• Portable audio recorder £130-£200 budget
    6 replies, posted
I've asked this a few times in the quick questions thread but no one has responded. I am looking for a portable audio recorder, as I need to record some audio for one of my University Assignments. I need something that can record good ambient sound effects, as well as foley and voice. As I would be using this to record audio for any amateur UDK stuff I do once I get into it. I have been looking into the Tascam DR-05, 07 and 08. But reading info on all of them, they all have their advantages and disadvantages. So I'm a little confused because I don't have much knowledge in the area. Any advice or recommendations are appreciated. Thanks. Nevermind that minimal budget price. My budget is £200
I've heard great things about Tascams DR05 from my friend who does video work for a company, though I have no personal experience. The Zoom H4N is obviously a well known choice for DSLR uses, but it has dual condenser mics included for recordings.
I use the Zoom H2n for work on a certain indie game. It works very well and has pretty low noise even at high gain. The H4n is a pretty good one as well especially with the XLR inputs (2 for stereo) in case you wanted to get some Rode Ntg-s. I haven't had to change the battery life on my H2n for months. It records 96k as well which makes it sound awesome compared to just straight up recording to 44.1. I usually down sample to 44.1 from 96k but it does give it a distinct smoother sound despite the down sampling. +1 for the Zoom H2n
Sounds good (even though I have no idea half the audio babble you gave me means aha) from what I've looked up on it now, though I don't like the thought of buying all the accessories (which I don't need but apparently the H2 came with it all) What about the Zoom H4n? I see on ebay that I can get one for under £200 (would be less but it would be shipped from the US). What's the difference between them? When it comes to the internal mics is it really different in quality?
[QUOTE=Dominic0904;35185908]Sounds good (even though I have no idea half the audio babble you gave me means aha) from what I've looked up on it now, though I don't like the thought of buying all the accessories (which I don't need but apparently the H2 came with it all) What about the Zoom H4n? I see on ebay that I can get one for under £200 (would be less but it would be shipped from the US). What's the difference between them? When it comes to the internal mics is it really different in quality?[/QUOTE] Not much no. I wouldn't take the jump and get the H4n, it's worthless (for you) and costs more. The internal mics are great on the H2n. I've recorded a lot of ambient and foley pieces with them. Even gunshots, though I set the gain to 0 dB and I would still almost clip. Cosmetically the H2n is much better than the H2. I've heard things about the H2's battery pack breaking.
[QUOTE=peterson;35185988]Not much no. I wouldn't take the jump and get the H4n, it's worthless (for you) and costs more. The internal mics are great on the H2n. I've recorded a lot of ambient and foley pieces with them. Even gunshots, though I set the gain to 0 dB and I would still almost clip. Cosmetically the H2n is much better than the H2. I've heard things about the H2's battery pack breaking.[/QUOTE] Oh ok then, sounds like the right choice for me then, would it be worth buying that accessory pack? Or do you think I can do without it for now? Like I should just get it in the future or something? Also, is there anything I would need to adjust settings wise when I first boot up the recorder? Cause as I said, I haven't been able to learn much from my audio classes since I've been in the US for 2 weeks recently. So I'm not sure what I need to adjust the gain (i think I know what this is) to and such. Thanks again.
[QUOTE=Dominic0904;35186100]Oh ok then, sounds like the right choice for me then, would it be worth buying that accessory pack? Or do you think I can do without it for now? Like I should just get it in the future or something? Also, is there anything I would need to adjust settings wise when I first boot up the recorder? Cause as I said, I haven't been able to learn much from my audio classes since I've been in the US for 2 weeks recently. So I'm not sure what I need to adjust the gain (i think I know what this is) to and such. Thanks again.[/QUOTE] I personally haven't gotten the accessory pack as I have no need for it. It might be useful for you though, especially if you want to transfer the files to your computer through USB and not through an SD card reader. Gain is adjusted according to the source of the audio and how close you are to it i.e. if the source is loud like someone yelling and you are 1 meter away I'd say a gain of 3 would be good. The gain on the H2n can go upwards of 10. When making a recording try and find the right gain level for the situation so you're not driving it up so high that you start to hear more noise instead of your signal. As well as don't clip, I think that is the most crucial.
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