Recording Lectures with laptop

[DrTacoElf]

Hey everyone,

I just recently purchased a laptop and I got to thinking if i'm going to have it with me in class, why not record the lecture . Anyway after researching various microphones and microphone types I came across this one which doesn't cost a fortune, is cardioid (better for directional and/or recording from a distance than an omnidirectional). And this one is mounted on a right angle boom just for laptops!

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-MCE-494

What do you guys think??

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[DDS2BE]

that's an excelent idea. How long can your laptop run for of a fully charged battery?

 

[JavadiCavity]

I was at BestBuy the other day looking at something unrelated when I saw little digital voice recorders for about the same price or less, depending on quality. I was tempted, but since I never recorded a lecture in undergrad, I doubted that I would need to in Dental School. So, my plan for right now is to hold off until after school starts and see if a mic would be useful. But, let me know what you find out. It may come in handy if I find that recording lectures is something I want to do.

 

[DrTacoElf]

It runs about 3.5-4.0 hours on a single 6 cell battery. So i'm going to need AC power most likely to be able to record a whole days worth of lecture -- I would be really surprised if our lecture room didn't have it (i'm pretty sure it has wireless internet access) What really appeals about this mic to me is its small size, cardioid signal pickup pattern and apparent quality. I don't want to be the nerd in front with a whole video camera setup and tripod lol.

I figure it would be a pretty useful tool. You can easily mix to MP3s and put on the ipod and share with the whole class (easy way to make friends ).

 

[KoEoVo1oN]

I've started recording lectures on my laptop since the beginning of this semester. It has been very helpful with notes. I used a cheap portable microphone and it seems to do the job. I has a weird buzzin noise every some many seconds though. If you do get that microphone, it would be nice if you could give us a review on it.

It runs about 3.5-4.0 hours on a single 6 cell battery. So i'm going to need AC power most likely to be able to record a whole days worth of lecture -- I would be really surprised if our lecture room didn't have it (i'm pretty sure it has wireless internet access) What really appeals about this mic to me is its small size, cardioid signal pickup pattern and apparent quality. I don't want to be the nerd in front with a whole video camera setup and tripod lol.

I figure it would be a pretty useful tool. You can easily mix to MP3s and put on the ipod and share with the whole class (easy way to make friends ).

 

[Profchaos]

Hey everyone,

I just recently purchased a laptop and I got to thinking if i'm going to have it with me in class, why not record the lecture . Anyway after researching various microphones and microphone types I came across this one which doesn't cost a fortune, is cardioid (better for directional and/or recording from a distance than an omnidirectional). And this one is mounted on a right angle boom just for laptops!

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-MCE-494

What do you guys think??

That's a pretty expensive gadget.
For that much money, I'd rather buy a web cam on my lap top, then I will record the teacher and read the lips afterwards.

 

[DrTacoElf]

That's a pretty expensive gadget.
For that much money, I'd rather buy a web cam on my lap top, then I will record the teacher and read the lips afterwards.

True its not the cheapest but i need something which will work without doubt from the rear of a room as well as provide high quality vocal recording. I've dealt with my fair share of crappy microphones lol.

 

[45540]

at our school the professor's wear a microphone which runs into the tape recorder in the back. it's usually not that bad if they actually speak into it.

 

[amartins02]

I have an Apple iBook which has the built in mic. I can type in MS Word and it will just continue recording the lectures for me. It is super sensitive too so it picks up everything which is great. My iBook on the lowest brightness setting and with wi-fi on lasts me anywhere from 4.5-6 hours. I know some of you might not be in the Apple crowd. I wasn't either. I was a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, did help desk support and repair and had my own business. I just switched to it and honestly its the best thing I ever used. I used PC's for close to 10 years and now will probably always use Apples now because they are so stable and secure. Well, anyways, recording the lecture is great because you can listen to it and just follow your notes and insert any missing info. My 2 cents.

 

[Mr. Miyagi]

I didn't realize that a lot of computers supply power at the microphone jack. That's pretty much how a lot of condenser mics work (which are used for recording vocals and such in the studio). If the quality is in fact very good, the price isn't really that bad when you compare it to many other professional mics ($600 and up). If you can't afford it though, you could always just hire someone with a photographic memory who knows how to read lips to go to class with you.

 

[JakeMUSC]

That's a great idea with the ipod DrTacoElf!!! I can totally see myself laying on the beach on Saturday listening to Tuesday's Lecture!!!!

 

[IcemanDDS]

Hey DrTacoelf, MCG does not currently have wireless in the main lecture hall. They did say they were planning on having it by fall of this year, so who knows if they will. They're a little behind the times with technology in there. There are TV's in the lecture room that look like they were bought in 1988. I was surprised, but my friend was the only person in lecture with a laptop! I thought most of the class would have one, but only him. I'd def take one with me. All the lectures I attended were in powerpoint, and its a good idea to have the powerpoint on your laptop and type notes in the little box. You know, stuff the prof says in addition to whats on the powerpoint slide.