Does it pick up sound clearly from several feet away? I hope to use a recorder to record lectures in class
84686
I tried recording from about 12 feet away and it did pick up the sound, but it was at low volume and I recorded in a quiet room. I suspect that in a lecture it would pick up lots of background noise. For your requirement I think you'd be better with a dedicated voice recorder, and perhaps one with a directional microphone.
1251091
Yes it is. Haven't had the time to familiarize myself with all the features, but I used it for an informal interview and was able to record without a problem. If the audio on the recorder itself is muffled for any reason, it becomes much clearer when you plug in a set of headphones.
321227
Actually, from what I've gotten out of mine so far it almost sounds better in medium sized rooms. The speaker size and shape directs the sound in a fairly linear way, and doesn't spread very well at short distances, but if you're more than about 5 feet away from them, you should be fine.
150112
Using normal voice - Sounds good at one foot, can hear reasonably well recorded from 5 feet away, harder but can still hear recorded from 10 feet away.
1650527
Yes, Not a problem over distance. not good for close in, sound will be noisy on the lows. This unit is designed for auditorium usage.
610921
In order for the mic to be sensitive enough to pick up sounds at a distance, there is no avoiding background noise. This is very different than a mic that is kept close to your mouth, for example. Your best bet is to put in sound deadeners, like carpets and curtains, as it is the reflected sound that really increases the noise.
1824655
My experience has been very good. We've used it for a guest dance teacher on the floor with music playing and only her voice is coming through. We set the microphone about 2" to the side of the mouth and it seems to only pick up the voice. We have the gain set very low.
1873124
I have used this mic for recording interviews and it works very well. I've placed it on a desk or table several feet away and it has no problem picking up the conversation.
26562
yes, both instruments and vocals record well with exceptionally sharp response and clarity. I have found myself using the built ins more and more. Of course your room or recording area accoustics can be a contributing factor as well as distance from the recorder. Experiment, you won't be disappointed.
1488035
I can not be sure, it would think it depends on you set up. Let me share my experience, maybe that will help you. I used a set of speakers in the front of the classroom. The mic was placed on desk approximately 7 to 8 feet from the speakers. The mic worked extremely well and did not pick up anything from the speakers. Hope that helps.
1908791
i have never tried it from over 20 ft i record a lot of things off utube and it is very clear and thats across the room from what i am recording. i am going to try it sunday for the services and that will be 40 ft or so and i can let you know if you like hope that helps
2107308
Yes. It is sensitive enoigh to pick up people talking and should work fine. The background noise it reads at is around 35. A classroom that's quiet would be around 45. 75 and they are talking too much.
1908796
Unfortunately, I can't answer that question. I'm normally within a few feet of the speaker(s) in large lecture halls. I feel that the quality of the recording depends not only on the distance between the recorder and the speak(s), but rather the surroundings. (E.g. Audio speakers being used to amplify a microphone, quality of the speaker's voice, acoustics of the room, and the never ending chatter of those around you.) Since I'm so close to the speaker I've never changed any of the quality settings of the microphone to compare them. If anyone has done so, is their any settings that you might recommend for specific recording environments? Unfortunately, I can't answer that question. I'm normally within a few feet of the speaker(s) in large lecture halls. I feel that the quality of the recording depends not only on the distance between the recorder and the speak(s), but rather the surroundings. (E.g. Audio speakers being used to amplify a microphone, quality of the speaker's voice, acoustics of the room, and the never ending chatter of those around you.) Since I'm so close to the speaker I've never changed any of the quality settings of the microphone to compare them. If anyone has done so, is their any settings that you... » Read More Unfortunately, I can't answer that question. I'm normally within a few feet of the speaker(s) in large lecture halls. I feel that the quality of the recording depends not only on the distance between the recorder and the speak(s), but rather the surroundings. (E.g. Audio speakers being used to amplify a microphone, quality of the speaker's voice, acoustics of the room, and the never ending chatter of those around you.) Since I'm so close to the speaker I've never changed any of the quality settings of the microphone to compare them. If anyone has done so, is their any settings that you might recommend for specific recording environments? « Show Less
2176674
I think you need a uni-directional mic for what you want. This is more a recording mic where sound comes from a single source.
2091240
I have not used this device in a classroom, however, I used in the church and worked fine as well as in a small group meeting less than 10 people. Either occasions, I had not had any issues with recording and playing as long as there is no noise. It will pick up and sound as it should. Hope this helps to make you decision. Thanks.
1579293
I use it to record music classes. It is outstanding. Parameters need to be turned on so sound isn't too faint nor too saturated. Outside lectures can be difficult for any device but this will do it about as well as anything. Upon getting this I would suggest recording a TV show in your home, radio blasting from your stereo and talking. Learn how to optimize the recorder for various environments and it will pay off on your trip with flawless recordings. If that sounds too complex then get TASCAM DR-40 which can be set to record everything twice. One is called a "safety track" at a lower level so you're sure to have something. Buy a bunch of SD cards and an external hard drive to back up your work.
109750
I have found that the 3D headphones (from Livescribe) does a great job in cutting ambient noise when recording in a conference setting (or in your case, classroom setting). Also, you can try setting the "Audio Quality" to High - the obvious downside is that your number of recorded hours goes down, but this has never been a problem for me as I sync my pen with Evernote almost daily.