Who knew a digital voice recorder would star in a TV network series? When I wrote the article about the dictaphone owned by Louis Litt from the TV series, Suits, on the USA network, I didn’t have any inkling that this ” XJS 5000 Dictaphone” ( a fictional portable voice recorder that is, in reality, the Sony ICD-SX712 digital voice recorder) would continue to play such a pivotal role in the series. But every week since the voice recorder made its appearance, not only do we see Louis using it, but we see major plot points revolving around it.
Two episodes ago, the recorder was a comic device. We saw Louis making funny and ridiculous little recordings. One example is when Harvey says “you’re the man,” and Louis records it. Then when Harvey leaves the room, Louis plays it over and over, stopping to talk to his little machine saying things like “who’s the man?” and then hitting the “play” button to hear Harvey’s recorded voice saying “you’re the man” again, ad infintum. There were more funny recordings revealed in last night’s episode (July 26th) when Mike gets a hold of it and finds Louis’ recordings of “Goal number 7: perfect a British accent. Hey, top of the morning mate! Would you like some tea and crumpets?” and “You have been Litt up!”
But it seems all comedic actors eventually want some darker, more serious role. A few episodes ago, Louis left the recorder hidden in Harvey’s office and learned a secret Harvey was keeping from the newly-returned founding partner, Daniel Hardman. Louis then used that information to curry favor with Daniel and get back at Harvey for – well – anything really. There is no love lost between them. But I digress!
Last night Mike gave Harvey the recorder and revealed Louis’ treachery. Harvey then confronts Louis and another good dramatic role was had by the little digital voice recorder that could.
Since writing the original article, several folks have written in to vouch for how awesome the Sony ICD-SX712 digital voice recorder actually is. If you’d like to join Louis Litt in ownership of this cool little device, check it out here.
mobile recording
Two New Studio Quality iPad Microphones
Lately there have been a lot of audio devices for iOS – meaning for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. So far it has been difficult to get really great audio recording using an iOS microphone (like the IK Multimedia iRig Mic – see our review of that here –
Review of IK Multimedia’s iRig Microphone For iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch) or iOS mic interface/preamp (such as the IK Multimedia iRig PRE). both of which attach to the iPad via the mic/headphone jack. But even though the quality of those is pretty good, the interface via the mic/headphone jack limits the audio quality.
Enter two notable microphones for iOS, the Blue Spark Digital, and the Apogee Electronics MiC. Both of these microphones use the Apple 30-pin connector as opposed to the mic/headphone jack, and both double as USB mics that you can use with both Mac and/or PC (the Blue works with both but the Apogee only mentions working with Mac). And of course, the names Blue and Apogee Electronics are well-respected manufacturers of excellent quality audio gear. I read an article yesterday that proclaimed the Blue Spark Digital to be the “first studio grade condenser mic available for iPad.” While it may have been first, it is no longer the “only” mic in that category with the availability of the Apogee MiC.
Blue Spark Digital
The Blue Spark Digital microphone is a USB/iOS version of Blue’s solid state Spark cardioid condenser mic, sharing all the top-notch components. It also has a headphone jack on the mic. In addition, it has a feature called the Focus control, a button that offers two sonic modes. Normal mode is for increased low frequency sensitivity, and Focus mode is for “even greater clarity and detail.” It’s perfect for recording vocals and acoustic instruments. It comes with a desk stand with integrated shock mount, a Y-cable with USB, iPad and headphone connectors, and Blue’s Cloud Production bundle for audio back-up and sharing on-line. $199.99
Apogee Electronics MiC
The Apogee MiC, is also designed primarily for vocals and acoustic instruments and, like the Blue, also has a cardioid pickup pattern. Also as with the Blue, the Apogee has a control knob for input level adjustment as well as a meter to monitor input signal levels. It comes with a tripod desk stand, an iOS connection cable and a Mac connection cable.
Both mics sound fantastic and as far as I know, the highest quality mics available for recording on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. And don’t forget that both can also be used with a computer via USB (though the Apogee can only be used with a Mac). $199.
Mobile Recording – Choosing An Audio Interface For Your Laptop
I was reading an article this morning about how to select a sound card for your laptop if you plan to do pro-sounding recording on the move. For the most part though, when you say “sound card” in relation to professional sounding recording, what you’re really saying is “audio interface,” or external sound card. In fact, most interface units aren’t “cards” at all, but usually boxes that plug into the laptop either via USB or Firewire (more USB these days). Anyway, the more I read through the article, the more I realized that for the most part, any interface you choose for your laptop would also be great for your regular non-mobile computer. So the questions you ask yourself about mobile recording interfaces are largely the same as you’d ask for your home studio recording interface. These days, unless you plan to become a commercial recording studio, the interface units for a computer based home studio will be small boxes, i.e. the same as would be appropriate for mobile recording.
So what are the questions you should be asking? According to the article in question, they are:
1. Is portability a concern?
2. How many inputs and outputs do yo need? In other words, will you need to record more than one thing at a time – a guitar and voice simultaneously, for example?
3. Will you be recording with a microphone or using “outboard gear” like a MIDI keyboard.
4. Do bit-depth and sampling frequency really matter? This one I really like the answer to, because it is definitely what I believe as well. That is basically that though it makes a technical/objective difference, a vast majority of people won’t be able to tell the difference between some of the more affordable interface units and the super expensive ones if the main difference is bit-depth.
5. What other accessories might you need? This refers to speakers (notoriously un-mobile), headphones, mics, cables etc.
Here are a few examples of good mobile interface units. All of these have phantom power, by the way – something you need if recording with a condenser microphone, and connect to a USB port.
The cEntrance MicPort Pro
The cEntrance Mic Port Pro is really the ultimate in portable interfaces. It records very high-quality audio, plugs right into a USB port and has a headphone jack. See my review of it here (includes audio samples): https://www.homebrewaudio.com/review-of-the-centrance-micport-pro-audio-interface/. $149.95.
The M-Audio Mobile Pre
The M-Audio Mobile Pre is lightweight, has two combo (mic or line-level) inputs, and is definitely a great-sounding interface. $111.71.
Focusrite Saffire 6 USB
Great quality from a famous name in audio for a great price. It has 2 combo inputs with the same preamps as all the other Focusrite Saffire series interface units. $174.99.
M-Audio Fast Track
And of course, the M-Audio Fast Track which is very portable, has a mic and an instrument input, and costs just $99.99.
Of course there are dozens more out there.
Check out the article I’ve been referring to here: http://blog.dubspot.com/mobile-music-production-finding-the-perfect-audio-interface/
Tascam DR-07 Portable Digital Audio Recorder On Sale
B&H Pro Audio has a great deal on the Tascam DR-07mkII Portable Digital Audio Recorder right now. The regular price is $149.99, and the sale price is $119.99, the lowest price on the internet!
The reasons that this portable/mobile audio recorder is so awesome include its ability to adjust the two microphones for different stereo recording configurations (X/Y or A/B), as well as the fact that it records both high-quality WAV (16 and 24-bit) or MP3 (32-320 kbps VBR) formats.
It’s perfect for recording interviews, rehearsals, sound-design elements (like sound effects you’d use in video/movie projects), or live music shows. It has a 3.5mm stereo mic/line input so you could record the output of a mixer (great for live performances). It also has the same sized (3.5mm) stereo output (headphone/line) so you can connect additional equipment, even speakers. You can transfer recordings via its mini USB 2.0 port or the microSD or microSDHC cards it records on. IT runs on 2 standard AA batteries, or by USB bus power, or from a USB AC wall adapter.
It is always handy to have a pocket-sized digital recorder and now you can get this awesome one for a huge discount. To get yours, or find out more, CLICK HERE.
The XJS 5000 Dictaphone From Suits
I like to keep an eye out for audio recording references in pop culture, such as when watching television shows, movies, etc. This past week (June 21st, 2012) on the USA network series, Suits, the character of Louis Litt (an attorney), received a gift from one of the managing senior partners (the despicable Daniel Hardman). When Louis opened the box he saw what appeared to be a hand-held audio recorder. He said “The XJS 5000 Dictaphone. How the hell did he know?”
Several things went through my mind at that point, such as confusion as to why a guy who wears 5-thousand dollar suits would be impressed by a gift like this, especially since his iPhone could do the same thing; and why he would say “how did he know?” as if he had been longing for one of these dictaphones but had not purchased one for himself. But the most pressing matter was to look up whether there was even such a thing as an XJS 5000 Dictaphone. My wife and I both started with the research, her on the laptop and me on my iPhone/dictaphone.
It turns out that the XJS 5000 was in reality the Sony ICD-SX712 digital voice recorder. (Note: The 712 was apparently discontinued in 2014 and replaced with the Sony ICD-SX733 Digital Voice Recorder – though you can still get them at Amazon). It costs about $190 (US) (though the original 712 is now quite a bit more expensive – probably due to scarcity). And just like the package on Louis’ XJS 5000, the Sony boasts hundreds of hours of recording time, which is probably more than an iPhone. Or at least more than you’d want to put on your phone:).
But still I wondered why a lawyer would need one of these; and why, when he probably spends more than that on lunch, Louis had not dropped the 120 bucks to get his own recorder rather than secretly pining away for one.
I don’t have any really great answers to these questions. But I decided to look into the features of the Sony ICD. I mean what could possibly be so great about being able to record your voice all the time, especially when you’d have to schlep around yet another electronic thing along with your wallet and smart phone.
One feature did catch my eye – the description that said: Software Prints Out Your Recordings. By the way, that last thing is just for the “D” model (Sony ICD-SX712D), which is a bit more expensive because it comes with Dragon Naturally Speaking software, with which you can “have your dictation files automatically transcribed to text when you upload them to your compatible Windows computer.” Since the original 712D is so hard to get now, a great (and cost-effective) substitute is the Philips Voice Tracer DVT2700 for only about $80 US!
That sounds very cool. It turns out that the Sony includes speech-to-text software which converts your recorded audio into text and saves it for you so you can print it out later. Now THAT is handy. I’m constantly grabbing my iPhone to type notes into Evernote. It would certainly be a lot faster to be able to speak to my iPhone and have it create the note for me. No doubt there is a way to make this happen, perhaps via something like the Dragon Dictation app (which is the same company that makes the software for the Sony, BTW).
So I’m still not convinced a lawyer would need a separate digital voice recorder. But for some of us, especially the ones who don’t have smart phones already, this can be a pretty cool little tool. If you’d like get a Digital Voice Recorder for yourself, click right here.
