Better voice recorder

[Steve Bleasdale]

Zoom h1 great at level 75/80 with lav mic but does not quite pick up priest good enough, olympus dm670 brilliant but past two weeks either the grooms have switch them of on purpose or the buttons just protrude a little and it may if touched turn of accidenllly?
Anything else where they can't be switched if accidently and smaller than the zooms for pockets

[Adrian Tan]

I think the Yamaha C24s are smaller than Zoom H1s. Plus, they have a hold button so that you're unlikely to accidentally turn them off. I've never tried them with lav mics though.

(By the way, I'm pretty sure I got the idea of using them from Noa and Nigel, and they're my go-to mic for attaching to celebrant and MC handheld microphones. I usually use black hair elastics or gaffer tape.)

[Steve Bleasdale]

Cheers Adrian will look at those! I cannot see the groom switching them of on purpose? Good job I am prepared with a zoom on tables!! Cheers mate steve

[Peter Riding]

If I set manual Levels on my Zoom H1's I tend to default to 90 rather than 75-80. However thats not great when you get loud clapping and cheering etc. So increasingly I've been using the H1's on Auto Levels then putting the tracks through The Levelator in post - it makes a far better job of sweetening the audio than I could most of the time. The correction for the difference between the groom being close up and the celebrant being several feet away can be a revelation.

I got an Olympus VN-733PC recently following Noa's nagging :- ) I'm not recommending that specific model necessarily, I got it simply as it was on an Amazon lightning deal. It has a Hold button function - does your DM670 not have that?

I know people are still inclined to fiddle. Recently I had a priest who was totally conversant with my Senny G3 system inadvertently switch off the transmitter just before kickoff. No time to rectify and no decent alternative audio :- (

My 733PC comes with a neoprene case which is so small that the recorder can sit in a pocket in its case without the bulk being excessive and the case helps prevent user fiddle.

Pete

[Craig McKenna]

I recently purchased Sony M10s... they're more expensive, slightly smaller length ways, but much fatter than the H1s...

The battery life is fantastic on the M10 though and it's supposed to be one of the best, if not the best in the world of voice / pocket recorders... from what I could tell after hours of research.

Alternatively, the Roland R-05 seems like a great recorder too...

But both might be too big for you. I find the Sony M10 very pocketable though.

[Peter Rush]

All my Olympus WS311 recorders have a hold button which is a must but I'm looking to replace them as they only record WMA format which has to be corrected for drift, plus they only have auto level recording but they are super slim for fitting into a pocket - I'm sure I would have trouble getting a groom to put a bulky Zoom H1 into his neatly fitting jacket pocket.

Pete

[Craig McKenna]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

All my Olympus WS311 recorders have a hold button which is a must but I'm looking to replace them as they only record WMA format which has to be corrected for drift, plus they only have auto level recording but they are super slim for fitting into a pocket - I'm sure I would have trouble getting a groom to put a bulky Zoom H1 into his neatly fitting jacket pocket.

Pete

True Pete... that's why I opted for the slimmer, less lengthy M10, but it is wider, which is its 'downfall'. I don't think groom's will have too much of an issue with a pocket recorder that doesn't bulge their top, inner pocket though, or alternatively slip into their pants pocket... the Roland R-05 looks like a great recorder too though.

[Noa Put]

I have got a sony ICD-PX312 which is very small and it's batteries just seem to last a lifetime, you can't monitor levels on the recorder but there is a low, med and high setting for incoming volume, I have mine set to medium. Audio quality is just excellent.

[Kyle Root]

I use at a tascam dr05 for pocket recording backup.

[Steve Bleasdale]

Cheers guys thanks for your input, i like your one Noa, sony ICD-PX312
Pete riding ye i default to 95 on the table or near the readers or priest but on the groom with a lav mic on the lapel i put it top level 75 and it is excellent but as i say jackets are becoming slimmer and the zoom is just to bulky, the dm-70 Olympus is the right size great audio but as i say some how the past two weddings they have turned them of or the stop button just protrudes a little so maybe accidentally but i want to eliminate if it is that. Noa is the Sony easy to switch of or good to go/ steve

[Steve Bleasdale]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

All my Olympus WS311 recorders have a hold button

Pete

What does the hold button do Peter? If you press record and put it to hold, does that mean it will not switch of? steve

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Steve Bleasdale

Noa is the Sony easy to switch of or good to go/ steve

There is a slidingswitch on the side to turn the power on and then you just press the record button and off it goes, the "hold" button btw locks all other buttons, this means whatever you press nothing will happen while it's recording, if you want to stop recording you need to unlock the lock button first before you are able to operate the recorder again.

If you would get the sony do test the levels first, often it's safer to use the "low" setting depending how loud the person speaks and how far the mike is from their mouth. I actually am not sure if it has a limiter build in, never got around in checking that, I always use this recorder with a lav mike that I attach to the altar's mike to record the priests voice and that has worked out great so far.

[Steve Bleasdale]

Cheers Noa, silly me the Olympus has the hold button hidden on the lower side and works, so all good for now, the sound is great on the dm670... cheers guys stupid me...

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Steve Bleasdale

What does the hold button do Peter? If you press record and put it to hold, does that mean it will not switch of? steve

Steve you start the unit recording and slide the 'hold' switch upwards - it keeps recording but disable all the controls - nice feature.

Pete

[Steve Bleasdale]

Smashing thanks peter!!