Audio Recording Devices In The Instrumental Studio – by Chad Crisswell
As a musician advances in ability and technique it becomes more and more necessary for that student to begin to self-evaluate their rehearsals and performances. Doing so helps the student notice areas of deficiency that they otherwise may never have noticed in their playing. Having the right kind of digital audio recorder available for these practice and performance sessions is important, yet the differences between the dozens of recorders on the market is as vast as the difference in quality between a beginner flute and a professional model. Depending on the student’s needs and budget there are dozens of different digital audio recorders to choose from, but keep the following tips in mind before shelling out any hard earned cash.
Features To Look For In Digital Audio Recorders- Size
Flutists and players with other small instrument cases value what little space they have available in their equipment bags. In these cases the size of a recorder can often be one of the most important features. In terms of size nothing can beat the Yamaha PockeTrak series of digital audio recorders. Their 2G model is barely bigger than a few sticks of gum. However, as with almost all recorders the size of the microphone will often relate closely to the quality of the recording. As such the PockeTrak C24 or Zoom H1 are not only small but their slightly larger microphones produce much more accurate recordings.
Features To Look For In Digital Audio Recorders- Memory
A second feature to look for in a digital audio recorder is the size of the internal memory. Most of the current crop of digital audio recorders have a removable memory card that can be upgraded as high as 32GB or more although most ship with only 2GB of storage. More than enough for a rehearsal or a private practice session but when recording on the highest quality mode more storage space is a nice luxury to have available. Using one of several online guides it is fairly easy to compare the individual memory and microphone specifications as well as read reviews of many digital audio recorders that are currently available.
Digital Audio Recorder Features- Metronome and Tuner
Lastly, be on the lookout for overall convenience. Practicing musicians should never be without a tuner and a metronome, and many digital audio recorders also provide those functions in the same compact device. A unit with good metronome and tuning software yet slightly lacking in audio recording quality would be the Tascam PT-7. Other units such as the Zoom H4n top the charts in every area, but that level of quality also demands a fairly steep price tag.
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Chad Criswell is a music education technology specialist and regular columnist for several music education magazines and online music education web sites. His blog and informational articles are available at MusicEdMagic.com