pts - Posted - 11/22/2013:  12:54:19

Hey folks

I'm interested in a gadget, mic or even an iPhone app that would be good for recording myself practicing tunes, etc. Would spend <$200.

Would like decent quality recordings but nothing too fancy.

thanks!

Randomphoto - Posted - 11/22/2013:  13:00:51

I have a Zoom H1 recorder, and it does really well. I produce video for clients and use it regularly for that, but since I started learning to pick a couple of months ago I'm recording myself sometimes, and it works great. They have newer models out now, but you can pick up a H1 for less than $100.

revellfa - Posted - 11/22/2013:  13:08:28

I will ecco the zoom recommendation. You could even get a Zoom H2 for your price range. See my review of the Zoom H2. Most of my recordings on my homepage were with the Zoom H2. Great device. Many features and qualities. Durable too. I digress..

Bill - Posted - 11/22/2013:  13:16:29

Zoom is great. Much cheaper is the iPhone app Voice Record Pro. Three bucks well spent.

Poco50 - Posted - 11/22/2013:  14:12:09

i have a Zoom H2n and the recording on it sounds great.

MildBill - Posted - 11/22/2013:  14:45:06

Tascam DR07mkII, set to auto-level is working great for me.

rudy - Posted - 11/22/2013:  16:57:32

quote:

---

Originally posted by pts

Hey folks

I'm interested in a gadget, mic or even an iPhone app that would be good for recording myself practicing tunes, etc. Would spend <$200.

Would like decent quality recordings but nothing too fancy.

thanks!

---

If you can bump your budget up to $300 you might be interested in the Zoom R8.  You can easily overdub, multi-track, etc. with it, and with the built-in mics you can record using only a set of headphones.

You can see a photo and mini-review of the H1, R8, and R24 (my own machine) on my website home recording page:

bluestemstrings.com/pageRecording1.html

Edited by - rudy on 11/22/2013 16:58:36

pts - Posted - 11/22/2013:  18:08:06

I'll check some of these out. Thanks for the tips.

richard baskowski - Posted - 11/24/2013:  14:10:47

my son gave us a tascam dr05 for christmas a couple of years ago. we have recorded many ( all ) gigs with it. also jams and get togethers . the sound quality is excellent, especially when plugged in to the sound system, even still it has a couple of condenser mics built in. for around a hundred bucks it offers a lot of features. it has a timer so you dont have to remember to turn it on especially when gigging . there is a tuner which is accurate and easy to use, right there gotta be 30 bucks worth' .while recording it has a limiter so it acts as a compressor. you can use it for karaoke for real! also during playback you can change the speed without changing the pitch, which is very handy as a learning tool. i could go on but i am not paid to endorse the darn thing! also you can upgrade and within the 200 price range i believe you can get one with multi-track recording. also the guitar center has them all on sale right now. I suggest getting another chip with more memory at the time of purchase.good luck and there  is nothing like listening to the music you play, as you can her what you like and what you dont, so you are on the right track. our band uses the recordings to practice with as we live about an hour and a half from each other, it saves alot of time when we all get together. also recordings dont lie.  and you can share!  happy hunting         rick

banjoak - Posted - 11/24/2013:  17:05:42

To just record yourself practicing tunes, for evaluation purposes - you can go way less expensive; and likely have what you need already. Most phones (even non-smart phones) have a built-in audio recorder that will do a decent job for evaluation purpose; and has benefit of being extremely portable. Many the quality is not bad. A desktop or laptop computer with a simple inexpensive mic, perhaps already existing built-in, or plug one in; and then a simple program to record, which probably already exists. A step up, Audacity is free and pretty easy to use (and gives expanded capabilities)

Those other options are no doubt great, but more about to give more expanded capability and perhaps better sound quality, than needed for just evaluation; so in looking at those you might consider other/future uses of what you would want to do with recording.

Roll Player - Posted - 11/24/2013:  17:37:57

I have a Tascam PR10 that does a very nice job of recording. It only cost me $50. I have several files recorded with it on my music page. The descriptions on my recordings identify the ones done with the Tascam. It sounds like just what you're looking for, although you might need to find the current equivalent in the Tascam line.