Dictaphones & Field Recording

So I was thinking about getting a dictaphone for sample recording. Want something small easy to carry around and handy to import samples on to my PC.

Anyone had any experience with using them for field recordings? Quality isn't a massive issue for me but I'd like something ok. I presume a 100 quid dictaphone would be higher res than my phone.

Have people had any more fruitful methods of sample collection?

I'll be mostly interested in impact sounds for drums and such but occasionally longer audio too.

If 100 quid is your absolute limit for your budget go for a second hand Zoom H2. Perfick

  On 3/25/2015 at 11:15 PM, mcbpete said:

If 100 quid is your absolute limit for your budget go for a second hand Zoom H2. Perfick

Great suggestion, looks fantastic, all positive reviews.

100 quid sterling might be a bit more than I wanted because I'll get murdered on the Euro but I might just bite the bullet.

Got myself a Tascam DR-05 for a 100 quid and it does the job.

I think buying high end stuff is a waste of money for this, unless you want really really pure recordings of isolated sounds or something like Amon Tobin. If you're okay with "unwanted" texture, a dictaphone is pretty much perfect.

I'm probably actually looking to keep the texture.

I was considering getting an old dictaphone with the tapes, but the hassle of importing them would be a nightmare.

Lots of texture with the tape based ones, mainly because if you use the built in mic it's recording the sound of the mechanism too.

I'm actually pretty happy with the field recordings I make with my iphone tbh.

You can get stereo mic attachments for iPhones too.

Zoom H2 has worked for me as well.

H2 is as good as you'll get in that price range and, unless you want to do professional sound design / foley or are working in the area of entirely field recording-based music, you're not going to need much better. One of my favourite pieces of kit. Get one of these for it and you're sorted.

^Now I wanna get a H2 just so I can get one of them lol

I have a Tascam DR 05 and it's my most used piece of gear besides the computer. Awesome little thing that picks up everything in the area. It is kind of a pain to use when i'm trying to get an isolated sound because it really does pick up everything that is audible. A little noisy at high gain, just like anything else. Very durable, my friend has beat the shit out of his for more than a year and it's still recording like a champ. IDK much about the zoom h2 but the tascam is a bit cheaper

Also in the market for a recorder.

Anyone had any experience with the Roland R-05?

http://www.roland.co.uk/products/r-05/

Cheers

Zoom all the way.

Fuck it. Just grabbed a refurbed Zoom H2n off ebay for £80.

Enjoy. I'm a fancy H4N man myself. I'm actually trying to get a little tripod thing for it.

I basically spent the money I saved by getting a refurb on this (inc. tripod)...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zoom-APH2n-Accessory-Pack-For-H2n-Digital-Recorder-/400895562625

I've got an H1 and I'm pretty happy with it although if I hold it in my hand I can often hear the rattling of the plastic chassis. I can only imagine that the H2 is an upgrade to that.

I'm also pretty happy with recording from my phone mic, so take that into consideration.

  On 4/4/2015 at 1:35 AM, purlieu said:

Get one of these for it and you're sorted.

 

I have an Olympus DS2500, cost me $80, first such device I've really used properly. It's designed as a dictaphone but it's served me well enough recording sound indoors and in the field. Used it to make myself a whole library of kicks and snares using cupboard door slams etc

I'm happy with £80 Zoom H2n purchase. Haven't been out in the field but have played around with it and seems ideal for my needs. Wavelab SE included, which was a bonus.

anyone here knows if the Zoom H1 can automatically name it's file with date/time in em?

For what it's worth, an engineer bandmate of mine a few years ago compared all of the portable recorders he could find in the $150-$200 USD price range and ended up liking the sound of the built in mics on the Radio Shack model best. I forget the specific version he had, but it was the 2011 or 2012, 16/44.1-only version of this. The ban we were in recorded all of our shows on this and the bass player's comparable Zoom and I never noticed a big difference one way or the other but if nothing else the Radio Shack brand is kind of a built in theft deterrent, right?

EDIT:

Poking around a little more, it was definitely an Olympus LS-11 which have apparently gotten a bit of a reputation since then so he was probably on to something. The down side is now that they're discontinued the prices are rising and it probably doesn't make sense to get one when it's almost twice as expensive used as it was new a few years back.

  On 3/25/2015 at 11:04 PM, chassis said:

So I was thinking about getting a dictaphone for sample recording. Want something small easy to carry around and handy to import samples on to my PC.

 

[...]

 

I'll be mostly interested in impact sounds for drums and such but occasionally longer audio too.

I have pretty much the same question. Want to record mostly short, percussive sounds at close range, and transfer them onto my laptop with the minimum of fuss (I don't have an audio interface or any means of reading SD cards). Does anyone have any opinions on the relative merits of the Zoom H2n/H4n Pro/H5/Tascam Dr-40/Olympus LS-14/LS-P2? Or am I barking up the wrong tree entirely in looking at portable recorders?

Very happy with the Zoom H1 !

Take a look at the new Olympus LS-P2. It's the smallest recorder in the professional quality range.