Search the archive:
YaBB - Yet another Bulletin Board
 
   
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print
Anyone here know anything about... (Read 285 times)
Sep 13th, 2005 at 5:54pm

Saitek   Offline
Colonel
UK

Gender: male
Posts: 7555
*****
 
mini discs, MP3 players, Dicta phones.

I want the best sound recording possible and willing to pay about £100 preferablly new off ebay.

Here is a dictaphone I like:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7546058074&ssPageName=...

I was told MP3 mini discs were better for recording. Roll Eyes They are more expensive (big clue Wink), but I don't know anything about them.
Here's onw I fancy:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-silver-SONY-Hi-MD-Walkman-MZ-NH900-with-1-GB-disc_W0QQ...


Pro's/cons of dictaphones/Mini discs MP3s?

One thing I do know is that dictaphones record digitally and store without anything and MP3 mini discs use mini discs. That sounds like a running expense. Roll Eyes

Cheers,
Ben
 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E2180 2GHz
GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2) DDR2 6400C4 800Mhz
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
2 x 22" monitors
200GB Sata
Be Quiet! Straight Power 650W

Flying FSX with Saitek's pro flight range:
Radio
Switch panel
Auto-pilot
Yoke and throttle quad
Pedals
IP Logged
 
Reply #1 - Sep 13th, 2005 at 6:24pm

Craig.   Offline
Colonel
Birmingham

Gender: male
Posts: 18590
*****
 
The key thing is, what do you need it for, what type of enviroment will you be using it in, and what kind of enviroment will you be playing back the audio in?
 
IP Logged
 
Reply #2 - Sep 13th, 2005 at 6:28pm

Saitek   Offline
Colonel
UK

Gender: male
Posts: 7555
*****
 
In the home for general recording, at lectures at functions or uni next year and singing in the family home as well as congregational. Grin

Thanks
 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E2180 2GHz
GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2) DDR2 6400C4 800Mhz
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
2 x 22" monitors
200GB Sata
Be Quiet! Straight Power 650W

Flying FSX with Saitek's pro flight range:
Radio
Switch panel
Auto-pilot
Yoke and throttle quad
Pedals
IP Logged
 
Reply #3 - Sep 13th, 2005 at 7:41pm

the_autopilot   Offline
Colonel

Gender: male
Posts: 1359
*****
 
I may be of help.

I'm the IT director for my high school's performence arts center (big words for a theater).

I can help you out here to get professional audio.

So lets begin.

Mini-Discs: Use these. They are much better unless you want to use DVD-audio (which is much better than MD's). Our theater, (and most professional theaters/sound labs) use MD for recording live performences. This is practically the standard, though there are better, like DVD-audio. BTW, that mini-dics player you are selecting isn't going to cut it, that things meant for the average joe ripping crap off of kazaa. You need a pro-solution like a denon DN-1100R.

http://www.maya.cz/minidisc/minidisc/part_Denon_DN-1100R.html

Dictaphones: This for use by business men, not meant for recording high-quality audio. I suggest using a lavalier for recording audio from people. A shotgun microphone and a omni-directional microphone is also recommended. If you plan on recording music/singing, then a vocal and instrument mic are also needed for the best quality. A percussion mic is also a good idea for things like kick-drums. The particular types of mic to use gets tricky, so unless you are serious, I won't go into it too much as its quite a bit to type.

You'll need a computer, a good one for encoding audio. Preferably a single-core intel or dual-core AMD and lots of memory. You'll also need a good sound-card, a pro solution, so not an audigy, but more like a E-MU, also from creative.

http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=237&subcategory=239&product...

You'll also need a mixing board, a effects processor like a lexicon PCM91 series (for things like reverb).

http://www.lexiconpro.com/pcm91/index.asp

You also need a software and hardware MIDI controller. Adobe Audition is pretty sweet for software.
http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/main.html
Make sure all the hardware you buy has a/d converters and XLR support.

BTW, many of things you buy will be rackmount, meaning it will be mounted on a rack.

This is of course just scratching the surface. If you are still interested in producing top notch sound, I will walk you through all the different things you need to know and buy.

 

Link to sig:&&Click here&&(Cannot post signature here due to current forum restrications on linked images).
IP Logged
 
Reply #4 - Sep 14th, 2005 at 5:10am

Saitek   Offline
Colonel
UK

Gender: male
Posts: 7555
*****
 
Quote:
I may be of help.

Mini-Discs: Use these. They are much better unless you want to use DVD-audio (which is much better than MD's). Our theater, (and most professional theaters/sound labs) use MD for recording live performences. This is practically the standard, though there are better, like DVD-audio. BTW, that mini-dics player you are selecting isn't going to cut it, that things meant for the average joe ripping crap off of kazaa. You need a pro-solution like a denon DN-1100R.



Hi there.
That is just what I wanted to know. I had my suspicions dictaphones were not top notch for the job.
So I'll persue a mini-disc player. That's that done. 8)

The rest of your reply was very helpful to - but I only want to spend about £120 at the most! Not $2600! Shocked

I guess on Craig's question I made my answer sound rather important. It is really just for mere pleasure. So I.e I'm at a lectue at uni and I want to here the lecture again so I record it. So long as I can here it ok that's fine. I'm not at uni yet, but it would come in handy for other things like that.

The other thing I wanted it for was congregational singing. Something I can pull out of my pocket and record without a fuss. Smiley

So bearing in mind my price range (that's for ebay - the ones in the shop often for double) which would be about £120-£200 in the shops and about £80- £120 on ebay. Can you give some suggestions along those lines or are you more in tune with the top end range?

Many thanks,

Ben Smiley
 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E2180 2GHz
GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2) DDR2 6400C4 800Mhz
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
2 x 22" monitors
200GB Sata
Be Quiet! Straight Power 650W

Flying FSX with Saitek's pro flight range:
Radio
Switch panel
Auto-pilot
Yoke and throttle quad
Pedals
IP Logged
 
Reply #5 - Sep 14th, 2005 at 6:39pm

Craig.   Offline
Colonel
Birmingham

Gender: male
Posts: 18590
*****
 
Hi Ben, if your recording a Lecture, you do need a high quality one. Autopilot knows what he is on about so i shall leave the ins and outs to him, but i have had a couple, and recording in large rooms has resulted in very poor playback.
 
IP Logged
 
Reply #6 - Sep 14th, 2005 at 6:49pm

Saitek   Offline
Colonel
UK

Gender: male
Posts: 7555
*****
 
Ay, but there is only so much money in the bank! Wink
I'm just hoping he can give some more tips/brands/models in my price range that I should get.
I'd be very grateful if you could Auto - (I live in the UK btw). 8)

Cheers,

Ben
 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E2180 2GHz
GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2) DDR2 6400C4 800Mhz
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
2 x 22" monitors
200GB Sata
Be Quiet! Straight Power 650W

Flying FSX with Saitek's pro flight range:
Radio
Switch panel
Auto-pilot
Yoke and throttle quad
Pedals
IP Logged
 
Reply #7 - Sep 14th, 2005 at 8:21pm

the_autopilot   Offline
Colonel

Gender: male
Posts: 1359
*****
 
Ok, sorry about my above post, I misread your post cause you said you need high-quality sound and recording and I took that a step too far.

What you want to be able to do, you won't be able to do with one machine.

For recording univercity lectures, well, this a tricky situation, especially if the lecture is in a big room like I know many are (with 300+ people inside). Well, when they tape lectures for lectures on tape or documentaries, you'll notice the audio is crisp sharp and above all, very audible. Well, this is because of either two reasons. The professor is wearing a lavalier (a mic connected to a wireless transmitter) or there is a shotgun mic right above him or a combination of the two. You of course will not be able to do this unless you have a very very nice professor. I would get a dicaphone (like the one you mentioned) and plug an external mic into it. the clarity of the lecture will depend on how ar away you are. You'll also pick up noise like backgound noise (doors closing, outside stuff). You'll also pickup noise that occurs between you and the professor. Meaning, if someone sneezes between you and the professors, that person will be heard louder and more clearly than the professor. In addition, lecture halls aren't made for recording sound and often echo adding more junk.
My advice: Get a close seat and use an external mic. DOn't expect stellar sound though.

For singing, an MD recorder (like the one you selected) is best and the quality is pretty good. Simply plug it in to your karaoke machine (karaoke machine's headphone jack to MD recorder's mic jack).

If you don't have a karoke machine or don't use one, well, you can use an external mic, but recording will be so-so at best.

Keep in mind, the devices you chosen aren't exactly the best for producing top notch sound. A dictaphone is really meant for use in small room like a conference room or allowing  person to make audio notes to himself. Its not meant for signing or anything like that. An MD player, will offer better performence here and be more useful. I guess in summary, buy the MD player over the dictaphone, but none are really what I would call ideal solutions.

The ones that would be ideal cost a bundle more.

BTW,
Quote:
One thing I do know is that dictaphones record digitally and store without anything and MP3 mini discs use mini discs. That sounds like a running expense. Roll Eyes


Both record digitally. Its just the recording medium is different. The dictaphone uses a built-in internal flash drive thats not easily removable. This means when you run out of space, you'll have to delete whats on the drive to make room or offload whats already on there to a computer via USB and then delete it.

The MD player uses MD (duh). So when you run out of space, just insert another MD and your ready to go. MD's aren't expensive btw.
 

Link to sig:&&Click here&&(Cannot post signature here due to current forum restrications on linked images).
IP Logged
 
Reply #8 - Sep 15th, 2005 at 3:45am

Saitek   Offline
Colonel
UK

Gender: male
Posts: 7555
*****
 
Thanks for that - very useful. So would you say they are all pretty much the same or could you recommend one in particular?

Cheers,

Ben
 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E2180 2GHz
GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2) DDR2 6400C4 800Mhz
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
2 x 22" monitors
200GB Sata
Be Quiet! Straight Power 650W

Flying FSX with Saitek's pro flight range:
Radio
Switch panel
Auto-pilot
Yoke and throttle quad
Pedals
IP Logged
 
Reply #9 - Sep 15th, 2005 at 5:16pm

the_autopilot   Offline
Colonel

Gender: male
Posts: 1359
*****
 
Actually, like computers and cars, they are not all the same.

For you, I highly recommend this sony MD recorder:
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_Display...

Its pretty decent.
 

Link to sig:&&Click here&&(Cannot post signature here due to current forum restrications on linked images).
IP Logged
 
Reply #10 - Sep 15th, 2005 at 7:33pm

Saitek   Offline
Colonel
UK

Gender: male
Posts: 7555
*****
 
Thanks. I'll be heading for one of those. 8)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Sony-MZ-N910-Net-MD-Minidisc-WALKMAN-Silver-BNIB_W0QQi...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sony-MZ-N910-MD-player-and-3-brand-new-discs-Silver_W0QQit...

I see they retail at around £150.

Thanks very much Auto. I'll probably get one after Christmas. Smiley
 

Windows 7 Pro 64bit
Intel Core 2 Duo E2180 2GHz
GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35
Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2) DDR2 6400C4 800Mhz
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
2 x 22" monitors
200GB Sata
Be Quiet! Straight Power 650W

Flying FSX with Saitek's pro flight range:
Radio
Switch panel
Auto-pilot
Yoke and throttle quad
Pedals
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send Topic Print