Why do guitar + vocal recordings sound better on a Note 3 than a DR-05

[Jonathan[_5_]]

I'm curious why videos I have recorded of acoustic guitar + vocals on my Samsung Note 3 sound better than recordings made on a Tascam DR-05.
This seems odd, because I would assume that the quality of the microphones and preamps on the Tascam is higher than the Samsung.

Is the Note 3 adding some kind of processing to optimize the sound? Or is it just harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one?
Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Luxey]

You'd have to ask someone experienced with either device. The other option is to post examples so someone could hear what you are talking about.

[Scott Dorsey]

Jonathan > wrote:
>I'm curious why videos I have recorded of acoustic guitar + vocals on my Samsung Note 3 sound better than recordings made on a Tascam DR-05.
>This seems odd, because I would assume that the quality of the microphones and preamps on the Tascam is higher than the Samsung.

The first step toward finding out what is going on is to eliminate the
microphone. Get a good small diaphragm condenser, record with both
recorders using the external microphone. Then you'll know if the microphone
is the issue or if it's the back end.

>Is the Note 3 adding some kind of processing to optimize the sound? Or is it just harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one?
>Any ideas?

It _is_ harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one, and it's a
lot easier to make a cheap omni microphone work well than to make a cheap
cardioid microphone work well. But there are a lot of variables here.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Jonathan[_5_]]

On Saturday, April 18, 2015 at 3:38:04 PM UTC-4, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Jonathan > wrote:
> >I'm curious why videos I have recorded of acoustic guitar + vocals on my Samsung Note 3 sound better than recordings made on a Tascam DR-05.
> >This seems odd, because I would assume that the quality of the microphones and preamps on the Tascam is higher than the Samsung.
>
> The first step toward finding out what is going on is to eliminate the
> microphone. Get a good small diaphragm condenser, record with both
> recorders using the external microphone. Then you'll know if the microphone
> is the issue or if it's the back end.
>
> >Is the Note 3 adding some kind of processing to optimize the sound? Or is it just harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one?
> >Any ideas?
>
> It _is_ harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one, and it's a
> lot easier to make a cheap omni microphone work well than to make a cheap
> cardioid microphone work well. But there are a lot of variables here.
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Thanks.
Do most smartphones have omni microphones?

[Scott Dorsey]

Jonathan > wrote:
>Do most smartphones have omni microphones?

Yes, although an increasing number of them have multiple microphones with
phase trickery going on. And a lot of them have MEMS microphones with weird
nonlinearities because they are more rugged than electret condensers.

Any microphone that only has one entrance for sound to get inside is an omni.
Side vents or rear vents are an instant indication of a directional mike.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[geoff]

On 19/04/2015 6:38 a.m., Jonathan wrote:
> I'm curious why videos I have recorded of acoustic guitar + vocals on
> my Samsung Note 3 sound better than recordings made on a Tascam
> DR-05. This seems odd, because I would assume that the quality of the
> microphones and preamps on the Tascam is higher than the Samsung.
>
> Is the Note 3 adding some kind of processing to optimize the sound?
> Or is it just harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one?
> Any ideas?
>
> Thanks, Jonathan
>


What format are you recording to ? If MP3, then the sound of the
converters would be a relatively insignificant factor and would mask any
true characteristics of the device.

Yes possibly adding all sorts of processing, but you are listening on what ?

A mono track played back through 2 channels should sound the same as a
single mono track, unless there are room-artifacts changing things.

geoff

[Jonathan[_5_]]

On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 1:22:33 AM UTC-4, geoff wrote:
> On 19/04/2015 6:38 a.m., Jonathan wrote:
> > I'm curious why videos I have recorded of acoustic guitar + vocals on
> > my Samsung Note 3 sound better than recordings made on a Tascam
> > DR-05. This seems odd, because I would assume that the quality of the
> > microphones and preamps on the Tascam is higher than the Samsung.
> >
> > Is the Note 3 adding some kind of processing to optimize the sound?
> > Or is it just harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one?
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Thanks, Jonathan
> >
>
>
> What format are you recording to ? If MP3, then the sound of the
> converters would be a relatively insignificant factor and would mask any
> true characteristics of the device.
>
> Yes possibly adding all sorts of processing, but you are listening on what ?
>
> A mono track played back through 2 channels should sound the same as a
> single mono track, unless there are room-artifacts changing things.
>
> geoff

Hi Geoff,

The DR-05 records audio in WAV format, and the Note 4 records MP4 audio and video.
I'm listening to both files in Windows Media Player on a laptop with Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. The Samsung audio sounds more full and lush, for lack of more exact terms. I suspect that the DR-05 is more faithfully recording what went into it, and the Samsung is adding reverb/EQ/compression of something to fill out the sound. I was hoping someone here might know if it's typical for smartphone video recording software to add sound processing, and if so what it would be. If not, I don't have the slightest idea how to find out.

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Luxey]

недеља, 19. април 2015. 15.32.11 UTC+2, Jonathan је написао/ла:
> On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 1:22:33 AM UTC-4, geoff wrote:
> > On 19/04/2015 6:38 a.m., Jonathan wrote:
> > > I'm curious why videos I have recorded of acoustic guitar + vocals on
> > > my Samsung Note 3 sound better than recordings made on a Tascam
> > > DR-05. This seems odd, because I would assume that the quality of the
> > > microphones and preamps on the Tascam is higher than the Samsung.
> > >
> > > Is the Note 3 adding some kind of processing to optimize the sound?
> > > Or is it just harder to get a good stereo recording than a mono one?
> > > Any ideas?
> > >
> > > Thanks, Jonathan
> > >
> >
> >
> > What format are you recording to ? If MP3, then the sound of the
> > converters would be a relatively insignificant factor and would mask any
> > true characteristics of the device.
> >
> > Yes possibly adding all sorts of processing, but you are listening on what ?
> >
> > A mono track played back through 2 channels should sound the same as a
> > single mono track, unless there are room-artifacts changing things.
> >
> > geoff
>
> Hi Geoff,
>
> The DR-05 records audio in WAV format, and the Note 4 records MP4 audio and video.
> I'm listening to both files in Windows Media Player on a laptop with Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. The Samsung audio sounds more full and lush, for lack of more exact terms. I suspect that the DR-05 is more faithfully recording what went into it, and the Samsung is adding reverb/EQ/compression of something to fill out the sound. I was hoping someone here might know if it's typical for smartphone video recording software to add sound processing, and if so what it would be. If not, I don't have the slightest idea how to find out.
>
> Thanks,
> Jonathan

Is it possible that you perceive the lack of high end as fullness? Wild guess,
I have none of mentioned devices.

[[email protected]]

to OP,
your best bet is to post a minute or two of
audio from each device, recordings of the
same content if possible.

Then we can tell you what we hear and or analyze.

Mark

[JackA]

On Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 11:25:58 AM UTC-4, wrote:
> to OP,
> your best bet is to post a minute or two of
> audio from each device, recordings of the
> same content if possible.
>
> Then we can tell you what we hear and or analyze.
>
> Mark

Mark, I was thinking the exact same thing.

Jack