Recommendations on a good mobile rig?

[Chris Miller]

As we bring up in our first episode...we're looking for a solid portable recording device for our upcoming field trips. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Feel free to post links. Please. :)

[Rae]

Tech stuff not my speciality...but if you have an ipod, this is very easy, cheap and the quality is surprisingly good.

http://review.zdnet.com/voice-recorders/xtrememac-micromemo-for-ipo...

[Natalie]

I have an iRiver iFP-790. It works quite well, although it may be tricky finding one. You could get a small stereo mic... sony makes a good one. I think this is the setup that Mur and Jason use for Geekfu. I can send you an audio sample with the built in mic if you like.

[David Moore]

Coming from the "other" David Moore...

If you have an iPod, I like the Griffin iTalk at aroun $30 - $40.

But.... if you are willing to spend some more, I really like our Zoom H4 for http://thegamemastershow.com. It is a good recorder, excellent quality, and will accept other microphones for inputs in case you want them.

I am also interested in the Zoom H2, and it might have been the better, and cheaper, choice for us. It wasn't available when we bought the H4 though.

[Gaston Gosselin]

I'll second the Zoom H4. My wife and I actually use that for her voice/singing recording. Its capture quality is outstanding. Capture format is already a digital file (aka, mp3, if I recall correctly, though I think you can choose from a variety). It has an onboard harddrive, but you can also use SD cards to expand, and thus transfer the recordings. Highly recommended.

If you want to hear a sample of what it can record, go to sabrajoy.com and listen to the sample there. It was captured with an H4 last year.

Yep. Quick quote off of webpage: The H4 allows you to record 24-bit/96 kHz digital audio as well as in MP3 format with bitrates up to 320kbps. And: Unlike other field recorders, the H4 also has a 4-track recording mode for easy-to-use mobile multi-track recording. The H4 will also render 4-track audio with CD quality, 16-bit/44.1 kHz resolution.

Very much worth the money. And we purchased ours at Sam Ash, on Mayfield.

[Nathan Lowell]

I LOVE my new Zoom H4. The built in condensor mics rock and it provides phantom power, too. The audio goes onto SD cards, so you never run out of storage space -- just swap for fresh cards.

It's a *little* spendy, but I thought it was well worth it.

As for recommendations on a good micro-jacked mic, I've had these bad boys recommended to me more than once:
http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/ (Not this mic, just this company).

[chigh]

I've heard nothing but good regarding the Zoom H4. I've a friend in radio who uses that for their remote reporting. I cannot, however, speak from experience. That's probably the route I would take if I were interested in rebuilding.

[Derek Colanduno]

I'll second the Zoom recommendations, we don't have one YET, but it is on the way. I got to play with one, and was quite impressed.

[Chris Miller]

The H4 does look really sweet. It's more than I expected, but I have no doubt that it will be worth it.

I think I might have to put up a tip jar. :)

[Nathan Lowell]

The H2 is about $70 less than the H4 but it doesn't have a XLR input jack. I'm not sure that XLR is all that significant in a portable rig. And the basic electronics are probably pretty similar.

When I was upgrading for my next project, I decided that it was worth the extra money, but I was looking at a new recorder for my "studio" ... portability wasn't an issue, but the H4 is certainly portable enough .. even comes with a custom wind-screen for the built-in stereo condenser mics.

Size wise, it's a little bigger than I thought ... about the size of a Robert Jordan novel with the same heft.

[chigh]

I've actually heard in some instances the H2 sounds better. Again, no direct experience.

[Jared Axelrod]

I now use my portable rig exclusively (my stay-at-home mic is broke), and have fallen in love with it. It's a omnidirectional mono mic fromGiant Squid Audio Lab and an iRiver iFP-890--which can still be found on eBay, from time to time.

My rig cost me about $50, and sounds great. Episode 75 of Voice of Free Planet X, is a good example of the versatility of the microphone.