Check out both of these recent threads.
My PR-10 supposed to arrive tomorrow. $$$ counted, so got this one.


http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=375249&an=0&page=0#Post375249

Tascam DR-05 looks like a better model with longer battery life if the $$ ok.
I grabbed the link outta the posting below.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/tascam-dr-05-solid-state-recorder

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=375232&an=0&page=0#Post375232

Thanks for the great replies so far.

Here is a follow-up question.

Is there a mic that I can get for this purpose which would also be good to use a vocals mic on for a singer that is singing through the PA?

For example, would something like this work...

"

Blue Microphones Snowball USB Condenser Microphone, Brushed Aluminum

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Blue-Microphon...uminum/15048440

The Snowball finally provides you with a USB mic that's not only easy to use, but sounds as good on your desktop as it does in a professional recording studio. Whether you're recording a guitar at your kitchen table or a complete band in the studio, the Snowball can capture it with detail unheard of before in a USB mic. The Snowball can handle everything from soft vocals to the loudest garage band, and it's ideal for podcasting.
Blue Microphones Snowball USB Condenser Microphone, Brushed Aluminum:
Plug and play design - no software required
Professional studio quality performance - record both vocals and instruments
Mac and PC compatible
Blue's renowned circuit and unique 2-capsule design
Switchable mic patterns for a variety of recording applications
Includes custom mic stand and USB cable

"

Please send your thoughts, suggestions, and so on.

Thanks.

-- Mark Kamoski

My son has one of those and I was surprised at the quality of some recordings he made with it in less than ideal circumstances.

WalMart has a pretty liberal return policy so it might be worth checking out.

Well, with a USB mic you need to be using a computer. I thought your question was to have a push a button and go kind of recording - though on re-read of your post, it doesn't say that.

+1 on the Tascam DR-05

It's very good for capturing your own live mix (but so is the USB snowball mic for about the same price)

But the portability of hand held recording devices (in my opinion) makes them more useful.

You can carry them around in your pocket and record all kinds of things. Conversations with elderly family members. Birds. Other bands. Ambient sounds for remixing.

I make animations, and my Dr-05 is great for capturing all the misc sounds like cars starting, doors closing, lawnmowers running, dogs barking, traffic etc that have to be inserted into stories to make them sound real.

Lots of people use such recorders to collect random sounds then edit them into environmental music. The USB mic is confined to your computer room.

Recordings from the portable recorder can be copied to your computer as wav or MP3 as easily as if they were on a USB thumb drive. Such recorders typically come with a USB cable for transferring files to your computer.

In the final analysis, it boils down to your choice. Both types of products will accomplish your stated purpose

Another +1 for the Tascam DR-05.

I have been recording our jam sessions for years using this. I also use it for when I'm just messing around on my guitar. I need something to remind me what I did the night before, that's music wise. I don't want to know what else I did

yeah, Mario brings up a good point: the portable recording devices can be an easy way to capture ideas before they get away. I don't know how many times I've had an idea, and by the time I moved to my computer room, fired up the PC, loaded a recording program, got my guitar plugged in, got the levels dialed in... I forgot the idea.

Download free OBS it is quite a program Not only a great way to stream live but it makes great mp4's of your shows.

For that.... check Ebay and pick up a reasonably priced all in one recording console, mixer board built in, and throw a few mics on the instruments and waaa laaa.

You can generally burn CD's directly from those things.

I had a Korg D-1600 once upon a time that would work nicely for that. It was $300 on Ebay. It was really good for audio recording but not so much for digital stuff so I sold it after only a few months to go totally digital. It had 16 channels of audio recording and phantom power for condenser mics.

I think in today's world the easiest way to record practice sessions would be to use an Apple smartphone. Get a microphone or music stand, jury rig an adapter so you can mount the smartphone to the stand, place the smartphone stand in a position so it can reasonably receive the sound everyone creates.

Life is good, especially if you have an Apple smartphone. If you don't want to use the built in microphone, several companies make audio interfaces that connect to an Apple smartphone either through the headphone jack, lightning port or through the optional camera interface. Those interfaces let you connect an external microphone, provide a stereo line in or direct input (DI) port. One manufacturer that comes to mind is +++ 1K Multimedia +++. 1K Multimedia has a wide selection of products for interfacing to an Apple smartphone.

Android users are not as lucky since Android did not support audio until version 5.

Jim,
I'm not sure I understand your post.
Maybe some clarification is needed.

Audio has been a part of the basic install for Android long as I can remember.
Voice Recorder uses the built in mic, records audio for many minutes at a time easily (I've recorded unfamiliar birds/frogs at times) and was available on Android phones I had many many versions ago .. actually I do not remember it ever NOT having it. I had it even on some pre-'smart phone' phones (remember 3gp format?)!

At least one Samsung I had allowed for external connections (with a proprietary aux connection, much like Apple come to think of it) so it was kinda expensive.

rharv,

I think I tried too hard to sell my idea. Yeah I've got a draw full of media players and old cell phones that can record. But Google didn't release any Android audio interface specifications released until Android 5.0.

Apple has had core audio API and core midi since maybe the very first iPhone. This puts access to building apps for music right at the developer's fingertips with a standardized API. Android audio was not standardized until very recently. I think that if a developer wanted to make a low-latency audio app on android, they had to develop it for each and every OS release and maybe even phone specific development.

Back to the OP's question...

The overdub capability is what is at cross-purposes with the title of the post. Overdubbing is a recording session activity, in my opinion. When you get into overdubbing at a practice, lots of people sit around doing nothing while the dub is happening. If your band is cool with that, then skip what I write below.

Practice sessions are something entirely different. Any of the handheld digital stereo recorders work well for practice session recording. I have a Zoom H1 that does just fine for this with pretty danged decent recordings. I got it for $40 on Facebook marketplace used and bought a 64 GB card for it.

I am an iOS user since 2012. I have a BLUE Mikey for the old style apple connector. I never used it as much as I have used the H1. Why? Apple's darned insistence on keeping RAM at a high price point by not including expandable memory in their iOS devices. Also, the stereo separation on the Mikey leaves a little to be desired by comparison to the Zoom.

I would shop for any stereo digital handheld recorder that lets you use SD or MicroSD cards for expanding memory, has legit condenser mics built in with a real x-y pattern capability at minimum, and you will be all set. Used market can save you LOTS of money.

Edited to add this note:
One thing that H1 users seem to crow about and I have to add in my +1; the H1 has a BIG record button. You don't fart around navigating menu or a bunch of buttons. It's a RECORDER, and the biggest button on it is the RECORD button. This has come in handy when you just reach over and punch that sucker without really looking.

I can't speak about other digital handheld recorders. I got this one cheap, with 2 windscreens, but I do like that single record button for nearly instant on recording. you can tweak all of the recording parameters if you like, file size and type, set record levels, but if you just need to turn something on and record, this thing is about as easy as it gets.

iPhone stuck in a microphone clip. Use a rag or folded piece of foam or tape to make it stick in the mic clip. Adjust the mic stand so the phone is around ear level/height. You can catch several versions of each practice. One with the iphone closer to guitar amp. One closer to drum set, etc. Or have each musician record their general areas all at the same time.
A CamCorder or any half decent video recorder should work also.

Yes.

Computer + DAW + Snowball + Hit Record = Bootleg Album.

Grammy.

Live at Bookie's Lounge.

Uncut Version.

$9.99.

Interesting post,

In my experience, the more components, the more headaches. Simple all-in-one units are widely available, inexpensive, and the microphones quality is light years beyond any leading smartphone manufacturer.

My friend used to bring his little Tascam DP-40 to practice, that thing is amazing and you can generally find it under a hundred dollars.

Also, if you are using the 3.5mm audio jack, DI boxes are primarily for Audio Out. You need to find a DI that uses a triple band TRS. The third band is your Mic in on the 3.5, and is actually not as common as you'd imagine.

Just saw this new Zoom product. I've already purchased a 2nd hand
Tascam DP-008EX 8-Track Digital Multitrack Recorder - Bundle with 2X Tascam VL-S5 5" 2-Way Professional Studio Monitor (which I didn't notice until after I'd bought the Tascam!) but this Zoom h1n would have done the job as well.
About $130 US and is capable of overdubbing. Certainly portable.
https://www.zoom.co.jp/products/field-video-recording/field-recording/h1n-handy-recorder

This was an old 2012 post rebooted by spam.

Like Herb (Guitarhacker) I recommend the small jump to the multitrack recorder like the full featured Tascam DP-24. Yes, all of the portable, battery units will provide you superior sound quality and they are intended to capture practices just like you need. But...

But reading your post it's clear you intend to advance to more complex tasks. You are better served to buy equipment that will grow with you as your tasks grow. You will not enjoy the limitations these portable units bring to your wants and needs until you've already spent the money. For you to get the same outstanding results you see in the product demo's recordings (which by the way are set up by sound engineer experts) you will have to use great care in where your musicians are placed in the room, you will have to eventually figure out what to do with the drums. Volume leveling will not be enough. Most groups end up recording the drums separately. The input configurations on some of the portable units can be very limited. They are essentially compromises to attempt to work efficiently in common situations only.

The 8 inputs of the DP-24 alone will be worth the cost difference. It will reverse the situation where your band has to set up and sometimes play to accommodate the recording device whereas with a multitrack, the recording device always accommodates the band. The DP-24 can also be used for your mixer. You can capture a live performance with each instrument panned, and leveled into a decent mix. The DP-24 can also accommodate importing multiple and individual BIAB RealTracks and midi renders to be used with your practices and recordings. You can capture each individual instrument with it's own input as the band plays together live rather than capture a live mix. That is much more suitable outcome because each instrument can be isolated for review.

A multitrack can capture those future recordings you will be using in your more advanced manner providing you the ability to have better than 'rough cut' demos from the start.

For capturing clean recorded tracks, a multitrack recorder will suit your needs and works just as effectively as any DAW. For the dollar investment, it is more than worth the difference you will gain in actual use over a portable, handheld, battery operated, fixed mic pattern recording device. At least I think so.

I have two of the Olympus Digital Voice Recorders and I am totally amazed at the recording quality even though the mic elements are a mere 3/4" apart. The elements are acoustically opposed and baffled to prevent cross-talk and bleed over. I've forgotten the exact model number but they were about US$ 80 each.

I live record an entertainer who plays here in my nursing home every month and he is very impressed with the record quality.

It yields about 24 hours recording time on 1 AAA Alkaline battery.

The default record format is .wma but .mp3 is an easy setting to change.

Mine do not have WIFI transfer capabilities, the new models do. Mine have a slide-out bayonet-style USB connector.

If you don't already have it download OBS, it's free and you can record not only your audio in many formats but also your video.

https://obsproject.com/download

Enjoy,

The post SabrinaYoung Sep 3rd 2018 is a spammer that was replying to mkamoski's original old 2012 post "seeking a good simple way to record practice sessions".

Tascam DR-05 for me also. I need something I can carry around in the car so if I get an idea I can sing it into the recorder, or speak the lyrics, whatever the case. Simple to use, easy file transfer to the computer. Best $100 ever.

Got my cosign on the Tascam. It's a marvelous device and great for precisely this.