Rehersal Recording & iPod

mcdermott.rober · #1 07-01-2008, 12:31 PM

I was looking at digital recorders primarily for recording band rehersals when I came across this device. I think it would be pretty cool to be able to listen to the rehersals in the car on the way home without any mixdown/transfer.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...dio?sku=241814

Any thoughts, experience or alternative method for recording direct to an iPod?

Thanks.

manbass · #2 07-02-2008, 01:15 PM

I would ditch that.

DI only, cables, knobs, docking, power issues...blech!

Get a Zoom H2 for the same cost.
Stick it near your band on 120 degree stereo, press record.
Get in your car, plug into the AUX and,
HEAR what the Live sound is...not some knob tweaked, DI funneled, ipod eq compressed version of Live sound.

-D

PS. and yes, when you get home, stick the SD card in your pc, burn a disc and load that into your ipod/itunes library as well.

James Hart · #3 07-02-2008, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manbass

I would ditch that.

DI only, cables, knobs, docking, power issues...blech!

Get a Zoom H2 for the same cost.
Stick it near your band on 120 degree stereo, press record.
Get in your car, plug into the AUX and,
HEAR what the Live sound is...not some knob tweaked, DI funneled, ipod eq compressed version of Live sound.

-D

what he said!

my H2 is just about the BEST purchase of the last few years

pointbass · #4 07-02-2008, 01:56 PM

Got an H2 for my birthday a few weeks ago and the thing is amazing

Exactly what I wanted .... it requres zero thought to record and zero thought to playback. Transferring to disk/Ipod is absolutely mindless, even for a technology-challenged moron like me

Next time you think your band is smoking and that you're the reincarnated Jaco, pop this little H2 on the stage and then listen back .... scary how much clarity you get from such a small unit .....

mcdermott.rober · #5 07-02-2008, 02:53 PM

Thanks for the the thoughts.

When you said, plug into the AUX in the car, did you mean just using the headphone out? or is there a line level output from the H2.

Sounds pretty cool.

manbass · #6 07-02-2008, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcdermott.rober

Thanks for the the thoughts.

When you said, plug into the AUX in the car, did you mean just using the headphone out? or is there a line level output from the H2.

Sounds pretty cool.

Both, the headphone out is also a true line out....so if you have an AUX stereo input on your car stereo (My 07 Caliber has one, they call it "mp3 ready port" for crying out loud), use an 1/8" stereo male/male cord. You can also use an RCA Y Jack (1/8" stereo plug to Left and Right RCA input jacks) for a Component system.

Check the Manual link below...Dude, I produce podcasts with this unit, mixdown/multitrack/publish in Audacity(free).

Best piece of easy tech to come along for Musicians in decades.

Zoom H2 Manual

manbass · #7 07-02-2008, 05:10 PM

Oh yeah...one more thing (in my best Columbo voice)

I blew one of my Ipod standard earphone speakers last month, and hijacked my Shure E3 in ear monitors from my gig to hold me over.

The sound quality output on the headphone side of the H2 (using Shure Pro E3's) is exponentially better than the Ipod output quality.
Dedicated circuitry must help.

mcdermott.rober · #8 07-03-2008, 09:06 AM

Thanks for posting that manual, and the good advice. I think I will go in this direction.

JeffC · #9 07-04-2008, 08:58 AM

Can someone post up a practice or jam they recorded with the Zoom H2? I like the idea of it and I think my band will go for it but it would be good to have a clip to show them.

Thanks!

James Hart · #10 07-04-2008, 09:04 AM

I quit the band since due to lack of consistency or steady improvements...

http://www.myselfalone.com/tracks/le...-Rescue_Me.mp3
http://www.myselfalone.com/tracks/le...Gaza_(jam).mp3
http://www.myselfalone.com/tracks/le...Adrenaline.mp3

others have posted better clips.

mcdermott.rober · #11 07-04-2008, 10:49 AM

Not bad... I just ordered an H2, should have it Tuesday.

JeffC · #12 07-04-2008, 11:36 AM

Wow James, those sound great! Now I'm on a mission to get one.

What sort of space were you in when recording?

James Hart · #13 07-04-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffC

What sort of space were you in when recording?

finished bassment in the drummers house. We set up in a 12 foot by 15 foot circle with the H2 on it's mic stand adapter in the middle of the room. It was set to 4x mic and stereo MP3 at the max rate.

JeffC · #14 07-04-2008, 12:07 PM

Interesting.

manbass · #15 07-23-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James Hart

I quit the band since due to lack of consistency or steady improvements...

others have posted better clips.

Easy for you to say...nice work if I might say so...
The Gaza tune smells so Neil Young retro...whats the word I'm thinking of....

Secret Agent Crime wave Grunge-a-billy.

Yeah thats it.

-D

James Hart · #16 07-24-2008, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manbass

Secret Agent Crime wave Grunge-a-billy.

Thanks, it was a fun jam... I wish some more of the potential would have surfaced in the few months we tried to get it going.

and for those that think a mega dollar bass and amp are needed... that was an Ibanez Starter Pack passive P bass into my pedal board and an Ampeg 1x15" 100 watt combo

pointbass · #17 07-24-2008, 12:17 PM

This unit is stooopid easy to use .....

This clip is from a live outdoors gig, literally no thought went into where I stuck the H2 (kind of in the center of the band, vocals are picked up mostly off the monitors), recorded it 2 channel front/rear MP3VBR .....

I'm convinced that you could get a good demo-quality recording off of this unit with a little attention to details (placement, ambient sound, etc) ....

James Hart · #18 07-24-2008, 12:44 PM

sounds great Ed!

armywalaby · #19 07-25-2008, 09:12 PM

OMG, that sounds so much better than what I expected.....I'm buying one on payday.

mcdermott.rober · #20 08-07-2008, 10:28 AM

OK, I need to thank all who recommended the H2 to my original post. I can't believe how great this thing is. I just stick it on the (included) mike stand adapter in the center of our practice room and let it run. On a 4GB SD card I can get over 6 hours of rehersal (2 channel, front and back mics). When I get home, I just pop the SD card in my PC and use WavePad to cut the large .wav file into smaller MP3's for sending things to the band if we need work on them.

SD cards are selling for so cheap now, I don't even worry too much about loading the files off to a hard disk, I just keep 7 or 8 cards in rotation and eventually clear the cards I don't need anymore. i just picked up 2-2GB cards for $7 each at NewEgg.com.

It's strange, I can actually hear the individual instruments on the recording, better than when I'm standing in the room. Some of that is the positioning of the unit, but the mics seemingly do a nice job of smoothing out the levels.

Anyway, very happy. Highly recommend the H2.

Thanks all.