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Which handheld recorder for loud jam sessions?

R

ReeV0

Apr 5, 2013
732
272
#1
Hi all,

Which would be better for recording loud live band practices through the built-in mics?

I've already got a H4n (non-pro) and it's not very good. It's either distorted, or if I have the limiter turned on, pretty quiet...

I was thinking about maybe upgrading to the H4n Pro, or the Tascam DR-40X. Has anyone had any experience with these?

Cheers
 
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#7
ReeV0 said:
Hi all,

Which would be better for recording loud live band practices through the built-in mics?

I've already got a H4n (non-pro) and it's not very good. It's either distorted, or if I have the limiter turned on, pretty quiet...

I was thinking about maybe upgrading to the H4n Pro, or the Tascam DR-40X. Has anyone had any experience with these?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Are you sure that your gain staging was correct on the H4n?
If it is distorted, does this mean that if you set the gain as low as possible on the H4 it is still distorted?

Hard to believe in a recording situation, where the 2 internal mics record the entire band. Are you sure you now how to operate the H4n?
 
#8
DirkP said:
Are you sure that your gain staging was correct on the H4n?
If it is distorted, does this mean that if you set the gain as low as possible on the H4 it is still distorted?

Hard to believe in a recording situation, where the 2 internal mics record the entire band. Are you sure you now how to operate the H4n?
Click to expand...

Gain set on 0.1, limiter function on. Still clips either when using the mic or when using line-in. What's wrong with using the two internal mics to record a band practice?
 
#9
I use a Tascam DR-05 on the auto record setting. It works pretty well, just turn it on at the beginning of practice and off at the end. I copy the recordings to Google Drive to share with the band. The only issue I run into is that our practice room has a lot of reflection, cement floors and glass windows - I'm still looking for the right spot where the drums aren't overpowering the mix. With COVID we practice in large circle facing each other. Even so it works well for review of practices.
 
#10
ReeV0 said:
Gain set on 0.1, limiter function on. Still clips either when using the mic or when using line-in. What's wrong with using the two internal mics to record a band practice?
Click to expand...
Nothing, I do it all the time. I only own the H6. But it is hard to believe that the mics distort at even the lowest possible gain setting. I don't know the sensitivity of the internal mics of the H4n. Or does your band practise at 160 db? What about positioning the mics further away from the speakers and the drums?
In my general experience I find stereo mic recordings of sessions in a treated rehearsal room with good acoustics often better than not so professionell multitrack-recordings - as long as you don't invest a lot of know-how and time into the multitrack recordings.
This is recorded with just a Shure MV88 using an iPhone, and I think it sounds quite good for what it is:
 

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