Ipods again

[Katie]

I remember a discussion about Ipods and recording from a long time ago, but I can't find it. I'm probably going to get an ipod soon. I'm not getting it for recording primarily (I've been using garage band) but I would like to record with it as well (mostly when I'm outside or in the classroom but without my computer). I figure I'm just going to get a nano and italk, but I remember someone mentioning an ipod that could be hooked up to a mic. Does anyone know what ipod and what mic?
Thanks,
Katie

[dough-re-mi]

I looked into that a little before I got an ipod myself, and it wasn't clear to me how well (i.e. how high the fidelity) it worked for recording music. You definitely cannot simply just hook up a microphone to it.

I ended up getting a digital voice recorder to record, and an ipod to play my cd collection, but the voice recorder is not cutting it. I'd be interesting in hearing from someone who has used an ipod to record music live.

[bradeinhorn]

DO NOT. repeat. DO NOT get an Ipod for music recording. Mac restricts the bit rate impeding users from doing this. To my knowledge, they are the only mp3 player that restricts this

Apparently the 3rd generation ipods can be reformatted to with a linux operating system that allows you to freely record. maybe try getting one of these (you can probably do it cheaply these days), or just get a digital recorder or a competitor's mp3 player like the archos jukebox or others.

[mandofiddle]

I have the 4th generation iPod, and was able to get Linux installed on it. However the thing was SO buggy with Linux, that I had to restore my iPo to factory settings.

Would be nice if it could record, but it sadly tain't so.

[otterly2k]

I think it really depends what you're going to use it for. I have an iPod and iTalk and bring it with me to my weekly picking/fiddling session so that I can capture tunes I haven't heard before and take them home to learn them. I find the sound quality to be absolutely fine for this purpose.

I'm sure there are gadgets that record at a much higher quality... but since I already had an iPod and used it for other stuff, I found adding the iTalk as an accessory to be a perfectly workable option.

That said, if you don't have an iPod yet, you might want to consider some of the other mp3 players that do have integrated recorders and higher recording bitrates. My friends have iRiver and it seems to work very well.

[ootee1]

The 5th generation iPods allow for CD quality recording. It's only recently that some third party manufacturers have come out with mics though. If I didn't already have a 4th generation unit which I love by the way, I'd definitely spring for one of the 5th gen iPods. If you're thinking of getting one, you might want to consider getting an Apple refurb.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-M....rtified (http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=B719E37D&nclm=Certified)

I've had good success with the refurbs from Apple. You can save $100 on the price of a new one and they come with the same one year warranty. Check out this link for a good review of one of the new microphones - they seem pretty reasonable.

http://www.ilounge.com/index.p....or-ipod (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/ipod/review/xtrememac-micromemo-digital-recorder-for-ipod/)

[DryBones]

what's with all the generation talk? I just bought an iPod video 60 gig a couple months ago...what generation would that be?

[jaydee]

M-Audio makes a nice handheld recorder, I don't remember the model or cost. ITunes can convert a recording from that device (and many others) into ITunes format for Garageband manipulation if that is what you're after. M-Audio Website (http://www.m-audio.com)

Jeremy

[Hal Loflin]

Not trying to discourage any ipod buyers but I have been using an Olympus WS-300M digital voice recorder and it does an unbelievable job. It will record up to 9 hours of voice, music...whatever. The coolest function is that you can remove the battery case and it has a usb plug that the entire recorder plugs into your computer's usb port and you access it direct.

A couple of weeks ago we had a Matt Flinner workshop here in the Nashville area and with Matt's permission we recorded it. I then had my "computer literate" son retrieve it from the recorder and make it into an MP3 file. The quality is incredible and it is very easy.

They have stereo microphones on both sides that pick up everything in the room. The cost is around $80 on eBay and other sources. Olympus has other models that are less expensive but you loose the usb attachment function and the time you can record is lower.

[mandoJeremy]

Jason, yours is a 5th generation Ipod.

[250sc]

A friend has a stereo mic that pluggs into the port on the bottom of his ipod and it sounds amazing. I'll find out who makes it.

[Katie]

Thanks for the info. I know there are cheaper options out there, and if I was looking just at recording, I would go the minidisc route or something like that. However, my decision to stick with ipod is based on several facts. 1. I need an MP3player because duct tape will only keep my discman alive for so long. I teach kiddie music and need to carry everything with me. I use a small set of speakers and a discman right now, but an ipod would eliminate the need to carry all the CDs and the time it takes to find the right one. 2. I own a mac. There aren't a lot of MP3 players that work with mac. I get a lot of vague answers when I try to find out what other MP3 players will work, so I'd rather stick with ipod. 3. Money is an issue. If it were just for recording, then it would certainly be cheaper to get something else. However, buying a cheap ipod and a minidisc recorder and all the stuff that goes with it saves me no money.
I have to decide quickly if field recording is really important to me. If so, I think I will go with the refurbished G5 (I never thought I'd spend that much on what I consider a toy) and the mic. It looks like I can plug a better mic into that, so in the future I can upgrade my recording ability. The thing is it looks like I will be playing in front of an audience for the first time in a couple of weeks (some friends asked me to play with them when I'm home visiting, even though they've never heard me play). I'd like to get a recording so that people here can hear how it went. I will also be hearing music I composed performed for the first time. All of this is outdoor theater, so I can't really bring my computer, but I'd really love to have audio files of it all.
Thanks for all the help.
-Katie

[EdSherry]

The older IPods WILL record, but (as others have said) at a low bit rate (fidelity). #Like Otterly, I use mine with an ITalk mike. #I find it good enough quality to act as a musical "sketchpad" (e.g., I'll record a tune or a song at a session so that I can learn it later), but the fidelity is pretty low. #

Given what Katie says she wants (a recording of her playing a gig with others), I'd hesitate to use the iPods I'm familiar with. #I'd suggest borrowing a recording cassette deck and recording a cassette tape off the soundboard. #Old technology, but it still works fine for me.

I hadn't heard that the new generation iPods had a better recording sound quality; if so, that's good news. #My understanding is that Apple intentionally limited the bandwidth (fidelity) because of copyright concerns.

[Steven Stone]

[I hadn't heard that the new generation iPods had a better recording sound quality; if so, that's good news. My understanding is that Apple intentionally limited the bandwidth (fidelity) because of copyright concerns. ]

5th generation (i.e. iPod Video) have a provision for "high quality" recording at 44.1 in wave files.

Belkin makes a neat mike that attaches on the base of the iPod and also permits using an external mike.

the only drawback is there's no provision for manual gain control. Auto only. Still good enough quality for quick demo of a new song when the spirit moves you or for intervies.

[halfamind]

5th generation (i.e. iPod Video) have a provision for "high quality" recording at 44.1 in wave files.
That may be the thing that finally makes me upgrade my 1st generation ipod.

[Brad Weiss]

I own this iRiver (http://www.shentech.com/ifp999.html) mp3 player and flash recorder. #It has a 1 gig capacity so it holds a TON of tunes, and it records for many hours (18 or so??) one one charge. It's fully USB compatible, has an internal mic, it recharges through the USB cable when connected to your PC/Mac - is fully mac compatible, has an easy interface, etc. #It's not as cool looking as a nanopod, but for recording it's a snap.

[Katie]

Can you plug another mic into the iriver? It's definitely mac compatible? How about dound quality? The G5s sound really good. I listened to a sound sample with the mic. I'd rather spend less money, but not if I can't record outdoors.
-Katie

[Brad Weiss]

The iRiver is DEFINITELY mac-able; I have only macs, no PCs. You can plug in a good stereo mic, or any mic you like with a mini-jack. The sound is pretty excellent; I've recorded indoors and outdoors, music, voice, close up and at a distance. Very reliable, and simple.

[Katie]

####! they don't make those anymore. The ones on the iriver site don't look too promising. The only one with a voice recorder requires windows. Blarg!

[ootee1]

Brad - correct me if I'm wrong but the iRiver doesn't automatically sync with iTunes does it? It's treated like a removable drive so you have to do all your file transferring manually. And how does 32kbps voice recording measure up for audio recording. Standard mp3 files are usually defaulted to 128kbps and I know that's bare minimum as far as audio quality goes.

[Jefa432]

Is the Olympus WS-300M digital voice recorder really a good choice for lessons, jam sessions, etc. #It seems like it is but I am extremely computer dumb. #How easy is it to get what you recorded to a CD? How does it compare to the Edirol R-1 24-bit WAVE/MP3 Recorder http://www.edirol.net/products/en/R-1/index.html ?

[Martin Jonas]

I'm currently shopping for a hard disk MP3 player with decent music recording, too, and the one I've settled on (although I don't have it yet) is the iRiver H320 (20 GB) or H340 (40 GB). That one is no longer being made either, but it is still readily available as boxed new product. From what I can see it's considered to be technically far superior to the H10 which replaced it and, unlike the H10, it works just fine when mounted as a hard drive on a Mac. Built in mike, and standard DIN plugs for external mike and for line-in. No integration with iTunes, though.

Martin

[Paul F]

I just got an Edirol R-09, and its features are excellent. The built-in mics are adequate for informal purposes, but it allows the use of powered external mics. My only misgiving is that it is all plastic, and inspires no confidence. The battery/memory/USB port cover is tricky, and I fear may be fragile, which is an issue because the batteries cannot be charged in the unit, so the compartment hatch is likely to get lots of use. For the price, the case and switches might be more robust.

[kyblue]

Hal,

Thanks for the tip on the Olympus ws-300m.

I found one to borrow and tried it out last night with a lesson. In my opinion, it's absolutely perfect for that use.

I used it just as it comes out of the box. Here are the things I like about it:

1) it is as simple to operate as a cassette recorder (record/stop/play buttons.)
2) It has an external speaker, so you can play back your file immediately to make sure you have recorded what you think you have. This is a feature I missed with my iriver recordings.
3) No cord needed to sync up to PC. Part of the body slides off, you plug into your windows pc and BAM - external drive recognized and you can copy the file wherever you want it.
4) It takes one AAA battery. That seems to be about the sum total of the weight of the thing. This is close the size of my ipod Nano, a little deeper, but lighter in weight.

Will experiment eventually I'm sure with external mic and for other uses, but it's definitely worth the money to me just for recording lessons.

If I had somewhere to post a clip, I would.

Paula

[bones12]

Paul. I too have an Edirol R-09 and it is great for recording and easy transfer. as long as the file is not too big (more than the 680mb) that fit on a CD-R. The battery door indeed is cheap and designed poorly but the rest of the unit is very nice, even easy to use. Doug in Vermont

[Cedartop]

I also have recently purchased the Olympus 300. I find it to be very easy to use and makes for fairly good quality recordings. I use an external mic. Can't wait to take it to the Monroe mandolin workshop in Owensboro.

[Paul Hostetter]

####! they don't make those anymore. The ones on the iriver site don't look too promising. The only one with a voice recorder requires windows. Blarg!

Katie - I just bought an iRiver T-30, they're everywhere. Refurbs run around $35, Circuit City sells them for about $100. And so on. The company website is glossy and useless.

I'm trying to coax my Win2K machine to like it (as already mentioned, they work fine on XP and Mac) because I have my best audio editing program there. A bit of a learning curve yet, but I'm recording stuff fine for now, and I know it also works with Win2K. I know quite a few musicians who love these things, and greatly prefer them to iPods for recording. And!! It doubles as a watch fob!

[dough-re-mi]

What kind of external mic do you use for the Olympus?

[Hal Loflin]

I don't actually use an external mic at all. The M300 has stereo mics on each side and front/back (four in all). They do an excellent job. I would be interested in hearing from those who have used an external mic to see if the quality is any better. Although the built in mics are pretty awesome.

I went to see Chris Thile and "You Can't Grow a Band" band on Wednesday night and took the M300 and recorded some of it live from the 6th row and the recording was unbelievable. I then burnt it to a cd to play in my truck. The only down side is that it is so sensitive that it picks up voices around you but it still recorded fantatstic.

***DISCLAIMER***This recording is for personal use only and will not be duplicated for distribution.