with a grain of salt.

     
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  • Jim Simon
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    3. Jim Simon,
    Feb 4, 2012 4:30 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    Dude, that things is built pretty solid.  Hold one in your hand, you'll see.

     
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  • Luc van Vliet
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    4. Luc van Vliet,
    Feb 5, 2012 5:53 AM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    I like my Roland R 05 with a little deadcat sleeve http://www.rycote.com/products/mini_windjammer/mini_windjammer_for_por table_recorder/

    very nice build recorder for €175,- easy , intuitive in use with enough but to many knobs and choices.

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    5. Glitchdog,
    Feb 6, 2012 8:55 AM   in reply to Luc van Vliet
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    Thanks guys! I'll check these out! Jim do you use the H4n? Are the preamps pretty clean?

     
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  • Jim Simon
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    6. Jim Simon,
    Feb 7, 2012 2:27 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    I do use it.  I'm no audio engineer, just a guy with a somewhat decent ear.  They sound clean to me.

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    7. Glitchdog,
    Feb 7, 2012 7:14 PM   in reply to Jim Simon
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    No worries! Yeah, I've been more visually focused in video for years and continue to learn more on the audio side, but have a long ways to go. I have been digging around a bit and so far have seen mostly positive feedback on the unit. Only one techie bashed it. I'm looking into the Roland as well.

     
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  • wonderspark
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    8. wonderspark,
    Feb 7, 2012 7:45 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    I like my Tascam DR-100. There's a DR-100 MkII out now that is even better, but I don't have one yet.

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    9. Glitchdog,
    Feb 7, 2012 8:24 PM   in reply to wonderspark
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    Funny you should mention the Tascam. I was just looking at the DR-100 on B & H. Generally good reviews.

     

    I need a recorder mainly to record location sound where I would be using a shotgun on a boom, connected xlr to a digital recorder.

    With any of these units can you:

    #1. plug in the shotgun to channel 1 and route audio to channel two as well, but at a different level?

    Thanks!

     
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  • wonderspark
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    10. wonderspark,
    Feb 7, 2012 10:29 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    With the DR-100, the two channels are independently controlled, but what's great is that it's a dual inner/outer dial setup. So if you set both levels equal and rotate the dial, they move together... or you can hold the outer dial with a thumb, and adjust the inner dial with another finger to offset the input level. Then if you need to globally change them, you rotate the dial and they stay at the same offset. I hope that makes sense. It's perfect in my opinion, and I do exactly what you described. I have an ECM-77B lav mic and a Sennheiser shotgun that I run via XLR at the same time with this recorder, each set to independently corrected levels.

     

    Another great feature is the dual battery system. I run the AA batteries, and when they die, it switches to the Li-Ion battery without stopping or any glitches. Then I can swap in new AA batteries and it will switch back to those, all while recording. You can set either Li-Ion or AA battery as primary, too. The Li-Ion is quick-removable via a small side door, so you can get extras of those or just carry extra AA batteries.

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    11. Glitchdog,
    Feb 8, 2012 8:26 AM   in reply to wonderspark
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    Very good, that's extremely helpful. Some post I had read a week or so back in another forum was someone that had done at least some research in digital recorders and was suprised that none he had looked at could route the audio from one mic/channel to two channels like you can on many professional & prosumer camcorders. I looked at the specs and a few reviews on the newer DR-100 MKII as you had mentioned. Very impressive as well. Seems to be a very well thought out unit. Thanks again, for taking the time to post!

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    12. Glitchdog,
    Feb 8, 2012 8:12 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    I just downloaded the manual for the DR-100 MKII. Wonderspark, you may have been saying this and I just read your last post wrong, but it looks like you can plug in one mic to channel 1 and mono route it two both channels via a menu change.

     

    From the menu for anyone that might be interested:

     

    Recording with external mics (XLR)

    Set the INPUT switch on the top panel to XLR, and MIC/ LINE 1 switch on the front panel to MIC. Connect an external XLR mic to the XLR (MIC/LINE 1) IN connector.

    When only one mic is connected, it is possible to record the same signal on both left and right channels. (See “Making analog input settings” on page 30.)

     

    Then on page 30:

    TYPE (refering to a menu selection on the unit):

    Set this to STEREO(default) or MONOas appropriate for the connected mic or mics. When set to MONO, the same signal will be sent to both left and right channels.

     
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  • wonderspark
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    13. wonderspark,
    Feb 8, 2012 11:23 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    Yeah, you can set it to record a single mic on both left and right, but I thought you asked if you can record two mics at discreet level settings. It is correct that you can do either, as it should be. (: The dual input dial is a giveaway that it does independent level recording, but I figured you couldn't see that in the pics, since you asked.

     

    I'd get the MkII, but my original one works so well that it seems silly.

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    14. Glitchdog,
    Feb 9, 2012 3:06 PM   in reply to wonderspark
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    There are always good options for gear depending on needs, etc. Looks like the Tascam will work just fine for our purposes. Just ordered one today. Thanks again for all the thoughts/tips!

     
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  • Glitchdog
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    15. Glitchdog,
    Feb 22, 2012 2:45 PM   in reply to Glitchdog
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    Hey Wonderspark, we have the unit and just doing some tests. Very nice. We're trying to figure out the gain switch on the back. With our countryman lav on mid gain the levels are great, but with two different shotguns we have to have the it set to high gain with the dials up to 7 to get a decent level. On low or mid gain with the shotguns we get barely a readout on the meters. I've got an intern reading through the manual, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts? I'm guessing it's just user error as this is our first digital recorder.

     
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