Heartland

So - it seems there aren't a ton of people going to the Chicago show, only one other poster here (looks like a newbie like me) I'd be willing to tape the show but - I have no sort of equipment, no experience with this kind of thing, and not a whole lot of money to get anything either. I also don't know what sort of security the venue has (House of Blues) - in the past, any venue that has had security has taken a peek in my purse, but not opened anything inside (such as a small zippered makeup case) so I'm thinking that would be a way to get something in. But again, no equipment - is there something affordable I might be able to get a hold of quickly? Since this is sort of last minute I really don't have much funds available at all - maybe around $100. (iz young and broke ever since I had to stop working overtime a couple months ago, not to mention my rent going up)

The show is the 17th. And I don't know the first thing about how to do it - best place to stand, where does the recorder go (do I need to hold it or can I leave it in my bag, etc) There hasn't been much audio yet, seems like this is a great tour that deserves to be taped - I was disappointed there wasn't much audio from the last US tour (correct me if I'm wrong but all I found from US 2006 was Anaheim) so instead of complaining about it I'd like to do something to contribute.

Years ago... I tapes a Banshees gig in Rochester NY with a tape-recorder
walkman... and it sounded rather good. I stood at the back of the theater
and held it to my chest.

Alas, I do not have a copy.

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.

If you need, I can help transfer anything you record to a digital format.

Good luck Nicole and let us know how it turns out!

P.S.; Anybody here have a recording of the Banshees gig from Rochester
NY... Superstition tour?

Just got a PM - appears the show may be being taped after all (probably with something far better than I could afford - a trip to the city for us is a bit pricey itself) I'll probably still look into some things, see what I can do - multiple recordings are better than no recordings.

I was disappointed the show at Metro wasn't recorded last time around so I thought I'd try to do it myself. Looks like I should have thought about that months ago when I bought the tickets though.

Used MD recorders and microphones aren't that expensive. You can start with a sony mic like the ECM719 wich is also very easy to handle.

Regarding the MD recorders you may find a lot on ebay but not everything is ok for the job. It's very important to verify that it's really a recorder and not just a player. And not every recorder has a microphone input. On the other hand you don't need a microphone input if your microphone has an internal power source or an external battery box - in this case you can plug your stuff into the "line input" jack.

For transfering the recording to your PC it's more comfortable if the MD recorder supports USB transfer.

Thanks DocS for this info...

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.

I need to find a decent recorder... did not think about used.

I got my MD from ebay - payed around 70€ for a like-new HiMD recorder with losless PCM recording ability (MZ-NH700). Setting up the manual gain isn't as easy as it is on the high end models and it has no backlight for the display but the recording quality is excellent so - all in all - great value for the money.

DrG wrote:Thanks DocS for this info...

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.

I need to find a decent recorder... did not think about used.

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.....

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.

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?

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.

Now that's f*ckin' impressively stealthy of you, man! I had no idea.

Erm....how'd you manage that in New Haven, though? Small venue, not particularly dark..?

Cyberbio wrote:

DrG wrote:Thanks DocS for this info...

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.

I need to find a decent recorder... did not think about used.

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.....

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.

@Kattatonia:

During recording you don't really have to hide the mic. Just clip this little thingy centered on the front-neckline of your shirt.

I don't know your recorder but you'll have to find out how to set up the maual gain. And it's also important do do a testrun at another, less important, concert.

@bismarck:

I'd be afraid that my recorder would disappear without any trace

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?

Uhhh, my topic.

Well, this is my recorder the MZ-RH1 in europe - the M200 comes with an awful Sony Mic the DS-70p, which is crap. All you further need is a batt box and a good mic. You can go with the ECM719, but go close to the stacks. In case you like to go for better mics - try soundprofessionals.com - the SP-CMC-8 and a batt box SP-SPSB-11 or 12 which allows a bass roll off.... going to deep into technique now... uhmm.

The recorder is great, good preamp of the line in, even mic in is good and an easy transfer to the PC .....

SINsister wrote:Now that's f*ckin' impressively stealthy of you, man! I had no idea.
Erm....how'd you manage that in New Haven, though? Small venue, not particularly dark..?

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.

DocSommer wrote:I'd be afraid that my recorder would disappear without any trace

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.

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.

AHA! *Light dawns somewhere*

Again, .

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.

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?

And it looks like I'm going to have to read up more on this, for the future if I decide to look into getting a digital recorder - most of this thread is complete gibberish to me.

- 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.

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.

Good advice - thank you. I think you're right, I probably wouldn't get it in time, but it's still a kind thought. I think I should have thought about all of this way earlier.

Never mind. If there's somebody else around who's willing to tape you can still stick together to make sure it works out fine if he/she's not already a semi-professional...

But most important: Go and enjoy the show! They really are offering outstanding value for the money spent...

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.

Eva, Thanks for the advice on Mic placement, I think I will do just that.

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?

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?

Try Radio Shack or Best Buy.

Does anyone has experience with the Zoom H2? Any other recommends?

jenzi-benzi wrote:Does anyone has experience with the Zoom H2? Any other recommends?

Edirol 09HR - sorry no experiences with the Zoom; but the bottleneck is not the gear - it´s the Mic you use.

So go for a good mic, combined with a batt.box and you can easily use a used MD Recorder....

The Zoom H2/H4 has its own build-in mics and it costs only 190 €

jenzi-benzi wrote:The Zoom H2/H4 has its own build-in mics and it costs only 190 €

The build in mics are good for interviews not for concerts, that´s the problem.....