Cheap recording equipment?

[lelle]

I didn't really know where to post this, but here goes   

I am looking for some budget priced (and by that I mean cheap) equipment for home recording as I currently only posses a headset microphone, lol. While there isn't any real need for good equipment at home considering how clattery my piano sounds, I sometimes have free access to a nice Steinway in a nearby church, and I was thinking about recording myself while playing there (for self educational purposes). What kind of equipment do you recommend to get at least decent sounding recordings while playing in that church?

Recording experts, feel free to pour all your knowledge out, since I basically know nothing about this subject. 

Thanks for any help

[pianist1976]

I'm really far to be described as an "expert in recordings"  but I think that the new integrated mic+digital recorder devices are fantastic and not very expensive. I tried some of these because some friends of my use them. I'm thinking on Zoom H1, H2 or H4 (different models with different prices, from 100$ to 300$). You can also take a look to Yamaha's integrated models.

I use to do my home recordings now with a Minidisc which I bought 5 years ago but this is a format expensive and it's obsolete and in jeopardy.

[richard black]

Yes, currently the cheapest decent recorder is the Zoom H1. It's annoying ergonomically, but if you can put up with that it does a remarkably good job for its price and includes microphones.

[perfect_pitch]

I'm thinking on Zoom H2...

Want to hear the thing in action? I have a HD video using that exact mic...

I think it's pretty decent for $300.

[oxy60]

The absolute cheapest is the computer you have plus some free software; Goldwave, etc. And then if want better sound, plug in a better microphone. My computer also has a built in video camera. Using that, plus the built in microphone and some free video capture software will get the job done for "youtube" in the really cheapest way.

You can always spend more money to capture better sound but at a certain point the quality of the source sound will become a factor.

[lelle]

Thanks for the replies guys! I think I'll have a look at the Zoom H1.

Yes, currently the cheapest decent recorder is the Zoom H1. It's annoying ergonomically, but if you can put up with that it does a remarkably good job for its price and includes microphones.

What are the disadvantages, to be more specific? (ergonomically etc)

Want to hear the thing in action? I have a HD video using that exact mic...

I think it's pretty decent for $300.

Did you film that using a separate camera? Or does the mic come with movie capture capabilities?

The absolute cheapest is the computer you have plus some free software; Goldwave, etc. And then if want better sound, plug in a better microphone. My computer also has a built in video camera. Using that, plus the built in microphone and some free video capture software will get the job done for "youtube" in the really cheapest way.

You can always spend more money to capture better sound but at a certain point the quality of the source sound will become a factor.

The key factor in my question is that I want to be able to record in places where I do not have access to a computer. I do have a webcam and an assortment of cheap voice chat microphones but I am looking for something better, and more flexible than a 15kg computer package, if you get my drift.

[perfect_pitch]

Did you film that using a separate camera? Or does the mic come with movie capture capabilities?

The mic is seperate from the camera. The camera is a JVC HD! I sync the two together. The camera was $600.

[omar_roy]

How cheap is cheap?

I use the Snowball Microphone from the company "Blue" and it has very good sound quality for a $100 mic.  They recently came out with the "Yeti" which is even better and only costs $150.

[oxy60]

The mic is seperate from the camera. The camera is a JVC HD! I sync the two together. The camera was $600.

I assume the microphone plugs into the camera. For a moment there I thought you recorded the sound on another recorder and then assembled the video picture and the sound to get the final product.

[richard black]

For a moment there I thought you recorded the sound on another recorder and then assembled the video picture and the sound to get the final product.

Plenty of people do that - works OK.

[oxy60]

Really? How exactly do you sync up the recording with the picture? Not even network TV does it that way. I know how to do it with a real film movie camera and a recorder but doesn't that add an extra (cost) step to the video process?

[lelle]

Really? How exactly do you sync up the recording with the picture? Not even network TV does it that way. I know how to do it with a real film movie camera and a recorder but doesn't that add an extra (cost) step to the video process?

I'd just film and record audio simultaineously and then add the audio and video track into some movie editing program (Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas etc), move the tracks around until they seem synced, render a new movie file and voila that's how easy it was