IC-R75 Recording

Status
Not open for further replies.

romeara

Member
Joined
May 8, 2011
Messages
13
Location
perth australia
I'm trying to record voice only from my IC-R75 receiver to a macbook pro laptop.It needs to be lined in with leads.What program and leads would i need?
Thanks
 

Halfpint

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
949
Location
Slightly NE of the People's Republic of Firestone
I'm trying to record voice only from my IC-R75 receiver to a macbook pro laptop.It needs to be lined in with leads.What program and leads would i need?
Thanks

Unfortunately, *IF* my son's `school supplied' Macbook Pro is any indication, you may be `SOL' as it doesn't have a line in input. *If* yours does it'll probably be a 1/8" Stereo input. The IC-R75's REC OUT is a 1/8" Mono necessitating the use, if it is going to be hooked up to a Monaural recorder, of a cable of suitable length w/ 1/8" mono plugs on both ends. If the recorder is a Stereo recorder you are going to either us a Mono cable and an adapter that has a Mono jack and a Stereo plug. (Whenever I record from my R75 I usually just use my `normal' recording cabling which consists of a Stereo cable w/ 1/8" plugs on both ends and an 1/8" Stereo Jack to Mono 1/8" Plug. [The reason *I* use the Stereo cable is that I mostly record from scanners and I am recording SO/PD and FD from 2 separate scanners w/ one on one Stereo channel and the other on the other Stereo channel using an `Airline dual 1/8" Mono plus-to-1/8" Stereo Headphone jack "Y" adapter to connect to the scanners. I figure that if I have to record from a Mono source a Stereo jack to Mono plug adapter is a lot cheaper than buying another cable.])

SWMBO's chuckling about the preceding and reminding me that I already have *more than enough* assorted cables, while pointing to the *3* 6' long cable racks worth on the wall along with several `parts drawers' with all sorts of adapters, and *why* am I worrying about having to buy any more. I basically have all those because they are `leftovers' / `spares' from the Hi-Fi / Stereo Repair shop we used to run full time. {GRIN!} Anyway... While I may have all sorts of cables and adapters I figure that most people don't and would want to get whatever they are trying to done and not end up spending more than they have to spend so I try to come up with something that doesn't cost the proverbial `an arm-and-a leg' to
get it done.

Now the REC Control jack on the back of the R-75 only needs a suitable length 1/8" mono plug to plug cable if you were going to be using some sort of recorder that had the appropriate `mating' jack. While you *might* be able to find a cable that has both cables molded together it's quite likely that you'll pay more for that than the 2 cables, and associated adapters. (And probably get more use out of the separate cables and adapters.)

As for what program you need to use, if your laptop doesn't already have a simple sound recording program and you have to get one I'd look for one that can handle a stereo input, allows editing, and has a fairly wide selection of `formats' (mp3, wma or whatever, Etc. [I'll readily admit that I am only used to MS stuff as *I* only have pretty much used MS OSed machines, though I did also have a couple CP/M machines, too, and the only Apple product I had was an Apple IIe+ that I used to run my first BBS on many many years ago.])

Now... After all I've said, so far... Why not just pick up a decent Digital Recorder along the lines of a Sangean DAR-101? You can then record to up to 32G SD `cards' in Stereo using either `timed' recording control, `sound activated' control, `switched' control, or manual/free running control. The only `problem' I can even come up with is that instead of using 12VDC for it's external power it uses 9VAC. For battery power it uses 4 AAs which can be either `disposables' or `rechargeables'. (I don't know just what the battery life is with either. But, based upon initial `quick tests' one can probably expect it to go through the `disposables' in around 8 - 10 hours or so and the `rechargeables' in 10 - 12 hours, or more if using the high MAH versions, using the VAR recording feature.) From what I have heard so far the sound quality is quite good to excellent. If you have a SD `card' reader and editing software for your computer you can edit it about any way you might want and only be tying up the computer for what time it takes for you to do said editing instead of recording and editing with just the computer.

Just an `Olde Fart's' 2¢ worth. YMMV {VB GRIN!}
 

flythunderbird

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
988
Location
Grid square EM99fh
If your Macbook doesn't have a 1/8" input jack, you should still be able to record through the USB port. You'll need a USB audio interface to do it. Behringer makes just such an interface for $30:

Amazon.com: Behringer UCA202 Audio Interface: Musical Instruments

I've used this interface for years and found it to be very good.

To use the interface, you'll need a 1/8" mono cable(or a 1/8" stereo cable with a 1/8" mono plug to 1/8" stereo jack adapter) that terminates in two RCA plugs. Connect those plugs to the RCA input jacks on the USB interface and then connect the interface to the USB port on your Macbook - that's it, no batteries or wall-warts are needed. The interface does not require any software or drivers on your Mac, either.

As far as the recording program goes, try the freeware program Audacity. It has a voice-activation feature that I use for recording scanner traffic. It works great, and it's free. You'll just have to configure your Mac to record from the USB port.

Audacity: Mac OS X
 

k9rzz

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
3,162
Location
Milwaukee, WI
On my Dell PC it's headphone output -> stereo amp -> tape output -> Mic. Input

Then I can listen and record easily at the same time.

I love Cool Edit, but Audacity is nice recording software too.
 

romeara

Member
Joined
May 8, 2011
Messages
13
Location
perth australia
OK i've found i can switch my ear phone jack into an input source in settings.Im now useing Audacity and is recording.Now i have to work out how to record voice only.
Thanks all for your help.
 

k9rzz

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
3,162
Location
Milwaukee, WI
What do you mean 'voice only'. Whatever audio comes out, will be recorded, noise and all. Glad you got it working though!
 

romeara

Member
Joined
May 8, 2011
Messages
13
Location
perth australia
The frequency im recording isn't very active.You may not hear anything all day.So im trying to get the recorder to activate only when there is voice.And being a HF frequancy with back ground static i think its going to be difficult.This a sample of what im trying to record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u81h0dF8LF8
 
Last edited:

Halfpint

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
949
Location
Slightly NE of the People's Republic of Firestone
The thing *I* like about using a separate `digital recorder' is that I am not tying up a computer making recordings, I can pretty much also make recordings pretty much any time I might want to do so, and I can pop in/out a SD `Card' and then use a `reader'/`adapter' with my computer and work upon the recording files at my leisure. I've `played around' with several different ones over the last few years and right now the one, for me at least, that provides the `best bang for the buck' is the Sangean DAR-101. If one looks around it is possible to get it for around $100 or less depending on where it's being sold.

It's a really solid unit and can record at a fairly wide number of rates on up to 32G SD `cards'. (Though, unless you are also storing what you've recorded on that size of a SD `card' you can easily get by with the smaller ones.)

Now... RS also has a `digital recorder', too. But, after playing with one at a local store *I* wasn't all that `impressed' with it. Compared to the Sangean DAR-101 it felt like a cheap `toy' that wouldn't really last all that long and didn't offer all the features the sangean had. On top of that to VOX/VAR recording was quite slow responding and probably would tend to cut off the first few words of a transmission one was trying to record.

There are also other `digital recorders' available but they come with multi $100 price tags and can be quite hard to find a place one can actually `fondle' one and observe how they work.

Just an `Olde Fart's' 2¢ worth. {WAN GRIN!}
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top