I have for a few years

Neither option was attractive.

Finally,  there’s another alternative: the Zoom Q3 HD, a pocket video camera that combines both HD video quality and high quality audio that follows in Zoom’s line of pocket audio recorders. It’s the next generation of the blue Zoom Q3, which did not offer HD video.

This device, so far, seems to provide the answer to doing the videos that I like to do: drum samples, lessons, etc.

Here are a few videos — click below for the next page — where I took all my (current) Ludwig snares, each with similar head combinations. Please let me know what you think. I’m posting them all at once, all under the same conditions (room, temperature, mood, lighting, etc.) so you can hear for yourself what each Ludwig snare sounds like.

Editing was a breeze. I literally shot the videos, plugged the Zoom directly into my computer, placed the files in my cheap video editing software, changed out the titles and then processed the files for Youtube. The worst part of the process was the time it took to upload the files to Youtube.

What do you think? Keep in mind, my drum room is very dry, with a lot of sound absorption, so what you are getting is the true, honest sound of the drums and cymbals with little to no room sound or reverb.

Your comments are welcome below!

Olympus LS-10 recorder enters the market geared for musicians

We know cretinous bootleggers will use it, but will drummers? We hope to give a look-see at NAMM this month.

From a press release

CENTER VALLEY, Pa.– Olympus, a market leader for portable digital voice recorders and professional dictation devices, now leverages its audio expertise with the LS-10 Linear PCM Audio Recording Device.

It is called “the ultimate portable professional recording tool for musicians and everyone who values high-quality recording. Straight out of the box, the intuitive and easy-to-use LS-10 delivers the high fidelity of a portable professional recording studio in an extremely light, go-anywhere body.

No extra gear is required to record audio in uncompressed 24 bit/96 kHz Linear PCM format for digital stereo recordings true to the original performance. In addition to WAV, the LS-10 records and plays back in the common WMA and MP3 formats.”

The LS-10 contains the following features:

• Uncompressed 24 bit/96 kHz Linear PCM recording capability
• WAV, MP3 and WMA recording and playback
• Elegant and durable aluminum body
• 2GB Built-in memory and a SD/SDHC removable media card slot that can accommodate SD cards
• Built-in stereo speakers for instant playback of recordings
• High sensitivity built-in stereo microphones
• Manual Recording Level Adjustment to obtain the optimum level
• Remote jack for optional wireless remote controller
• Recording battery life of 12 hours, and
• Large 1.8-inch LCD with backlight.

“The LS-10 will bring music to the masses by allowing musicians and audio enthusiasts to produce studio-quality recordings,” said Andrew Flagg, director, Sales and Marketing, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “As more and more people return to playing musical instruments themselves, the LS-10 will help them reach their true potential as performers and allow them to share their music with friends and family. Whether it is used by a band of amateur musicians or an orchestra, the LS-10 offers the best sound quality, ease of use, and feature set in the industry and produces recordings that are faithful to the original performance.”

High Quality Recording
The LS-10 features uncompressed 24 bit/96kHz Linear PCM recording capability, to capture the rich sound quality of music performances. It has the versatility to record and play back in the WAV, MP3 and WMA formats. The LS-10 can record with its internal microphone or by plugging in an external microphone. The LS-10’s value extends beyond the realm of music. Students will find it useful for recording lectures and journalists for recording high-quality interviews for broadcasts and podcasts.

Elegant and Intuitive Design
An enlarged, backlit LCD is easy to read and shows file information, recording time and events clearly. The device is outfitted with an ergonomic dial thumb pad allowing the user to play or stop a recording, adjust the volume level, fast-forward and rewind with the touch of one button. The Erase and Folder/Index buttons are positioned individually below the thumb dial for easy access.

Durability
The LS-10 has a lightweight and durable aluminum body. This keeps the weight of the LS-10 to a mere 5.8 ounces including batteries.

Memory Capacity and Expandability
The LS-10 has two gigabytes of internal flash memory to capture lengthy recordings. The LS-10 also features an SD/SDHC removable media card slot to further expand its capacity. During a busy day of recording, changing SD cards is an easy way for users to capture more audio without taking the time to download files to a computer.

Recording and Listening
The LS-10 can play back the high-quality audio it records and play it back on its built-in stereo speakers with vibrancy and clarity. These speakers allow more than one person to listen to a new recording simultaneously to help collaborating musicians evaluate recording progress on the fly.

Wireless Control
The optional exclusive wireless remote controller allows users to start and stop the recording of the LS-10 from a distance. This is ideal for live performances when the LS-10 can be placed near the stage and activated from several rows back.

Battery Life
The LS-10 can record 12 hours on two AA batteries, longer than many competing Linear PCM recorders and long enough for an all-day event.

Accessories
The LS-10 ships with Steinberg CUBASE LE 4 Sound editing software with 48 sound tracks and variety of effects, a carrying case, USB cable, audio cable, wind screen, two AA batteries, a strap, an instruction manual and Olympus warranty card.

Optional accessories for the LS-10 include an infrared remote control, AC adaptor, conference microphones (ME30W), Carrying Bag, Tripod, Rechargeable Battery (Ni-MH) and Charger, a zoom microphone, and a headset.

Pricing and Availability
The LS-10 provides excellent uncompressed audio recording at a fraction of the price of competing Linear PCM recorders. The LS-10 Digital Audio Device has an estimated street price of $399.99 (U.S.) and will be available in January 2008.

Here’s a start: An excellent article on how to mic a drumkit with only 3 microphones. Courtesy of Prosoundweb. Enjoy.