Print

[eyore]

I think most of us use the telephone pickup from Radio Shack or similar. Search telephone pickup on Amazon. All pretty similar to each other (and buy a spare or two as sometimes you get a dud and they are cheap). Directional mics for out of reach speakers but I'm sure you'll get some more advice on those (I only use the ones on my Zoom recorder for reference recordings)

[marni1971]

. And if possible, would any devices would work well recording music from the ceiling too?

Thanks!

Be careful. At best you'll get funny looks. At worse security will be involved.

[pixelated]

Radio Shack stopped selling telephone pickups around a couple of years ago.
That's why this seller is charging $28 and has only 1 left.  The pickup's original price was $8-$9.
https://www.amazon.com/Removable-Telephone-Pickup-Recorder-44-533/dp/B00114LCT2

These generic telephone pickups are much cheaper and they are an example of 'you get what you pay for'. 
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/DISTRIBUTED-BY-MCM-36-010-/36-010
They are less sensitive than the Radio Shack pickups by ~6 dB.  Depending on the recorder's noise floor and the strength of the speaker's magnetic field, that can be the difference between an acceptable recording or a not-so-good recording.  You can find various vendors selling these same induction pickups, usually at a higher price.

[eyore]

. And if possible, would any devices would work well recording music from the ceiling too?

Thanks!

Be careful. At best you'll get funny looks. At worse security will be involved.

To get a few reference recordings at DLRP from ceiling speakers at DLRP. I used my iPod which looks just like a mobile phone (I did it in 3 twenty minute sessions to get it all) and apart from nodding and occasionally silently moving my lips as if speaking, managed to get an identifiable recording of the loop standing under the speaker whilst paying inordinate attention to the menu on the wall. Nobody paid any attention to me but I ffelt really vulnerable but it was most satisfying to get it (the restaurant was the Last Chance cafe and very noisy..

[eyore]

Radio Shack stopped selling telephone pickups around a couple of years ago.
That's why this seller is charging $28 and has only 1 left.  The pickup's original price was $8-$9.
https://www.amazon.com/Removable-Telephone-Pickup-Recorder-44-533/dp/B00114LCT2

These generic telephone pickups are much cheaper and they are an example of 'you get what you pay for'. 
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/DISTRIBUTED-BY-MCM-36-010-/36-010
They are less sensitive than the Radio Shack pickups by ~6 dB.  Depending on the recorder's noise floor and the strength of the speaker's magnetic field, that can be the difference between an acceptable recording or a not-so-good recording.  You can find various vendors selling these same induction pickups, usually at a higher price.

Sorry, that was the wrong link. A search on Amazon brings uo many more from under $4  which look very like the Radio Shack one.
https://www.amazon.com/Telephone-Microphone-Suction-Cup-Pickup/dp/B0034I75IK/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1480379560&sr=1-2&keywords=telephone+pickup

[pixelated]

eyore, your link points to the generic one which is less sensitive.  You can see on that Amazon web page that it is from the same manufacturer, MCM, as the link I posted.

The MCM telephone pickup does have the same overall shape as the Radio Shack pickup but the MCM pickup has lower quality parts & workmanship on the inside.  I've opened both the Radio Shack and MCM pickups to fix broken wires (the cable gets pinched where it enters the pickup body).

The MCM pickup also does not have the rubber pads that the Radio Shack pickups do, to help isolate the induction coil and its metal core from mechanical vibration.  If the speaker cabinet is vibrating at the right frequencies and the pickup is touching the cabinet, those vibrations will be transmitted to the coil as distortion.

So even if the incoming levels are well below clipping, the recording can have distortion.  I think that's what happened with 772pilot's induction recording of "Disneyland Forever".  Certain frequencies in "Kiss Goodnight" are distorted even though the levels are safely below 0 dB.

Another example are my induction recordings of the onboard audio for "Ghost Galaxy".  I used a Radio Shack pickup that was firmly attached to the speaker so it wouldn't come off during the ride.  SuperHotLarry could hear distortion in the very loud segments of the recorded audio and the speaker enclosure did noticeably vibrate during those sections.

[eyore]

I suppose that, with advancing age, I'm less sensitive to some frequencies as I just don't hear these problems any more and don't have the equipment to measure stuff.In the same way most lossy files sound pretty good to me too (mind you, I never heard the difference between a standard record player and a hi-fi system costing as much as a small car either. Probably a good thing I don't make recordings any more .

[pixelated]

It's not frequency sensitivity that is the problem (i.e., an issue with spectral response) but signal strength sensitivity.  I.e., the MCM pickups are quieter by ~6 dB compared to a Radio Shack pickup.

[SamH]

Thank you all for the links! I'll be sure to grab one whenever I get the chance.
and yeah don't worry I won't be climbing off the walls to get the audio; Don't think I'm that desperate to get it haha. But was just wondering if it was possible since some of the audio speakers are on the ceiling only 
The music in the line will have to do

[pixelated]

What kind of recorder are you using?  You should test whichever induction pickup you end up buying with your recorder to see if you get a decent signal from a speaker at home before you try it for the first time (and under pressure) in a theme park.

[772pilot]

So even if the incoming levels are well below clipping, the recording can have distortion.  I think that's what happened with 772pilot's induction recording of "Disneyland Forever".  Certain frequencies in "Kiss Goodnight" are distorted even though the levels are safely below 0 dB.

Actually, it's because that recording was totally blown out prior to running it through a declipper.

[SamH]

What kind of recorder are you using?  You should test whichever induction pickup you end up buying with your recorder to see if you get a decent signal from a speaker at home before you try it for the first time (and under pressure) in a theme park.

Well what type of recorder should I use? I'm all new to these things so I honestly have no idea what to do haha.
So I buy the one of the telephone pickups, and then a recorder then?

[772pilot]

I use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Portable-Condenser-Microphones-High-Speed/dp/B002R56C4O

Apparently discontinued now

[pixelated]

Well what type of recorder should I use? I'm all new to these things so I honestly have no idea what to do haha.
So I buy the one of the telephone pickups, and then a recorder then?

How much money are you willing to spend?  It's the usual tradeoff with audio gear: spending more money gets you better electronics inside the gear and so you get better quality recordings.  If you want to spend the minimum amount of money, you need to know the minimum quality of audio that is acceptable to you.

You now have 3 weeks before you go to WDW.  Unless you can find a retail store to buy a recorder and a telephone pickup, you'll have to buy them online and wait for delivery.  Then you have to learn how to use the recorder to make decent quality recordings, whether using a normal audio mic or the induction mic.  That's a lot of work to do in 3 weeks.

[pixelated]

So even if the incoming levels are well below clipping, the recording can have distortion.  I think that's what happened with 772pilot's induction recording of "Disneyland Forever".  Certain frequencies in "Kiss Goodnight" are distorted even though the levels are safely below 0 dB.

Actually, it's because that recording was totally blown out prior to running it through a declipper.

Oooooo nooooo...  Where's that Edvard Munch's 'The Scream' emoji when you need it?
http://www.iemoji.com/view/emoji/28/smileys-people/face-screaming-in-fear