The Process
....have an idea - original, from a newspaper, from a friend etc.... Make a shopping list of what you will need in your programme. Cast your interviewees. Record them and any accompanying sounds using a portable recorder. Load onto a computer and then using editing software cut out the boring bits.
Assemble into programme. Mix.
Good US Link to how to get started: thisamericanlife
....have an idea - original, from a newspaper, from a friend etc.... Make a shopping list of what you will need in your programme. Cast your interviewees. Record them and any accompanying sounds using a portable recorder. Load onto a computer and then using editing software cut out the boring bits.
Assemble into programme. Mix.
Good US Link to how to get started: thisamericanlife
Portable Recorders
My top machine for all around versatility and price:
The new Zoom H2N has very good surround capability and costs about £150. I have just tested the internal microphones which are noticeably better than the original Zoom H2. With a high quality Rode microphone plugged in it sounds fantastic. Good for recording atmospheres - jungles, seabirds on cliffs etc. I would be confident of making a broadcast quality programme with this machine. The internal mikes are not good enough for recording classical music or quiet birds. The M/S recording allows for much greater control of stereo picture in post-production. For manipulating m/s stereo brainworx make this handy free plug-in.
You can record in 4 tracks with an external stereo microphone and internal ones in sync.
Better quality but more expensive:
Olympus LS11 I am hearing great things about this bijou recorder. Better mikes than the Zoom H4N, very small. £180/250. Good for recording in repressive regimes as it is so small you can pretend it is a mobile phone. Liz Leonard recently used this in China with great results.
Zoom H4N - £300
Very good internal microphones and professional XLR inputs for using external microphones. You can record in 4 tracks with internal and external microphones. Pretty easy to use. Do not buy the older H4 model. It is the cheapest decent 4 track recorder (allbeit with it's own internal mikes).
Edirol R-09HR - £240
I haven't used this but it is said to be very easy to use. No XLR inputs but that might not matter if you are happy to use the in built mikes which are meant to be good. Check the site below for samples of recordings.
Budget Choice:
Zoom H1 £80
Microphones sound cheap and nasty.
Zoom H2 £120 avoid - much better to buy H2N now.
Very small and light. External microphones can be used but can sound really hissy.
Others:
Fostex FR - 2LE £500
Very easy to use, but no internal microphones and heavy. Experienced radio producers who used the old DAT machines like this.
Edirol R44 £640
A 4 track recorder ideal for tricky live situations - eg dramas and quiz shows, also classical music. A very good piece of professional kit. It has internal microphones but it's really for use with external ones. The next step up would be a Sound Devices 702 which are about £1800.
TO SUM UP
I would be totally happy recording a doc. using a Zoom H2N or H4N and mono mike AKG C1000. For a drama I would add the Rode NT4 stereo microphone,
http://www.wingfieldaudio.com -
is an excellent site where you can hear samples recorded on different machines.
My top machine for all around versatility and price:
The new Zoom H2N has very good surround capability and costs about £150. I have just tested the internal microphones which are noticeably better than the original Zoom H2. With a high quality Rode microphone plugged in it sounds fantastic. Good for recording atmospheres - jungles, seabirds on cliffs etc. I would be confident of making a broadcast quality programme with this machine. The internal mikes are not good enough for recording classical music or quiet birds. The M/S recording allows for much greater control of stereo picture in post-production. For manipulating m/s stereo brainworx make this handy free plug-in.
You can record in 4 tracks with an external stereo microphone and internal ones in sync.
Better quality but more expensive:
Olympus LS11 I am hearing great things about this bijou recorder. Better mikes than the Zoom H4N, very small. £180/250. Good for recording in repressive regimes as it is so small you can pretend it is a mobile phone. Liz Leonard recently used this in China with great results.
Zoom H4N - £300
Very good internal microphones and professional XLR inputs for using external microphones. You can record in 4 tracks with internal and external microphones. Pretty easy to use. Do not buy the older H4 model. It is the cheapest decent 4 track recorder (allbeit with it's own internal mikes).
Edirol R-09HR - £240
I haven't used this but it is said to be very easy to use. No XLR inputs but that might not matter if you are happy to use the in built mikes which are meant to be good. Check the site below for samples of recordings.
Budget Choice:
Zoom H1 £80
Microphones sound cheap and nasty.
Zoom H2 £120 avoid - much better to buy H2N now.
Very small and light. External microphones can be used but can sound really hissy.
Others:
Fostex FR - 2LE £500
Very easy to use, but no internal microphones and heavy. Experienced radio producers who used the old DAT machines like this.
Edirol R44 £640
A 4 track recorder ideal for tricky live situations - eg dramas and quiz shows, also classical music. A very good piece of professional kit. It has internal microphones but it's really for use with external ones. The next step up would be a Sound Devices 702 which are about £1800.
TO SUM UP
I would be totally happy recording a doc. using a Zoom H2N or H4N and mono mike AKG C1000. For a drama I would add the Rode NT4 stereo microphone,
http://www.wingfieldaudio.com -
is an excellent site where you can hear samples recorded on different machines.
Microphones
Mono - I use an AKG C1000S £90
which is tough, has low handling noise and can be used in hypercardioid 'spotlight' mode which means it only picks up sound directly in front of it. This is useful in noisy surroundings. It sounds a little bit 'toppy' which can be useful for getting voices to cut through. Heavy but always dependable.
An alternative that is highly recommended is the
Beyerdynamic MCE58 - £190
it probably sounds better, make sure you get this exact model with internal battery. Larger than the AKG and no hypercardioid setting.
Stereo - I use the Rode NT4 £300
which has really excellent transparent sound but has a lot of handling noise and is affected by wind. Really good for recording music or dramas indoors if it is on a stand or boom.
Sennheiser mke 44p - much less handling noise than the Rode. but....£600
For most situations I use the internal microphones on the Zoom H4N/H2N
Clip Mikes (or lavalier)
I use Sony ECM 44 - £150 I personally do not like the sound of clip mikes but can be useful for people who are frightened of microphones or difficult to reach people, ie officials behind huge desks.
DPA 4060 - £260 - meant to be much better
Mono - I use an AKG C1000S £90
which is tough, has low handling noise and can be used in hypercardioid 'spotlight' mode which means it only picks up sound directly in front of it. This is useful in noisy surroundings. It sounds a little bit 'toppy' which can be useful for getting voices to cut through. Heavy but always dependable.
An alternative that is highly recommended is the
Beyerdynamic MCE58 - £190
it probably sounds better, make sure you get this exact model with internal battery. Larger than the AKG and no hypercardioid setting.
Stereo - I use the Rode NT4 £300
which has really excellent transparent sound but has a lot of handling noise and is affected by wind. Really good for recording music or dramas indoors if it is on a stand or boom.
Sennheiser mke 44p - much less handling noise than the Rode. but....£600
For most situations I use the internal microphones on the Zoom H4N/H2N
Clip Mikes (or lavalier)
I use Sony ECM 44 - £150 I personally do not like the sound of clip mikes but can be useful for people who are frightened of microphones or difficult to reach people, ie officials behind huge desks.
DPA 4060 - £260 - meant to be much better
Headphones
Beyerdynamic DT250 £120 - comfortable blot out most external noise
Sennheiser HD 212 pro £40 - real bargain
Sennheiser HD 25 SP £125 - completely blot out external noise but uncomfortable for long sessions
Beyerdynamic DT250 £120 - comfortable blot out most external noise
Sennheiser HD 212 pro £40 - real bargain
Sennheiser HD 25 SP £125 - completely blot out external noise but uncomfortable for long sessions
Wind Shields
You will need these if you do any recording at all outdoors.
Rycote are the original - they are expensive but top notch. You can ring them and they are really helpful. They make smaller shields for specific mikes and machines - eg Rode Nt4 and Zoom H4n and 2 - but these smaller shields are not suitable for even moderate gusts.
Rode also make windshields which I haven't used but am sure are good.
Rick at WolfwindShields.co.uk is very reliable and helpful - and cheap! Does not completely block very heavy winds though.
You will need these if you do any recording at all outdoors.
Rycote are the original - they are expensive but top notch. You can ring them and they are really helpful. They make smaller shields for specific mikes and machines - eg Rode Nt4 and Zoom H4n and 2 - but these smaller shields are not suitable for even moderate gusts.
Rode also make windshields which I haven't used but am sure are good.
Rick at WolfwindShields.co.uk is very reliable and helpful - and cheap! Does not completely block very heavy winds though.
Editing Software
I use Pro Tools - but there are many other editing tools out there.
PRO TOOLS - PT 9 can run with any audio interface box. But it is expensive and you need an audio interface too.. In the short term I would consider buying the M-Box Mini 2 with Pro tools 8 LE bundled in at £175. This gives you the LE version of Pro Tools and one mike input with phantom power so you can record links directly into it in mono. The downside is PT 8 is likely to be made obsolete more quickly than PT9 when Apple updates it's own software. But you should get a few years out of it. PT 10 has just been launched. Pro tools Pref.s and Database Helper - if you are an experienced Pro tools user this is a handy free utility for trashing prefs etc.
Hindenberg is cheap and absolutely simple. Bit basic for myself. Would be good for schools and news.
Adobe Audition and Cubase are popular. Samplitude Sequioa and Nuendo are more expensive audio editors. Sadie is used by the BBC. Garageband comes with Apple for free or is very cheap. Audacity and Ardour are free.
With some of these you will need some kind of audio interface to plug into the computer. I use a digidesign interface which is expensive. I hear good things about E-mu
PLUG INS - for manipulating sound
My own favourites are:
Izotope Rx - noise reduction software - much better than the others as it produces fewer unwanted 'artefacts' or Dalek sounds when pushed hard. Also has spectral repair which is amazing and can nearly make car alarms and telephones disappear even when under music or speech. About £250
Altiverb - £450 a convolution reverb. Basically a echo machine that can also sample echoy spaces. I find it much more accurate than the older reverb software. I use it extensively in dramas. In my last production I used it in practically every scene. It comes with an incredible library of samples echos which is updated continually. Sir1 is another convolution reverb and is free (Windows only). Sir 2 can be used on Mac £125. No library. I haven't used Sir. Another one is LiquidSonics which I am sure is good and is very cheap £30.
Eiosis E2 deesser - for removing sssibalant essses from speech. Use with care. Can knock 20 years off elderly voices by removing false teeth noise. £150.
Useful site - again US TRANSOM
I use Pro Tools - but there are many other editing tools out there.
PRO TOOLS - PT 9 can run with any audio interface box. But it is expensive and you need an audio interface too.. In the short term I would consider buying the M-Box Mini 2 with Pro tools 8 LE bundled in at £175. This gives you the LE version of Pro Tools and one mike input with phantom power so you can record links directly into it in mono. The downside is PT 8 is likely to be made obsolete more quickly than PT9 when Apple updates it's own software. But you should get a few years out of it. PT 10 has just been launched. Pro tools Pref.s and Database Helper - if you are an experienced Pro tools user this is a handy free utility for trashing prefs etc.
Hindenberg is cheap and absolutely simple. Bit basic for myself. Would be good for schools and news.
Adobe Audition and Cubase are popular. Samplitude Sequioa and Nuendo are more expensive audio editors. Sadie is used by the BBC. Garageband comes with Apple for free or is very cheap. Audacity and Ardour are free.
With some of these you will need some kind of audio interface to plug into the computer. I use a digidesign interface which is expensive. I hear good things about E-mu
PLUG INS - for manipulating sound
My own favourites are:
Izotope Rx - noise reduction software - much better than the others as it produces fewer unwanted 'artefacts' or Dalek sounds when pushed hard. Also has spectral repair which is amazing and can nearly make car alarms and telephones disappear even when under music or speech. About £250
Altiverb - £450 a convolution reverb. Basically a echo machine that can also sample echoy spaces. I find it much more accurate than the older reverb software. I use it extensively in dramas. In my last production I used it in practically every scene. It comes with an incredible library of samples echos which is updated continually. Sir1 is another convolution reverb and is free (Windows only). Sir 2 can be used on Mac £125. No library. I haven't used Sir. Another one is LiquidSonics which I am sure is good and is very cheap £30.
Eiosis E2 deesser - for removing sssibalant essses from speech. Use with care. Can knock 20 years off elderly voices by removing false teeth noise. £150.
Useful site - again US TRANSOM
Other Useful software for those who use Apple Mac.s
Renamer: the Zooms rather annoyingly name tracks STE-01...02 etc. This free programme make renaming them a breeze. But only do so once you have transferred them to your computer...do not rename them with this on the Zoom. Free.
Time machine: Back up software that comes with newish Apples. Easy to use and essential to do. free
File Synchronization: really good way of making sure you have backed up files without unnecessary duplicates. cheap
Carbon Cloner: with this you can clone your hard drive onto a portable drive. Then if your computer is stolen/broken/off for repairs you can get up and running instantly by cloning onto another computer or even running it off the hard drive. Free
yousendit: probably the easiest way of e-mailing medium sized files - Free for up to 100mb files
Drop box: much more space for free 2gb - great way to synchronise folders across your different macs - eg desktop and laptop. Also you can use the public box to get big files to other people.
File Salvage: great software and human support in last resort in lost everything panics.
bx_Solo For manipulating m/s stereo brainworx make this handy free plug-in.
Renamer: the Zooms rather annoyingly name tracks STE-01...02 etc. This free programme make renaming them a breeze. But only do so once you have transferred them to your computer...do not rename them with this on the Zoom. Free.
Time machine: Back up software that comes with newish Apples. Easy to use and essential to do. free
File Synchronization: really good way of making sure you have backed up files without unnecessary duplicates. cheap
Carbon Cloner: with this you can clone your hard drive onto a portable drive. Then if your computer is stolen/broken/off for repairs you can get up and running instantly by cloning onto another computer or even running it off the hard drive. Free
yousendit: probably the easiest way of e-mailing medium sized files - Free for up to 100mb files
Drop box: much more space for free 2gb - great way to synchronise folders across your different macs - eg desktop and laptop. Also you can use the public box to get big files to other people.
File Salvage: great software and human support in last resort in lost everything panics.
bx_Solo For manipulating m/s stereo brainworx make this handy free plug-in.
External Hard Drives
You do need to back up your audio somewhere else. I have had bad luck with La Cie drives. My second Rugged Drive has just packed up. If a firewire drive fails to mount and there seems to be no way of getting the data off it, and it is beyond its warranty, you may want to dismantle the enclosure and take out the internal drive and see if you can attach it to a new usb enclosure (they are cheap). You may need someone with technical know how to do this. This is how I got data of a La Cie drive that smelt of a burnt TV set. Otherwise the cost of recovery can be very high.
You do need to back up your audio somewhere else. I have had bad luck with La Cie drives. My second Rugged Drive has just packed up. If a firewire drive fails to mount and there seems to be no way of getting the data off it, and it is beyond its warranty, you may want to dismantle the enclosure and take out the internal drive and see if you can attach it to a new usb enclosure (they are cheap). You may need someone with technical know how to do this. This is how I got data of a La Cie drive that smelt of a burnt TV set. Otherwise the cost of recovery can be very high.
Batteries
Energiser Lithium are the best.
If you go green and use rechargeable remember they do not last nearly as long and you should have a good battery tester on hand.
Duracell rechargeables give you 4-4.5 hours on a Zoom - (ta Clare)
Energiser Lithium are the best.
If you go green and use rechargeable remember they do not last nearly as long and you should have a good battery tester on hand.
Duracell rechargeables give you 4-4.5 hours on a Zoom - (ta Clare)
Thanks to Jon Calver for help in compiling this page.