Please help with your suggestions

[Ricoinats]

Hi folks,

I just erased three paragraphs of questions because I didn't think anyone wanted to read that much. Instead let me ask this simple question. Any help would be so great.

I have to sit down with two other people in a seated interview (many times over) and I need to record a 30-45 min seated interview. I would like it to be completely digital from the recorder to the mixer (if needed) to the computer (I'm all set with the computer although I don't have a good sound card with digital inputs and I think I would rather get an external one like Extigy). I don't have a laptop so as much as I would like to, I can't record directly to a computer. I just need to know what exactly do I need in terms of equipment, to make this happen. I've checked out Fostex MR8 digital track recorder, LZM mics, DAT recorders, Olympus hand held digital recorders, Audio interfaces to the computer like Extegy, lapel mics, pre-amps for the mics and I'm so f/n confused! Do I really need a mixer for three seperate mics or would a LZM on a table do the trick? I guess I don't understand if I use a LZM does that mean I edit on the computer as just one track? And if so, does that really matter for just voices? OK, I'm making this too long again. Please help before I go insane. You guys deserve a lot of credit as this is a very confusing line of business. Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[chessrock]

Do you mean a PZM microphone?

Yea, a PZM should work out fine if you've got everyone in a roundtable format -- so long as people don't start tapping their pencils/pens, rustling notebooks, pounding their fists, etc. on the table while someone's talking.

You're going to want to have a few backups just in case. I'd say the best method might be to stick a PZM on the table, but also stick a lavalier on everyone so that you can use that if you need it. It's good to have backup options because you never know what kind of stray noises one of the mics might start picking up . . . or if someone's going to cough really loud while someone else is talking, or whatever.