Oh yeah, mic placement. Microphone placement is as crucial as quality of the mics used. My Oade Bros "Stealth" mMics were matched with my DAT deck for optimal performance. They are 2 separate cardioad mics shaped like ear plugs, but aren't meant to be used in the ear. I have a special baseball cap made of thin wool with 2 pockets inside for each of the mics, one above each ear angled at 30 degrees & 3" up. I'm 6'1" so I do have a relatively unobstructed view to each speaker stack, which helps in clearer high end response.
Sound Professionals have a sale on R-09's right now,
I had been wondering about the quality of mp3 recorders.
I've been using the R-09 since September now. Here's what I can tell you about it- Facts: * mine has software version 1.03 * MP3 format 64k, 96K, 128k, 160k, 192k, 224k, 320k * WAV format 16 bit, 24 bit, 44.1k, 48k. * analog line in, external mic line in, optical/analog out all 1/8" plug * mini USB & SD slots accesable with power on * power indicator on display, adjustable to rechargeable/alkaline battery life status. * AGC (auto gain control), mono/stereo mic, low cut, mic gain switches on back. * made in Japan * peak leavel indicator LED on front & record level on lcd display. * when plugged into a computer, the R-09 is recognized as an external hard drive. Positives: *WAV format, upto 24 bit, 48kHz. I use 44.1kHz 16 bit, same as cd format for easy transfers. *uses upto 2gig SD cards, 3h10min record time in 44.1k 16bit *uses 2 AA batteries, almost 5hrs operation time with Alkaline batteries. * size- fits perfectly in my cell phone belt clip holster. * it date & time stamps files, and lets you rename them. * built in stereo mics with relatively good respone. * really easy to change batteries/SD cards on the fly. * starts recording instantly when needed. * no moving parts. * power button has 3 second delay negatives: * backlit display's dimmest setting is too bright & can't be turned off while recording. * record button glows bright red while recording, not disableable. * digital controls for record level (I miss my D8's knob). * front buttons are easy to bump & will unintentonally stop recording. * no track marker function. * hold control switch is small and hard to see in the dark. * changing file names is one letter at a time, requires pulsing through 2 alphabets, characters and numbers. results: I have been using my Oade mics with the R-09 and have had relatively good results, but not to the level of my D8 deck. I have the deck set for the same format as the D-8's recordings too. I have had some poblems with the mics overloading the R-09's imput in louder situations even though the displayed level was within the threshold. This can be corrected with the use of a battery box for mic power. I tape so many shows that backing up my recordings is crucial. I have 3 2 gig cards, picked up for around $30 each. I back up all my shows onto my hard drive until I get around 4.37 gigs worth, then burn the unedited files to DVD-R's. I catalogue them in chronological order for ease of locating them. erasing the SD cards is easy, but if using a Mac for your DVD backups, you can only delete the SD card's files with the R-09, not the folder on the display of your computer. I'm guessing the R-09's are on sale now since SD cards are getting bigger than the recorder can handle. I paid $350 for mine. your mileage may vary. Gavin ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping