[youthradioleaders] equipment question

[judy fiestal]

hi tom-
i saw trillium last night at a wonderful event an organization that she's involved with (pcasc)
put on to commemorate the legacy of ben linder- who was killed by the contras 20 years ago this
month while doing work in nicaragua. i'll be sure to say hey to her for you.

thank you so much for taking the time to write up such a complete analysis of the clear as mud
situation of field recorders- especially those that would be suitable for working with young
people. i must have seen that same forum that you did that talked about the hum. that person
reported that the company stated that the hum was not a condition that could be solved with an
update of software, but is minimized with use of the ac adapter. also the recent transom article's
audio sample had the hum in it as well as far as i could tell. BUT be that as it may if you are
using it and other professional broadcast journalists are using it- i think it will be just fine
for the class of high school students i'm working with!

we are also considering getting a number of the olympus ds2 digital voice recorders, as a more
"disposable" unit to send off with kids who are unsupervised. but i will definitely take a look at
the olympus recorder WS-100 since laura has already had such good experience with it.


thanks again to all for this great discussion.
judy
kboo community radio


--- tom.krymkowski at mindspring.com wrote:

> Hey Judy,
> 
> Say "Hi" to my sister for me - Trillium Shannon.  She works as a news producer there at KBOO.
> 
> 
> You were right to be a little cautious, but this isn't a major issue anymore.  The hum you
> describe only occurs when using the Zoom H4 in a specific configuration - as an audio interface
> (like an M-Box) with certain computers and earlier shipped models.  Zoom has since addressed
> this issue via an update to the firmware, so even those who bought early on or had test models,
> can easily fix it.  The units that are shipping now already have the updated firmware included. 
> There's a possibility you may encounter the problem with certain Macs - but again, it's only
> when using the unit to record directly to the computer via USB through the Zoom H4.  If you
> record directly to the unit and then do a file transfer there is no problem.
> 
> There were also some issues with recordings done directly to mp3 at 256kbps or VBR.  That has
> also been fixed.  But you shouldn't be recording to a compressed file anyway.
> 
> When I did my research before buying one, I did come across references to said hum on a forum or
> two.  In the end I went with comments from reputable reviewers.  The most credible were these:
> 
> Bruce Bartlett is the author of "Practical Recording Techniques" and wrote this one for Pro
> Audio Review - (http://www.proaudioreview.com/pages/s.0035/t.514.html)
> David Miles Huber is the author of "Modern Recording Techniques" and wrote this EQ Magazine
> review - (http://www.eqmag.com/story.asp?sectioncode=36&storycode=17209)
> 
> Then I bought one and did recordings myself.  I also convinced at least one reporter who was in
> the market to get one and put it through it's paces.  I've already heard several pieces that
> aired nationally that I know for sure where recorded with the H4.  I'm convinced this is the
> best "bang for the buck" out there right now.  It's not perfect, but I held out 3 years with a
> broken minidisc before I got anything - and this is what I bought.  And the general consensus is
> that you'll have to spend over $1000 (maybe $2000) to get all the stuff they packed under the
> hood.
> 
> I'm not saying this is the only thing out there.  For instance the Edirol R-09 has good specs
> but lacks XLR inputs.  The M-Audio MicroTrack is ok but lacks removable batteries and XLR
> inputs.  See where I'm going here?...  As a field recording unit this thing rocks!  The fact
> that you can also use it for a ton of other things, and it even ships with software for the Mac
> and PC, makes it that much better.  But don't worry.  Something better will come along soon. 
> This is what I'm recommending to those buying now.
> 
> My two cents - for what that's worth.
> 
> Tom Krymkowski
> Technical Advisor - NPR's Next Generation Radio
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> >From: judy fiestal <arielle3 at yahoo.com>
> >Sent: Apr 5, 2007 10:56 PM
> >To: Doug Mitchell <DMitchell at npr.org>, Laura Wenzel <director at palanteprogram.org>,
> youthradioleaders at lists.prx.org
> >Cc: Tom Krymkowski <tom.krymkowski at mindspring.com>
> >Subject: RE: [youthradioleaders] equipment question
> >
> >hi all-
> >i was curious about the h4 zoom that doug suggests. after reading about the low hum that the
> led
> >generates i was not too keen on buying one. doug- hasn't that hum been a problem for you?
> >judy
> >kboo youth collective
> >portland, or.
> >
> >
> >--- Doug Mitchell <DMitchell at npr.org> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi everyone:
> >>   Interesting.  I'm contributing to this conversation by forwarding an
> >> e-mail from my Next Gen technical advisor.  I get this question 3 or 4
> >> times a week via e-mails and/or phone calls.."What gear should I get?"
> >> Tom Krymkowski (my advisor) and I have been talking for a while about
> >> how to synthesize that question into something that makes sense to
> >> people in a variety of circumstances.
> >> 
> >>   Comments would be most appreciated.
> >> 
> >> Doug
> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> ----A "standard" field kit would include:
> >>  
> >> Marantz PMD660 Digital Recorder - $500
> >> ElectroVoice RE50N/D-B Dynamic Microphone - $180
> >> Sony MDR-7506 Headphones - $100
> >> 2 x 1GB CompactFlash (CF) Cards - $60 ($30 each)
> >> 6' XLR Male to XLR female Mic Cable - $13
> >>  
> >> Total "Standard Kit" - $853  (Not including Carrying Case)
> >>  
> >> This is the setup you'd find at NPR and most Public Radio stations that
> >> are using flash recorders.  I'm not happy with the headphone jack on the
> >> PMD660, and it's a little expensive a kit for most journalists starting
> >> out.  But the recorder is more rugged overall and is the most widely
> >> used configuration.
> >>  
> >>  
> >> I've also come up with a configuration for freelancers and journalist
> >> students who want to buy their own gear.  I would still recommend the
> >> ElectroVoice Microphone and the Sony Headphones, but if cost is THE
> >> deciding factor I could get by with the recommendations below.
> >>  
> >> Here's my "Starter Kit":
> >>  
> >> Zoom H4 Digital Recorder - $300
> >> Audio-Technica AT804 Dynamic Microphone - $90
> >> Sony MDR-V150 Headphones - $14
> >> 2 x 2GB Secure Digital (SD) Cards - $34 ($17 each)
> >> 5' XLR Male to XLR female Mic Cable - $10
> >>  
> >> Total "Starter Kit" - $448  (Not including Carrying Case)
> >>  
> >> The Zoom H4 records great sound, but is a little more delicate and
> >> wouldn't survive a fall as well as the Marantz.  But for the money it's
> >> easier to replace if that were to happen.
> >>  
> >>  
> >> Finally here's what I own personally.  It takes advantage of the best of
> >> both worlds, and sits in between the two kits above in price.  I think
> >> spending the money on a good microphone and headphones are important.
> >> Plus, the recorders may change, but I've already had my mic and cans for
> >> over 10 years.
> >>  
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> My "Personal Kit":
> >>  
> >> Zoom H4 Digital Recorder - $300
> >> ElectroVoice RE50/B Dynamic Microphone - $160  (RE50N/D-B slightly
> >> better and recommended above)
> >> Sony MDR-7506 Headphones - $100
> >> 2 x 2GB Secure Digital (SD) Cards - $34 ($17 each)
> >> 5' XLR Male to XLR female Mic Cable - $10
> >>  
> >> Total "Personal Kit" - $604  (Not including Carrying Case)
> >>  
> >>  
> >> The software I can recommend is Adobe Audition 2.0.  It's used by
> >> reporters and in stations all over the world.  The downside is that it's
> >> PC only.  The jury is still out on a decent audio app for the Mac with
> >> the same feature/cost ratio.  Soundtrack Pro is probably the best one
> >> out there, but it only comes packaged with Final Cut Pro.  You didn't
> >> say what type of computers you had - but I can suggest other options if
> >> we have to.
> >>  
> >> As far as a vendor, I swear by B&H (www.bhphotovideo.com).  Sweetwater,
> >> Full Compass, or BSW are also fine options if you already have accounts
> >> with them.  I'll forward you my Reporter's Kit wish list from B&H so you
> >> can see prices and further descriptions of everything to compare.
> >>  
> >> I hope this helps get you started.  Any further questions can be sent my
> >> way.
> >> 
> >>   
> >> 
> >>                 
> >>        
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: youthradioleaders-bounces at lists.prx.org
> >> [mailto:youthradioleaders-bounces at lists.prx.org] On Behalf Of Laura
> >> Wenzel
> >> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 2:33 PM
> >> To: youthradioleaders at lists.prx.org
> >> Subject: Re: [youthradioleaders] equipment question
> >> 
> >> We use the Olympus Digital Voice Recorder WS-100. We bought them for
> >> $100 
> >> about a year ago and they've gone down in price since then. I've never
> >> used 
> >> a minidisc, so don't know how the quality compares, but I'm happy with
> >> the 
> >> quality we get. We've recorded at meetings, at outdoor rallies, even
> >> keynote 
> >> addresses from the middle of the audience, and everything is clear. I
> >> don't 
> >> recall how many hours we can record, but it is at least 30. The best
> >> thing 
> >> is that it connects to the computer through a USB port, so there are no 
> >> cables or other software we have to deal with. The battery seems to last
> >> 
> >> forever.
> >> 
> >> Laura Wenzel
> >> Pa'lante, Inc.
> >> 919 619-1023
> >> www.palanteprogram.org
> >> PO Box 17212
> >> Chapel Hill, NC 27516-7212
> >> 
> >> 
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Youthradioleaders mailing list
> >> Youthradioleaders at lists.prx.org
> >> http://youthradioleaders.prx.org/youthradioleaders.html
> >> 
> >
> >
> >
> > 
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> 



 
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