Re: Field Recordings

["James Pokorny" <j.pokorny@worldnet.att.net>]

Matt wrote:
>I use a plain old Sony voice-activated cassette recorder
>I love the sound
>characteristics, accessibility, and versatility-during-performance of 
>tape.
>
>The recorder I use was about $100 (Sony TCM-50DV), but aside from having a
>nice tape movement mechanism, it's not noticeably better than a similar
>model I got for $40 (Sony TCM-20DV). Both of these can record and play at
>normal and half speed. They also both have a nice analog pitch wheel that
>can let you speed it up OR slow it down by about 20%.

I'll second that.  I purchased a Sony TCM-60DV last year to use for
recording my music lessons in India.  The microphone attachment worked 
quite
well (my only complaint is the extremely thin wire).  I'd point the mike
toward my teacher and the lessons were captured very clearly.  I was also
able to record some concerts this way and they too came out well.  In
addition, I used the onboard microphone to record street sounds, temple
bells/gongs/drumming, wedding processions, etc. and these also recorded
well, although due to the louder outdoor settings (as well as maintaining a
respectful distance) they tend to be noisier and grainier.  All in all, I'd
recommend it as a very worthwhile, inexpensive, workable tool.

One loop-related footnote:  Going out for a walk one day I decided to bring
along a cassette of some loops I'd recently done and listen to them on
headphones.  I was a bit startled, because although I knew I'd made these
loops, they sounded very strange and unfamiliar -- but really good, in 
fact,
better than I'd remembered.  It was only when one side ended and I went to
flip the tape that I noticed that the speed control had been inadvertently
pushed to the lowest position.  So I'd been listening to them with the 
tempo
slowed considerably and at a lower pitch.  Kind of a pleasant surprise ;-)