devices for recording children

[Kristina de Korsak]

Dear all,
Sorry for the delay in posting this summary, it has taken quite a  
while to sort out which route I was going to take. I have posted the  
summary below and a list/description of what I ended up doing. Thanks  
again to everyone who sent their comments/suggestions!
Best wishes,
Kristina de Korsak

My (Kristina's) solution:
A new computer (iMac) with imovie
Canon digital video recorder (which I had already)
A good quality omnidirectional microphone
A M-audio Firewire 410 mixer
Various Firewire cables

All of the audio (mic) is captured on high quality resolution and  
feeds into the camera which then feeds into the computer. The mixer  
is also connected to the computer. This way I have wonderful sound,  
great picture resolution, and do not have to synchronize afterwards,  
all within my budget.


SUMMARY:
My own setup is to record video separate from audio and later  
synchronize both. Using video equipment for capturing audio is (IMHO)  
a bad idea if you are after quality. For audio I use a Marantz  
PMD-660 Solid State Recorder (http://www.d-mpro.com/users/folder.asp? 
FolderID=3629&CatID=19&SubCatID=188)
Solid State recorders are in my view the best type of recorder for  
the field because they have no moving parts that can break, record  
onto a compact flash card that then you can download to your Mac/PC  
through a USB connection. It can record up to 16bit/48kHz  
uncompressed PCM (a 1GB CF card will allow you to record 2h 58minutes  
at this maximum quality - in my experience, each 30 minutes of  
recording take up around 200 MB). It can also record compressed, and  
lower quality. If you're recording three siblings, however, you may  
want something that allows you to separate all channels (absolute  
must for phonetic analysis, I'd say). With the PMD-660 you only have  
two.
And if you want lapel (lavalier) mics to allow your kids to run, you  
will have to have a wireless setup, and with three mics I believe you  
increase your chances of interference greatly. Also, don't  
underestimate clipping (signal distortion from high-volume input) and  
other input problems. You will have to monitor input volumes to the  
mics concurrently for three kids. That IS a daunting task. Again,  
with the Marantz you can only do two. My question would be: are you  
sure you cannot get by with one good omnidirectional mic? You won't  
be able to separate the channels but it will be:
- much less costly
- much easier to set up (never underestimate the amount of time  
you'll waste for every recording session setting up and packing up)
- much easier to monitor while you're taping.
The whole set up could cost (in the US, I don't know where you are):
-400-500 U$S for a video camera
-100-150 U$S for a good omnidirectional mic
- 400-500 U$S for the Marantz PMD-660
- 80-100U$S for a 1GB, high-speed Compact Flash Card.
- plus 2-3U$S per 60-minute mini DV tape for the camera, or  
equivalent in CD-Rs (never use RWs for sensitive data).
If you want lavalier mics, add at the very least 300 U$S (but I'd say  
that is probably optimistic).


Consider restricting the kids to play in a single room, otherwise,  
being in separate spaces seems to be what creates extra complexity  
for the recording.  It may not be worth it.


The details of the obsolete equipment I used are different but the  
principle was to get crisp recordings of each, given that there would  
be other noise and conversational overlap. Each child wore a cordless  
lavalier microphone clipped on to a vest in the back pocket of which  
was a wireless transmitter. Their output was recorded to a cassette  
tape on a separate tape recorder. They were also videotaped in VHS  
format. The three children's audio outputs were mixed together onto  
the video sound track at the time of recording by a sound engineer.   
The sound was marvelous as a result.  I assume it's  not feasible for  
you to have an audio engineer. But you may be able to videotape them  
digitally with good enough results. Or inquire about the feasibility  
of recording a back up digital audio file for each and synchronizing  
with video, post recording.

I don't recommend just doing an audio recording.
I eventually digitized my VHS tapes and only work with the data in  
digital format.

The best advice I got at the time I designed my study was from an  
audio engineer hidden away
in a unit at my university, who worked in a service capacity with  
other units involved in sound recordings.

Before beginning, try out every single aspect from recording to sound  
mixing. Know your equipment and the software you'll need later before  
you begin.
	One thing you'll like is software that lets you create a word  
document for transcription and on the same screen import the video  
with full audio.  I think that's Final Cut Pro.  I'll send you the  
url for a paper that can show you some of the neat things you can do  
with good software. You may be able to find it yourself. It's at the  
UTexas-Austin gesture conference proceedings website. It may be  
through Jurgen Streeck's website in the School of Communication:  
authors are Belbas & Sheldon.