Recording gear recommendation for a technically challenged singer

[Ted]

A singer I work with is kind of technically challenged. We were starting a recording project before the pandemic hit, and now we can't get together and record – where someone else would handle the technology.

Example: He doesn't seem to know how to save or find an MP3 to his phone. Every time he wants to play an MP3 I've sent him, he scrolls back in the WhatsApp conversation and finds the attachment.

I'd like to recommend an easy way for him to record vocals, and send them to me.

Has anyone ever had a successful collaboration over distance with a low-tech-skill musician? Any tips?

I think the ideal setup would be a good mic attached to a recorder. He could put on headphones, and play the tracks through whatever he knows how to use (e.g. the MP3 attachment from the WhatsApp conversation).

Maybe something like this:

Zoom H1n 2-channel Handy Recorder | Sweetwater

That way, he'd only have to figure out how to connect a USB cable to the device, and send me the files.

[Farrell Jackson]

Ted, the Zoom H1n is an economical way to go and should work fine for capturing vocals in MP3 or wav. format. Just make sure he records in a fairly dead room to keep the ambient room sounds to a minimum.  I'm not sure what the budget is but for about double the price of the H1n there's a nifty little all in one recorder called Mikme. The results shown in video demonstrations are really good. Check it out at https://mikme.com/. Good luck with your search!

Farrell

[maxit]

I Agree h1 is the easiest, i got it and sometimes i just press record without connecting pc.

[Hook]

Personally, i think the zoom machines are a mess. Terrible menus and poor design. Tascam makes similar machines that are much easier to maneuver. A used MBR is the best option, you know that!

[Ted]

A used MBR is the best option, you know that!

Umm... That would be ideal, but no. With this guy, I'm feeling stressed just imagining trying to help him learn the MBR. But I know what you mean.

He can learn his way around gadgets pretty well. He has set up Alexa devices in his home, and a Ring security system. It's that can't-manage-files-on-his-phone factor that worries me the most. Among the guys I make music with, he's the one who most often says he can't find files. Lots of people are like this. It's the reason the tech industry has more or less abandoned talking to consumers about files and folders.

So this might be a really tricky maneuver for him:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86i5kcLDsuQ

And then he'd have to figure out how to send me the files as email attachments.

Sounds like nothing to us folder-and-file people.

And the fact that there's already a how-to video gives me a sense of relief.

[WarpCanada]

For a really technically challenged person I would set them up with a vocal "booth" and ShureMV88 or zoomIQ6 mic plugged into thisperson's iphone.

If they're on android get them to switch to iphone with lightning.