The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    I apologize, in advanced if this thread is a repeat. I searched the forum high and low and could not find anything substantial on portable recorders.

    I have noticed a lot of talk about direct in amp simulating software. In fact, I think Barry Greene uses that setup--along with audacity--for all of his video lessons.

    However, I don't want to fiddle with my computer. I want to find portable recorder that is small enough to fit in my gig bag, but has the fidelity to capture my amplified and acoustic tone as it truly is--since I am constantly working on cleaning up my tone.

    I want to record jam sessions and practice sessions--a portable recorder would be my best option.

    I've heard of Tascams and Zooms. What are the benefits of each.

    Anyone heard of this Yamaha:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CCOGLEQ/?tag=1010128-20

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  3. #2

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    I have that Yamaha.

    It works great. The recordings sound terrific. Easy to use. It takes an SD card. It does not have an operating system that makes the internal memory and SD card look the same. You have to pick one. I got a big enough SD card that I never have to think about switching to the internal memory. I use a USB cable to transfer to my laptop and it works fine.

    I don't know how to find them, but every mp3 I ever uploaded to this forum was made with the Yamaha.

  4. #3

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    I have Olympus, and it does great. I bought it for much money years ago. Problem is, my phone now records just as great. It seems like you dont need a dedicated device anymore, these days your phone or ipad will capable to make a quick recording jus fine.

  5. #4
    Hep, you forgot?

    I never had an iPhone.

    I'm a dinosaur

    Here's a youtube video I found comparing the Olympus to the Yamaha to the Zoom:


  6. #5
    How about this Olympus:

    https://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Linea...ct_top?ie=UTF8

    I used to bring my laptop to record lessons (when my work gave me a MacBook Air)

    So--no one uses a Tascam?

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Irez87
    Hep, you forgot?

    I never had an iPhone.

    I'm a dinosaur

    Here's a youtube video I found comparing the Olympus to the Yamaha to the Zoom:

    That's the one I have.

    I don't have iPhone either. Mine is very modest Samsung, and yet it does the job great. The advantage is I can record and share in a sec, upload on youtube, google drive, dropbox, take videos etc etc. I mean, I don't even have to tell it's obvious... But if it's a principle not to have a modern phone, then yes, Olympus is a solid choice.

  8. #7
    It's less a principal and more of a way to separate myself from technology--and surfing youtube--all time of the day

    I don't see that Olympus on Amazon anymore. MAN, I miss J&R in Manhattan!

    I think I'll check B&H

  9. #8

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    Does anybody remember the Iriver mp3 player that had a record setting?

    It was about the size of your thumb. I used to use it with little Sony external mic.
    Got about 20 hours on a AAA. Sounded great, although the newer ones seem to record more bass.

    They never marketed it to musicians as a recorder. Rather they marketed as an mp3 player, which, of course, it was.

    I had three or four of them. They all died the same way. The main button was attached the pc board and that connection would fail.

  10. #9

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    That was a great comparison video, thanks. The Yamaha definitely picks up a lot more high frequency sound, maybe too much. The Zoom and the Olympus sounded virtually the same. I think I'd go with the Zoom, since they're pervasive and easy to find.

  11. #10

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    I had a Zoom H2. Stopped working after a year or two.

    The Yamaha has been going strong for much longer.

  12. #11

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    My Zoom H2 is still going strong after many years and much use. The case and switches do seem cheap and fragile, but I’ve been careful with it. It’s discontinued. I’d consider another Zoom if it failed.

    I use it for recording rehearsals, jams, or solo practice sessions. I use a 4 GB SD card, and often just leave it running for an entire session, just turning it off during breaks. Once I get home I’ll put the SD card in a Windows PC, import each wav file to Audacity (freeware), and use that program to create one normalized audio file per tune.
    Last edited by KirkP; 05-18-2019 at 07:55 PM.

  13. #12

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    I do a bit of wildlife and field recording and the one I got was the Tascam DR100 mk 3 .
    It has super quiet , good quality mic preamps , easily the best until you start getting into pro-gear like Nagra or Sound Devices .
    Good built in condenser mics , phantom power , lots of useful features , I would recommend it highly .

    The Sony one is supposed to be good , lots of pros use it but it's more expensive .

    The alternative is to use a Lavalier mic plugged into your phone , Sennheiser do good ones , also I think there's a Rode specifically designed for iPhones .

    This page might help you

    Field Recording Gear Buyer’s Guide | Creative Field Recording

  14. #13

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    there are definitely differences..some are made for basic voice/classroom recording..others for more intricate field/hi fidelity sound recording...sony makes very well regarded ones (the pcm-d series)..used by many field recordists for many years...

    and i think tascam would be the next best after those...

    check out the sonys..even the A series


    Portable Digital Recorders

    miss j&r too!..i still use stuff i got from there

    cheers

  15. #14

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    zoom, yamaha, tascam, all good brands used by plenty of satisfied folks. Even the cheapest models provide high quality audio with fairly simple controls.

  16. #15

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    i have an olympus LS-10. Works great but battery life is always an issue and it completely loses all settings when the battery dies so I continually have to reset the time/date/memory card choice, recording preferences, etc. VERY ANNOYING.

    I have a galaxy S8 but the recordings are not nearly as good.

  17. #16
    jzucker, is the LS-10 good for recording quiet practice sessions (acoustic) as well as group performances with the same clarity (fidelity?)

    I heard that the external mics on most of these portables aren't great, and that some are incredibly noisy.

    I'm still peeved that I couldn't get a good recorded sound with my Blue Snowball... live and learn.

    Like I said, I want as clear as what everyone else is hearing when I play--that type of quality or close--so I can properly critique my tone production and everything else.

    This thread has been helpful, but it seems like a try before you buy deal (and that sounds expensive)

  18. #17

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    I use the zoom H1n and for my purposes, recording a rehearsal or gig for band use, it is great. Picks up sound just fine. Good battery life with remaining time indicator. Various recording settings including wav. I use mp3 at 256 for gigs/rehearsals and hours of recording time on the storage card. I've attached a recent gig recording with it, not great placement for the whole band but everything comes through fine for our post-gig review.
    Attached Files Attached Files

  19. #18

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    I've had a Zoom H4N for 5 years or so. Sounds good and it's never given me any problems. I've never felt the need for anything else, so I can't really compare it to others.

  20. #19

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    I have a Tascam DR-22WL, and it seems ok. I really don't use it much, but it records with decent fidelity. I like the fact that it can be controlled by a smartphone app, which is useful for having the recorder stationed in the best location for recording, but still having full control from a distance.

  21. #20

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    Yes it does. The mics are pretty good. Not as good as a pair of standalong dynamic mics but better than any phone mics you will find. It can also take a stereo mic input

    Quote Originally Posted by Irez87
    jzucker, is the LS-10 good for recording quiet practice sessions (acoustic) as well as group performances with the same clarity (fidelity?)

    I heard that the external mics on most of these portables aren't great, and that some are incredibly noisy.

    I'm still peeved that I couldn't get a good recorded sound with my Blue Snowball... live and learn.

    Like I said, I want as clear as what everyone else is hearing when I play--that type of quality or close--so I can properly critique my tone production and everything else.

    This thread has been helpful, but it seems like a try before you buy deal (and that sounds expensive)

  22. #21
    Maybe it's something as asinine as mic placement in the room. My favorite recording of myself (I'm talking about my tone--I'm not stroking my ego here, trust me) was done with a bandmate's iPhone...

    Sax and trumpet usually hog the dynamic space--and that makes recording guitar a lot harder.

    I think I'll look into the Olympus and Zoom some more--I just wish there was a way for me to test them out--I don't want to waste my time like I did with the Blue Snowball (even with changing my sound properties to DVD quality--my recordings sound like they are under water...maybe it's my sound card?)

  23. #22

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    After analyzing the offerings, I ended up buying a Tascam DR-44WL. Built quality seems better than Zoom, plus lots of great features

    1) low power consumption: I experienced up to 6 hour recording with high quality Eneloop Panasonic rechareable batteries
    2) easy navigation in the menu system
    3) quality recording in various formats
    4) ability to record 4 tracks, builtin mikes plus 2 external ones, if needed for easier mixing
    5) remote control with a smartphone

  24. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Irez87
    Maybe it's something as asinine as mic placement in the room. My favorite recording of myself (I'm talking about my tone--I'm not stroking my ego here, trust me) was done with a bandmate's iPhone...

    Sax and trumpet usually hog the dynamic space--and that makes recording guitar a lot harder.

    I think I'll look into the Olympus and Zoom some more--I just wish there was a way for me to test them out--I don't want to waste my time like I did with the Blue Snowball (even with changing my sound properties to DVD quality--my recordings sound like they are under water...maybe it's my sound card?)
    Did you see my reply about this in the other thread? It’s worth checking the sound properties and turning off any ‘noise reduction’ type options, if they are on. This solved a similar issue on my son’s laptop.

  25. #24
    I tried that graham. I found that fix on Google.

    Alas--very little difference.

    It's frustrating to not have an objective source that truly captures your sound... especially when you are trying to change your sound.

    I don't know how accurate my ears are in gauging my own sound--I heard that one's inner ear adds more bass to sound, something to do with the reverberations in the skull?

    I also find that when I think I played like shite--I wasn't too bad.

    And when I felt like I was playing on fire--I listen back and it doesn't sound good.

    I need to record daily to get a better sense of it all.

  26. #25

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    I think to try and advise any further we would need to know your exact signal chain and devices from mic to computer to recording software.