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[dsanchez]

I was looking for the Giant Squid Audio Lab mics in this page

http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/gs/gs-micline1.html

is there any in special you can recommend me? The prices are reasonable. Others are too expensive.

Cheers

David.

[lostflower4]

About Giant Squid Audio Lab, here's something that's not widely known. All of the battery boxes that guy sells come with fixed bass roll-off. He doesn't make this clear at all. In fact, he charges $2 extra to have it set as fixed. But the truth is, it's always fixed no matter how you order it! I find this very deceptive, but I think the mics are pretty decent for the price range.

So what I would recommend. Get these:

http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/gs/gs-poweredbattery1.htm


But be sure to get this option:

Make my mics disconnectable from the battery box!


It costs $15 extra, but this way you can unplug the mics and use a different battery box (to get a better sound).


I think any of these battery boxes will work with the mics:

http://www.microphonemadness.com/categories/battery_filter_module_stereo.html


Brian recorded a lot of shows with the bass roll-off. I think they sound good, but they don't have much bass. With a different battery box, I think they would sound much better!

With the setup I suggested, you could get this all for about $150.


If you can come up with $230, though — I think this would be even better:

http://www.core-sound.com/mics/8.php

[j]

I use core sound binaurals with a battery box that has a switchable bass roll off.  Loud shows definitely need the roll off.  I recorded Sepultura, Down, Hatebreed, etc, all with the roll off.  Without the roll off, the mics clip almost the entire show (my Sepultura show's sound isn't very good). 

The Cure however, are hard to predict.  I personally record them using a -20 dB attenuator cable plus the bass roll off.  The result is a bit quieter, with less bass, but without the bass roll off there are points during some songs where Simon really blasts the bass and the mics will clip.  I highly recommend the CSB's!!!

Caley-  I would like your opinion here.  I think you have a few shows of mine and can vouch for shows with the attenuator cable and without.  Not sure if you have any with bass roll off on vs. on.  Compare them to Brian's rig.  Not a competition here....just an honest comparison.  I have some of Brian's recordings and the sound fantastic....however I am tone deaf so my opinion is shit!

[lostflower4]

I don't know what your trick is Jeff, but the last recording I heard of yours had MEGA bass even though the filter was on.

Part of the clipping problem you have is that the MicroTrack automatically has a +20 dB gain boost. I know you can use the attenuator to bring it back down to a neutral 0, but I don't think the levels on the MicroTrack go all the way down to 0. I know that with the Edirol, you can set the input volume from absolute nothing to absolute maximum and everything in between.

My critique of your recordings? I know you had the roll-off filter turned off during the main part of London '06, and it sounded more full. Then you turned it on during the encores, and it sounded thin by comparison. You didn't have an attenuator then, and you were close to clipping many times during that show. However, The Cure doesn't really play that loud compared to a lot of bands, so it worked out.

From what I remember, you told me you recorded the She Wants Revenge show with the attenuator and no roll-off. I think it turned out excellent. And I'm pretty sure you did Sepultura before you had an attenuator, so the roll-off was necessary to keep your levels down. But if had you had the attentuator back then, I think the filter could have stayed off.

I've only heard a handful of recordings by both you and Brian, so it's hard to say which is better. I know Brian's recordings suddenly got better with Sonics, though. I think both Core Sound Binaurals are Sonic Studios DSM6S/L are in a similar league.

Again, I'm not very familiar with the MicroTrack and its levels settings. I just know that CSBs can handle very high sound pressure levels, so I would think you could just turn your input down more and leave the filter off — but I have no way to test this idea.

[crowbi_wan]

David,

Caley's recommendation regarding getting the Giant Squids and being able to remove the battery is key.  Do not get it fixed.  Do not even get a battery box from GSAL.  The mics are great for the price, but get a battery box from Sound Professionals or Microphone Madness.

Jeff,

Your last recording was one of the best things I've heard in a while.  Yeah, there's a lot of bass, but the sound is fantastic and the low end can be brought down with EQ.  Keep on doing what you did   

[j]

yeah, the microtrack is odd to say the least.  i have recorded with the levels at zero and still had good sound.  That makes no sense.  So, I added the attnuator and the levels dropped right back in.

I was in no way fishing for complements....nor trying to make it a competition between Brian and I.  We both have different rigs.  I love mine and am very comfortable with it, as I believe Brian is.

I sold my police tickets, so I really don't have any shows anytime soon.  Thanks for the kind words!

[crowbi_wan]

I sold my police tickets

Scalper 

I just saw them last night and recorded from the nosebleeds.  Good show and the recording came out pretty good considering my location. 

[lostflower4]

I was in no way fishing for complements....nor trying to make it a competition between Brian and I.

If you use the attenuator and set it at 0, will it still pick stuff up?

And what about the next level up from 0?

[j]

Haven't tried that....I'll have to give it a shot the next time I don't plan on recording the opening band. 

Regarding the Police tickets, my son's hockey team (the one I coach) is doing a summer tournament the day of the first Police show, so I sold them for face value.  I wish I could have sold them for more and been a scalper!

[lostflower4]

Interesting tips on getting your gear into the more difficult places:


http://www.solorb.com/dat-heads/digests/V6.700/D789


My favorite — the Jedi Mind Trick!

[temptation-cure]

just to be old fashion"" u can also record with a walkman 

[crowbi_wan]

Found this on taperssection.com and thought someone might be interested. 

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=89080.0

Used pair of Giant Squid Audiolab Omnis going for $45.  The guy is now taking reasonable offers and will pay for shipping.  A really good deal here for a nice pair of starter mics.  The battery box isn't included, which is a good thing. Buy one elsewhere since GSAL adds a fixed roll-off filter to theirs.  So, if you're thinking about getting into recording, but don't want to pay an arm and a leg, I'd snatch these up. 

[j]

Funny....I saw those today as well and was going to post it here.  Got a bit sidetracked at work and didn't have time.  Imagine that....having to actually do work at work!

[nausearockpig]

Not that it's worth much, but my opinion is if you can, stay away from MD. I found the changing discs to be a pain in the neck especially when you've got people sitting near you and the chance of being caught.

if you can find something with a hard disc there's less chance you can be seen messing with your rig..

but that's just me..

thanks to Brian and Caley for their advice to me earlier..

[j]

Yup.  HD is the way to go.  I use a Microtrack which records to Compact Flash cards.  Up until recently, I have recorded on a 2 gb card, using a 1 gb as a back up.  The 2 gb gives you right around 3 hours of recording time at 16/44.1.  The MT also only has the capability to make a 2 gb file, so once the file hits 2 gb, it stops recording for 5 +/- seconds then starts recording again.  That is part of the reason I only used a 2 gb card.  So, I would always record the main set on the 2gb, then swap out for the 1 gb for the encores.

However, this can cause issues- I found out the hard way.  I took my son to Ozzfest last year and was recording bands all day.  They were setting up for Ozzy and I was planning on recording it for my wife's uncle (it was the first Ozzy/Black Sabbath show in Philly he had missed in something like 20 years!).  I went to swap out the card and forgot to turn the MT off before doing it.  The unit froze.  Because the MT has an internal battery, there is no way to reset the unit without just letting the battery die.  I ended up not being able to record Ozzy, so we left early (there was a positive!).

I just switched to a 4gb card, so I won't have to swap out cards.  However, I have to keep an eye on my watch to make sure I stop recording somewhere before the show hits 3 hours and start again to aleviate the 2 gb file size ceiling.

Other HDs are better in this respect- the iRiver 20gb can record something like 4 million hours or so without swapping out any media

[rjl]

Other HDs are better in this respect- the iRiver 20gb can record something like 4 million hours or so without swapping out any media

Same with my Nomad JB3. I haven't deleted a show from it yet! Of course, I tape in sporadic spurts, but there are plenty of long sets on there, entire shows w/openers (some w/o even pausing between sets), etc.

And it uses a laptop drive. I had read somewhere about people replacing the stock 20gb drives with even larger ones, although I imagine that heat and maybe battery life issues may arise after a certain point.

[lostflower4]

Yup.  HD is the way to go.  I use a Microtrack which records to Compact Flash cards.  Up until recently, I have recorded on a 2 gb card, using a 1 gb as a back up.  The 2 gb gives you right around 3 hours of recording time at 16/44.1.  The MT also only has the capability to make a 2 gb file, so once the file hits 2 gb, it stops recording for 5 +/- seconds then starts recording again.  That is part of the reason I only used a 2 gb card.  So, I would always record the main set on the 2gb, then swap out for the 1 gb for the encores.

This is why I love the Edirol R-09 so much. Even though it's not documented yet, it can support 8 GB SD cards. This way you can record in 24-bit/48 kHz mode and not even think twice about it. That's still about 8 hours of recording time, by the way.

While the file size is limited to 2 GB, it simply starts a new file when the limit is reached — and there is absolutely NO interruption!

And finally, if you use rechargeable AA NiMH batteries, they last for 7-8 hours. So assuming you have your levels right, you could just let the damn thing run all day without even taking it out of your pocket!

[j]

Yeah, that seemless track split is the downfall of the MT.  Supposedly the next gen MT is going to have that seemeless split.  I have heard of the MT being able to use a 16 GB Microdrive, but you'd definitely need an external power source because of the MT's stupid internal battery.  Just something else that I need to jock...a USB power source to run off of.

One other thing about the Microdrive- I have read people complaining about a very light hum from the spinning of the microdrive. 

[crowbi_wan]

iRivers, when Rockboxed, have seemless splits, too.  Whoever's developing these recorders/firmware upgrades certainly has longer shows in mind 

[j]

Sort of related here....now that I have 2 complete rigs, I will be introducing my 12 year old son (he's 12 today!) to the fine art of stealth taping.  I'm taking him to see Interpol in Philly and he asked if he could tape them.