Recording Sound Clips with a Field Recorder

[Boots Deville]

I'm terrible about recording sound clips of my amps and I'd like to change that.

I have a Tascam DR-07 portable field recorder that I plan to experiment with to see if I can get some halfway descent clips with it.

Any of you guys have experience with this?   Can you offer any tips on recorder placement, amp placement, anything else...?

[PRR]

> I have a Tascam DR-07 portable field recorder...

It is about the AIR. The room. Not the machine.

I want to come over with cash to maybe buy your amp. What room would you want to do this in? Where would you put the amp? Where would you put me?

OK, I can't come today, send me a clip. Put the mike in the same place.

Put it a little closer, because the live 2-ear human head can work a little further into the room than a fixed stereo mike. Head/ear motion and eye clues are lacking in a recording.

The other, too-popular, option is to jam the mike into the speaker. That gives best isolation from drum and bass. It sounds loud and nasty, but maybe that can be fixed in the mix. It has becomes THE way to record albums etc. But it takes a lot of board EQ and reverb to make it listenable, or flattering. It isn't "honest/normal", which may be what you want here.

Also that recorder will probably overload when shoved against the face of a Twin. Or even a hot Champ. Just like if you shoved the buyer's ear IN the speaker. Yes, I do that for amp diagnostics, but you have to "be there" to calibrate your ear to the difference between room-sound and too-close sound. It won't work for somone in another time and place (via recording).

The machine is fine if it can get normal record levels without turning-down the recorder too far. Read Chapter 8 in the manual. Use the HI/MED/LO switch (it may be a menu). Find the level setting that just blinks the red light, then back-off till the light hardly ever blinks. Engage the Limiter. (Do NOT use AUTO for any honest music.) That machine's MP3 function is fine for web-posting. For very compressed (fast download) or high-quality final product, record to WAV and then manipulate.

[Bassmanster]

Do what we all do:  experiment.  A good starting point might be a foot away:  go from there.   Also volume/clipping can be an issue depending on your device and whether you turn way up.  (Ah, I see PRR addressed that...well I don't have time to read through his posts  ).

Bigger room is probably better.

[Boots Deville]

Thanks for the info guys, and PRR, thanks for the tip on placement of the unit /wrt human ear positioning, and the gentle nudge to "RTFM"!    Great ideas!