Rock Concert Recording

[JOSHSKORN]

I'm wondering if anyone here has used their Droid RAZR MAXX to record an entire rock concert live and what the results ended up like. I'm into hard rock/heavy metal music. Bands typically play a setlist of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours long. A few questions come to mind:

1. What was the size of the venue?
2. How was the sound on your ears (not having to do with the Droid RAZR MAXX) in relation to where your seat was?
3. How is the sound quality in the recording?
4. How is the video quality in the recording?
5. Does the battery last throughout the show? How long was the show and what battery percentage (if any) was left?

Am really curious about that last one. I wouldn't know if recording audio/video is more strenuous (probably is, just don't know by how much) on a battery or not. I also no zero about audio/video editing. That is, I wouldn't know if there's a way to bring out different sounds vs others from a recording.

Does anyone have any comments?

 

[Pailhead]

I haven't tried to record an entire concert, but I went to the Rammstein concert this past Sunday at the Palalce in Auburn Hills which is were the Detroit Pistons play, so...

1. It is a good sized venue. I don't know the general seating capacity, but it's in the area of 20K. I was on the main floor and got within 20-25 feet of the stage.

2. The sound was loud, but suprisingly my ears weren't ringing after the show.

3. The recorded sound was surprisingly good...there was no crackling, popping, or over the top base sounds like my friends phone (not exactly sure what phone he has).

4. The video was outstanding, especially when you tap the screen to focus on a specific location. When watching the video blown up on my TV using DLNA, it didn't appear to lose any picture quality and was crystal clear. It definitely lost picture quality when uploading to facebook though...bright lights suddenly made things appear slightly blurry. A few videos suddenly disappeared from "My Gallery" after uploading as well. Also, the more you zoom in while recording, the more grainy the picture gets. If you're not close to the stage and have to zoom in to get the shot you want, it's probably not worth recording too much video...certainly not an entire show.

5. I can't say for sure, but I believe my phone was probably around 90% charged when I arrived. I probably took 15-20 minutes of video and maybe took 10-15 pictures (unlike the videos, the quality on these were pretty poor). When I checked my battery after the show it was at 61%. I could have turned stuff off like 4G and GPS in order to extend the battery life, but I don't think I could have recorded a whole 2 hour show.

 

[jntdroid]

This is complete speculation, but I'm going to guess that at a rock/metal concert, the phone wouldn't pick up the sound real well. I would imagine the sound would be too much...

 

[JOSHSKORN]

@Pailhead, thanks for your detailed response, and you included points I hadn't thought of asking. From your information, it doesn't seem that the Droid RAZR MAXX would record an entire 2 hour show. It would be nice if I could record it, set it on a tripod or something like that while enjoying the show.

Anyone else with similar experience as Pailhead's?

 

[thaDroidz]

Hum most ticket stubs state no video or camera photography ...
Just putting that out there..

----posted MAXXED OUT WITH dessert----

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Hum most ticket stubs state no video or camera photography ...

There's this website called YouTube where hundreds and thousands of fans have brought in their Smartphones and have recorded shows. You can catch many others holding up their cell phones and recording things as well.

Just putting that out there..

...Yeah...what you said.

 

[thaDroidz]

Lol...
And does that make it right?

----posted MAXXED OUT WITH dessert----

 

[JOSHSKORN]

Lol...
And does that make it right?

----posted MAXXED OUT WITH dessert----

Since when has anyone cared about what's "right" ? LOL

 

[hynderson]

As I have had this phone for very little time, I haven't had the time to try recording a concert with it yet. As an experienced recorder, if my point and shoot sony can do a good job in a pinch, I'm sure this will be acceptable at least. Tweeking can come later. If you plan on bootlegging, do everyone a favour and invest in a good set up.

As for the posted rules against recording, video and photography, in my experience as first attending concerts as a fan, I feared those rules. Now after countless concerts and making my way in, first as a guest photographer to headline tours and then with time and fate becoming friends with my favourite bands and artists, those rules are moot. I've asked many tour managers, bands etc about these.
rules and they have never been by the consent or request of those asked. I've been explained to that they are rules of the promotion and/or venue.
Now, at my favourite concerts, I'm privileged with inline recordings.
Happy bootlegging and Rock On!

 

[thaDroidz]

Since when has anyone cared about what's "right" ? LOL

True that...

Back on topic...
As for recording a concert, I just don't think the quality vs time fiddling with phone and missing something is worth it.
(Oh just replay...) lol

----posted MAXXED OUT WITH dessert----

 

[stumbleflyx]

I'm wondering if anyone here has used their Droid RAZR MAXX to record an entire rock concert live and what the results ended up like. I'm into hard rock/heavy metal music. Bands typically play a setlist of 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours long. A few questions come to mind:

1. What was the size of the venue?
2. How was the sound on your ears (not having to do with the Droid RAZR MAXX) in relation to where your seat was?
3. How is the sound quality in the recording?
4. How is the video quality in the recording?
5. Does the battery last throughout the show? How long was the show and what battery percentage (if any) was left?

Am really curious about that last one. I wouldn't know if recording audio/video is more strenuous (probably is, just don't know by how much) on a battery or not. I also no zero about audio/video editing. That is, I wouldn't know if there's a way to bring out different sounds vs others from a recording.

Does anyone have any comments?

I play in a band and go to a lot of shows, i can test in one of our rehearsals, i did also just buy a nice Tascam handheld recorder and that thing sounds studio quality.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

I play in a band and go to a lot of shows, i can test in one of our rehearsals, i did also just buy a nice Tascam handheld recorder and that thing sounds studio quality.

Great. Post back the difference in quality in the two. It's also kind of nice to get an idea where we are in mobile technology and how well recording with a phone fares up against a dedicated recording device. I'm wondering if you're able to manipulate the sound on your recorder versus your MAXX, or run it through some other program in effort to get a better sound out of the recording. I know nothing about sound engineering, I think that's what it's called.

 

[rherron]

I have over 5000 live shows on CD and on misc drives (backed up across multiple devices, of course). I'm into music and into Bittorrent, and the artists I like allow taping and sharing of their shows. No way a cellphone can capture a live concert as well as someone who knows what they're doing with mics and other equipment designed for the task. I've listened to snippets of more than one show captured on an iPhone. Pretty bad.

Go to The Traders Den or Dime-a-Dozen and hope someone taped an artist you like and just download it.

 

[rherron]

Great. Post back the difference in quality in the two. It's also kind of nice to get an idea where we are in mobile technology and how well recording with a phone fares up against a dedicated recording device. I'm wondering if you're able to manipulate the sound on your recorder versus your MAXX, or run it through some other program in effort to get a better sound out of the recording. I know nothing about sound engineering, I think that's what it's called.

You can run any recording through a variety of audio programs to enhance the sound, but the most important thing is the quality of the original recording. If it's crappy it's not ever going to be great, no matter what you do to it. I use Sony Sound Forge. Other people like other programs.