Tag: Singing

Portable Digital Voice Recorder Buyers Guide 2017

July 18, 2015 / / 0 Comments

A portable recording device is useful for on the go recordings of any kind. These are usually handheld devices that can be used to record music, cialis sounds of any kind, pilule conversations, buy and thoughts – just about anything. Of course professionals require it to tape interviews or to record their music. So what are the top three essential things which you should be looking out for when buying these digital recorders?

  1. Internal or external microphone: Do you want an internal microphone or an external one is more appealing to you? Take a closer look at your work field and find out which one your nature of job requires more. Some devices have both internal and external microphone while some have only one. Others have built in microphones so you don’t have to worry about carying additional gear.
  2. Memory: How much memory do you need? Do you use and store a lot in your device? Again, assess your requirement to come to a conclusion about it. Pay attention while buying though, because many come with microSD or SD card support, while others do not. It is always good to have some additional features. Not having a microSD or SD slot may be a disadvantage.
  3. Accessories: Do you need a tripod, a Pop Filter or windscreens for better recording? Make sure all your necessary accessories are present in your device before purchasing it. If you need only one accessory then pick any one that has it, but we suggest you always pick the ones which come in a wide range of accessories.

Top 3 voice recorders which have these features:

  • Etekcity Dictaphone/Pen: This device is on the lower budget end and has all the basic features including 8GB memory drive. If you want a simple voice recorder with just plug and play feature, then this is the best one. It costs only 16 USD.

 

 

  • Zoom H4: The Zoom H4 is our favourite portable recording devices in the 200 USD price range.  and comes with prominent features such as noise cancellation, windscreen, etc.

Presentation voice recording with the ZoomH4n and Sennheiser EW112P wireless microphone

December 22, 2014 / / 0 Comments

I have the great fortune in my job that I get to deliver presentations regularly to audiences of various sizes – from 10 people to 500 people or more.  For example, recently I had the pleasure of delivering a keynote of a track at an Education conference held in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands!  My usual routine as a speaker is to pop over to the audio desk and introduce myself to the audio tech – clip on the wireless transmitter that the venue has provided, and then try to weave my lapel microphone through my shirt and up to my second top button.  I love the freedom that a good wireless lav mic gives you as a presenter!  No longer tied to the stage or the lectern!

Up until recently I had never thought of recording my own presentations… every now and then the event organiser will record a video of the presentation – but usually they use the on board microphone and the audio quality is horrible.  Since getting my hands on the Zoom H4n recorder, getting a good quality recording of a presentation has been on my to do list.  At first I looked at wired lav microphones like the Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Microphone but the thought of walking around on stage with my ZoomH4n clipped to my belt didn’t really excite me!

The last couple of events I have spoken at where I have used a wireless microphone, they haven’t invested in an audio technician that could handle the “out of the ordinary” request to plug my ZoomH4n into their sound desk to get a recording (or they had a policy which meant I couldn’t do it)… so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

After reading how the team at VaynerMedia put together the #askgaryvee videos and podcasts – and in particular the wireless lav microphones they use to get a great voice recording… I purchased the Sennheiser EW 112P system (pictured above) – which comprises of a wireless transmitter to clip on my belt, a good quality lapel mic to clip on my shirt, and a wireless receiver to use with a mixing board, or in my case, plug directly into my ZoomH4n audio recorder This was a great solution to my problem – getting a good quality audio recording when presenting to an audience…  I simply:

  • plug the receiver into my ZoomH4n,
  • clip the transmitter to my belt
  • weave the lav mic up my shirt and clip it on
  • make sure everything is turned on
  • hit record on my ZoomH4n to test the levels
  • hit record again to start the recording

And the resulting sound quality is great. Don’t have a ZoomH4n and want to record your presentation??  I found this great deal over at Amazon.com which bundles a Zoom H4n recorder with the Sennheiser EW 112P wireless microphone system – make sure you check it out!

The next question though… should I buy another  Sennheiser EW 112P system so I can record good quality conversations for my podcasts, or record panel discussions?  It is certainly tempting after the performance of the wireless microphone so far!

Recording your kids singing with the Zoom H4n

September 6, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Today was a pretty lazy Saturday and my girls wanted to put on a “singing show”. Usually I just sit on the couch and watch (after one of them charges me a pretend admission) but today I thought I would step it up a bit and let them loose with the Zoom H4n and my microphones.

It was a lot of fun. After turning the ZoomH4n on and then plugging in the Behringer XM8500 microphone into plug number one (held by the little tiara wearing princess on the left hand side), and the Audio-Technica AT2005USB into plug number two (held by the street smart hoodie wearing princess on the right hand side) I checked the levels and then started recording. For this I had the recording level set at around 80

The biggest challenge with four year olds and microphones is ensuring that they have them close to their mouth as much as possible so you can capture their voice consistently. My two in particular decided they wanted to throw some dance moves in which impacted the volume of the recording as they moved the microphones away from their mouths… but to be honest that doesn’t really matter does it!

After our puppy got tangled up in the XLR cables we decided to try singing using the built in stereo microphones on the ZoomH4n. After packing all the microphones and cables away, I sat with one of my daughters on the couch to record her tunes. The first thing to remember is that when you switch from external microphones to the built in microphones on the Zoom, you need to press the “Mic” button (the small red button on the left hand side of the Zoom in picture). Otherwise you will not capture any audio at all!

In this scenario where I had a very enthusiastic four year old, with the microphones so close to her mouth I needed to reduce the recording level down to about 40. Otherwise it was just hitting the limits when she was starting to belt out a tune!