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THE TALE OF THE TAPE

By Zach Hanner
For Weekly Surge

Long before Widespread Panic came along, acts such as the Grateful Dead encouraged fans to record their live gigs. At Dead shows, you'd often find clusters of audiophiles setting up microphones and reel-to-reel recorders. Once captured, the tapes became a type of wampum, valued in the barter economy of the Dead pre-and-post concert parking lot where a classic performance could score you a veggie burrito or maybe garner the interest of the particular someone you might be trying to impress. And while taping and the sharing of shows is fully endorsed by WSP, things have changed since back in the day.

Rob Gainer, a sound engineer at Sea Note Recording in Myrtle Beach, points out that concert tapers have more choices in equipment than ever before. And while some blow thousands, the novice taper can get in the game for just a few hundred bucks.

"A bunch of companies have been making these all-in-one units that record to a hard disk," Gainer said. "For entry level people, they're perfect. For around $200 you can get something about the size of an iPod that has two microphones on it and will give you a pretty decent sounding recording."

And for those that want that perfect, crystalline recording, setting up a rig requires a few basic components.

"If you want to go higher end, you're going to need three essential elements," Gainer said. "You'll need a good pair of microphones, a good preamplifier and a recorder of some sort. Some people still use Digital Audio Tape (DAT) recorders, a format that came out in the '80s, and they're a very stable unit. Today, lots of people are using hard disk recorders because they're very inexpensive, you can pop the card out of the machine and in to your computer and edit, e-mail, burn it or whatever you want to do with it. Some of my taper friends that are really serious about it are using two $1,400 microphones to tape shows. There's a wide range of choices depending on how serious you are about it."

The pre-amplifier acts as a filter between the microphone and the recorder, allowing a taper to dial in the exact sound they want. "A couple of different companies make high end pre-amps that run on batteries, mostly because portability is key in this pursuit," Gainer said.

Once you've figured out the pre-amp, what about microphone placement? There's one spot that beats all others. "Bands like Widespread usually have a taping section cordoned off in the venue," Gainer said. "Some venues offer splits off the mixing board where you can just plug right in to the sound. You can't get a better quality recording than that."

Officials at House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach - where Widespread Panic will commence a three-night stand on Monday - confirmed that taping will be allowed.

Bands today understand the value of having their live sets floating around on the Internet, on CDs and, sometimes, still in cassette format. "Allowing audiences to tape is a great way to get your music out there," said WAVE 104 deejay and "Headshop" host Scott Mann. "It's one of the reasons that Widespread has the audience it does now. With the Internet, it's easier than ever for people to share shows. I remember trading Grateful Dead tapes through the mail and today there are tons of ways to share these shows. Bands can only benefit from this phenomenon. When you've got songs that are 25 to 30 minutes long, they're not going to get a lot of radio play, except maybe on a show like mine."

Gainer points out that, save for a few exceptions, this type of phenomenon has taken time to gain acceptance. "Ten years ago, you'd get shot for carrying a recorder in to a concert," Gainer said. "I think the bands today realize that it's a really good way to get new fans. People pass this stuff around. At some concerts, you can buy a live disc of the show you just saw as you're leaving the club."

Gear List

So you wanna be a taper? Then check out some of these goodies.

Big Spenders

Tascam DAP-1 Portable DAT recorder: Sturdy, portable Digital Audio Tape recorder that features a quick charge battery system and varying recording and playback frequencies. However, at around $1,500 new (you can find used versions for around half the price) it's definitely for the serious taper.

Schoeps Microphones: High-end condenser microphones that range in price from a few hundred dollars to nearly $3000. It'll sound awesome but it's going to cost you. Definitely the mike of choice for the taper elite.

Focusrite ISA One Mic Pre-Amplifier: (Left) Again, a top-of-the-line item that, while a little bulky, will make your mix golden. Expect to shell out around $800 for one of these babies.

Senneheiser HD650 High-End Audiophile-Grade Professional Headphones: Top-of-the-range open, dynamic hi-fi stereo headphones, these honeys provide lightweight, crystal attenuation (reduction in amplitude and intensity of a signal). For $500, they should.

Entry level

Zoom H2: (Right) Features two microphones and records in WAV and MP3 formats directly to an SD card. A 1 gig card can hold around 10 hours of music and the price, right around $200, can't be beat.

Old School

Sony Standard Cassette Voice Recorder: (Left) Okay this thing is right out of your dad's dusty old desk. Sports the tiny microcassette tape and a low-rent single built-in microphone. But you can't beat the $34.99 price tag (available at Best Buy). On second thought, you might be better off using your cell phone.

Online taper resources