Radio Practice and Politics - Olympus Recorders

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Revision as of 10:30, 31 December 2013 by Zorns (Talk | contribs) (Media Loan)

CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, PLEASE REVIEW.

Media Loan

  • www.evergreen.edu/medialoan
  • Bring your Evergreen ID with the current quarter sticker.
  • Make a reservation for equipment, stop by Lib. 2504, or call (360) 867-6253.
  • Test and confirm all equipment is in working order before leaving Media Loan.
  • Media Loan has SEVERE LATE FINES. Return equipment on time, or call to make a renewal. Follow up with an appeal form to negate late fines.


Late Fines assessed daily, per item
Equipment valued over $250 — $20.00 per day
Equipment valued under $250 — $10.00 per day
Keys and all equipment and accessories valued over $50 — $10.00 per day
Equipment and accessories valued under $50 — $5.00 per day
 

Media Loan Microphone Guide

Microphone Types

  • Dynamic Mics
    • Can withstand louder noises, rugged pickup elements.
    • No power needed
  • Condenser Mics
    • More sensitive to quieter noises, and more delicate pickup elements.
    • Needs power supplied through a battery, or through phantom power on zoom recorder.

Microphone Patterns

  • Omni: picks up sound from all directions.
  • Cardioid: picks up sound from front:
    • Proximity Effect: low frequencies are boosted as mic is closer to the source.
  • Super-Cardioid: Picks up from front with a narrower pattern.

Microphones

  • Handheld
  • Lavaliere: Small mic which clamps to clothing.
  • Shotgun: Long mic. Picks up sound from with an extremely narrow pattern.

Connector Types

  1. XLR = Needed for Olympus
  2. Mini = will not work with Olympus

Mic Usage Tips

  • Use a stand if possible.
  • Listen for:
    • handling noise
    • proximity effect
    • popped p's

Media Loan Shopping List

  • Olympus LS-100 recorder
  • Mic cables
  • Headphones
  • Extension cables
  • Desk stand, floor stand, microphone handle, shock mount
  • Microphones:
    • Recommended for vocal recording > SM-58, SM-57, Sennheiser 421, AT8537 Lavaliere

Olympus Recorder

Digital audio recorder that records to flash memory cards. No moving parts. Copy files off just like using a USB drive.

  • Format memory card before use, and before returning to Media Loan.
  • Record Settings: Review settings on [


Notes

  • Charging the battery
  • Always record at a high quality
  • Mono vs Stereo
  • Setting Levels: Do not hit zero on the meter
  • Always have headphones
  • Record room tone
  • USB Mode


Recording Exercise

Select a controlled and quiet recording location. Avoid noisy public locations (like restaurants, or areas near a road). If possible, eliminate background noises (turn off stereos, TV’s, fans, air circulation vents). A room with carpeting and furniture will typically sound better than one with hard floors (too much echo).

  1. Plug in to ac power, or use fresh AA batteris.
  2. Format the memory card
  3. Plug in headphones
  4. Connect an external mic to recorder. If using a condensor mic turn on Phantom Power (+48v)
  5. Set to record to PCM, 48kHZ, mono, manual record levels.
  6. Make a test recording
    1. Press Rec Pause
    2. Test mic
    3. Set levels - record level control knobs are on the bottom of the recorder. Levels should be the loudest around -12dB on the meters.
    4. Press Rec to start recording.
    5. Listen on headphones
    6. Press Stop to stop recording
    7. Playback recording

It is recommended to record some "room tone" to be able to insert any pauses needed later in post-production.""

Copying Files

  1. Connect the recorder to ac power, connect the provided USB cable to the computer USB port
  2. Copy files from the audio recorder to a computer as you would from a USB drive. Protect the privacy of your recordings by deleting all files on the recorder before returning equipment to Media Loan.
  3. When finished click and drag the device icon to the trash before disconnecting or turning off the power.