Best method for bootlegging

[goldfish]

After getting back from a gig, I bootleged it "covertly" as to not make anyone angry about it (the engineers at the venue were pretty pissed off after I got them to put my custom made headset mic on the drummer, and asking them whether i could have an aux feed just took the biscuit!)

Anyway I was using a simple MD player and a Labtec PC mic. Unfortunatley the MD recorder had no line level dial/adjustment on it at all. Bad to start with. But whats worse is that I think the Mic itself was distorting.

So, does anyone have any suggestions on how I could get an alright sound with a very cheap recording setup. i was thinking about a sony stereo mic with a minijack out, but they are VERY expensive.

Obviously in the future I'll get some gear together to get a recording off the live mixer of a bus (a seperate mix to the power amps output), but some venues (like this pub) dont seem to take too kindly to these things

Thanks!

[NYMorningstar]

When you use the line lvl you need to have a preamp on the microphone.

[shackrock]

you'll never get something real decent with anything like that...to be honest! haha.

might as well just set up a video camera with a mic on it. HA!

[ChristopherM]

Originally posted by shackrock

might as well just set up a video camera with a mic on it. HA!

Funny, back in '01 when Napster was big, I downloaded a bootleg of Shrek (while it was still in theaters) and that's exactly what I got!
Someone had videotaped the screen at a theater!

[Neil Ogilvie]

Goldfish, If you got to www.maplin.co.uk or go to your local Maplin store they do a stereo condensor microphone (like the Sony ones) for about £25. This will do the job fine - its designed for it.

[noisedude]

if you can get access to a plug socket, get an audio buddy and take one or two proper mics down. make a stereo pair somewhere in the venue (tape them on the walls if you like) and you can get a good recording. go to Massive Master's thread on the M-Audio Solaris mics in the mic forum to hear the sort of recording you can make with just two mics and a crappy preamp!!

[noisedude]

PS - I was at a conference last week where somone put a condenser mic on a stand towards the back of a 3000 seater venue and recorded the whole thing from there ... doubt it was an amazing recording but if you want something to aid your rehearsing something like this would do a better job than a mini-mic sat on the stage.