HFU HF Underground
Technical Topics => Equipment => Topic started by: jimbooregon on October 28, 2019, 0716 UTC
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Hi all,
I started looking at recorders for my DX R8E setup and became quickly bewildered. I haven't bought a (tape) recorder in 40 years, so...
I don't use my radio in conjunction with the PC, so I want something to patch into the radio and later download to the PC to share my catches. Are the hand held voice recorders the way to go? What features to look for? Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated. I've Googled the questions but only come up with PC based solutions.
Thanks in advance.
cheers
Jim
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I've used a Zoom H2 for years. Great device. Probably newer models available now.
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The Tascam DR-05 might work for you. Its about $100, makes decent ambient recording as well.
+-RH
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Yeah, I'd go with the Zoom H2 as well. When a starting up LPFM station asked if I could do a metal show for them in 2015, I mostly did it old school, with CD DJ decks, MinDisc decks, prerecorded downloads, etc. The 21st Century thing that I used the computer for was Zara Radio automation software for my jingles and back ground music. Anyway, I fed all that through a mixer and the output of that went to the LINE IN of my Zoom H2, where I used the STUDIO LIMIT function. I used 128kbps MP3, where 1hr = 55MB file length. Then I'd USB transferred to a Linux base computer to do any post edits with Audacity. Then, when I like the final product and timings, uploaded to an FTP free site. (Which I'm having trouble finding today.) 5 years ago FTP sites were numerous, and anyone could hit a link in an e-mail, go to that FTP site, and download the show. When it comes to radio and program producing, I'm still old school in producing it, but the Zoom H2 let me marry the best of the old way of doing it, with a 21st Century tweak. Oh!!!! Here's a shortwave example for ya! When Art Bell did his very 1st Midnight In The Desert program, WBCQ aired it on 7490kHz AM, back in July 2015. What I did was set up a Kenwood TS-2000X to USB mode, (To reduce fading and phasing.), and used the radio's headphone output to the Zoom H2. I used 128kbps MP3 MONO mode, (Even though that's overkill with MAX audio going to 5kHz.). What I've later edited out was the drop outs between Art Bell to Keith Roland, and, or, between Keith's Dark Matter Digital Network and the stream that WBCQ use as the feed. (No satellite then, yet.) The results??? A shortwave recording of that very 1st show with somewhat propagational background sounds, but very natural sounding music and voice qualities. I could have recorded that in 48kbps MP3, the Zoom H2's minimum, but.... Anyway, get the Zoom H2, learn all its perks and jerks, and you will not go wrong, but you will want to do test experiments to set it up to have the audio come out as you want to have it, various bit rates, MONO / STEREO, AGC / LIMIT / COMP / none at all, etc. But, once you do, you'll love it.
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You can find cheap tiny mp3 players on ebay that will also record, uses aa cells or internal rechargeable and has usb connectivity as well as line in and so on.
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Please folks, its 2019 and storage is cheap. Please do your production in linear pcm (wav). Life is too short for triple coded content.
+-RH
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Please folks, its 2019 and storage is cheap. Please do your production in linear pcm (wav). Life is too short for triple coded content.
+-RH
This is for storing catches though.
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Sorry, the comments were directed at dude's post.
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Well, I really didn't mean to ruffle feathers on the digital format wars, albeit I did go on a tangent on what I did with my Zoom H2. (My bad...) And yeah, I agree... Although convenient, MP3 certainly isn't the best sound thing out there. It is the format requested for program distribution, thus why I used it. Now, as far as what to use to record shortwave broadcasts? Anything goes for personal use, really. WMA I feel is overkill for shortwave, but if that's what you have, and the storage space for it, let it fly. I've used WMA for OFF-AIR FM recording for years, and still have those +15 years later. I also have drawers of cassettes from the 70's, 80's, and 90's, to dub over to a digital format when time allows. (But, don't we all?) Anyway, my point is, what I did was just one example. Thus, if there's better, easier, ways to suggest a digital OFF-AIR recording methods, let it fly.
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Point being, always start with clean source material. If you start with compressed media and then compress it again, your results won't sound very good, and you can hear the difference. Even on airchecks people send me I can tell if something came off low rate MP3 or YT. Distribution in MPEG is fine as long as the rate is high enough, over 160Kbps usually.
My aircheck directory spans over 15 years now, and most of that is PCM.
+-RH
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"...and you can hear the difference. Even on airchecks people send me I can tell if something came off low rate MP3 or YT. "
Did you know that YT usually has versions of different quality available and it sends the one it thinks matches the device you are using? You can view them with youtube-dl using the -F command and select the version with -f. It now automatilally selects the highest quality. I've never noticed a problem with the audio quality on YT.
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"...and you can hear the difference. Even on airchecks people send me I can tell if something came off low rate MP3 or YT. "
Did you know that YT usually has versions of different quality available and it sends the one it thinks matches the device you are using? You can view them with youtube-dl using the -F command and select the version with -f. It now automatilally selects the highest quality. I've never noticed a problem with the audio quality on YT.
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I've never heard anything off youtube that sounded that good, certainly not good enough for aggressive processing or re-coding. There is always 'shimmer in the highs' MPEG artifacts.
+-RH
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I find that a nice crooked smile eq setup takes care of a lot of mp3 shimmer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-loudness_contour
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"I've never heard anything off youtube that sounded that good, certainly not good enough for aggressive processing or re-coding. There is always 'shimmer in the highs' MPEG artifacts.
+-RH"
I had to do some listening and thinking about that. Turns out the type of music I listen to won't let shimmer come through or benefit from aggressive processing.
https://deepjams.net/
https://tunein.com/radio/Deep-Jams-Radio-s224806/
Here's the last songs they played:
Jimi Hendrix - Jelly 292
Hot Tuna - That's Alright Mama
Trigger Hippy - Dry County
Warren Haynes - Blue Radio
Oteil And The Peacemakers - Get Ready
Widespread Panic - Tail Dragger
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Everybody's Talkin'
Kenny Wayne Shepherd - I'm A King Bee
Sonny Landreth - Walkin' Blues
Jimmy Herring - Bilgewater Blues
~
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There are probably a few hundred "Niteloggers" sitting in a warehouse somewhere.