Did you ever get the Personal Recorder feature of your cellphone to work?
Interview your mum to see what kind of technical problems you’re going to get into — before you start writing checks. This simple recording process directly scales up to much larger jobs.
Koz
I totally understand,
I think i am going to go with two mics: Blue mics YETI PRO (for the interviews) and TASCAM DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder (for Ambient Sound).
Anything I should get as add-ons for these? Or to use with them?
I’m doing a memory dump. This may not make any difference to you.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/pix/ZoomFieldRecorder.jpg
Yeti notes:
— The microphones will always be for a sit-down interview. They’re not hand-holdable. The microphone in my illustration is for field recording and was purposely designed long so as to get close to the actor for clean, clear sound. ‘This American Life’ takes it another way by hand-holding a shotgun microphone, getting close through clever acoustics rather than physical design.
— Without going through the whole thread again, how were you going to record the microphones?
— The Yetis use power from the computer when you use them as USB microphones, but how are they powered when you use the XLR connection? You may have answered this already.
Notes on the Tascam.
— There is no good provision to record from an external microphone. Also see: Illustration. You will never be able to do this with your microphones. The Tascam instructions obliquely suggest you can get adapters to force a connection, but it’s clear they depend on you being in love with their built-in microphones. The other possibility is they use plug-in computer-style microphones instead of broadcast or pro. That brings us around to: You can’t plug yours in.
— I don’t see any provision to change the Tascam microphone patterns and I don’t see them discussing what the pattern is. How do you aim it? Which side is the most sensitive? I haven’t dug through the whole book, but the microphone portion isn’t clear about the design.
— Studio. Unless you plan to hang the Yetis, I would put a heavy towel or blanket on the table underneath the microphones. This helps with odd sounds from table reflections.
Ignore everything else in this picture but the blanket on the table. That’s there for a reason.
http://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/pix/JMASoundShoot.jpg
As we go.
Koz
I would buy the minimum needed to make a simple recording. It’s always a shock when people realize how badly behaved live sound recording can be.
Koz
Yeti notes:
— The microphones will always be for a sit-down interview. They’re not hand-holdable. The microphone in my illustration is for field recording and was purposely designed long so as to get close to the actor for clean, clear sound. ‘This American Life’ takes it another way by hand-holding a shotgun microphone, getting close through clever acoustics rather than physical design.
(That’s what I am going to do with them the interview)
— Without going through the whole thread again, how were you going to record the microphones? (USB To a MAC probably)
— The Yetis use power from the computer when you use them as USB microphones, but how are they powered when you use the XLR connection? You may have answered this already. (I don’t know not sure not sure how to answer it) I am only using them via USB.
Notes on the Tascam.
— There is no good provision to record from an external microphone. Also see: Illustration. You will never be able to do this with your microphones. The Tascam instructions obliquely suggest you can get adapters to force a connection, but it’s clear they depend on you being in love with their built-in microphones. The other possibility is they use plug-in computer-style microphones instead of broadcast or pro. That brings us around to: You can’t plug yours in.
(I am using the mic as is just record and plug into computer and use it via Audacity).
— I don’t see any provision to change the Tascam microphone patterns and I don’t see them discussing what the pattern is. How do you aim it? Which side is the most sensitive? I haven’t dug through the whole book, but the microphone portion isn’t clear about the design.
(What?)
— Studio. Unless you plan to hang the Yetis, I would put a heavy towel or blanket on the table underneath the microphones. This helps with odd sounds from table reflections. (Thanks never thought of it).
Now about Audacity as a program can I record two mics at the same time? Two yeti mics at the same time? How do I do that? I don’t it to be on the same track but two tracks that won’t over lap but I can record multiple people at the same time. Alloweding them to speak and answer at will but not having issues with multiple people…
I did an example of using two USB microphones with a Mavericks MacBook Pro. I have not seen these tools in earlier OS-X versions, so you do need OS-X 10.9.x. I ran through the audio test and then stopped. I didn’t try any variations or adjustments. They’re not simple vocal microphones, so don’t mistake this for high quality. The most valuable thing about them is they were USB, I had them and they more or less matched. Scroll down.
As in those notes, I did notice a frying mosquitoes whine in the background of the shoot. I have no idea where that’s coming from, but other people have noticed that noise behind their USB recordings.
I also don’t know why the two tracks are out of sync, but that can be fixed in post.
Alloweding them to speak and answer at will but not having issues with multiple people…
By “Multiple People” you mean two. Microphones take home-run connections to the computer and will not go through a USB hub.
To recap:
You are going to use the Tascam stand-alone recorder to record background or environment sound. Unless the instructions say anything else, it will try to record 360 degrees in all directions.
The two Yetis plug into your OS-X 10.9 Mac as USB. Set the Mac for Aggregate Recording in Go > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup so the Mac will accept both of them and Audacity will record them as Left and Right (the other reason more than two is awkward). That other posting has a picture of what my setup panel looked like.
Then you do the first interview as a test with your mum and see what happens. Do it in the back yard/garden like I did that test and use the Tascam to record the birds during the recording. Or traffic. Or planes. Or all three.
Koz
I did an example of using two USB microphones with a Mavericks MacBook Pro. I have not seen these tools in earlier OS-X versions, so you do need OS-X 10.9.x. I ran through the audio test and then stopped. I didn’t try any variations or adjustments. They’re not simple vocal microphones, so don’t mistake this for high quality. The most valuable thing about them is they were USB, I had them and they more or less matched. Scroll down.
viewtopic.php?f=47&t=78578
As in those notes, I did notice a frying mosquitoes whine in the background of the shoot. I have no idea where that’s coming from, but other people have noticed that noise behind their USB recordings. (Huh?, Thanks for topic to look at…)
I also don’t know why the two tracks are out of sync, but that can be fixed in post. (I have not done a trial yet, I ordering my equipment then going to do so…)
Alloweding them to speak and answer at will but not having issues with multiple people…(Great to hear it)
By “Multiple People” you mean two. Microphones take home-run connections to the computer and will not go through a USB hub.
(I mean - up to three or four people since I might be getting two mics and they are bi-directional thus I can record two-four people)
To recap:
You are going to use the Tascam stand-alone recorder to record background or environment sound. Unless the instructions say anything else, it will try to record 360 degrees in all directions. (As Far as it is know to me, it records 360, so I’ve been told)
The two Yetis plug into your OS-X 10.9 Mac as USB.( I am going to use one mic for most of the interviews, since it they cheap enough to get two I’m going to get two. As well, two if I am recording more then one person or I might use both to allowed it easier to record my questions and the answers from the interviewee)
Set the Mac for Aggregate Recording in Go > Utilities > Audio MIDI Setup so the Mac will accept both of them and Audacity will record them as Left and Right (the other reason more than two is awkward). That other posting has a picture of what my setup panel looked like. (How do I bring them together as one thing not just left and right but when played back to be one thing…hearing the sounds in both ears of the same thing)
Then you do the first interview as a test with your mum and see what happens. (Did I say I was going to do an interview with my mom, funny because I am going to use family members to try it out, family is cheap and easy - free labor LOL) Do it in the back yard/garden like I did that test and use the Tascam to record the birds during the recording. Or traffic. Or planes. Or all three. (That’s what I am going to do…)
(Thanks for all the help thus far…)
Aggregate Devices was apparently introduced in OS X 10.4. It was hidden in the “Audio” menu in Audio MIDI Setup:
Mac OS X Tiger: A Musician's Guide .
Gale