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Smartphones for recording live audio (band practice etc.)


Mornats
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Morning all,

I'm looking at replacing my iPhone 4 with an Android phone (for various reasons, mainly because itunes is sh*t and a pain to do anything with) and I was almost settled on a Samsung Galaxy S2 when I started thinking about the iPhone's most impressive feature (for me at the moment) - it's ability to handle loud audio fairly well whilst recording. Example here: [url="http://soundcloud.com/mornats/whisky-river-money"]http://soundcloud.com/mornats/whisky-river-money[/url]. This was recorded using the voice recorder app with the phone just sitting on a table a few meters from the band. Not bad I'd say for a smartphone with no addons or fancy apps!

So that's what I'm after, something like that but I've heard that nothing really compares to the iPhone in this regard and there are not a lot of decent Android apps for recording. Hmmm. I don't want to spend a few hundred quid on a Zoom H4, not when I can get something passable out of my iPhone.

Any advice? Any experience of using Android phones to record live band practice?

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HTC Hero - awful, don't bother
HTC Desire S - awful, don't bother - gets totally swamped and distorts at a pin dropping (slight exaggeration but mine at least is shockingly bad)
Samsung Galaxy S3 - very poor at picking up bass

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I have a Zoom Q3. I use it to record rehearsals and performances. It's audio recording is top notch. Brilliant. Picks up bass superbly, and, with the auto level record, can handle ANY level of sound. I'm 100% pleased with it. Video isn't great on it though. I'm upgrading to the Q3HD plus the new Q2HD for improved video, live webcasting (wow!) and to be able to record with two cams to be able to make more interesting performance videos. You'll never get the same from a phone.

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I got a Line 6 Backtrack+Mic recently, which is very good provided you don't put it too close to one of the amps. They're getting cheaper on eBay too, I got mine for £28 posted.

I previously had the Backtrack without the mic, which isn't so useful, it's really only for recording one instrument.

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Some good suggestions here. I think having something separate to the phone is a good idea and that Line 6 Backtrack is the right price, I'll keep an eye out for one :) I'll have a look into the Zoom Q3HD though as video may be something I'd want to dabble with. Cheers guys!

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