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beginner forum: for novice and developing blues harp players >
Any voice recorder suggestions ?
Any voice recorder suggestions ?
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Halffast
7 posts
Dec 07, 2015
6:42 AM
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Different friends have suggested getting a voice recorder to record my practice so as to be able to diagnose and modify my playing . They have not suggested any particular unit and I am not very "tech savvy" . Any suggestions on what features would be handy ? A particular unit that works well ? I don't really want a high dollar , high tech unit as I don't believe it necessary in my case . I've found some on the internet going from about $20 on up . seems like it would be handy to have one that would link up to my home computer via the flashdrive port ( maybe the wrong term but I'm a computer Neanderthal too )or actually record on an onboard flashdrive . Any ideas are appreciated .
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Fil
80 posts
Dec 07, 2015
8:49 AM
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I don't record as much as I should, but what I've found to be adequate for me is my iPod 6 and a set of headphones. I set it on the music stand in front of me and use the camera app set on video. Alone, the fidelityof the speaker on the iPod is unsatisfactory. The phones take care of that well enough. Works the same with my iPad. The devices have all my music, jam tracks, slow-downer (Mimicopy), so it's one less thing for me to carry around.
Phil
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Phil Pennington
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Ian
161 posts
Dec 07, 2015
5:00 PM
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To be honest any smartphone will have some fairly average, passable at least audio recording capabilities. Its what I use.
The 'dictaphone' type gadgets that you would get for 20 bucks or so wouldn't be any better than a phone I think. I may be wrong but it seems unlikely for that price.
I did have access to a zoom h4n for a while and it was pretty incredible. I used it for film rather than music most of the time, picking up background noises and backup audio for interviews and for that it surpassed my expectations. I used it to record myself playing harp once, when I first started, and it definitely picked up everything... Not sure that was a good thing mind you! ;)
Search for... zoom h4n sp handheld digital recorder.
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Rontana
231 posts
Dec 08, 2015
4:55 AM
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If the only reason you want it is for self-diagnostics - which is always a good idea - you really don't need to spend much money. Go on Amazon and look at some of the Olympus digital voice recorders. You can get one for under $50. Also, there's a Tascam DR-05 that's on sale for around $85.
Never used one of those myself, but I've always had good luck with Tascam products. It looks pretty simple to use . . . and I don't say that lightly since you and I sound alike when it comes to technology (heck . . . I don't even own a cell phone, let alone a smart phone).
Last Edited by Rontana on Dec 08, 2015 4:59 AM
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MindTheGap
839 posts
Dec 08, 2015
5:16 AM
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I agree with Fil that these days a tablet or smartphone is the cheapest way to get this sort of functionality. Recorders, metronomes, slow-downers all kinds of apps.
Myself I major on a PC with audacity, because I like to chop bits out of songs and save them for later, change key, slow them down, play along with them and record practice all that stuff, and it's all there. I think that works better than the smartphone in the round, although it does mean having a separate mic and usb audio interface to get good quality.
There is one particular feature that may or may not be important to you, but it is important to me. And that is acoustic technique into a vocal mic. It doesn't get discussed much compared to 'bullet into tube amp' but IMO it is a big thing. You can get radically different sounds by varying your distance to the mic, and how you use your hands (and that's before you get into actually cupping the mic). You won't be able to practice that on a voice-recorder or phone.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Dec 08, 2015 6:31 AM
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