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mini disc recorder
Looking to get a mini disc recorder to capture some back up audio at some shoots from this point forward. Wondering if anybody had a recommendation, or any other great ideas for capturing the back up audio.
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21 Replies
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iRiver recorders…
check iriver.com and look at the 800 series of Ultra Portable Players to start with. I just picked up an 895 and so far I’ve been very impressed.
-DJ
David Chandler-Gick
Dynamic Media Group (www.dynamicmediagroup.com)
a deveraux film (www.adeverauxfilm.com)
Event Video COW Moderator
Contributing Editor eventDV magazine (www.eventdv.net) -
I totally second the iriver. It is 100% easier to use and practical than mini disc. I got my two from B&H.
velma
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Another vote for iRiver. I have three of them, much easier to use than MD.
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Whoa there, I can’t just let all of this go by without some further technical explaination.
These units record with VERY lossy mp3 compression (from what I have read elsewhere, they are limited to 96 kB in the analog record mode.)
In the past, audio professionals have complained loudly that even MD’s ATRAC compression is “too lossy” for serious use.
Whether you agree with the whether MD is “too limited” or not, the iRiver units (and all mp3-type recorders) audio is much MORE compressed and frequency-limited.I’m assuming that a principle use for additional recorders is to actually place ON a participant for, say, recording the vows or a “special reading” but, unless you use a miniature mic preamp (costing about as much as the iRiver itself) to raise the levels enough to plug into the LINE input, you must ONLY use the iRiver’s built-in MIC. This means you need to mount it nearly IN VIEW on a tux or gown so as to allow proper mic pick up without too much clothing noise.
Even with all of this, the iRiver audio sounds good… and is “better” and more versatile than MD?
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MP3 CAN be low quality… It can also be high quality. It all depends on the compression scheme you use to encode. (JPEG format images would be a good analogy here)
I’m not an expert with the iRiver having experience of less than a week, but as I understand it you can set it to 44.1 kHz and up to 225kbps.
-DJ
David Chandler-Gick
Dynamic Media Group (www.dynamicmediagroup.com)
a deveraux film (www.adeverauxfilm.com)
Event Video COW Moderator
Contributing Editor eventDV magazine (www.eventdv.net) -
P.S.
The Line In is switchable Line / Mic, so that’s a non issue there. (They were thinking ahead when they built these things.)
Transfer is via USB 2.0, so transfer for hours of audio takes minutes, not hours, making it instantly preferrable to MD, IMO.
The 895 (mine) also has a built in EQ, recording level adjustment, file management… Too many people are using these successfully, and my own limited experience has been nothing but positive… I think it would be foolish to dismiss these too quickly. Try one out for yourself and I think you’ll see what the excitement is about.
-DJ
David Chandler-Gick
Dynamic Media Group (www.dynamicmediagroup.com)
a deveraux film (www.adeverauxfilm.com)
Event Video COW Moderator
Contributing Editor eventDV magazine (www.eventdv.net) -
I have been using the iRiver products for about a year now. I liked them so much I gave away my MD recorders….
I find the audio to be very good. More than adequate for vows, readings, recording vocalist and the like. I use a Azden EX-503 lav mic for actual pickup. These are like $20 at B & H and work very well. These two together produce audio that is difficult to distinguish between the iRiver and my MUCH more expensive wireless mic.
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what is the advantage of using an iriver for recording over an MD? Is it just the longer record time? The only complaint I have with the MD is no meters. Does the iriver have meters?
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the advantages… cost for one. a few models are less than most MD recorders never mind that you don’t have to buy any disk. Ease of use. Transfering the recorded audio takes only a few minutes. The iRiver does not have a graphic disply for recording, only playback. This is easy to work around via a quick sound check prior to use.
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iriver or MD are both fine for voice. But the lack of meters make both difficult for music. It is very difficult to set levels accurately for loud music without high isolation head phones. Especially when you anticipate a wide dynamic range in the music.
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