Audio – Recording

Audio Recording Tools

Okay, so I don’t really want to just make slideshows with music in the background.  That’s a fun way to get the ball rolling, but the end result falls well shy of the goal I’ve set for myself.  I want to create the audio file itself, and have audio enhance the experience of the images I shoot.  This is where things get complicated.

I slogged through hours of research on the web, trying to find a basic, inexpensive kit to do audio recordings.  I’m not expecting to produce professional, NPR-quality audio.  But on the other hand I take pride in my work and want to invest in equipment that will serve me for an extended period of time, building in some room for growth.  I evaluated several digital recorders (from dictation recorders to lower-end dedicated press recorders).  I opted for a 4-track Zoom H4 recorder ($249 at B and H Photo/Video (www.bhphotovideo.com) because it had the key features I thought most important at a reasonable cost.  (A close runner-up was the Zoom H2, about $50 – $75 less expensive, but without the external mic inputs.  I already have a good external mic (Shure SM58), so I thought I would leverage that with a slight upgrade in the recorder.)  Key features from my perspective were:

  1. XLR input capability (for an external mic)
  2. Ability to record uncompressed audio (.wav and/or .aiff formatted files)
  3. Use readily-available, easily replaceable batteries
  4. Reasonable cost
  5. Portable for field recording

I found articles reviewing various audio recording devices posted at Knight Digital Media Center (http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/audio/audio-recorders/) and Transom (www.transom.org) to be the best resource for explaining products on the markets and the features/merits of each.

See sample multimedia projects that demonstrate the Zoom H4 capabilities (www.jtwdesign.com/multimedia.htm): Project 2 (Zoom H4 with internal mic set at “high gain”); Project 3 (Zoom H4 with internal mic set at “medium gain”); and Project 4 (Zoom H4 with external Shure H58 mic)

Coming next:  Audio – Audio Editing Software


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