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recording in 2022

B

bobdavcav

Hey all,
I was going to call CCrane about what seems to be a bug with the firmware of the CC Witness+, but wanted to hit their site first and see if they still made it. Not only did I not find that radio, I didn't find a replacement. Also, June marked 10 years since I started recording. So, if someone wanted to start recording airchecks today, what would the folks here recommend?
Also for context, the problem I've noticed with the Witness is that when recording FM, the length of the file appears to be somehow off. When I play the file in Windows Media Player, it shows one length, but when I actually import the file into Audacity, it shows something different. For instance, a particular aircheck I recorded in January 2019 showed as 1:07:00 when played in Windows Media Player, but showed as 1:07:08 when imported into Audacity. The difference in length gets larger as the length of the file increases.
 
Strange about the time difference. J collect air checks of stations that are nostalgic to me. I use audacity to digitize my recorded cassettes and have never noticed an issue. I wish i had the recording i made when i was a kid. I still record today and just got back into it again. Id say record channels that you would like to look back on in 20 years
 
What do you use to record these days? The Witness works pretty well, but if it needs replacement, I'm not sure what I'd get. I use Audacity to scope and that's how I discovered the time difference. If recorded in Audacity, there shouldn't be that issue. I've used Audacity to record things by plugging the headphone jack of the radio into the line in of the computer, but that's not always practical, as I don't take my laptop everywhere, and it's not practical for timed recordings, which are a necessity when traveling, as I otherwise won't have time to record anything.
 
I use my Marantz 5220 deck for almost all of my recording and i have a Panasonic RX-5150 to use when i travel. The 5150 is finicky but its the only boombox i have that makes decent recordings. The panasonic has line out so i may just do that from now on and bring the laptop with
 
Hmm. That doesn't sound like that portable of a setup, at least compared to what I have. The Witness can easily fit into the front pocket of my overnight bag, or in my jeans pocket.
 
I have a bunch of Witnesses that still work more than adequately for my needs. I replace the batteries in them from time to time and have the last firmware versions from both the original Witness and the Witness+ on them. There aren't really any moving parts to wear out, so I figure this will keep me going for a while.
 
Scott,
I was hoping you'd pop into this thread, as it was on your recommendation that I got the Witness+, though it took me some time. I'm curious what you would recommend to someone just starting to record in 2022? The Witness products are really about as ideal as it gets when it comes to digital recorders.
 
I use the Zoom H1 handheld digital recorder.. been using it for 4 years now... does what i need it to just fine.

Why anyone is still using a cassette deck these days is beyond me
 
I must have forgot to mention, i have the tape 2 line output of the receiver going into the soundcard of the computer to record with audacity. Its the same set up i use to digitize the cassettes. Works great!! I like using tapes sometimes for nostalgic reason. That and i like to have certain things on physical medium. When i was a kid i the 90’s i had dozens of them. WMMR, WOGL, WYSP etc… wish i still had them. All from the 90’s and early 2000’s.

I will have to look into a digital recorder. How is the sound quality of the recording? Do these devices have line ins for a tuner or something? My Panasonic RX-5150 does have line outs on it.
 
Not sure about the Zoom recorder mentioned above, but I had an Olympus 801 that I simply plugged the headphone jack of the radio into the mic jack of the recorder and it worked okay. I guess Olympus did have a recorder with a radio built in, but I never had that one. While the Witness does have line in capabilities, its built in radio is perfectly adequate for recording. DXing is a different story, but that's what I have the G8 for.
In the early days of my recording, I did my stuff on cassette, but that's only because I had some cassettes lying around that had stuff on them I no longer wanted, and I had a cassette recorder easily accessible. I recorded two on cassette in 2016, but again, my dad found a blank cassette that I thought was one of mine. Otherwise, I've been recording digitally since I started in 2012.
 
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