Zoom H2 question

[Phil Smith]

A live recording is just that a live recording, you will pick up all kinds of stuff especially if you're playing somewhere and the crowd is more interested in having a conversation amongs themselves than listening to you. Having said that, I would be the recorder right in front of the band on the floor which seems to work pretty good for me.

Even this this item is cheap, don't sleep on it, it can produce very high quality results when recording at the highest sample rates and proper post processing.

[Damon Rondeau]

I don't use a Zoom recorder -- my rig is a few years older and consists of two separate units: a digital recorder and a stereo mic. The mic is an omnidirectional condensor unit.

I don't like leaving it out in the house with strangers while I'm on the stand and I'll often look for placements close to the stand. I've put the mic in all kinds of places nobody would ever advise you to put it and I've often been amazed at the results. With a near-acoustic jazz trio, I like having the mic right in with the instruments -- it sounds to the mic like it does to the players. What's wrong with that? I've even put the mic on a stage with a 10-piece worldbeat/R&B dance band -- louder than **** with four percussionists bashing away -- and achieved listenable results (I hid it under the keyboards, behind a monitor.) If you're familiar with how a live performance "board mix" recording used to sound, you'll quickly realize your Zoom can do better than that from just about anywhere in the room...

If you're looking to simply document a performance, and not looking to sell the recording or get airplay or use it to promote yourself, just find a "good enough" spot and let 'er rip. Experiment. See what it sounds like from all kinds of places.

[Marc Piane]

Also the recorder hears more or less what your ears hear. Put your head where you plan to put the recorder and investigate. Pay attention to the total picture. Not just the mix of the band. Ambient noise and everything.

[Michael Eisenman]

Since I last commented in this thread, I now place the recorder directly in front of the band, next to the director's music stand. Great sound, almost no crowd noise, and out of the way of the dancers. As before, settings are external switch on middle position, internal sensitivity on 100 (these settings never change).

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

I record my gigs mainly to document the event, not to record what the crowd hears. After much experimentation with placement on a tripod and using some baffling to minimize crowd noise, I've just resorted to setting it behind or in the midst of the group.
The crowd noise level is much lower and the recording acurately documents the sound on the bandstand. I always use the low setting and amplify through Audacity.
It is an amazingly simple, yet valuable tool.

FWIW, the lithium ion batteries last for several gigs and are well worth the higher cost.

I convert to mp3 and play through itunes, then burn CD's for any of the other musicians that want them. It doesn't take long and they seem to appreciate that.