External Microphone?

Is it possible to hook up an external microphone to the fuze?

No. There’s no mic jack.

@black_rectangle wrote:
No. There’s no mic jack.

Not even through the 30-pin connector?

@deadcereal wrote:


@black_rectangle wrote:
No. There’s no mic jack.


Not even through the 30-pin connector?

No.

Too bad, huh?

Nice if you had some Rrecord options too…format in mp3 for instance, and a gain…

But yeah, a mic input would be nice…doesn’t have to be low-Z XLR!

The iRiver T30 (and I think some of its other T-series players) had line-in jacks and a built-in mic,  and were pretty tiny. But the sound quality on the Fuze is a lot better.

A line in jack is not a microphone jack. With a line in jack, one would need to hook the player up to a PA system or a powered mic or use a mic preamp. I don’t know of any models of current  players that have a mic jack, and the recorders that have a mic jack tend to not be so great as players or have rather limited battery life. If you want to do serious recording, then get a serious recorder. Decent digital recorders start at around $150, but the lowest priced of those seems to have a slightly noisy mic preamp(but built in mics that work better than the mic jack).

Thanks – I was hoping you would tell me there was a way…

I do a lot of classes and now use the fuze to record - I have it on a desk near me – I does a great job –

but I am a walker when I talk – 

I would love to be able to put on a lapel mic - and pop the fuze in my pocket…

Thanks for your help

Ellie

You could try putting a Fuze in your shirt or jacket pocket to record while walking around and talking. It might pick up the noise of the player rubbing against your pocker though. A Clip or Clip+ would be better  though, since it could be clipped to a lapel.

Olympus has some models of recoders that record to WMA files and have a mic jack. Some are under $100, but don’t expect them to work well as music players.

A 4GB Clip+ is under $50.You could get one of these and test it walking around while recording with it clipped to your shirt or jacket. If it doesn’t work well enough as a recorder, you will at least have a decent player. The Clip+ has a micro SDHC card slot and will accept a micro SDHC card(the largest one currently available is 16 GB).

Message Edited by JK98 on 09-16-2009 11:37 AM

Message Edited by JK98 on 09-16-2009 11:40 AM

How about just getting a silicone skin case for the Fuze that has a belt loop, and strapping it to a belt (or purse strap–be creative).

Or you could get an ancient piece of electronics that still shows up sometimes on eBay (though not at the moment), the iRiver IFP-700 series (the IFP-799 has the largest capacity, 1GB), which does have an external mic jack.  Podcasters used to love them.  Other iRivers won’t have that external mic jack, including the similar looking IFP-800 series, so be careful. 

Message Edited by Black-Rectangle on 09-16-2009 09:33 AM

"How about just getting a silicone skin case for the Fuze that has a belt loop, and strapping it to a belt (or purse strap–be creative). "

He could try it, but a case might block the mic. A Fuze plus a case would also be a bit heavy to clip to a lapel.

The light weight of a Clip+ or clip and the small size and built in clip makes a Clip+ or Clip convenient for clipping to a shirt or jacket.

Those old players with a mic jack might be very hard to find, especially in good working order and at a reasonable price. Some discontinued mp3 players in demand sell for high prices.

JK98 wrote: “He could try it, but a case might block the mic.”

My Fuze lives in a skin case with a hole for the mic.  Also from eBay, about $5. The mic hole is right below the MicroSD slot–just look at photos before buying. Definitely too heavy for a lapel, agreed.

IFP-795 units (512MB)  seem to be running about $65-$70 on eBay. Of course, that plus an external mic is a lot more expensive than a Clip+.  And as a music player, the navigation is a pain and the sound is no comparison to the Fuze. 

Oh, and I think “Ellie” is a woman.

Message Edited by Black-Rectangle on 09-16-2009 09:36 AM

How about attaching it to a lanyard?  Amazon has a good bundle package or you could just get one separately.

Although I can’t figure out how the lanyard would be attached to the fuze.  Perhaps though the belt loop?

WOW! Great Ideas! Thank You!!

Someone was wondering if the plastic case would block the mic on the fuze. I know have it in a hard, clear

plastic case and it picks up everything.

Not sure if the Clip would work – I don’t normally wear a tie - I’m female - though that doesn’t mean I’ve

never worn a tie!   I’ll have to see how heavy they actually are…

I want good quality - and I must say I am impressed with the fuze - so I was hoping I could do a mic…

I’ve been told to look into the Zoom H4 with a cordless mic - lots more $$ - but it may be the way I 

should go…

Thanks for all your ideas!

Ellie

The Zoom H4 is said to be much more difficult to use than the H2, although the H2 is said to have a noisy mic preamp. The built in mics and the line in on the H2 are said to work well. I don’t have an H2 yet, but was thinking about buying one. The H2 is under $150 now on Amazon.

Cordless microphones are really expensive and have a lot of ways to go wrong: you need the transmitter, a receiver, batteries for everything, etc. Fine for Madonna at Madison Square Garden, but overkill for what you need. 

Hi-fi digital recorders like the Zoom H2 or H4 and the main competition, the Edirol R09HR, are much larger than the Fuze, not to mention way more expensive. They’re the size of an electric shaver, or bigger–the built-in microphones make them bulky.  They are recorders for musicians and journalists, and far more hi-fi than you need to record speech in a classroom (which sounds like what you’re doing). If you do want to get into that zone, here’s a sensible roundup of recorders from Wingfield Audio. You don’t have to buy them there (Amazon or B&H might save a few bucks, though Wingfield is pretty competitive), but it’s a good survey. 

Portable Recorder Reviews

People are also eagerly waiting for the Sony PCM-M10 this fall. 

They’re really made to use with their built-in mics, although you can connect external ones. What you’d do with the Edirol or Zoom  is put them on a desk or table near you and put them on Auto Level Control, which automatically varies the input volume (something the Fuze isn’t smart enough to do).  That’s not a perfect solution either, because if you have something like an air conditioner humming in the room, the hum suddenly gets louder in the recording when your voice stops.

For around $200, you could try the Yamaha Pocketrak 2G, which is considerably smaller. Wingfield doesn’t love it, because it is a bit noisy, but it might work for you. 

I’d still say the best, modest solution for you is the Clip+ or the Fuze clipped somewhere on your clothing, or that iRiver IFP795 or IFP799 in your pocket with an external mic. You can get some very small clip-on mics from Sound Professionals.

Message Edited by Black-Rectangle on 09-17-2009 08:51 AM

This looks interesting and inexpensive. It has a mic jack.

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Digital-Voice-Recorder-6200PC/dp/B002DSHMA8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1253210074&sr=1-1

It records only in WMA mono though. Some mp3 players don’t play wma and some might not play mono files.

If you have good conversion software, that won’t be an issue.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1459

This is more fkexible. It also has a mic jack.  It records in mp3 or WMA and in stereo if you wish, however mp3 recording is 128 kbps and up, while wma recording is possible in low or high bitrates. It has a micro SD or is it SDHC? slot.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1472&fl=4

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-DM-420-Digital-Voice-Recorder/dp/B002JTX87W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1253211463&sr=1-1

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1472&fl=4

Message Edited by JK98 on 09-17-2009 02:33 PM