I often record rehearsals so that I can practice along to the rest of the band at home. It's the easiest way for me to 'remember' what arrangements we've done as a band and how the songs are different to the original recordings.
I started doing this over 20 years ago with a personal Sony Minidisc recorder and Sony stereo condenser mic. I then started to use a Boss Micro BR which had a single mic and after that, the Boss Micro BR-80 which has a built in stereo mic which is what I'm using now. I also use it when on holiday along with a folding travel guitar to practice with headphones and write songs using the built in 8 track recorder. I'm aware that this can all be done on a mobile phone now, but sometimes, using a device that doesn't have internet access is more conducive to creativity!
Anyway, the BR-80 was released 13 years ago so is getting a bit long in the tooth. There are things I don't like about it. Primarily, it's the length of time it takes to power on. It may be due to the size of memory card I have in it (32Gb) but it takes a couple of minutes or so to start up and be ready to record. It's not long in the grand scheme of things, but frustrating nevertheless when I want to quickly start recording.
Other aspects I don't like:
- The battery life is ok, but could be better. I think the screen stays on for the entirety of recording which is a drain.
- It's a rectangular slab, so not easy to place somewhere convenient apart from on top of a flat surface. It would be nice to be able to mount a recorder on a mic stand.
- Record level. I usually keep this quite low to avoid distortion (25/100) but sometimes, it does clip. I understand that 32 bit float devices available nowadays avoid this, but I must admit, I'm not sure how this works in practice.
Other things that could be better:
- File transfer. Trying to use the device to transfer the files via usb is far too slow (see startup time above) so I take the card out and plug it into a card reader. It would be great to have a quicker way to do this, or even to be able to transfer wirelessly (not sure if this exists).
- Limited recording formats/quality - I think the bitrate is 16 bit and 44.1kHz sample rate for WAV with no other options apart from mp3.
- Editing. You can't edit the file in the machine itself. I'm not sure I would regularly need to do this as I use Soundforge for editing, but if I had time to kill at the end of rehearsal and could quickly save individual songs, I probably would...which leads me onto
- Speaker. Not essential, but for quick playback and editing, a built in speaker would be nice.
Essentials I still need:
- Built in stereo microphones
- ability to plug in earphones
- battery powered
- small and portable, so able to easily fit into the pocket for a Mono M80 gig bag.
Is there anything that ticks the boxes above that any of you have used? If so, what do you recommend, or what should I stay away from?!
Comments
The folding guitar is a snap dragon something or other. I've not managed to find a similar one online, so not sure how long they made them or what the model is. I had an e-flite before this and sold it, but regretted it as it's so handy having something so small that will fit in a small suitcase or bag. It's particularly useful for practicing on holiday if I have a gig coming up, or writing if I'm staying somewhere inspirational! It's surprising how well I plays and how well it stays in tune when it's reverted to playing position from being folded. It only needs minor adjustments. I bought this one used locally for £125. It's in great condition apart from the hole someone drilled badly through it!
The new MV88+ uses a cable, so can be used with both lighting and USB C.
I use it with the Shure MOTIV Audio app, which let's you adjust the stereo width of the recording (it's basically a M/S microphone).
HTH
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
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