What is the best portable audio recorder that fits in your hand for recording live concerts from standing in the audience?

I own the Zoom H2n but I'm not happy with the quality of those recordings by any measure.

Maybe the Korg MR-2 if you can still find one.

If not,the best other options (going by various reviews) seem to be :

Marantz Professional PMD661 MKII

Olympus LS-100

Olympus LS-14

Sony PCM-D100

Superscope PSD450mkII-32

Tascam DR-680MKII

Tascam DR-100MKII

Honestly though,I would look into what was used to record the Stones 2006 concert in Atlantic City and also into what was used to record the Stones 2006 concert in Stuttgart.

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TheBlockbuster

I own the Zoom H2n but I'm not happy with the quality of those recordings by any measure.

If you use the internal mics of the recording unit you'll get disappointing results every time. You need to invest in some quality external microphones.

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dcba

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TheBlockbuster

I own the Zoom H2n but I'm not happy with the quality of those recordings by any measure.

If you use the internal mics of the recording unit you'll get disappointing results every time. You need to invest in some quality external microphones.

I kind of suspected that, unfortunately the mics listed in lineage of good recordings on dime seems to cost a fortune.

I purchased a new LG cell phone, the LG V20. It has multiple mics and it's geared to high quality DAC playback.

I'm not sure if this meets your needs, but have a look:


[www.lg.com]

That phone looks interesting, I was also surprised by the rather excellent audio quality of the Desert Trip recordings made with an iPhone 7 apparently. Besides a smartphone won't be a problem to get in the venue, except if it's the Stones at the Trabendo or the Fonda ;-)

I did quite a few recordings with the Zoom H1N and the results were pretty decent, including the HP 1&2 concerts. I'd looked into it in detail and if you want to get (somewhat) better sound that the investment was disproportionate, not to mention the headaches to get your stuff inside and having it potentially confiscated.

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TheBlockbuster

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dcba

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TheBlockbuster

I own the Zoom H2n but I'm not happy with the quality of those recordings by any measure.

If you use the internal mics of the recording unit you'll get disappointing results every time. You need to invest in some quality external microphones.

I kind of suspected that, unfortunately the mics listed in lineage of good recordings on dime seems to cost a fortune.

many recordings, also on dime, are done by CA (church audio) and they make pretty good recordings for a reasonable price. [www.church-audio.com]

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falo01
many recordings, also on dime, are done by CA (church audio) and they make pretty good recordings for a reasonable price. [www.church-audio.com]

Thanks for the advice, I think CA would be a great option if you don't wanna spend 2 grand on a microphone

Best sound is still analogue to me but that probably is not an option.