Best Mic to record a concert on BR80?

[FuzzFace]

Hi Gang.

I'm going to see The Cult on May 14 (Mother's Day).  Since this is now the 3rd time seeing them, I am considering recording a bootleg of the show on my BR80.  (Previous times I would not have considered doing anything that would take me out of the moment).

Should I buy a stereo mic for this?  I am guessing a dynamic Mic would be the right choice because condenser would pick up too much extra noise. Still working out the logistics of how the Mic will be held in position.

Obviously not a Mic genius here.

Any advice?

I also still have the Micro BR around somewhere. Would that be a better candidate?

Trevor

[64Guitars]

It seems to me that there are three main things to consider when choosing a microphone to record a rock concert.

1) SPL - The sound pressure level at rock concerts is quite high, so you don't want to use a very sensitive mic such as most condenser mics. A dynamic mic is probably best for high SPL conditions.

2) Polar Pattern - You want a very directional mic to avoid picking up yourself and the other fans around you. So you should use a cardioid mic or a shotgun mic rather than an omnidirectional or bi-directional mic.

3) Concealment - I believe it's illegal to record concerts. Some venues even check for recording equipment at the door and won't let you in if they find any. And if security or other staff see you holding a microphone during the performance, you could get kicked out. So be sure to conceal your BR-80 and any other recording equipment you use.

For SPL and polar pattern, something like a Shure SM57 might be a good choice. However, any handheld mic is going to be difficult to conceal, and you will likely get tired of holding it up. Then there's the problem of the microphone cable which is usually quite long and bulky. All things considered, I think the best choice might be to use the BR-80's internal mics. That would certainly be the least conspicuous option.

Why don't you go to see a local rock band in a bar or whatever and ask them if you can record them. Then you can experiment with your BR-80 to see if it will record well enough under high SPL conditions. You'll need to adjust the input sensitivity, probably all the way down or close to it. See page 114 of the BR-80 manual under "Adjusting the Input Sensitivity (INPUT)". Try to find a setting where the Peak indicator lights briefly and infrequently, then turn it down just a wee bit lower for a safety margin.

You might want to take your Micro BR along too and see which recorder gives you the best results. I suspect the BR-80 would be the better choice because you can record in stereo. However, in a concert, most of the direct sound arriving at the microphones will be identical in each mic, so you probably won't get any separation. On the other hand, there's a lot of reflected sound at a concert, so a stereo recording still might sound best, even though the direct sounds from the instruments have no separation.