Date:         Wed, 18 Feb 2004 13:33:54 -0500
Reply-To:     Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
              <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
              <[log in to unmask]>
From:         Matthew Barton <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Field Recording Formats
Comments: To: Guha Shankar <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

Does anyone out there have suggestions for a dependable field recording
format? Here at the Folklife Center, we're getting more and more queries
about this. In recent years most audio fieldwork has been done on
cassette or DAT, and even though both of those formats have a limited
future, they have a large user base and may be preferable for the short
run while the market decides just what will be available. That said, a
lot of people are rushing to buy items such as portable CD recorders and
Marantz's flashcard recorder, moves that they may live to regret. Still
others are using Minidisc recorders. One growing and intriguing
possibility is laptop hard drive recording, which can be accomplished
with various combinations of gear, but would seem to cost almost as much
as a non-portable digital audio workstation.

Any suggestions or useful tales from the field would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Matthew Barton
American Folklife Center
The Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540-4610
phone: (202) 707-1733
fax: (202) 707-2076
email: [log in to unmask]

[text/html]