...through the speakers with a Zoom H1 Handy Recorder, using the condenser capsules.
So far, it's been pretty much trial and error as to the absolute *best* position that the H1 should be in, in relation to the keyboards speakers.
For the most part, I've been positioning the H1 halfway between the two speakers, at a flat angle ( 90 degrees ) with the mics located over the white keys of the keyboard.
I get pretty acceptable results but I feel I could be doing better. Here's an example:
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Which is why I want to start at the beginning with this and cover everything that I possibly can.
And, you're probably asking "why don't you just use the 'line-in' jack, dude?"
More on THAT later.
I'm using a Casio WK-1350 keyboard. The furnished room in which I record is surrounded by sheetrock and concrete and is fairly lively,but not impossibly so. The height of the room is about 10-11 feet, approx.
There are three reverb settings on the Casio-Room, Stage and Hall. I use mostly Stage, sometimes Room. I hardly ever use Hall unless it is on something that is either soft or ambient or doesn't use a lot of percussion because of my recording environment. On the sample recording, I used Stage because with Hall, it would have been all over the place, acoustically speaking.
Should I lift the H1 at more of an angle, say, 45 degrees, still over the white
keys, so the capsules have a better shot at the speakers?
Speaking of the capsules, is the sound recorded through the tips (front) of the mics, or is the sound recorded through the little open "bands" on the barrels of the mics?
Oh yeah, the reason why I'm not using the "line in" ( or, actually, CAN'T ) is because either I got a bum unit OR the H1 AD converters are not up to the job, because I get horrible distortion when I try to line record.
Any help appreciated!
Comments
apstrong, post: 368126 wrote: I believe the H1 wants a line leve
apstrong, post: 368126 wrote: I believe the H1 wants a line level input. The stereo line out/headphone jack on your keyboard is likely delivering more than the H1 input can handle, hence the distortion. You can either turn the headphone level way down on your keyboard (as long as the noise floor isn't too high), or use a pad between the two devices. Then you don't have to use microphones to capture sound from the speakers at all. I'm speculating, someone who actually knows what they're talking about when it comes to ohms and watts and so on can confirm or deny, but that would be my first guess about how to solve the problem.
I tried turning down the keyboard AND the level volume on the H1. By the time it stopped distorting, I was barely left with ANY usable signal at all.The metering on the H1 reflects this as they don't reach anywhere NEAR "O" when the distortion is gone.
Unfortunately, on my Casio, the line out and headphone jack is the same-I wonder if this could be the problem.
And using a pad just takes the convenience out of having an H1, if you have to carry "one more thing" around with you, especially if you expected the unit to function without one.
I NEVER had this problem when I used line on a cassette deck......
[QUOTE=skyy38;368119Oh yeah, the reason why I'm not using the li
[QUOTE=skyy38;368119Oh yeah, the reason why I'm not using the line in ( or, actually, CAN'T ) is because either I got a bum unit OR the H1 AD converters are not up to the job, because I get horrible distortion when I try to line record.
I believe the H1 wants a line level input. The stereo line out/headphone jack on your keyboard is likely delivering more than the H1 input can handle, hence the distortion. You can either turn the headphone level way down on your keyboard (as long as the noise floor isn't too high), or use a pad between the two devices. Then you don't have to use microphones to capture sound from the speakers at all. I'm speculating, someone who actually knows what they're talking about when it comes to ohms and watts and so on can confirm or deny, but that would be my first guess about how to solve the problem.