Self-contained, all-in-one, portable recording device

[evo]

Kids,

I see lots of rants and raves about the iRiver products. But it seems like all of them require an external mic or 12. Not what I need.

I want something about the size of an iPod that I can sit on a table and record a conversation. I want it to pick up the thunderstorm in the background, and any other ambiant noise.

Hey! I want what Dave Winer has! But I'm not looking for another PDA.

When I'm done recording, I simly want to dump it onto my Mac for editing. Firewire would be cool, USB is fine.

So who's got what? I dig the Edirol, but that's $500 smackers and comes with bells and whistles I do not need.

E.

[SFEley]

I see lots of rants and raves about the iRiver products. But it seems like all of them require an external mic or 12. Not what I need.
My understanding is that the iRiver does have a built-in microphone -- you just wouldn't want to use it for anything serious.


I want something about the size of an iPod that I can sit on a table and record a conversation. I want it to pick up the thunderstorm in the background, and any other ambiant noise.
So get the iRiver and the Giant Squid stereo microphone cable, coil that up, and stick both in your pocket. It'd still take up less space than an iPod, and when you put it on the table you can arrange the mics optimally.

The problem is that no all-in-one unit that small is going to have good sound pickup -- at least, not for cheap. Decent microphones for what you want are small and not expensive.

[pullmyfingeragain]

Good question! I'd like something like this too. Anybody out there?

[Illinoise]

Yeah, I think the premise is wrong here that either an external mic is expensive or extraneous. Part of the reason I bought an external mic was to get the mic pickup away from the body of the recorder ... whether you're recording digital or analog, there is always something being picked up from the recorder (electrical interference, recorder noise). An external mic prevents this and allows for premium placement. And Evo, Giant Squid makes an omni-directional mic that would allow you to pick up ambient sound that's NOT the recorder.

I throw my hat in the iRiver + Giant Squid mic camp. For $125, you can have a great digital recorder and high-quality external mic. It's fried gold.

[Canis Lupus]

another possibilty for recording "around a table" or whatever, is a boundary mic. some are cheap, some are really expensive.
i guess it just depends on how you want to use it.
the iRiver built-in mic is actually surprisingly good, but it's still a built-in mic and definitely sounds tinny. plus you need to make sure everyone around it is equi-distant. Boundary mics really are designed for a function like that (say a conference around a table, etc), but can be pricey for good quality. maybe try the cheapy one from Radio Shack and if it's crap, bring it on back. :)

I haven't tried the Giant Squid omni, so maybe that's a good way to go.

As far as the iRiver as a whole though, I have to say it works pretty darn well.
We record line-in from a mixer at the highest rate possible (320Kbps @ 44.1Khz), then that file is converted from iRiver's compression to an .mp3 at the same quality, and through USB. Then I just bring it into iTunes and downsample it from there. It really does work well, and the portability/functionality combo for the price really is unmatched.

[shepdave]

I second the iRiver/Giant Squid setup.

I have an iRiver iFP 790, and just got (after a maddening wait) the Giant Squid powered omni stereo mic. I'm traveling to Europe with these next week, and I've tried this setup out. It sounds absolutely fantastic. The whole thing will take up a couple pockets and clip space on my T-shirt or baseball cap or something.

The iRiver is a really wonderful recorder. It looks like a cheap toy from Toys-R-Us, but it performs like a $5,000 mobile recording deck.

I too have not yet seen a built-in microphone that sounds great. Dave Winer's Archos doesn't sound all that wonderful to me, when I hear it. It's okay but not really good.

Dave

[Big Mike]

I'm probably just confirming my reservation in hell for mentioning this, but....Radio Shack used to make this surface-mounted room mic that did exactly what you're looking for. Analog.

I've seen it in various locations.

And I just admitted that. Hello Satan ----> :evil:

[Zany Aguirre]

I third the iRiver Giant Squid combo.

[Craig]

Or pair the iRiver with this:

http://www.reactivesounds.com/rp1.php

You may need to use it with the 800 series or with an adapter with the 700 series due to the narrow access to the line/mic-in jack on the 700s.

Other options:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-SPSM-1
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-MCE-494

Craig

[TINKOFF RADIO]

I'm curious to hear that nubby "Reporter's Mic"!
Does anyone have a sample or know of one posted?

Thanks,
Adam Tinkoff
TINKOFF RADIO

[roadrageradio]

I'm curious to hear that nubby "Reporter's Mic"!
Does anyone have a sample or know of one posted?

I have one of those mics, although I don't use it for my podcast. It's a mono mic, by the way.

I have it wired to replace the mic on a cheap, crappy headset for when I record audiobooks and I don't want to concentrate on mic technique. It does a decent job. The frequency response is flat 20 - 20K Hz -- amazing!!

I'll try to snag a sample or two from my archives over the weekend and post them (where?) on Monday.

[timn]

Craig,

Just FYI, I have both the Reactive Sound "Reporter Mic" you reference as well as the Squid Audio Omni. I have the iRiver 799

First, the Reporter Mic does fit into the 799. This mic is much better than the 799's built in mic. It would be satisfactory for "close in" work like an interview. I have also used it for stealth/room recording and while it might do in a pinch, it's not really all that good at picking up background sounds. Still, it's about half the price of the Squid mic and it is very convenient. If you absolutely need to avoid cables and you don't need to pick up ambient sounds, this is a good choice.

If no one has an immediately available sample, I'll do a quick one tonight and link to it.

That said however, I have to give the Squid Audio mic the blue ribbon. The sound quality is significantly better and it's great for background sounds. I tested mine outdoors and could easily hear the birds in the distance.

I am also currently testing the Carvin CM90E condenser mic -- but that mic is really beyond the scope of this thread.

Of course, what we'd all really like is the equivalent of these three components duct-taped together in a package the size of the iRiver and selling for $65

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SolutionDM/

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MicPreDual/

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/D1600mkII/

Oh well, gives the industry a goal to work towards...

[kickasspodcast]

The problem is that no all-in-one unit that small is going to have good sound pickup -- at least, not for cheap. Decent microphones for what you want are small and not expensive.
So totally true.

Dave's sound is great. I am a huge fan of him and his show. But in my experience you simply can't get the quality in an "all-in-one" that you can with seperate components. If you have a crappy builtin mic on your iriver- you can always clean it up later with a nice computer and software. I don't reccomend doing that to record. Its also very, VERY nice to be able to hear yourself talk as you record. This is another thing thats iffy about all-in-one's unless you want to have headphones, which it seems that you don't want and atachments. Those machines are incredibly capable but they are made to be compact, and thus some quality is inevitably sacrificed. Good luck though! Let us know what you decide on and how it works please.

This is all based on my own experiences- Hope it helps.


Jack

[timn]

OK, here's a short (3:17, 1.9mb) test done with the Reactive Sounds "Reporter Mic" plugged directly into iRiver 799

Enjoy the steaks...

http://www.podwatcher.com/ReporterMicTest.MP3

Note that this is the raw file from the iRiver. No filtering, etc. WYHIWYG. I would probably use Goldwave to boost the level and perform a bit of filtering if this were a real podcast...

[Will-Casel]

Thanks, timn.

Now I'm hungry.....

Will

[dcolanduno]

I want something about the size of an iPod that I can sit on a table and record a conversation. I want it to pick up the thunderstorm in the background, and any other ambiant noise.

So I can record interviews at Dragon Con...

[SFEley]

So I can record interviews at Dragon Con...
You mean, so we can put you in charge of the beercast, right? >8->

[dcolanduno]

Hey.

Eley, get us on that podcast panel you were talking about! ;)

[SFEley]

Eley, get us on that podcast panel you were talking about! ;)

Working on it. Those people who won the Serenity tickets? Both Dragon*Con directors. They told me who the appropriate people were to badger. Gears may soon be turning.

[Craig]

OK, here's a short (3:17, 1.9mb) test done with the Reactive Sounds "Reporter Mic" plugged directly into iRiver 799
Nice...for $25 I thought that sounded pretty good.

Craig

[pullmyfingeragain]

Everybody's been talking about it, so what is a Giant Squid? And I'm not talking about some kind of Octopus :D

[roadrageradio]

so what is a Giant Squid?

Giant Squid is a guy who makes microphones.

Apparently, they're pretty good, but you have to be patient if you order from him, because it can sometimes take a long time -- months -- for him to deliver.

[timn]

Specifically, this is the URL for Giant Squid Audio Lab:

http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/

The business is owned and operated by Darren Nemeth.

In his FAQ (http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/gs/gs-faq.htm) he does say this:

If you have a rush order or a deadline please email me before ordering.

[shepdave]

I am in Salzburg, Austria, with my Giant Squid powered binaural setup and an iRiver 790.

I've recorded several interviews (including a "podcast celebrity interview" with Annik Rubens of Schlaflos in München) and a lot of great street sound and live music in Vienna and Salzburg.

I've got to say, the Giant Squid mic is great. It's taking a physical beating, but is holding up very well. I have either clipped it to the sides of my baseball cap or else to the collar of my shirt. Stereo panorama is excellent, as is sound quality. When I play back right after recording something, I cannot tell whether I am hearing recording or the live sounds of the people around me.

It does take awhile to get the mic. I believe Darren's website is a bit misleading in this regard. One place in there he says something about shipping the same day, or within three days. It took him about two weeks to ship mine. I think you should expect it not to come back quickly.

But I think you'll be happy with it once you get it. The sound quality is fantastic.

Dave