Can't figure out where to start:

  • Thread starter Thread starter Douglas256
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Douglas256

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As with every newbie, I know what I'd like to do but have no idea how to do it. The oldest generation of my extend family seems to be growing smaller by the day and I would like to sit down with them and record their stories for the generations to come.

While I'm sure I could record their words with a portable tape recorder from the 70's with a built in mic, it wouldn't be much more listenable than Thomas Edison's recordings from the turn of the century. I want a crisp, clean recording that I would enjoy listening to on my audiophile headphone rig (Senn. HD600, Ety ER-4S, HeadRoom Cosmic & Max Amps -- a very unforgiving systems).

This is by basic wish-list:
-- Something I can record onto the hard drive of my laptop (the built-in sounds card sounds like a cell phone in a tunnel, so I presume USB is probably be the way to go);
-- Something that isn't too obtrusive to my grandparents and great aunts, otherwise they will feel so self conscious that I won't get anything worth recording;
-- Something that won't cost more than $300-$600 total (cables, stands, everything).

Ideally, I would love something that is fairly portable, provided excellent reproduction and can record one or two people telling stories (when you get them together, the stories start flying back and forth).

Thank you so much for all your help.

Douglas

PS: They will be together this coming week and I want to have the system ready to go by then . . . so, whatever you suggest is what it is going to be.
 
If you really aren't pleased with the quality of your soundcard on your laptop, then that means you should either get a new soundcard (which may not be an option if you have a laptop - I don't know too much about laptop parts though...) or go a different route than your computer.

I know you want a crisp clear sound, but I doubt you will be able to:
a) find a soundcard for your laptop and
b) have it installed by the weekend....

...so my suggestion would be to get something like a minidisc recorder/player. I had a sony minidisc player for a brief period, but never tried recording on it. Perhaps you could get one, along with a mic giver a shot. You should be able to transfer and copy the files failry easily, while getting reasonable quality - and you will have an mp3/minidisc player to boot!

I don't know of any USB/mic rigs - there very well could be some, I perhaps lack knowledge in this area...

I consider myself a newbie as well - but these are just some of my ideas.


good luck!
 
BEST BET

There are many mini cassette recorders that are unobtrusive and very good at recording.
The sony line comes into mind. THey are sound activated with a very clean anti hiss mech. You can tuck it in your pocket and no one will be the wiser. Sound clean up can be done by porting into any sound program thru your sound card. Why think high teck when low teck will do?
 
If you want to record to your lap top a Digidesign Mbox might be a good idea (really good mic pres in these)... about $450... $300 on ebay. That with a descent condenser mic (these range from $60 to $6000+) to use as a room mic would give you a very good sounding track. All for under $600.
I think that's a really cool thing your doing... best of luck to you!
 
Mastercard would turn this into a commercial so fast it would make your head spin. I also admire what you are doing. How about this puppy:

http://www.aardvarkaudio.com/aasd-v1/products/usb3-main.html

Again I wonder if you would be able to purchase the product and get it up and running within your time frame. A minidisk and a sony ECM MS907 stereo mic might do the trick. I have used this combination with some success but found I had to get quite close up on the mic. Perhaps hottrocker has the best idea for such short notice. Better to have something you can clean up later than nothing at all. Best of luck.
 
Try this.

I have a friend who has a portable minidisk recorder that he wears on a fanny pack (in front) and he's installed little mics on a set of headphones. He walks around festivals and picks up the parking lot pickers really well. The mics capture what he hears, where he hears it. It's pretty wild.
 
there are two routes you could go with this.

The first route is to skip the cumbersome laptop entirely and go with a minidisc recorder and a little stereo mic like the ones that reactive sounds makes. That would be definitly inobtrusive.

The second route is if you wanted to go with a laptop I would go with the M-Audio MobilePre because it has the least complicated setup (does not require a separate power supply). The Mbox by comparison is much more expensive because it includes ProTools, which is way overkill to recording storytelling. As for microphones you want a dynamic rather than a condenser mic yet inobtrusive, maybe a pair of sennheiser 441s. and some sort of desk stand.
 
Alaking said:

I don't know of any USB/mic rigs - there very well could be some, I perhaps lack knowledge in this area...
Click to expand...

http://www.midiman.net/products/m-audio/USBaudio.php
Click to expand...


This is why I love this place - learn and see new things everyday...
 
Thank you for your great advice. I think I'll go for Innovations' second route.

Since my end goal is to be able to burn CDs of the stories for all the family members (20+ families), I think the M-Audio MobilePre would be easier for me than the minidiscs.

While Innovations suggests a pair of Sennheiser 441s, others have suggested a condensor mic. Am I right in thinking that with a condensor mic I would be able to pick up both of them with one mic set between them while with the dymanic I would need to have one on a desk stand infront of each of them?

Looking online, a new Sennheiser 441 is all most my entire budget. What would you guys suggest for mics if I go for the M-Audio? (Remember, budget $150-300 after MobilePre and cables, stands, etc.)

Thanks again,

Douglas
 
Not many people take it seriously until they hear the sound, but this is based on the remote system I use.-

Korg PXR4 Pandora-$300
128 MB Smart Media card-$35-50
AKG D770 dynamic (most people here would use Shure SM58)-
$100 This is good for close mic'ing.
Stedman pop filter- $40
On Stage mini-boom stand- $30
1 good mic cable, say, 15'- $25

If you don't want a mic "in their face", use a Studio Projects B-1 ($80) with a phantom power adaptor ($50 or so), and back it off a bit.

The Pandora will produce better sound than any cassette anywhere near it's price range. The little thing continues to amaze me. The Pandora only accepts external mics or pres by 1/8" miniplug, so a couple of adaptors are handy. I use the Pandora mostly with a DMP3 and a pair of AKG C2000B's, and it works very well for me.-Richie
 
There's also the recordable mp3 player route no-one has mentioned so far. The Nomad Jukebox 3 can record in mp3 or wav file formats on its's internal 20GB or 40Gb hard drive so you don't have to worry about running out recording time and the recorded stuff can be transfered easily and fast to computer using the USB or firewire connection for further editing.

Check out the specs here: http://www.nomadworld.com/products/Jukebox3/
 
Maybe not minidisk

Check carefully before you buy a minidisk. Not many allow youto copy your own recorded files onto a computer. The way I understand it, you can "play" your recordings into your soundboard, and make digital files that way. Sony and others have set it up this way to prevent piracy. But a few manufacturers aren't following the convention, and do allow you to copy files directly.

Part 2. Be careful about microcassettes. Tape needs dolby.

I am still an anaolog guy, but looking at digital. Check out portable digital recorders like musicians use. Some have built-in mics.
 
I know this is an audio recording bbs, but I’ll ask the blasphemous question: Why not record these oral history interviews on video?
 
Douglas256 said:
Thank you for your great advice. I think I'll go for Innovations' second route.

Since my end goal is to be able to burn CDs of the stories for all the family members (20+ families), I think the M-Audio MobilePre would be easier for me than the minidiscs.

While Innovations suggests a pair of Sennheiser 441s, others have suggested a condensor mic. Am I right in thinking that with a condensor mic I would be able to pick up both of them with one mic set between them while with the dymanic I would need to have one on a desk stand infront of each of them?

Looking online, a new Sennheiser 441 is all most my entire budget. What would you guys suggest for mics if I go for the M-Audio? (Remember, budget $150-300 after MobilePre and cables, stands, etc.)

Thanks again,

Douglas
Click to expand...
Although the minidisc is undeniably small you do have to go through a digital/analog/digital transfer to get the files onto your computer. However bear in mind we are just talking about storytelling rather than a demanding musical performance.

Remember that if the setup seems intrusive the ladies will likely get nervous and feel like they are being asked to perform, defeating your goal.

As to the microphones, I am very leary of recommenting a condenser. Condensers are very sensitive to room noises and handling noises. Every little shift in position or movement of a cup will be picked up. Put a condenser on a table stand and if somebody sets something on the table it will sound like an explosion.

What you describe about coverage has nothing to do with mic types and everything to do with mic patterns. An omnidirectional microphone will pick up everything in the room wherever its source. With one omni mike you will be able to pick up both of them and everything else. Cardoid mics are directional in nature but pick up a some sound from the side and little from the rear. If you want a stereo recording want two microphones or a specially constructed stereo mic that is, in effect, two microphones. There are sub-categories within cardoids called hypercardoid (narrow) and wide-cardoid. Another interesting choice might be a Figure 8 microphone, which picks up sound from front and back but much less from the side. The two of them sitting across from each other with the figure-8 mic in the middle would work (but a normal figure-8 mic creates a mono, not stereo signal)
 
Well, I ended up going for a condensor mic and it seems to work just great. It all ended up being a little more than I expected, but what the heck -- you only live once (or, something like that).

So, here is my set-up:

AT 3035 -> M-Audio MobilePre -> laptop USB port.

I'm checking levels and mic position through my HeadRoom Cosmic headphone amp and Etymotic ER-4S headphones (I know, my headphone amp and headphones cost more than twice my recording set-up, but so is life).

To my surprise, my grandmother and my other relatives I've recorded so far aren't affected one bit by the size of the mic and all my other equipment. So far, I've only been recording on my grandmothers porch which looks out on an amazing meadow without any hint of the conventional sounds of civilization. The only background noise I've picked up so far are the sounds of birds chirping (sort of adds to the recording, in my opinion).

As for the quality of the recording, there is a surprising lack of sibilance even when I listen to it on my big rig (HeadRoom Max going into my Senn. HD600 w/ Cardas replacement cables {all Stereophile Class A, I might add}). While it is of course in mono rather than stereo, I don't find that to be much of a downside.

Thanks for all the input, it has made me a very happy camper.

Yours,

Douglas
 
Glad to hear that it is going well. I am presuming that the reason that you are not getting sibillance is that the mic is a few feet away, which also allows you to pick up both of them with one mic.

I was wondering, were you using a windscreen (foam ball)? That would normally be required for any outdoor use of a LD condenser.
 
I'm lucky that the porch is quite shielded from the wind, otherwise I'd probably need some sort of added wind protection. (To see the view, see the attached picture).

Today I had a few more problems because I was trying to record some of the family telling stories at a party. I had hoped I would be able to record them outside on the deck (since it had worked for me before), but the sun was to much for the older ones.

Inside, I of course picked up all the sounds of the crowd in the background . . . but, in the case of stories, something is better than nothing. Sadly, I don't think there is anything in the audio world like Photoshop in the graphics world for removing a person while living the rest of the picture un-touched -- oh well, another programming project in the que.

I'm sure a more focused mic-pattern probably would have worked well, but as it was some of them refused to sit closer than 3-5 feet from the mic so I'm sure I would have picked up a lot of the background noise anyway (some people are more skittish than others).
 

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WOW, what a view!!!

By the way, say hello to the Coors Brewery for me! :D
 
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