Audio Systems: Voice recording, digital voice recorder, correct terminology

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
I'm sorry I don't know all the correct terminology so please bear with me.  

I am trying to figure out a way to update a recording system from cassette to digital.  From what I see, there is a mic connected to the tape deck/recorder which is then connected to some sort of thing with a bunch of dials (this where I sound really stupid! lol) and then that is hard wired to speakers throughout the building.  Is there any way that I can connect a digital voice recorder this?  Or will I just have to do a complete upgrade to a system that can burn cds?  My computer has all the capabilities to burn cds from a voice recorder so I am trying to connect the recorder as it would seem to be the way to upgrade as inexpensively as I can.  When I looked into voice recorders by Olympus, they have a small speaker but I am trying to connect it to the speakers through the building which somehow work with this 10 dialed thing...Can you help me?

I know at worst, I can just purchase the voice recorder and use it to record digitally while I have the old cassette system on pause it'll work like a PA system (then the voice still goes through to the speakers even though it isn't recording).
ANSWER: Hi Becca,

Don't worry about the right terminology - after all, that's why you're asking a question for an "expert", right?  :)  That said, we may have to go back-and-forth on this a couple of times so I can be sure I understand what you're asking.

The thing with a bunch of dials that the tape deck/recorder is attached to is probably, not definitely, a compressor, which is set up to help keep the vocals from become too quiet, and to help remove popping "p" sounds, sibilance which is hissing "ess" sounds, and perhaps cut out ambient background noise and drop the sound altogether if it gets too quiet.  You can also use it for "ducking" but it doesn't sound like that's what it's being used for.  If it's no a compressor/limiter, it may be a dial-based EQ, but those are pretty rare - most EQs (equalizers) use sliders to raise/lower frequency ranges.

As for connecting a digital voice recorder to this, I'm not sure what you mean?  If you mean "Is there a way to replace the tape deck with a MiniDisc or digital recorder", then sure, although the compressor should go *before* the recorder, not *after*, otherwise it defeats the purpose of having it.

Then your next step, burning CDs, well, that depends on the kind of digital recorder you get.  If you get a recorder that records to SanDisk or SD flash memory, then you'd most likely need to get a card-reader for the flash card, load the recordings into a computer, then burn CDRs with the results.  It can get quite complicated.  There might be some systems out there that have this all built-in: digital recording which you can then insert and burn a CDR, but I've never used them and wouldn't for my work, so you'd have to research those yourself on the Web.

When you say your computer has capabilities to burn CDRs, that's become commonplace the last five years or so, and I'm still confused what you mean by a voice recorder - a recorder is a recorder is a recorder - I don't know of anything that's made only to record vocals.

If you sent a link to these voice recorders by Olympus you mention I wouldn't mind researching them for you and letting you know if they'll serve the purpose I think you have in mind or not.  I'd have to see them, because I don't know why they'd have a small speaker, and if it does, if it's just a plug-in or it's attached, so I need more information.  In any case, you need some kind of output, most likely what's called "line level" output to RCA plugs, which are a red/white pair.  If the Olympus products have something called "line level output", then you're set - you can get an adapter to go from mini-plug, which is like what's on the end of a pair of iPod or MP3 player headphones, and converts to the red/white pair of RCA plugs - I have like a dozen of these around the studio, at least.

It sounds like what you need as far as dealing with the PA system you have figured out, so mostly I need to know exactly what you mean by "voice recorders", and perhaps a link or two to these Olympus products, or at least a list of make/models of "voice recorders" you've looked into.

Sorry I wasn't able to be more specific, but I think you are close to what you're looking for, and will be able to set it up, the trick will be that you'll want the compressor before the recorder unless that's built-in to these "voice recorders" and other than that, it's likely just a matter of having the right plugs.  Let me know more details and I'll see what I can find out.  Thanks!  Cheers, Wink


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks so far!  
Here's a link to the voice recorders.  They mainly use them for transcribing or for students to record lectures the way they used to have mini-cassette recorder.  The olympus has a direct USB plug to go directly into your computer to make the CDRs:

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_vr_digitalrecorders.asp

There are so many, I'm not quite sure which is best.  

As for the equalizer- the tape deck itself has little dials and such that the pastor sets to make himself louder.  I wonder if the system we have is set up backwards to begin with.  Because my pastor told me it went from the mic to the deck to the dialbox thingee to the speakers.  I will try to get a hold of him later and get more specifics.  I don't think we are in an absolute rush to get this done.  

And his new computer can burn cds but, I think, but mine seems to be "made for it" if you know what I mean.

I did find a disk burner for recording someone playing guitar but all that seems so unessasary for what we are doing.  My pastor pretty much records our bibles studies as a record of what was said and rarely distributes copies.  I guess the website he has can't even handle to have the audio files on it.  I just suggested upgrading to disk and wav. files becasue it would be so much easier than trying to keep track of all the cassettes.

I was thinking he could keep the system just the way he has it to broadcast his voice throughout the building and then wear a headset with the recorder to make a digital recording to put on cd.  We are a small church so we really don't need to go overboard--although as a guy, I could see him as wanting to go all out!  LOL

Thanks again for your help.

Answer
Hi Becca,

Well, they're all recorders that are made for voice recording, so they're really more like the old dictaphones and those little tape decks that psyches and docs use to dictate notes.  So I'd actually recommend against them, unless you're planning on just recording voice-only announcements for playback. If so, you'll just have to look through the products, find the features you need, the ones you don't, and pick one that's the least expensive and offers the features you need.

If you're trying to record your stuff to put on CD for real vocals, you're going to want to look for either a good MiniDisc recorder, which is still a strong format, and you can get used recorders for very cheap, or a Flash memory-based digital recorder - if you do a Web search on those terms you'll find a plethora of products.  I'd recommend the Samson Zoom H4 except that's for live recording and has built-in mics as well as the ability to plug two more XLR mics into it.  But there's other Samson products that are just recorders, just check out their Web site.  Good luck!  Cheers, Wink