Ember Saturday in Lent from Holy Innocents Church in NYC
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    MP3s from yesterday's Missa Cantata, celebrated at the Church of the Holy Innocents in midtown Manhattan, are now available here and on my website. Every chanted Proper and Ordinary before the Sanctus is included, warts and all. (The field recorder ran out of juice right after the hymn selected to commemorate the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas.)

    Introit: Intret oratio mea (2:32)

    Ordinary: Kyrie XVIII (1:02)

    Gradual: Propitius esto (2:28)

    Gradual: Protector noster (2:07)

    Gradual: Convertere, Domine (2:06)

    Gradual: Dirigatur oratio mea (1:46)

    Hymn: Benedictus es, Domine (5:51)

    Tract: Laudate Dominum (2:06)

    Offertory: Domine Deus salutis meae (1:19)

    Hymn: Iste confessor, mode VIII (2:53)
    [audio:http://cantemusdomino.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/hymn_iste_confessor_8.mp3]

    For those interested in the capture method:
    • Field recorder: Roland Edirol R-09 (purchased at Jeffrey Tucker's enthusiastic and utterly valid recommendation)
    • Sample Rate: 44.1kHz
    • Recording quality: 24-bit WAV (downsampled to 128kbps mp3 in postprocessing, which was minimal: amplify and fade in and out)
    • Automatic Gain Control: Off
    • External Mic Type: Stereo
    • Low Cut: On
    • Mic Gain: High
    • Input Level: 30 (max)
    • Distance from Choir: ~10m
  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    What are your thoughts on the Roland as compared to the Zoom H4?
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    Before purchasing, I did do a quick online comparo of both to see what others had to say. I did notice some people purchasing both and then sending the H4 back for a refund in favor of the Roland, but I can't tell you if I agree or not, as I never tested an H4. Usability-wise, the Zoom seems more complicated, but given that humans can adapt to almost anything they set their mind to, I won't judge those who prefer the H4 interface. I can say personally that it takes me anywhere from 15 seconds to 2 minutes to configure the R-09 for my purposes. And the bright red LED that shines around the REC button makes it easy to tell if it's recording, even from a distance.

    The built-in mics are very sensitive with the mic gain set to high. I prefer it for my purposes; if you wanted to cut a CD from the tracks you record, you will need to have a well-controlled environment or perform some postprocessing magic.

    Battery life is good; the reason why it ran out of juice is that I neglected to charge the two AA batteries beforehand (not included). You can get 6-8 hours on a charge, which is fine for my purposes.

    My only gripes with the Roland are that it feels like a toy, the battery/SD/USB cover must be handled with care, and its OLED screen is easily scratched, even with a fingernail! Otherwise, I'm a satisfied user.
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