Tips on Recording Equipment
Introduction
The options for recording are no longer limited to buying a digital recorder. Many people are now doing recordings on their iPhones and using a program called "GarageBand" on their Mac, so we've given you the full range of options below.
The technology for recording is constantly changing, so come back and check this section frequently to see what's new.
General Note about Digital Recorders
Stores like Future Shop and Staples have recently started carrying excellent recorders, as shown below, but before you shop, be sure to have a look at the guidelines below for choosing a good recorder.
We used to recommend buying the Olympus WS Series from London Drugs, but they no longer stock the Olympus WS series. They now only stock the Olympus VN series. The newer Olympus VN series recorders are excellent, providing you follow the guidelines below for choosing a good recorder.
What to Look for in a Digital Recorder
If you're going to be buying a digital recorder, it should have "scene" settings, because that means it has a good mic. (Tip: Set it for dictation if you're doing telephone recordings so the mic isn't set too high or you'll get interference.)
You want one that can record at a bit rate of 128 or 192 kbps and that has a sampling rate (also called sampling frequency) of 44.1 to 48 kHz. (Note: Sometimes they don't give the sampling rate so don't worry if you can't see it.) Don't confuse the sampling rate/sampling frequency (kHz), with the frequency range (Hz). (*See explanation of bit rate vs. sampling rate/sampling frequency below.)
It should be able to produce MP3 or WMA recordings.
A good one should be in the $80 to $120 price range.
Explanation of Bit Rate vs. Sampling Rate
kbps refers to the bit rate, meaning the amount of data per unit of time that is used in the file. So for example 128 kbps means that 128 kilobits of disk space is used for each second of audio.
kHz refers to the sampling rate/sampling frequency of an audio recording. Basically, when recording a sound wave, the computer has to digitally split the sound up into many individual samples, which are like snapshots of the sound wave at each point in time. So for example a 44.1 kHz audio file has 44,100 samples of sound recorded each second. Sample rates lower than 44.1 cut out higher frequencies (so the "treble" so to speak disappears) and also produce some level of distortion in the audio when it is played back.
Two good recorders we would recommend
SONY ICD-AX412 available at Staples for $94.88. It gives excellent quality, can record at 192 kbps, has scene selection, and can do a sampling frequency of 44.1 to 48 kHz. It has MP3 output.
PANASONIC RR-XS400 IC available at Best Buy for $114.00. It gives excellent quality, can record at 192 kbps and has scene selection. No specs are shown for sampling frequency. It has MP3 output.
Quality Settings
On most recorders, if you go into the Rec Mode menu, you can choose various quality settings. You'll always want to choose the highest quality stereo settings possible, unless you're doing telephone recordings. (See more about telephone recordings below.)
In general, the higher the quality, the less the recording time, but most newer models of recorders have around 4GB of internal memory, so they have amazing amounts of recording time, so there's no need to scrimp on quality.
On some recorders, if you choose MP3, the default recording mode is stereo and you can't change it. As you'll see below, we recommend stereo for in-person interviews and mono for telephone interviews. So if your recorder has some WMA options, it's best to use one of the WMA settings, because it's only within the WMA settings that you can choose whether you want to record in mono or stereo.
The best stereo option says (ST XQ).
The next best stereo option says (ST HQ).
The mono option is usually the one that just says (HQ).
Explanation of what settings mean
The following are typical settings found on most recorders now on the market, although sometime around January 2012, the bit rates (kbps) on recorders began to significantly exceed those shown below:
Extra High Quality Stereo (ST XQ) (128 kbps) usually yields around 65 hours recording time.
High Quality Stereo (ST HQ) (64 kbps) usually yields around 129 hours recording time.
High Quality (HQ) (32 kbps) usually yields around 259 hours of recording time. (*This is a mono setting, which you'll want to use if you're doing telephone recordings – see more about this below.)
If you'll be recording in-person, whether it be an interview or a small group, you'll want to record in stereo and it's best to choose Extra High Quality Stereo (ST XQ).
Stereo settings are particularly helpful in a group, because it actually allows us to tell where people are sitting, which can be especially helpful if many of the participants have similar-sounding voices.
The only time you might prefer to use High Quality Stereo (ST HQ) instead of Extra High Quality Stereo (ST XQ), is if you're going to have to be on the road without access to a computer to download for a very long time. However, people often take their laptops with them, so they always have a computer to download to. Another option is to use a microSD card, which expands the memory to 16GB.
Never choose Standard Play Stereo (ST SP), as that will yield an extremely poor quality recording.
Recording over the phone
If you'll be recording over the phone, either using a speakerphone or a telephone adapter, you'll want to record in High Quality (HQ), which is a mono setting. This sounds odd, because you'd think you'd want the highest quality possible, but in the case of telephone recordings, recording in stereo often results in audio that's only recorded on one channel of stereo, so we can only hear it out of one side of our headset.
Recording over a speakerphone
If you're using a speakerphone and you record in stereo, unless the recorder is placed at exactly the right angle and exactly equidistant between you and the speakerphone, it will record on just one channel of stereo, so we'll hear the sound out of just one side of our headset. Even if you use a "telephone adapter" (a cable which runs from your phone to your recorder) to get a top quality recording, you'll still often end up recording on just one channel of stereo. So as noted above, High Quality Mono (HQ), which is actually a mono setting, is the best setting to use for a telephone recording.
It's important to note that on many recorders, you can't access the mono setting if you're in MP3 mode because MP3 records in stereo by default and there's no way to change it. So you must go into the WMA settings and choose (HQ), which is actually a mono setting, even though it doesn't say it's mono. (Note: We double-checked with Olympus tech support to confirm that the (HQ) is mono and if it's true for Olympus recorders, it's likely true for most other recorders, as these things tend to be standardized.)
Low Cut Filter
Most good quality recorders have a "low cut filter". This is usually an On/Off option. Turn it on if you're going to be recording in a noisy environment like a cafeteria or a room with air conditioning hum and it will significantly reduce the background noise.
Battery Life
Always check to make sure you have enough battery life left before you begin any recording session. It's an important point that's often forgotten. You can see how long the batteries should last by having a look at the Specifications Tab for your recorder online. It's important to note that they always show battery life in terms of Long Play, which is the lowest quality setting, but you'll normally be using the highest quality settings. So cut the time down to about a quarter of the time they show to figure out what the battery life will be on the better quality settings you'll be using. You can plug most recorders into your computer to recharge them.
Avoid sitting near computers & having cell phones on
Electronic equipment and cell phones can create electronic interference with the recording equipment and show up as a strong hum on the recording, making it difficult to hear the speakers and hard on the ears.