Digital Recording

Dependable, quality information that you can use.

I’m not an engineer, so creating my DVD, “Depression What You Must Know,” and my Podcast, “Psychiatric Secrets Revealed with Dr. Mike” involved a lot a research and learning. The information listed below is a compilation of that work. I hope you find it helpful. Mike Kuna

Digital Recording

PC
Of course the most powerful digital recording device that you own is your desktop PC. A PC offers door-to-door capabilities as it can record, edit, sweeten, convert and upload your Podcast. However, a PC also offers some disadvantages.

1. It is not portable and it may be in an environment that is undesirable (like a noisy family room or kitchen).

2. You may need to upgrade parts of the PC (like the sound card) to get an acceptable quality recording.

3. PCs have their own noise problems with powerful and noisy cooling fans.

Laptops
A laptop offers much of the power of the PC with the added advantage of portability and potentially less noise. However:

1. Newer laptops also have powerful, noisy fans.

2. Since the fan is typically at mic level it actually can sound louder than a tower.

3. It is often necessary to add additions to a laptop, like a USB sound card and an external hard drive which adds expense and set-up time.

Digital Camcorder with an external microphone
Camcorders can record excellent audio, but you need to use an external microphone. The audio can be imported into the computer using your NLE software completely avoiding the soundcard. However:

1. Low on the professional looking/cool factor.

2. Camcorders are expensive devices that don’t have great reliability. Using them more frequently could lead to more breakdowns.

3. Using the internal microphone will result in unacceptable motor noise levels.

Digital Porta Studio
Made by Tascam, Zoom and others these devices are digital recorders that allow multi-track recording and sophisticated editing. Many of the starter devices can record two tracks at a time but mix up to 8 tracks of layered audio. In addition they feature sweetening options like EQ. Audio is recorded direct to digital (using a hard drive or flash card) allowing easy transfer to your computer. Starter devices can be found for between $200-$400 and typically are small enough for portable operation (although many need AC). In addition they can be a great gadget if you also happen to be a musician.
However:

1. As a dedicated device they do require some learning to be effective.

2. They may be overkill in situations where you are unsure if you want to stay in Podcasting for the long haul.

Voice memo recorders
These devices can be had for a little over $25, although higher quality ones can cost hundreds. The lower priced devices record sound terribly. Expensive units, when paired with an external microphone, can produce acceptable recordings but not of the quality of some of the other devices listed.

Professional Digital Audio Recorders
These devices offer superb recording capability and they can record in very high quality wav files or directly to MP3. These advanced features are combined in a small package that is designed for portable, battery operation. They are virtually silent in operation. Some of the more advanced machines will even provide Phantom Power to a condenser microphone. Because they are dedicated recorders they tend to be simple to use and may even offer limited editing capability. Made by a number of companies including Marantz, Tascam, Edirol, M-audio and others.
However:

1. They are expensive (but oh so sweet!)

Minidisks
Minidisks can offer fairly high quality recordings in a small package. In addition, the disc themselves are cheap. Make sure you get the right type of recorder, one that will accept a microphone and record MP3 files.
However:

2. Minidisks may be a fading technology now that MP3 players (iPods) are so popular.

3. You may be limited by microphone choices.

4. A full function recorder is expensive.