From: "seb g." <>
>
> Hi everybody,
>=20
> I am frequently doing field recording for my electroacoustic music compos=
itions (acousmatic music). I usually borrow or rent a Tascam DA-P1, which I=
think gives a very good sound (not too crisp or clean/cold).
>=20
> I am now thinking about buying a Minidisc which would be easy to carry an=
d not costly (probably a used one).
> I saw one with a line input the other day and tried to find the most info=
rmation about doing field recording with it.
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> Some of you probably use this kind of equipement, so:
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> - Is it true that it's better to use a battery pack for the mic and recor=
d trough the line input ? If so almost any low-cost Minidisc can be used ..=
. ?
The battery pac is not the problem, the walkman style minidiscs have
fairly typical consumer grade mic preamps. Their preamps, particularly
if pushed for maximum gain tend to introduce some noise into the
recordings. So, what some folks who want maximum gain do is to buy a
high quality pro level preamp and use that into the line in to avoid the
preamp built into the minidisc. Note a high quality pre can cost more
than the minidisc, at minimum it's extra cost. And unless you are using
higher quality mics you won't hear much of a difference.
You really want a recorder with a mic preamp, even if it's a consumer
preamp. By getting closer, or using more sensitive mics many make good
recordings using the regular preamp in consumer minidisc. Adding on a
extra piece of equipment is a very annoying complication for field
recording so a external pre should be used only if needed. By using it
you will get less recordings.
Note I know folks who consider the Tascom pre's to be not good enough
and use external pre's with them. All depends on what you are doing and
how picky you are.
> - Knowing that some nature recordists have said that Minidisc should not =
be used for nature recordings (that even a cassette recorder would be bette=
r), do you consider this kind of equipement being more gadget-type or being=
a low-cost solution ?
Virtually every recorder type ever made has probably had someone who
said it was no good for recording. Minidisc has been heavily used in
nature recording, including recordings that end up on commercial CD's.
More than anything else minidisc has been compared to much more
expensive machines. Particularly in the preamps of a consumer walkman MD
it does not compare favorably with a studio recording setup. But in
portable gear the choices are much more limited. Comparing in similar
cost recorders it's generally a excellent recorder. It even does
surprisingly well compared to more expensive portables.
Note also that there are minidisc recorders that can do a excellent job.
I record currently with a HHb Portadisc, which is a pro level minidisc,
and probably the best field minidisc recorder available. It's preamps
are excellent, it has all the usual pro amenities. I'd choose it over
the Tascom DAT. And I record with top end Sennheiser MKH mics and the
excellent Telinga parabolic stereo mic.
I use minidisc for scientific recording (as well as for listening
recordings, I use the same recorder for all). Not that scientific
recording has to be all that good, but that's the usual area that
negativity surfaces on minidisc. None of the scientists I work with have
any problem with my recordings, except they would be more than happy for
me to do even more. And birds and frogs I've played the recordings back
to have had no problem recognizing the calls of their own species. The
sonograms of the calls recorded by minidisc are as clear and detailed as
from any other recorder.
As far as dissecting out part of the natural sound for use in your
compositions, that should be no problem. Though if you use a all digital
pathway, sync problems have also been blamed on minidisc, even though
they are a problem of any digital form.
Regardless of recorder, your main problem will be coming up with a site
where you can record what you want. Unwanted sounds, uncooperative
callers mess up more recordings than anything else. And a close second
can be our own abilities as a recordist rather than the equipment. And
in equipment it's the mic that's far and away most important. Recorders
are almost last in our recording problems.
Walt
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