TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- DJ Booth
-- Recording your live set at a gig: What are you using?

Recording your live set at a gig: What are you using?

Hey gang...

I've just had this epiphany on Friday night that I should be recording all my live sets.

What portable recorders are you guys using?

I realize I could drag my MacBook out to gigs and just plug it in.. but I don't want to do that. My computer has my whole life on it and I just can't risk dragging it out to some of these places.

Here's my only other thought... I'd love to record 4 channels. 2 as line inputs from the DJ mixer, and 2 from microphones for the 'live' sounds like people cheering, clapping, etc.

My initial search brought me to this:

Zoom H4 Portable Recorder

Does anyone have it? use it? tried it?


Any input / opinions are welcome here.

why would you need two from your mixer? just use a RCA to 1/8" cable that goes from your master out to your line in on your recording device?

quote:

Originally posted by stan229 why would you need two from your mixer? just use a RCA to 1/8" cable that goes from your master out to your line in on your recording device?

You missed the point there... I'm referring to Left and Right.. thats L + R = 2 channels of audio. I'm not referring to the number of cables used to hook it up.

I want to record left and right from the mixer, and left and right from the crowd. thats 4 channels of audio to record.

quote:

Originally posted by CReddick You missed the point there... I'm referring to Left and Right.. thats L + R = 2 channels of audio. I'm not referring to the number of cables used to hook it up. I want to record left and right from the mixer, and left and right from the crowd. thats 4 channels of audio to record.

wait so u want 2 recordings of the same thing?

No... read this again:

quote:

I'd love to record 4 channels. 2 as line inputs from the DJ mixer, and 2 from microphones for the 'live' sounds like people cheering, clapping, etc.

the first recording would be a clean and straight record out from the DJ mixer. the second recording would be a stereo image from within the room. this way, in post production... i could mix in the 'room' sound and have complete control over the final mix.

2 separate stereo recordings... the Zoom H4 does it. I want to find someone who has used it and can comment.

I have the Zoom H2, it's a great little device. For $199 it's totally worth it.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryan0751 I have the Zoom H2, it's a great little device. For $199 it's totally worth it.

I was looking at that one also... do you record with the built in microphones or run a line in???

Line-in. A friend uses the mics on his to record live bands, and says they work quite well also.

quote:

Originally posted by CReddick I was looking at that one also... do you record with the built in microphones or run a line in???

Hey bro! firstly it was nice to meet you and i enjoyed your set on friday at funxion

If you remember about ten minutes before i got on the decks while you were finishing up your set i plugged in my recording device to the mixer.. it's an m audio microtrack, really solid and costs around 250 i think, i used it to record that promo set prior to me comming out to la so you can use that as a refference for the sound quality.. let me know if you have any questions about it, im very happy with it

btw i had a few too many drinks proir to my timeslot resulting in me forgetting to hit record on the damn thing

quote:

Originally posted by starboy Hey bro! firstly it was nice to meet you and i enjoyed your set on friday at funxion If you remember about ten minutes before i got on the decks while you were finishing up your set i plugged in my recording device to the mixer.. it's an m audio microtrack, really solid and costs around 250 i think, i used it to record that promo set prior to me comming out to la so you can use that as a refference for the sound quality.. let me know if you have any questions about it, im very happy with it btw i had a few too many drinks proir to my timeslot resulting in me forgetting to hit record on the damn thing

Ha~! Hilarious that you're responding to this thread... It was great meeting you guys also! When I saw your M-Audio box I was like "damn... i should be recording this shit." ha ha

I read some reviews online and the only cons they said was that the batt life was iffy and it wasn't replaceable. What's your experience thus far???

It seems to be ok, although i dont have any expierience with other units similiar to this.. if its fully charged, a ninety minute recording at 192k uses a little more than half the battery, but yeah i can tell its a little week, but gets the job done

Get a Hi-MD. Cheaper, same if not better results.

The Zoom H2 is $199, records for up to 6 hours on a 4 gig card at 16/44 (and can go up to 24/96), has no moving parts, and doesn't use sony proprietary format. Take the SD card out, stick it in your SD reader and copy the files off. Very simple.

I fail to see why anyone would buy a MD recorder at this point in time.

quote:

Originally posted by Mmanu Get a Hi-MD. Cheaper, same if not better results.

Ive been looking into getting a recorder too. The m-audio one is pretty good but if the Zoom H2 is cheaper and as good, I think I'll go for the cheaper solution.

quote:

Originally posted by Mmanu Get a Hi-MD. Cheaper, same if not better results.

Good thinking... but I absolutely refuse to go back to a physical media format.. and MD even more so. I was all about the MD in 1997.. not so much nowadays.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryan0751 The Zoom H2 is $199, records for up to 6 hours on a 4 gig card at 16/44 (and can go up to 24/96), has no moving parts, and doesn't use sony proprietary format. Take the SD card out, stick it in your SD reader and copy the files off. Very simple. I fail to see why anyone would buy a MD recorder at this point in time.

Sony Hi-MD Minidisc recorders prices average way under $ 150, records at any sample rate. You can upload, keep and store your recordings without moving Sd cards around ( it's USB ). Extremely simple. If you want to record 4 hours on your thingie, you'll need more efficient batteries.

quote:

and doesn't use sony proprietary format

Strange attitude. Do you refuse to watch DvDs because it's recorded in Dolby Digital and don't use a Pc because it has windows on it ? Do you drink Coca cola ?

At the end of the day, ATRAC encoding gives a more accurate and dynamic sound, while taking less space.

quote:

I absolutely refuse to go back to a physical media format

Why is that ? Md allows you to store your recordings without the need for a Pc. In 15 years I've never seen a single failure on md, while I lost count of corrupted data on Pc.



I can understand that there is a matter of taste for some people, and others will nowadays just diss any non virtual format, simply because it is non virtual. I just like to keep my recordings in a format that is overall safe for storage: last summer I started doing recordings from A DV camera( with the main mix sound sent to the cam)

Well all of these recorders have USB ports on them as well, so you don't HAVE to take the SD cards out. So that argument is moot.

As for battery life, Samson says "4 hours" with standard alakine batteries, but reviewers testing the unit got over 8 hours on a set. Similiar results were obtained with the Edirol R-09.

And comparing Sony's ATRAC format to Dolby Digital or Windows is ridiculous. ATRAC is a horrid format, why would you want to record in a format that "approaches" CD quality, when something like the Zoom can record in a standard wave format that vastly surpasses it? Nobody supports the format except for Sony and their set of tools.

Plus, you need to convert your files once you get them off the unit into a format you can actually use.

I'm not sure I see the argument for need for a PC? The requirements are the same for both types of units.

If MD is working for you, then great. But it's really a dead format, and I couldn't suggest it to anyone looking for a new recording solution.

quote:

Originally posted by Mmanu Sony Hi-MD Minidisc recorders prices average way under $ 150, records at any sample rate. You can upload, keep and store your recordings without moving Sd cards around ( it's USB ). Extremely simple. If you want to record 4 hours on your thingie, you'll need more efficient batteries. Strange attitude. Do you refuse to watch DvDs because it's recorded in Dolby Digital and don't use a Pc because it has windows on it ? Do you drink Coca cola ? At the end of the day, ATRAC encoding gives a more accurate and dynamic sound, while taking less space. Why is that ? Md allows you to store your recordings without the need for a Pc. In 15 years I've never seen a single failure on md, while I lost count of corrupted data on Pc. I can understand that there is a matter of taste for some people, and others will nowadays just diss any non virtual format, simply because it is non virtual. I just like to keep my recordings in a format that is overall safe for storage: last summer I started doing recordings from A DV camera( with the main mix sound sent to the cam)

quote:

Originally posted by Ryan0751 Well all of these recorders have USB ports on them as well, so you don't HAVE to take the SD cards out. So that argument is moot. As for battery life, Samson says "4 hours" with standard alakine batteries, but reviewers testing the unit got over 8 hours on a set. Similiar results were obtained with the Edirol R-09. And comparing Sony's ATRAC format to Dolby Digital or Windows is ridiculous. ATRAC is a horrid format, why would you want to record in a format that "approaches" CD quality, when something like the Zoom can record in a standard wave format that vastly surpasses it? Nobody supports the format except for Sony and their set of tools. Plus, you need to convert your files once you get them off the unit into a format you can actually use. I'm not sure I see the argument for need for a PC? The requirements are the same for both types of units. If MD is working for you, then great. But it's really a dead format, and I couldn't suggest it to anyone looking for a new recording solution.

My thoughts exactly. Thanks for saving me the trouble

I ended up buying the Zoom H2.
Can't wait to try it out.
Thanks goes out to Ryan0751 for suggesting this one.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.