TubeNet

so, I tried recording myself yesterday and all I got was the metal of the tuba rattling

It would be really nice if I can hear myself play and make criticisms (most of us are hard judges against us)

can you guys recommend some cheap inexpensive equipment thet you can hook up to a laptop?
less than or equal to 100 dollars by the way....

Thanks!
-Raghul

I'd recommend a zoom h1. Simple to use and can be used with a laptop or by itself. Amazon I think has the older model for about 65.

I second the Zoom series. I have an H2, and it sounds fantastic for the money. Can you get better results by spending a bunch more money on a much more complicated setup? Of course you can. But if you want a cheap, point-and-shoot, great sounding recording device, you really can't go wrong with a Zoom H_.

Additional recommendation for any Zoom recorder in your price range. Also highly recommend experimenting with mic placement. Even for quick and dirty recordings on my smartphone, the difference between placing it on my music stand versus elsewhere the room (either in front of or behind me) is huge.

+1 for Zooms.

I use the H2n - it records anything you throw at it and sounds great.

Zoom H1 is on amazon for $63.

When I used the Meteorite I thought it was a little hot and lacking in low end. Maybe if you turned the gain way down or moved it further away it would get better? That said, it is about half the price of the H1.

fenne1ca wrote:Even for quick and dirty recordings on my smartphone, the difference between placing it on my music stand versus elsewhere the room (either in front of or behind me) is huge.

Can you turn it on and off remotely somehow??

A setting or app would be nice...

Three Valves wrote:

fenne1ca wrote:Even for quick and dirty recordings on my smartphone, the difference between placing it on my music stand versus elsewhere the room (either in front of or behind me) is huge.

Can you turn it on and off remotely somehow??

A setting or app would be nice...

No, sadly. However, my voice memo software has built-in editing features, so it's quick work to just clip off the opening silence.

If you can stretch to $140...you can get a Zoom Q2n, which combines the great audio from other zoom products with up to 1080 video, so you can watch yourself screw up in addition to hearing it. A fantastic little recorder.

The Q2n offers a lot of bang for the buck. Recording quality is astonishingly good for the price, if you get the mic placement right.

Zoom is great, but if you prefer more possibilities (but also more complicated setup) you might consider something similar to mine - basically I used some cheap "not needed anymore" gear lying around.
Costs just around 100$ (new) and you can attach it to laptop or to your phone, as I did, since it's more convenient.

Mixer: https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-302USB ... ger+302USB" target="_blank
Mic: https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tbone_ovi ... cc_100.htm" target="_blank

If you have an iPhone/ipad you might consider the zoom microphone option.
[img]http://www.hickeys.com/assets/product_i ... 40.jpg/img]

This Stereo Microphone for iOS Devices turns your iOS device into a field recorder. Small enough to slip into your pocket, the Zoom iQ6_a stereo X/Y microphone attaches through a lightning connector.

[url]http://www.hickeys.com/search/products/ ... 40.php/url]

I bought a Blue Mikey stereo mic for my first iPod that could run iPhone apps. When the iPod died, I got an iPhone, which had a new configuration for the 30-pin connector, so the Blue Mikey became obsolete, and I got a Tascam stereo mic for the next generation 30-pin connector. Then when that phone died, I got a new phone that had a Lightning connector. That was when I decided I wasn’t buying any more microphones for iOS devices.

ZIMETMUS wrote:If you have an iPhone/ipad you might consider the zoom microphone option.
[img]http://www.hickeys.com/assets/product_i ... 40.jpg/img]

This Stereo Microphone for iOS Devices turns your iOS device into a field recorder. Small enough to slip into your pocket, the Zoom iQ6_a stereo X/Y microphone attaches through a lightning connector.

[url]http://www.hickeys.com/search/products/ ... 40.php/url]

Do these fit over cases? Like I have an Otterbox for my iPad, seems like it wouldn't fit?

I have a Zoom HN4 that I've used to record everything from my personal practice sessions, to outside Concert, and Jazz Band concerts it works great and gives good sound quality, put it on a mic stand and get the wired remote option it's really versatile. The HN4 is a little overkill for what you want to do (it is a 4 channel multitrack recorder) but their cheaper options do a good job as well.

One of the more useful features on the portable recorders like the Zoom (unlike the voice memo apps on phones) is level control. The automatic level control on most voice memo apps compresses your dynamic range to a mid-range “mezzo-something or other”. You still capture time, rhythm, and intonation, but tembre and dynamics aren’t really well represented. FWIW, I borrowed a Zoom h1 from a friend and intended to pick one up for myself, but got a Yamaha PR7 as a gift; I find it to be every bit as good as the Zoom.

Just a mini-rant, here...

If you think you need to buy a $25,000 tuba to sound good, why would you think you only need a $100 piece of gear to record that sound well?

While I'm at it, that $25K tuba isn't going to sound good unless you practice, so that $10,000 recording gear isn't going to sound well unless you...

Slamson wrote:Just a mini-rant, here...

If you think you need to buy a $25,000 tuba to sound good, why would you think you only need a $100 piece of gear to record that sound well?

While I'm at it, that $25K tuba isn't going to sound good unless you practice, so that $10,000 recording gear isn't going to sound well unless you...

Because electronics are cheap compared to tubas. Outside of studio quality recording...a $100-$200 will take you pretty far!

What I like about my zoom h4 is that when recording quintet you can actually hear the tuba on the recording.

I use a Blue Yeti USB mic. Works great!