Field recording

[Chris Avery]

Would someone out there be able to recommend a portable 'field recording' setup? Here are my specs...I'm looking to do a live recordings with two mics, an ambiant mic and a shotgun mic (for environmental sounds sent through guitar effects) panned left and right running to a mixer then to a portable DAT recorder.

What kind of mixer will work for this setup? is there a small mixer that can send digitally to a DAT? Ideally one which does not need to be plugged in...

The shotgun mic has an 1/8 inch output, is it safe to plug it into effects after changing it to a 1/4 inch plug? If [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] the mic output is stereo, but guitar effects make most things mono...is this a problem?

I have not yet bought any of the equipment because I'm worried the setup may not work...any advice?

[Barnabas]

I think I'd hold off on adding the guitar effects until you get back to the studio.

I got rid of my DATs and got a mBox and a iBook to do my field recordings.

You don't need a mixer. Just hook the two mics up to the mBox and a USB cable connects to the iBook. Everything, even the phantom power, runs off the iBook battery. Everything can fit in a laptop computer bag over your shoulder.

When you get back to your studio, the audio is already formatted for ProTools. You don't have to dump it real time into the computer.

I remember when we used to use this stuff called "tape" to record on!

[Chris Avery]

Hi Barnabas,

Thanks for getting back to me. I appreciate your advice on the hardware but I won't be able to spring for a lap-top anytime too soon. I will, however, save the guitar effects for the Pro Tools mixdown as you suggested.

Because I'm stuck with the DAT player for now it is important that I find a cheap mixer that will allow me to send two mics into it, either digitally or through an 1/8 inch input. Do you have any advice for me along these lines?

[AE]

Two mics to record, two channels on DAT; why do you need a mixer? Unless your field recording needs to be a stereo "mix" of those two mics (which seems to not be the case, since you're doing a Pro Tools mix later), just treat the DAT as a (limited) multichannel machine.

[john1192]

sounds like you need some battery powered mic-pres...there are some out there....do an internet search and you should find something...sound devices maybe??? my little Sony Dat has mic-pres in it...no too bad but not great....try Grace Lunatec too...good luck john