The Sisters of Mercy Forum
I need to find a decent recorder... did not think about used.Used MD recorders and microphones aren't that expensive. You can start with a sony mic like the ECM719 which is also very easy to handle.
IMO, then you have two options: stay with the "old" technique - MD or go for recording on flash cards (SD or CF-Cards). In types the SONY MZ RH1 or an EDIROL R09 HR. Both have excellent preamps for the LINE IN jack. And affordable in the US, expensive in Europe.....DrG wrote:Thanks DocS for this info...I need to find a decent recorder... did not think about used.Used MD recorders and microphones aren't that expensive. You can start with a sony mic like the ECM719 which is also very easy to handle.
bismarck wrote:Like the topic Nicole.
You go girl.
I made my recordings by taping the mic to the MD player and covering the entire thing in matte black tape. Then I used a black marker to blacken the rest, so I had a self-contained all-black unit. Made sure I covered all lights. I put velcro strips on the back of it. Once inside the venue, I found a good spot (a pillar, a ledge, a wall) - high up (I'm over 6') and near the middle of the room and the mixing desk - and peeled the sticky backing off the velcro. Then I started the MD recording and stuck it on the wall, with the mic pointing at the PA speakers. A fixed position ensures no phasing (off-axis sound). Then I just left it there, went to the front, danced and shouted to my heart's content, and came back and switched the MD for the encores, then just stuck it back to the velcro. It makes for a very good recording, and as most venues are black (or very dark) inside, it's pretty easy to blend in. Plus: you get to enjoy the show! At the end of the night I just grabbed it off the wall... and 2 velcro strips on a pillar were all that was left.
I had no idea.
Flash card recorder are nice and the better choice if you are willing to afford them. Many models supports 24bit/96khz and you aren't limited to the recording-runtime of a MD. I was thinking about buying a Zoom H2 beause it's cheap and the specs looked good but after studying some reviews at the taperssection it seems not to be the best solution for many external mic/bbox combos.Cyberbio wrote:IMO, then you have two options: stay with the "old" technique - MD or go for recording on flash cards (SD or CF-Cards). In types the SONY MZ RH1 or an EDIROL R09 HR. Both have excellent preamps for the LINE IN jack. And affordable in the US, expensive in Europe.....DrG wrote:Thanks DocS for this info...I need to find a decent recorder... did not think about used.Used MD recorders and microphones aren't that expensive. You can start with a sony mic like the ECM719 which is also very easy to handle.
Uhhh, my topic.Kattatonia_x wrote:How would you hide a mic like the Sony ECM719? I will be getting this exact mic soon.
I'm planning on attending the Minneapolis show, and if the Minidisc recorder that I ordered off of ebay (last night) arrives in time attempting to record a show ( :
this is the model that's coming: SONY MZ-M200
Anyone have this one? what have your experiences with it been?
Didn't you notice I kept coming and going - about 3 or 4 times - from the front row? I just stuck the recorder on a pillar towards the back. The trick is to put it there just as the lights go down when all eyes - even security's - are on the stage.SINsister wrote:Now that's f*ckin' impressively stealthy of you, man!
Erm....how'd you manage that in New Haven, though? Small venue, not particularly dark..?
Well, to be fair: I've only done this twice. So far so good. And I held the thing for the New Haven encores instead, and the quality is massively diminished. But if you're tall enough to stick it somewhere high up, and you choose a dark spot near some other wiring or plumbing or rigging or whatever, and you do it at the right moment (see above), I think no one notices. And the results are pretty wonderful.DocSommer wrote:I'd be afraid that my recorder would disappear without any trace
AHA! *Light dawns somewhere*bismarck wrote:Didn't you notice I kept coming and going - about 3 or 4 times - from the front row? I just stuck the recorder on a pillar towards the back. The trick is to put it there just as the lights go down when all eyes - even security's - are on the stage.
. Like one of those little personal voice recorders, that use microcassettes? I just did quick search for MD and flash recorders and you're right - no way I can afford that kind of thing right now unfortunately, even on ebay. Isn't the quality of cassette recorders severely lacking though, the sort journalists might use or students use to record lectures?DrG wrote:
It sounds like you cannot afford a digital recorder... too expensive...
but tape is cool. You will need bring a few for easy flip (sort out the order
later) and watch the time. Wind the blank tapes forward a bit with a pencil or
something so recording starts immediately. Also, a recorder with a plug in
mic you can clip to your shirt or jacket collar helps you remain covert.
Good advice - thank you. I think you're right, I probably wouldn't get it in time, but it's still a kind thought.Eva wrote:- If you buy a secondhand md recorder, make sure it has 2LP modus (long play). The qualityloss is not too much and you don't have to change the mds during the gig. This way you can record 160 minutes. A Sisters gig lasts for about 80 minutes. If you start recording after the opening act has finished you're on the safe side. Sharp and Sony recrders seem to be the best as far as I know.
- The best way to get recording equipment into the venue IMHO for a female is to put it all into the pocket of a Sisters hoodie and wrap that around your waist so that the hidden recorder is just below your bum. Even severest (female) security never searched that part of my body.
- Set the recording levels manually on a a very low level. You can always add volume later after having transferred the gig onto your pc, but this way you avoid distortion(?) if the sound is very loud.
- Best place to record a gig is indeed around the mixing desk, but I've always gotten decent recordings standing in the front row, too. Just don't jump around too much.
- A small mic can also be clipped onto your bra (in the cleavage) underneath your t-shirt if that's not too skinny (or your breasts aren't too "flat" or too "big").
Sorry for naming the details so blatantly, my English doesn't allow me to express it in a more elegant way.
I would send you my old recorder if you covered postage, but I'm afraid it wouldn't arrive in time from Switzerland.
I think I should have thought about all of this way earlier. 
Eva, Thanks for the advice on Mic placement, I think I will do just that.Eva wrote:- If you buy a secondhand md recorder, make sure it has 2LP modus (long play). The qualityloss is not too much and you don't have to change the mds during the gig. This way you can record 160 minutes. A Sisters gig lasts for about 80 minutes. If you start recording after the opening act has finished you're on the safe side. Sharp and Sony recrders seem to be the best as far as I know.
- The best way to get recording equipment into the venue IMHO for a female is to put it all into the pocket of a Sisters hoodie and wrap that around your waist so that the hidden recorder is just below your bum. Even severest (female) security never searched that part of my body.
- Set the recording levels manually on a a very low level. You can always add volume later after having transferred the gig onto your pc, but this way you avoid distortion(?) if the sound is very loud.
- Best place to record a gig is indeed around the mixing desk, but I've always gotten decent recordings standing in the front row, too. Just don't jump around too much.
- A small mic can also be clipped onto your bra (in the cleavage) underneath your t-shirt if that's not too skinny (or your breasts aren't too "flat" or too "big").
Sorry for naming the details so blatantly, my English doesn't allow me to express it in a more elegant way.
I would send you my old recorder if you covered postage, but I'm afraid it wouldn't arrive in time from Switzerland.
Try Radio Shack or Best Buy.euphoria wrote:I really need some good advice now, especially from the american members - i had planned to make Chicago my first serious try when it comes to recording a show, but as things are, I simply cannot find a microphone! Ebay or other Internet sources are not an option. I need to know if there is a shop, preferrably in the Chicago area (and even more preferrably a chain) where I can get a decent mic for maximum 100 dollars. Anybody knows something I don't?
Edirol 09HR - sorry no experiences with the Zoom; but the bottleneck is not the gear - it´s the Mic you use.jenzi-benzi wrote:Does anyone has experience with the Zoom H2? Any other recommends?
