Fun project: help me put together audio workstations

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Kayte wrote:

> > Why not just hook the mics up to the recorder directly?
>
> Why not indeed. I disagree with the wireless setup, I think it will
> complicate things, introduce noise, and be much more likely to fail.
> If you have more info to help me demonstrate this point I would most
> appreciate it.

I seem to remember some reference to the Library of Congress earlier on
in this thread, that the LofC guidance was what was driving this
further and further into nonsense. You're doing oral history. The best
thing your collectors can do is be aware of the acoustic environment
and control it to the extent feasable if it's bad enough to affect the
reoording. The best mic preamp in the world won't improve a recording
made with a TV blasting in the next room or the neighbor running his
lawnmower.

I've done some work with the LC Folklife Center and in their "Field
School" they emphasize reliability and common sense over technology.
Their standard rig is a Marantz portable cassette recorder and rugged
dynamic mics.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Kayte wrote:

> > Why not just hook the mics up to the recorder directly?
>
> Why not indeed. I disagree with the wireless setup, I think it will
> complicate things, introduce noise, and be much more likely to fail.
> If you have more info to help me demonstrate this point I would most
> appreciate it.

I seem to remember some reference to the Library of Congress earlier on
in this thread, that the LofC guidance was what was driving this
further and further into nonsense. You're doing oral history. The best
thing your collectors can do is be aware of the acoustic environment
and control it to the extent feasable if it's bad enough to affect the
reoording. The best mic preamp in the world won't improve a recording
made with a TV blasting in the next room or the neighbor running his
lawnmower.

I've done some work with the LC Folklife Center and in their "Field
School" they emphasize reliability and common sense over technology.
Their standard rig is a Marantz portable cassette recorder and rugged
dynamic mics.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

This whole thread is maddening. Someone please tell me why all of this
gear is necessary for doing field interviews?

Get a Marantz recorder with a RE50 and start recording. Get one that
records digitally and you don't have to worry about conversion later.
Heck, can't you even get one that burns to a CD? I know they have a
few different models, just choose the one that is the outcome you're
after. Whatever the recording medium, just dump that into the computer
and do all your conversions and processing there.

Don't worry about the compression or limiting. Set your levels
correctly and go.

Just to recap what's been said. You want a portable recording rig, so
you want a recorder, external mic pre, wireless mic, mic transmitter,
backup PZM mic, compressor/limiter along with the cables and media
associated with these. Oh...then back at the studio....a mixer,
dedicated ADC, monitors,etc, etc, etc....

Not very portable anymore.

later,
m

 

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Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

mwood5nospam@yahoo.com wrote:
> This whole thread is maddening. Someone please tell me why all of this
> gear is necessary for doing field interviews?
>
> Get a Marantz recorder with a RE50 and start recording. Get one that
> records digitally and you don't have to worry about conversion later.
> Heck, can't you even get one that burns to a CD? I know they have a
> few different models, just choose the one that is the outcome you're
> after. Whatever the recording medium, just dump that into the computer
> and do all your conversions and processing there.
>
> Don't worry about the compression or limiting. Set your levels
> correctly and go.
>
> Just to recap what's been said. You want a portable recording rig, so
> you want a recorder, external mic pre, wireless mic, mic transmitter,
> backup PZM mic, compressor/limiter along with the cables and media
> associated with these. Oh...then back at the studio....a mixer,
> dedicated ADC, monitors,etc, etc, etc....
>
> Not very portable anymore.
>
> later,
> m


I've gotten the general impression of "buy it just in case we need it"
around here. For example we have a digi001 sitting on the shelf that
has never been used. Also, I am just assembling this info. On Monday
I will be presenting it to the professors who gave me the assignment of
what they wanted, and that's my opportunity to explain to them why they
shouldn't get what they asked for, and what they should ask for
instead. I asked you's guys because I knew you'd have opinions on all
this stuff (and you've been very helpful).

Thanks, everyone.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Kayte wrote:
>
>> It might be nice to have a good stereo pair for recording music or
>> special ambiance conditions, but for that I'd look to something like the
>> Josephson C42 (under $1000 for a matched pair, very durable, and quite
>> transparent.)
>
> I'll look at those. We'll never be recording music, but if there are
> more than 3 people being interviewed at one time it would probably be
> better to do stereo micing.

Depends on the arrangement of the interviewees and the room they are in.
Four lavs into a mixer is not uncommon, but you might want to consider
a hypercardioid on a boom or even a plant mic on the table in the middle.





>>>> The preamps in the MicroTrack should be more than adequate for this
>>>> task, and it provides phantom power. Adding an external preamp
>>>> dramatically increases your cost and increases the probability that an
>>>> inexperienced field recordist will botch things up.
>>>
>>> Well... I agree with you. The professor I showed the microtrack info
>>> to said "I understand the key here is preamps. We need external
>>> preamps." He didn't really let me say another word after that, he just
>>> added external preamps to my list...It stinks, but that's what they
>>> want, and what they want they shall get.
>>
>>
>> If you can, ask him why (given the ambient noise level and application)
>> external preamps?
>>
>> If he really insists on top-notch preamps, why not drop the MicroTrack
>> and get a Sound Devices 722? Excellent preamps and a state of the art
>> recorder in one easy to use package.
>> <http://sounddevices.com/products/722.htm>
>
>
> I printed out that information, but I'm going to guess that they'll say
> that is too expensive for students to use.


It's $2600 as I recall. By the time you buy the Grace and the
MicroTrack and the external battery pack and the cables and the charger,
you're going to be close to that. You could also look at the Edirol
R-4, which has four channels with preamps and could handle larger
groups. $1500 or less as I recall.



> Perhaps I should try to talk them more toward a Marantz unit.

For basic interviews, even a PMD660 will be quite sufficient. If there
are occasional events which require exceptional recording quality, buy
one really good setup and use it for those.




>>>>> We need a 2 channel compressor/limiter ... which is just to
>>>>> keep the source below 0dB before the ADC stage.
>>>>
>>>> Why not record uncompressed, and muck with the dynamics later in software?
>>>
>>>
>>> the c/l is for analog sources before they're sent into the computer.
>>> ... digitisation of library tapes.
>>
>> Am I reading this correctly? You want to compress the analog tape
>> before you digitize it?
>
>
> Hmm.. I'm not sure what's wrong with this?


It's certainly not what any of us would do for an archival transfer.


> We need to limit to below 0dB before we digitize or it will clip.
> Right now there is a behringer compressor/limiter in the signal path
> before the adc's. If it wasn't there we would have to ride the gain
> during capture and that would be really sloppy and bad.

Just set the levels correctly and leave them alone. There's over 90 dB
of dynamic range on almost any interface these days (116 dB with the
Lynx L22!) and the best you're ever going to see off tape is a mere
fraction of that. If you have problems with level control, they can be
addressed easily in software, and you get the chance to go back and do
them over as many times as needed -- much faster than realtime. Less
wear on the tape.

BTW, are you doing regular alignments and cleanings on your tape machines?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Kayte <k.revitte@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>I've gotten the general impression of "buy it just in case we need it"
>around here. For example we have a digi001 sitting on the shelf that
>has never been used. Also, I am just assembling this info.

So, call Harris-Allied and ask them for a six-pack of EV 635A mikes.
I think you get six for $500 still. Sooner or later you'll need them.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

 

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Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Kurt Albershardt wrote:

> >> Am I reading this correctly? You want to compress the analog tape
> >> before you digitize it?

> > Hmm.. I'm not sure what's wrong with this?

> It's certainly not what any of us would do for an archival transfer.

Agreed, because the storage medium has far more dynamic range than does
the cassette source, compression here is not sensible. We have an open
and empty fifty gallon barrel and a pitcher of water. Do we need a
funnel to get the water into the barrel?

> > We need to limit to below 0dB before we digitize or it will clip.
> > Right now there is a behringer compressor/limiter in the signal path
> > before the adc's. If it wasn't there we would have to ride the gain
> > during capture and that would be really sloppy and bad.

> Just set the levels correctly and leave them alone.

Damn, so simple, but that way one doesn't get to buy anything. <g>

--
ha

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Thanks, I didn't know that about the dynamic range.
I'm a student! I didn't know anything about audio archival before
working here, but I am trying to find out! Thanks for helping. All of
this information will make its way up the academic ladder, and
hopefully we will have a more sensical audio setup.