Audio Recording
Over at my computer site, I’ve put up a post about my latest audio tech research and I think I’ve settled on what to buy for “stereo field recording” and light multitrack work…. It’s about the Samson Zoom h4 Handy recorder, it should be out in a week or two and on paper everything looks really promising. Now, given my background with Audio Engineering (Bachelor of Science Recording Arts…) I really have a hard time tolerating my cassette recorder for the background hiss/transport noise. Yes.. this is an acquired taste I suppose, but to focus on WHAT is recorded I really want a quick and relatively easy to use portable digital with low noise and good capacity (to flash media of some sort) that hopefully has some multitracking…. Now I’m sure you’re wondering what this has to do with music lessons….
Well, truth be told, it has a fair amount. It’s important as you’re studying an instrument (or learning a particular song) to record yourself playing and go back and critically listen to yourself. When we play music, we have a tendency to forgive a lot of mistakes of our own doing and sometimes lack the ability to really critically listen to HOW we are playing. I’ve been looking for a new recorder for just that purpose (AND for another project…) Now a $300 digital field recorder is overkill for most people. One reason I’m looking for something like this is that I’m hoping to get in several archival quality recordings of a few pianists I know. I’m also hoping to do a few live recordings and the prospect of recording various sounds out and about is interesting to me to…. (sound effects for incorporation into other audio ideas I’ve got milling about….)
Anyway, this kind of device would probably be enough to keep a small quartet busy - 4 track recording - dual combination XLR/quarter inch inputs (for microphone or direct line from guitar base/synth (digital piano). Plus it has two built in mics in a nice stereo XY configuration - well there’s more in the article, but…. I wanted to make sure to post a link here as well since it’s related to both the musician and the tech in me….
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Date: October 17, 2006, 10:08 am
[...] I really don’t know which site this thing is more relevant to…. I’ve commented on it on the computer site twice actually. I’ve mentioned it on the ashevillemusiclessons.com site and I’ve been tempted to mention it on the genealogy sites as well as here. It’s the Zoom H4 handy recorder, a little all in one digital recorder. It uses stereo condensor microphones (in an XY configuration) for stereo recording to uncompressed WAV or direct to MP3. It also has two combo inputs for 1/4″ or XLR plugs and can act as a four track digital recorder to WAV format. [...]