Comments on: Recording Your Live Gig, Pt. 2: 9 Affordable Gear Options

By: Recording Your Live Gig, Pt. 2: 9 Affordable Gear Options | Mad Musicians for Hire

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:46:06 +0000

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By: Angelo

Angelo — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:11:15 +0000

The most versatile unit on the market now is the Zoom H4n – since it will record 4 channels at once. Two stereo files – 1 from the internal mics, and 1 from the external inputs. So you can mic the room + record the soundboard at the same time. Be warned: The XLR connectors are MIC LEVEL ONLY – line level devices will distort the sensitive input. If you want to use a line level, you need to use the 1/4″ connectors. (they are combo connectors, so they have both 1/4″ and XLR on the same plug)

I also highly recommend a set of attenuators – preferably the Shure A15As attenuators, since the Zoom inputs are very sensitive. Just be sure to bring the proper adapters since you may have to flip to 1/4″ / XLR several times back and forth. (1/4″ out of the mixer – XLR in to the attenuators – XLR out of the attenuators – 1/4″ in to the Zoom)

If you are syncing to video – be sure to set it on 16bit 48k as that is the native format of most video systems. And don’t be surprised when you have to set you input levels to 1 or lower. I can’t reiterate enough how sensitive the inputs are, Zoom really should have on-board attenuators.

Even though there are some downsides, the Zoom H4n is still the best (portable) unit of the market.

By: Angelo

Angelo — Wed, 25 May 2011 21:02:07 +0000

Direct to CD is fine if it’s a quiet environment with little vibration. But if there is a lot of sonic energy in the room (ie: big speakers / subwoofer) – the CD recorders can fail very easily because of vibration. I had the Marantz CD recorder for years (before the solid state options were available) – and I’ve lost many recordings due to CD vibrations. Even the rackmount models are susceptible to vibration through flanking noise through the floor / rack. Do yourself a favor and get a solid state recorder – they are not susceptible to vibration the way CD recorders are – and they don’t max out at 80 min.

By: Fresh Nelly

Fresh Nelly — Sat, 21 May 2011 17:24:19 +0000

Using FET style mics (inside portable recorders, phones etc) at a loud performance, especially one with lots of sub/bass levels, is best recorded way way back from any speakers, as those tiny mics are really really sensitive to lows, and even non-audible subsonics will distort the whole recording.

By: Fresh Nelly

Fresh Nelly — Sat, 21 May 2011 17:18:49 +0000

If you’re multitracking, especially off the primary mixer board, then it’s probably a good Idea to have a couple of mics facing the audience, on separate tracks,no monitoring of course, as I have heard so many live recordings without an audience track and it takes away from the whole listening experience if the audience reaction isn’t there. Just a thought.

By: Rumpull4skin

Rumpull4skin — Sat, 14 May 2011 12:38:07 +0000

The ZoomQ3HD ($300) provides great sound (dual condenser mics) and also records in 1080p HD video, making this my choice for capturing gigs cheaply and effectively.

By: Curtis E. Barlow

Curtis E. Barlow — Fri, 13 May 2011 22:26:35 +0000

Definitely useful !!!!!

By: R Veith

R Veith — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:42:51 +0000

On the Zoom H2, a bit of a correction. It doesn’t just record to stereo. It records in full Quad. I have often placed it directly on the front of the stage for live gigs, recording stereo of the band *and* stereo of the crowd. The crowd and band can be mixed separately later. You can also flip the wave form (in your DAW) to effectively remove the crowd noise.

By: Kirke Rockwood

Kirke Rockwood — Thu, 12 May 2011 18:32:57 +0000

I’m 86 and have been recording since I was 14. My first recorder was a Wilcox-Gay discutter. Then a Web-Cor wire recorder (do you remember those? ..recorded on a spool of piano wire magnetically.) Then tape and the first was paper coated with oxide, then mylar. I have two professional Sony tape reorders. One does 4 channels so I can record my wife, a concert organist, on 2 tracks and have her listen with earphones and record again so she can play a duet by herself. In 1952 I bought a porofessional cutting lathe and recorded many weddings as well as the Buffalo Philharmonic concerts for the orchestra and chorus. (It ipaid for it quickly.) Now I do a lot of transfering for people using 2 CD double disc recorders, a Sony and a TDK. Also transfer 8mm and 16mm film with my 2 Panasonic DVD recorders with hard drives. My wire recorder still works perfectly and I just finished a lecture for a retrired professor who had tried all over the US to have it done. My two E/V 664 mikes are the best I have ever found for recording pipe organ, and my two Sony ECM 150 condenser mikes are handy because of their size and quality. My ZIP-DISC will duplicate and finalize an hour DVD or CD in 6 minutes including finalizing and saves me a lot of time. I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years most of which were never dreamed of when I started recording 72 years ago and thanks to Mr. Edison my cylinder phonographs started it all.

By: Rodney

Rodney — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:08:34 +0000

We often play live and acoustically (we’re more of a chamber quintet than a jazz group), so I can’t plug into a mixing board. I bring a Sony minidisc recorder MZ-M200 (you have to get the right model — only a few of them allow you to move your recordings digitally onto your computer). It comes with some not-bad stereo microphones, but I prefer my Rode NT-4 stereo microphone, which can be powered by an internal battery. You can either use auto level set, or set the level manually. When you’re done, you can move the files to your computer via USB cable and Sony’s software. I touch them up in Digital Performer to separate tracks and add fades.