Mic that records to sd card advice please

[pete10uk]

The easi speak looks reasonable for the market it is aimed for and the price, however what I would worry about is the usb connection and the damage it could cause.

The mics usb looks too high and at a wired angle if the unit was sat on a table, to pop it straight into to a laptop usb, and if it were to go into a desktop the length of the unsupported mic would put pressure on mic's connection or the USB port. I presume the manufactures intention is for users to use it with a flexible usb extension but you can never find one when you need one and the temptation to just wedge it in (especially for kids) would be my concern.

[paulears]

Oddly, on a video forum I use somebody is looking for a handheld mic that records for weddings - they too plonk zooms, but often people don't realise what they are and knock them or even cover them up - these, on a short table stand could be quite useful. For media studies - they could also be handy for interviews, especially with a pair of headphones plugged in. I can't find any technically biased reviews. I also tried to find them from my usual Chinese suppliers, and I can't! I figured they'd be available, but can't find them - yet.

[pete10uk]

Oddly, on a video forum I use somebody is looking for a handheld mic that records for weddings - they too plonk zooms, but often people don't realise what they are and knock them or even cover them up - these, on a short table stand could be quite useful.

 

I have used the Zoom H4n for a couple of years now and honestly can't fault it. It has been out on hire to record AGM's in the middle of a table, record telephone option messages and voice overs, direct connection to a desk to record band sessions, media conferences on the front of lecterns, it's perfect for all uses.

 

If there are worries about looks, you can connect an external mic and get the look you require, usage is the simplest it can be, mines been out to all sorts of people and none has ever failed to record what they wanted to, yes if they mess with the settings they can cause issues but this is a life lesson people need to learn, we have all messes with settings we wished we'd not.

 

Back to the OP's question, pre his unacceptable outburst, (which did actually keep a number of us entertained in the pub on friday night, live as the action came in) the zooms fit his requirement perfectly, had he mentioned that he had zooms and they didn't fit the bill and he was looking for something that was shaped more like a traditional hand microphone but with a recording facility, then the responses would have been more relevant to him. But Zooms are microphones and record to SD media easily and reliably which was the question and this is why they have been spoken and recommended so highly in this thread.

[RayL]

It must be all of 10 years ago that I started trailing round the audio stands at relevant technical exhibitions asking if anyone made a mic with the physical shape of an SM58 and which recorded IN MONO on to an SD card. (Paulears may remember my threads on the DV Doctor forum)

 

My idea was to be able to quickly mic up a live show for a video recording without having trailing cables and all the rigging that that involves. Just put a mic wherever one is needed. At the end of the show, collect up the mics and slip out the SD cards. The mics are ready for the next job and the SD cards can be downloaded to computer for syncing and mixing. Effectively it would be the equivalent of a multitrack recorder that had exactly the right number of channels for each job, but without all the cable rigging, and with no power requirement.

 

Apart from the HHB (no good because of internal memory rather than SD card) there was nothing suitable. The little boxes like the Zoom were coming in but of course they were STEREO and they weren't the right shape for a mic clip. (Yes, I know some had a funny little 'mic adaptor' but that still didn't mean that they were the right shape overall )

 

A hidden disadvantage (and I did try some of the little boxes) was that the clock frequency wasn't quite right - OK for internal playback, but when placed on a timeline alongside camcorder sound, they lose sync after a few minutes and are unusable at 1 hour+. By contrast, my Sony cameras (some recording on tape and some on SD card) will maintain perfect sync over very long periods, so it can be done.

 

I sympathise with the guy who started this thread - there is a gap in the market.

 

As an aside, from about year 2000 I was trailing round the shows looking for a recorder that would record at least 8 tracks simultaniously and which had mic preamps on every input. There was the usual response - not "Aha, a business opportunity" but "Why would anyone want one of those? ". (Paulears may also remember my DV Doc threads on that topic).

 

Finally, in about 2004, Zoom brought out the MRS1608 and I became an 'early adopter' . Then other manufacturers woke up and other true 8-record, 16-playback, models appeared - so there WAS a market after all. Interestingly the MRS1608 (which records on hard disk) will maintain sync with video, but the more recent Zoom R16 (which records on SD card) will not.

Ray