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Small lightweight digital recorder, that can record 3hours plus
Thats what I’m after, I need an audio recorder that I can leave with a line out from a pit to pit, pit to car, pit to pit radio comms channel to record an entire races comms channel. Additionally I need something similar to record a race track p.a. for a similar length of 3-3.5hours, reliably I’d like to think I can get it on a line out, but chances are I probably won’t and it’ll be recording from pa speaker in the garage. So adjustable gain.
The audio will be dropped into a Final Cut Pro timeline, probably Pro Res, and edited to provide additional voices to a vo. So 48Khz, 16 bit, would be enough, I’ll probably radio mic, pit comms to a channel of a camcorder. I’m one man event covering a GT race team.
Tascam DR or a Zoom. Not fussed with bells and whistles, just reliable, and can record for 3.5 without me having to restart it (them) periodically.
Any recommendations? Cheers.
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3 Replies
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Just about any small HD recorder will do all you need, but I have a ZoomH4n and have used it to do something similar to this, so isd suggest a zoom.
Pros
Cost – cheap as chips
recording time – with a decent size sd/ sdhc card youll get way more capacity than youre going to use.
limiting – As its un attended, Id suggest setting up the internal limiter to take reasonable care of spikes etc.
size – very neat and unobtrusive / concealableCons
Will 2 record channels be enough?
Power – That record time wont be achievable on the internal AA batts. But you can power it mains or from a car 12v or a sep 12 v battery.
Linked audio gains. – Youll need to access and activate the software update to allow sep level controls of record tracks independently.One last word of advice. NEVER 100% rely on any unattended recording. id give a regular eye to it, no matter how hard that is, OR get someone else to. You dont want to discover a problem at the end and have no audio on which you were reliant.
Id consider hooking up a radio link from the recorder to a receiver you have with cans so you can constantly hear what it is getting, and if there are power, audio feed, or major input over or underload issues.
Enjoy
PeterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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Cheers Peter,
All valid points, I’ve gone with not 1 but 2 Tascam DR-08, mostly I have to say because they are small enough to look like digital dictaphones, I got a good deal, but because it has a timer recording function, where I can set a time, like an alarm clock to start recording.
Your other points have crossed my mind, I’m going to employ an assistant to run them along with some static cameras, and work with the race team to swap out onboard cameras, while I rush around trying to shoot the pit lane, some circuit shooting.
I intend to take the line out of the car comms run it into the DR-08, hopefully I can line through to a sennhesier radio transmitter to the left hand channel of my cameras, which is good for about 100-150metres in the pitlane, at least.
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1 additional thought.
As its in a pit lane you may well find that there are LOTS of other users there using radio mics. Teams, Tv etc, and they will all have licenses and agreed frequencies. You may find youre treading on some rather large toes using radios without proper ahead planning.
peterPost Production Dubbing Mixer
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