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Hello, friends,

I'm feeling pretty cruddy and I'd like to ask for some help from those of you who know. There is a fantastic string quartet here at school that is made up of all first-year kids. They're amazing players and great people, and I want to interview them for my classical radio show on the university's station. What we plan on doing is recording the whole thing with the interview as well as recording some music of theirs.

We just finished the music recording today. I booked a bit of time in one of the school's rehearsal halls and used a Zoom H2 recorder and my laptop running Audacity to record the music. I worked out some kinks at first, but these recordings are really rough in quality. There is feedback in a lot of the louder sections and the bass creeps in and out randomly.

I feel really bad because these folks really are incredible players and they played awesomely today, but I feel like our time was wasted due to my faulty knowledge about music recording with these static-y and low-quality recordings.

For the tracks, I used the 120° mikes and had it about 5 yards in front of the quartet who were arranged in a semi-circle in the middle of the small-medium rehearsal room. The gain on the recorder was at its lowest, but I kept the software's at its fullest.

If we want to keep the music, we'll have to have another session. Any advice or suggestions you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jackson

The Jackson wrote:The gain on the recorder was at its lowest

I nearly always record music on my H2 with the gain set to medium. Unless it was a very loud pop group, low gain would not pick up properly. That could be the problem?

I also wonder if you have 'auto record' on in error? Check through the menu

Sounds like it could be a gain-staging issue - you want the highest gain at the front end of your system. Set your recording levels so that your H2 is just below peaking at the loudest levels of the group. I would also suggest that you record the tracks on the H2 and transfer the digital files to your computer for post processing.

The 120 degree setting for the mics should be just fine. As for distance, you may want to get a little closer if you can - have the group play while you listen - starting from the middle of the semi-circle of musicians, keep moving until you hear the fullest sound with the best balance. Change your vertical position as well as in, out, left, and right. Position the H2 to record from the "sweet spot" you heard with your own ears - the recorded signal should sound pretty close to what you heard.

If the final product sounds a bit "dry" you can generally add some reverb in the final mix.

Is it possible that the preferences needed to be reset in audacity? When you connect the H2 (or any USB interface) to the computer the input should be selected in the menu - audacity (which is a really nice program, considering the price) doesn't always find the right one by itself. Judging from the description of the sound, and assuming that there is a built-in mic on your laptop, audacity might have been using that instead of the H2.

Recording directly to the H2 is a good idea, so is getting it a little closer and adding reverb later if it's too tight. Check the levels on the H2's meters (medium would probably work better for a string quartet), disable the automatic level control, make sure that "play through" is not on on audacity.

Mark Horne wrote:I would also suggest that you record the tracks on the H2 and transfer the digital files to your computer for post processing.

That seems definitely the way to go.

In your situation you can also adjust the "gain" after initially setting the side selector to Medium. Have your group play their loudest passage and make sure the gain bars on the menu screen to not "max out". A red light should also flicker at that point.

There is a wide variation in gain possible, + and – , at each of the L-M-H settings of the side switch, using the recording menu displayed on the front of the H2.

When it is not possible to adjust gain during actual recording conditions, there is also a limiter function on the AGC/COMP menu, Limit 2(Concert), which prevents input level from overloading the unit. Those overloads cause loud crackling static noise (and spoiled recordings).

For anyone who has tried using the H2 to record LP records for conversion to CD and found that the LINE IN signal overloads the unit when fed from Audio Out terminals on a receiver or amplifier:

Connect your H2 Line In via the Headphone Jack on your receiver, and adjust input level to the H2 using your receiver's volume control. Monster is one of the companies that makes an adapter to convert a headphone jack single plug to L and R stereo RCA female connectors.

Volume cannot be changed during the recording session if your intention is to make an accurate duplicate of the source recording.

This method has worked great for every LP that previously overloaded my H2 Line In connection.

Pops and clicks can be easily removed from digital recordings using Mac or Windows computers (but start with a very clean record, regardless):
http://www.clickrepair.net/software_dow ... epair.html" target="_blank
Download the trial version online, and only buy it if you consider it worthwhile.

Software is also available online for correcting speed and pitch if making digital recordings of 78 rpm records played at 45 rpm. Recording at the lower speed is supposed to have added benefits of improving tracking and keeping surface noise (hiss) at a lower level....which can then be reduced digitally.
Equalizer is free for Mac and Windows:
http://www.clickrepair.net/software_dow ... lizer.html" target="_blank

G'day all.

I have a Zoom H2 (aquired on Tubenet) that I use for recording my own practice and band rehearsals.
So far I've recorded; myself playing the tuba in a small dead room, a vocalist and electric piano (both going through my old Peavey keyboard amp with the H2 about four feet in front of the amp), and a variety of large ensembles (brass band, wind ensemble and concert band) in both large resonant halls and dead rooms with a low ceiling.

I haven't mastered the thing yet but I find it to be a very useful self-teaching tool.
I haven't tried using it as a computer microphone - I record on the unit and then download the files later.

I use the middle setting on the mic gain switch for everything and fine tune the recording level with the arrow cursors on the front of the machine. I haven't tried the limiter function yet.

I use all four mics at all times (2 channels only) working on the principle of trying to capture the sound of the whole room rather than trying to mic up an individual instrument. This works a lot better for recording my tuba practice than trying to position a vocal mic. I usually have the 120 degree side towards the ensemble and the 90 degree side capturing the rest of the room.

I have found that I get much better results recording in a warm resonant room like a Church than in a dead room. As I said, I'm trying to document the sound in the room rather than capture a raw signal for later editing and mixing.

None of the above is advice - I'm just relating what I've done with the H2 as a matter of interest.

Re: recording LP's on the H2. I haven't tried this yet but I probably would have started with running RCA's direct from the turntable into the Zoom rather than going through the amp. I'll keep the headphone output in mind.

So far I haven't tried to produce the best possible recording with it - I've just used it to find out what I sound like. (A very character building experience).

Regards

Gerard

Thank you all SO much for the help. I really appreciate it and I've heard some great stuff here that I think will definitely help me at the next recording session.

Slamson wrote:Judging from the description of the sound, and assuming that there is a built-in mic on your laptop, audacity might have been using that instead of the H2.

Checking out Audacity, I believe this was the case. I can't believe that I didn't think about. Audacity was recording using my laptop's integral microphone. Well, now I know!

Thanks again, everyone. I really appreciate it.

Right - if you are going to use the H2, DO NOT use the laptop. Transfer to the laptop later.

sloan wrote:Right - if you are going to use the H2, DO NOT use the laptop. Transfer to the laptop later.

The H2 makes a very expensive microphone for the laptop!

Jonathan "who had never even thought about using his H2 connected to laptop"

termite wrote:I use all four mics at all times (2 channels only) working on the principle of trying to capture the sound of the whole room rather than trying to mic up an individual instrument. This works a lot better for recording my tuba practice than trying to position a vocal mic. I usually have the 120 degree side towards the ensemble and the 90 degree side capturing the rest of the room.

A situation where experiments making non-essential recordings is indicated.

I tried the various microphone possibilities on my H2, and for my tastes the 120-degree side was overly resonant. I almost always use only the 90-degree side towards performers now, with the 120-degree side shut off. Distance from the sound source is probably an important variable.

termite wrote:Re: recording LP's on the H2. I haven't tried this yet but I probably would have started with running RCA's direct from the turntable into the Zoom rather than going through the amp.

I don't know if my "preamplified" turntable outputs would have enough signal strength to record. If they did, would one then "monitor" the recording using headphones connected to the H2? The quality of one's amplifier might determine which procedure is preferred. I like to monitor the recording session on my stereo speakers, and the back of my amplifier is inconvenient enough to access that I prefer not to frequently disconnect my turntable. Perhaps one could alternately use splitter cables after the turntable to feed both H2 and amp separately.

mammoth2ba wrote:I don't know if my "preamplified" turntable outputs would have enough signal strength to record.

Hello,
If your turntable does have a built-in preamplifier, the signal level is enough for the line input of your H2 (standardized level).
For sure it also does have a RIIA-correction of the signal.
It's essential for the correct listening and amplifies the lower range of the signal more than the upper.
Good luck,
Lars