Pitch to Outfront

Capturing the audio is the first step to editing it, as you can well imagine. Therefore, here are some advice and suggestions on your equipment choices when gathering the raw material for your radio piece:

Your Equipment
At Outfront, we have put together "kits" that we lend to our freelancers to enable them to gather audio. These kits usually include a microphone, headphones, adaptors, and either a portable cassette tape recorder or a mini-disc recorder. CBC tends to buy a lot of the equipment directly from the manufacturers but Future Shop or Radio Shack will probably have most of this stuff

Recorders
(You'll need the Sony molded right-angle XLR to stereo mini adapter to connect the microphones to ALL of these machines!)

MINIDISCS
Outfront uses Sony minidisc recorders, exclusively. Check Sony's web site to find out about the latest models. Make sure the model includes a MIC INPUT plug. Not all of them do.

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Analog cassette tape recorders are fine too. The Sony TCM-AP10V is what we have in the cupboard but the Sony Pro Walkman is better (if you can find/afford one) .

For professional results with music, sound, etc., the Digital Audio Tape (DAT) recorder is the high-end way to go. We use the Sony TCD8 sDAT Walkman (approx. $675). We suggest that you purchase rechargeable batteries for this recorder because double AA's don't last long. The mic mini-plug input on this machine is delicate. Use only Sony miniplugs and don't pull on the mic cable too hard or you will damage the machine.

Microphones
We use Shure SM-58, SM-61 and SM-63 microphones and the Electrovoice RE-50 and 635-A models. Both these microphones have XLR connectors (professional connections) and require the Sony XLR to stereo mini adapter to connect to the recorder. The stereo Sony microphones are excellent for getting ambient sound. They have built-in cables with stereo-mini connectors and do not require an adapter. More about mics here.

Headphones
We suggest any kind of decent headphones that you are comfortable with. In this case, you get what you pay for. The mid-price Sony headphones are good. Look for the kind with a closed-ear design (a cushion that keeps out extraneous noise). They are especially useful in noisy settings.

The main thing is to always try to wear your headphones when you are recording, especially when you arrive in a new situation which might have new ambient sound. Beware of air conditioners, passing traffic, airplanes, fans, construction, refrigerators. What you hear and what your mic hears are often different things, so wear the headphones to make sure there are no humming sounds that will disrupt your recordings.