Posted by Chad Criswell on February 03, 2008 at 16:17:44:
In Reply to: recording equipment for band room posted by Maeve Lien on January 18, 2008 at 21:14:26:
It depends on how you are going to use the recordings and whether or not you intend to take the recorder with you to performances outside of your band room. Look for an article in Teaching Music Magazine in the next month or two about this very topic. In the meantime you might want to think about the suggestions shown below. I'll also post some links to more information on the products to help you see what I am talking about. All of these products will output to your existing stereo system.
A lot of directors are doing very well with "direct to CD" recorders such as the Marantz CDR310. These are great for making a quick recording and taking the disc with you, but if you know in advance that you are going to be editing the audio before you play it (such as when preparing audition tapes, etc.) then a flash based recorder like the Edirol R-09 might be better for you. Another nice thing about the Edirol is that it fits in the palm of your hand, has built in microphones, and records direct to MP3 format at 320kps (very high quality).
http://www.musicedmagic.com/audio-video/review-edirol-r-09-mp3-recorder-for-classroom-use.html
Another really neat new tool is the Belkin Tune Studio. It is basically a miniature mixer with inputs for your XLR based microphones but it outputs the audio directly into your Ipod. I've never tried it, but it looks really cool:
http://www.musicedmagic.com/blogtales-from-the-podium/live-audiophile-recording--direct-to-your-ipod.html
: I have the opportunity to outfit a new band room at my school with built in recording equipment. I need some help with what to buy. I'm looking for a system that will record my band in room and feed into a stereo system for playback and digital recording. Mics can be wired into the room and suspended or mounted in the ceiling.