I guess I'd be needing some good headphones also.

Note to self, I think i need a second job to support my audio addiction. I could sell a trombone or two. HAHA. Or I should quit my soup serving job.

And now for something completely different:
I work at some resturant call Simply Soup. It just opened a few months ago in Chicago. It is kinda like a Panera Bread that sucks. Most of the soups suck, it hot out and the AC is either weak or broken, not effiecent in serving customers, low pay and the soups suck....and the soups suck...and its over priced. I have to work in a few hours, so i'm just venting before I get there and haveto put on my happy face for the 10 people that will walk in over the course of 6 hours. Food Industry Sucks.

ANd i'm spent

Well, don´t sell you trombones (advice from another trombone player).

There is a forum a bit down on the list called acoustic music which is very much about these things. Do check there as well.

I also started out simple and has added a bit to my growing selection of mics and equipment. Recording only "real" orchestras as well.

I think your nT4 will be good for a while. You will need a good highrise stand, Manfrotto is the brand I use. It will probably be easiest to find the stand at a pro photo shop, they are used to hold lamps and that kind of things.

I´m not so sure about the masterlink though. In my mind you will probably be better off using a small laptop computer and a sound card as a starter. That will allow you to edit your takes and compile things. It can also be the start of your larger system.

Personally I started on an MBox. It has two decent mic pres and comes with the ProTools LE software which is adequate for recording and mixing. You will come a long way on two channels, but will often want two more. So if you can, look for a four channels interface. Generally a lot of the interfaces end up used on ebay at good prices.

Add a laptop, a CD burner and CD burning software and you will have a working system. If you buy an external CD burner, go for a combined DVD as well. That will allow you to backup your projects.

As for mics, there are soo many to choose from. As a small idea, why not check if you can rent mics. It is surprisingly cheap given what they cost to buy.

Welcome to the world of recording.

Gunnar.

My situation is similar.

I think there are many options.
First, if you are going to record live concerts,you need, I think, gear absolutely stable. You will not have in that situations a second oportunity.
So, I would prefer a dedicated recorder instead of a laptop.

In dedicated recorders, you have this options:
2 channels: Fostex FR-2 (1300 us dollars). Sound Devices 722 (2200 ).
4 channels: Edirol R-4 (1600 )
They have preamplification, but you will need a computer to make backups and the final CD.

I think is very nice go to a concert with some of this little boxs and a mics and accesories, no more. A pleasure.
Could you hear this recorders and evaluate the sound quality ?

I would recommend more than 2 channels, too, because is nice to have a main pair and ambiences mics, or spots mics. You will need that.
Look at the Acoustic Music Forum my question about the R4.
If you consider it´s sound quality acceptable I think is the best choose.

8 channels: Fostex LV2424 (1200?) Perhaps a very good option with a stand alone pre like the Sitek (4 pres) or a Benchmark.
But a Mackie 1202 vlz pro (4 pres) is said to have very decent preamplification, too.

A Masterlink with a good stand alone pre is an option, I think. The converters in the ML is said to be very good.
How does it cost an used Millennia, or Grace, or John Hardy pre?
(Or a SITEK -4 mic pres-. Do a search at forums about it )

A really advantage with the ML is , as you said, no computer needed, and a CD at the end of the concert.

About cables, go for a Mogami or Canare with Neutrik gold pins, no less.
About headphones, you will need CLOSED ones, for monitoring near the sound source. Look at Sennheiser HD 25, they are the most recommended for this situations.

About mics, I would save for a pair of Sennheisers MKH series. Given its quality, fidelity and transparent sound I think it is not expensive (1000 each). The detail that they offer is phenomenal.
I have seen used ones at 600 in e-bay

Look at http://www.soundonsound.com
(search: Studio SOS) about a violin and piano duo recording

Good luck ! Oak

I used to work as an assistant in the recording studio of a conservatory style School of Music in southwest PA, until a month ago......we did audition tapes, recitals and orch concerts etc. For classical music we used Schoeps for stereo pair, Neumann KM 184 and AKG 414 for additional spot mic, Panasonic DAT running a SPDIF to a Tascam CD-RW 750 for backup. The pres sometimes if we are going out then it probably be the Mackie Mixer.....in school we have the choice of JH's M-1, Millennia, Presonus M-80, Earthworks or the Focusrites on the Digidesign Control 24.

I am also thinking of recording audition tapes for some extra bucks in my home town here. With my next to zero budget probably I would get a pair of Rode NT 5, presonus Firepod into my ibook and a Tascam CD-RW 750(if budget allowed). The editing would happen on my Desktop PC with wavelab and the Waves Diamond.

My little experience on live recording: it's important to have two recorder running side by side. I have many times one recording failed for no reason while I was in the middle of a recital.