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Tascam iM2 Stereo Condensor Microphones

touchmonkey said:
Since the limiter only compresses sounds above the threshhold, which would be distorted otherwise, I'm still not getting why you wouldn't just leave it on.
Click to expand...

Because you have no setting to adjust the headroom on the limiter, sometimes it may engage sooner then you would like it to, and can cause your audio to be quieter than you would like it to be. It can reduce your dynamic range much like todays modern mastering, everything is slammed, the soft acoustic guitars are as loud as the heavy guitars, shortening that dynamic range between the two. The limiter will remove some of that dynamic range.

The limiter reduces your distance between your soft and your loud by lowering your overall loud, compressing the range. You might want that FULL dynamic rage in your audio, therefore needing to turn off the limiter.

I hope that all makes some sort of sense. haha
 
Daremo said:
Because you have no setting to adjust the headroom on the limiter, sometimes it may engage sooner then you would like it to, and can cause your audio to be quieter than you would like it to be. It can reduce your dynamic range much like todays modern mastering, everything is slammed, the soft acoustic guitars are as loud as the heavy guitars, shortening that dynamic range between the two. The limiter will remove some of that dynamic range.

The limiter reduces your distance between your soft and your loud by lowering your overall loud, compressing the range. You might want that FULL dynamic rage in your audio, therefore needing to turn off the limiter.

I hope that all makes some sort of sense. haha
Click to expand...
I thought there had to be a downside to it, or else it would just be automatic.
So, according to Tascam's specs one should be OK to around 125db, right?
And therefore you shouldn't need a limiter if you're not going over that?
But still have to manually set the level as you go?
Of course when music gets quiet you want the recording to reflect that so that, as you point out what was quiet in the source doesn't end up being as loud as the loud parts.
I take it that it becomes a matter of estimating what the level should be based on experience and some knowledge of what the sound source is going to be doing?
Thanks for your help. I guess I need to take my own advice and remember google is my friend.:D
 
Copypasta from the email I sent to a professional musician friend (who will let me record his gig Thursday, if I can brave the cold and ice on my motorscooter), who ordered one (at the great current B&H price of $30 delivered):

"Got the iM2 and love it already. The app is a little skittish, but the mic works with all apps I've tried (Garageband, Tascam PCM, FiRe and iPro Recorder).

The mic also works for video recording. when you shoot landscape, you'll need the workaround below for true stereo orientation (cord).

Took a while to be able to monitor. Don't plug in a headset that has a mic.
There are issues, but you have a portable (I checked it out online....its a real mother) so you know about handling noise, etc.

The mic won't fit with a case on. The work around is go naked, of course, or get a dock cord, which I have on order, to isolate the mic

I also ordered a lightning to 30 pin adapter cord for my Mini. Now that I think of it I assumed yours is not an iPhone 5. If it is, that would be the work around.

The Tascam app is hard to find with an iTunes search so here's the link:
Its pretty good but some limited function (not multi-track) but download it for sure. You can play with it to get familiar until your mic comes.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pcmrecorder/id481055155?ls=1&mt=8

I'm looking at this one ($10) has unlimited tracks and a lot of other features
Way more than I would use.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prostudio-music-recording/id361109353?mt=8

The iM2 works in Garageband for iPad, but I can't figure out how yet to set Garageband to record without stopping at a certain number of bars. Help a brother out if you know.

This certainly isn't the equivalent of the portable you already have, but its a pretty cool gadget. "
 
A little mini bubble wrap (felt or anything else) and an Altoids tin for a case for just the unit.
I found an unused 100mm plastic cigarette case that works great, and holds my home-made dead cat.
 
Rode recording app

i've just got this mic, based on comments here, and I've no complaints re quality of build or sound.

I'm using it on an iPad2, and an iPhone 5 using the 20cm Apple corded lightning adapter.

I have tried various apps and found the Tascam, Rode Rec, and Turbokey Studio's Recorder+ suit me the best.

I do notice that monitoring using headphones is a bit hit & miss, sometimes you can monitor, other times you cant!. I think it's just a case of what sequence things are plugged in though.

For use with the iPhone's video cameras, I am constructing a bracket to hold the mic in the correct orientation using a Sidekic (Iphone 5) tripod adapter.

I saw the B&H offer mentioned earlier, but sourced mine from Amazon.com for $33 as I already have an account here.
 
Been having an issue with mine (using an iPhone 5). The mic records for about four seconds then cuts out. Anyone ever experience this? Thanks.
 
masterofsparks said:
Been having an issue with mine (using an iPhone 5). The mic records for about four seconds then cuts out. Anyone ever experience this? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Which recording program are you using?
I don't have an iPhone 5, but until I got the settings right Garageband would auto-stop.
 
Dubious experience with Tascam mic and PCM Recorder

Greetings all!

I am really excited to use the mic and app.. but have some questions. Seemed to work fine at home so I took it out last night. I learned the hard way that the record button is only a monitor button and that one must also click the play button to record...

Today I wanted to listen to a recording.. so I first had to select the file, click "Load" and then I assumed click the green Play button. So the little sound bars are bouncing around, but no sound comes out of either the built-in speaker or headphones if plugged in... am I missing something?

Seems strange that the playback meters are related to the output level, not the inherent level of the recording - upping the iphone speaker button makes the level indicators go higher... is that by design? (still no sound output)

There's also a strange indicator during playback "[EQ-OUT]" that does not have any reference... anyone familiar with what that means? Is it related to a number below it that periodically pops up with -46dB or something?

With sharing, I signed up for account at SoundCloud, and clicked upload. Its difficult to tell if the software is doing anything, but after a while it responds with "A server with the specified hostname could not be found"! Does anyone have experience with using the upload feature?

The headphone monitor function does not... function.. I plug headphones in and turn on the recorder and... nothing comes out the headphones. Unplugged and plugged multiple times with no change. Any ideas?

I still have not been able to listen to my recordings so I have no idea if this thing is any good... is iTunes (erg) required (erg) to get the recordings off the phone?

Its very frustrating that Tascam did not reveal the specifications of all their features - such as the frequencies of their high and low eq as well as the "low cut". They mentions something about "4500Hz shelf" for the hi eq, but that is pretty useless. The lo cut is described as "cuts all low frequencies". Has anyone been able to learn more about the specifics?

Thanks ahead of time... any advice appreciated.
 
thulsadoom said:
Greetings all!

I am really excited to use the mic and app.. but have some questions. Seemed to work fine at home so I took it out last night. I learned the hard way that the record button is only a monitor button and that one must also click the play button to record...

Today I wanted to listen to a recording.. so I first had to select the file, click "Load" and then I assumed click the green Play button. So the little sound bars are bouncing around, but no sound comes out of either the built-in speaker or headphones if plugged in... am I missing something?

Seems strange that the playback meters are related to the output level, not the inherent level of the recording - upping the iphone speaker button makes the level indicators go higher... is that by design? (still no sound output)

There's also a strange indicator during playback "[EQ-OUT]" that does not have any reference... anyone familiar with what that means? Is it related to a number below it that periodically pops up with -46dB or something?

With sharing, I signed up for account at SoundCloud, and clicked upload. Its difficult to tell if the software is doing anything, but after a while it responds with "A server with the specified hostname could not be found"! Does anyone have experience with using the upload feature?

The headphone monitor function does not... function.. I plug headphones in and turn on the recorder and... nothing comes out the headphones. Unplugged and plugged multiple times with no change. Any ideas?

I still have not been able to listen to my recordings so I have no idea if this thing is any good... is iTunes (erg) required (erg) to get the recordings off the phone?

Its very frustrating that Tascam did not reveal the specifications of all their features - such as the frequencies of their high and low eq as well as the "low cut". They mentions something about "4500Hz shelf" for the hi eq, but that is pretty useless. The lo cut is described as "cuts all low frequencies". Has anyone been able to learn more about the specifics?

Thanks ahead of time... any advice appreciated.
Click to expand...
Gosh what a bummer. I am having none of those issues, except the headphone monitoring. If I re-plug in it works. Soundcloud, no prob.
And when playing back the phone volume control does not affect the meters.
I agree with the lack of good specs from Tascam.
You might try another recording program. (Fire?)
(btw, you can also push the record button a second time to start)
 
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