Hello guys,

I've also been looking at the iRiver 890 model lately. The reason being, my pastor wants the Sunday sermon recorded and uploaded on the website for visitors.

Can someone explain briefly how you can use a mic to record using iRiver to record voice? Besides a standard mic, what else would you need to record the voice?


Thank you in advance.

Thanks, mliebergot.

iKwak, I assume you'd just plug the mic into the mic input and set the level. I don't know if it has any kind of AGC or whether you'd have to watch the levels manually.

All you have to do to record using an external mic is go into the settings and change the Line In record method to Mic In, plug your mic into the mic socket and push record.
It would also be highly recommended to do a small test to set your recodring levels before hand.

Just a note, make sure that you have the IRiver setup to record in Stereo and not Mono, when you use an external mic.
The IRiver wasn't designed to be recorded in Mono mode, as it is wired strangely.
There is a Lav mic from Giant Squid (http://www.giant-squid-audio-lab.com/gs/gs-mono1.htm) that is wired specifically for the IRivers that will let you record in Mono.

So even if you use a Mono mic (that's not a Giant Squid Modified Lav), record in Stereo only.
If you record in Mono without using the proper (GS) lav mic, you WILL NOT GET ANY AUDIO recorded.

If you record in Stereo using a stereo mic, then you will get audio recorded to both left and right channels. If you use a Mono mic, you will only get audio recorded to Left channel.
But this is easy to make stereo in post afterward.

I hope this helps.
Michael

I picked up the Iriver 790 tonight. Wow, what a great little unit - thanks!

I found a little Radio Shack adapter among my collection that enables the 790 to record on both channels with a little unused lav mic I had left over from an old AT88 wireless system - works great :)

Trock...how much did you pay for your unit and it's size (MB).

Moreover, which is the better unit...the 790 or the 890 (plus' & minus'). And, finally, what is a good size (MB) to get. Barring money being an issue and not being an issue.

Thanks,

After reading this thread (and trying to decide which iRiver to get for a while now) I order an iFP-790 from Amazon.com last night for $85. It has 256MB of memory which according to this iRivers for Dummies post on the Video University Forums you I should get around 4.5hrs of mono recording at 128Kbps. Not bad. I think I’m gonna order a Giant Squid mic for it today.

I’ve been looking for something to plug into the mixing board at the local school and church when I video events there. This has got to yield better audio than the booming echo that I get from my microphone positioned in the audience with me.

~jr

CTJ, I paid $85 at Circuit City. I could have gotten it for $70 on the web but I wanted it immediately. It's 256MB (4 hours of stereo 44k 128kbps recording according to the readout dial).

According to Michael above the only difference between the 790 and 890 is the position of the mic input. On the 790 it's a bit recessed and not all mics fit easily, I don't know if it's better or not on the 890.

The higher numbered models are 512MB and 1GB so I guess they're 8 and 16 hours of stereo 44k recording.

Johnny,


did you purchase "Giant Squid mic", and if so, what model, etc. Please provide all the details and particulars re: said item. price, mono, omni mono, omni direct. mono, etc.

P.S., which is or will be better for use w/iRiver 790 recording church sermons (attached to lapel or lying on podium)?

Thanks,

> did you purchase "Giant Squid mic", and if so, what model, etc

Yes, I bought the Giant Squid Iriver Omni Mono Microphone with the 5 ft cable. The mic sounds exceptionally good for only $25!

The reason you want the iRiver model of this mic is because the iRiver will not record mono correctly with a regular lapel mic. I tried the Audio-Technica MT830 mic that came with my Pro88W but it would only record in stereo mode and not mono mode. This is a waste of bandwidth since the mic is mono (you only get half the record time). The reason a regular mono mic won’t work is because the iRiver uses ring and sleeve for mono input on a TRS plug while all mono mics are wired for sleeve and tip (i.e., they have no ring).

Giant Squid wires this particular mic to be compatible with the iRiver in mono mode. This is the one you want to get.

> P.S., which is or will be better for use w/iRiver 790 recording church sermons (attached to lapel or lying on podium)?

It depends on the minister. If they wave their arms a lot, using it as a lapel mic may cause a lot of noise as they brush against it. If, however, the minister is a podium pounder, keep it off the podium. ;-) If the podium has a mic, you might want to use some black gaffers tape and tape it along side the mic that’s already there. This is what they will probably direct their voice to anyway.

The priests and decons at my church like to walk through the congregation as they give their surmons so that requires a lapel mic anyway to feed the church PA system. For that situation I would take a feed from the mixer with the iRiver in line-mode. (in fact if there is a mic at the podium, that might be the cleanest approach for you)

iRiver 790 First Impressions:

I’ve been very impressed with the recording quality of the iRiver 790. There is a slight noise floor but I added a little bit of Sound Soap in post and it was removed entirely without affecting the quality of the audio at all. So I’m getting pretty clean recordings from the Giant Squid mic and the iRiver 790 after a little post processing.

~jr