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[Horizons]

The $300 I paid for the Edirol R-09 was one of my best investments (in fact, I have two).  It works great and if necessary, I can record up to 20 hours of 320k .mp3 on my memory card.

I agree on the mini-discs, I would skip them.

[eyore]

Remember that minidiscs can be erased
Once you have transferred the recordings to the PC (mine just plugs in from the aux socket to the line in on the PC - not USB) and, of course, made a backup to CD/DVD just in case - you just erase the stuff and record anew - just like a tape.
A decent pack of a dozen or so minidiscs should last a lifetime.
They are still available but you need to find somewhere that sells them - in the same way that Hi8 and VHS-C tapes are getting harder to find nowadays.
Stores tend to stock only the most modern accessories now.
Most iPods and MP3 players have a recording facility but (mp3 players certainly) often don't have anywhere to plug in the mic.
There's a balance between getting a decent recording "in the field" at a reasonable cost and trying for studio quality, I feel.
I'm playing my stuff on a CD player so a minidisc recording is fine for that.
Maybe if I had a super-duper HiFi costing thousands, I'd have another thought.
If you are happy listening to MP3s, there shouldn't be a problem
Of course, if you have the $300 to spend (or do serious work like Horizons) then fine.
I didn't and don't.

[C33]

If Karl's gonna post his equipment list than so am I This is the stuff I bring with me whenever I go to a Disney theme park:

1. 2 unmodified induction pickups
2. 1 induction pickup without suction cup
3. 1 induction pickup without casing
4. Telescoping pen magnet
5. Popsicle sticks
6. Electricians tape
7. Glue dots
8. Rubber bands
9. Dual Mono to Single Stereo Y Adapter

And of course my recorder. All of this stuff was bourne out of advice I was given by others and also crazy ideas I had about how to do certain recordings. And to tell you the truth- most of my ideas were really bad. I put myself in a lot of uncomfortable situations (physically and socially) in the interest of getting recordings. And I used the wrong recording equipment, which severly held me back.

Let me add an additional endorsement for the Edirol R-09HR- it's expensive, but it's opened a whole new world for me when it comes to recording and you wont find anything better.

Also, I believe eyore mentioned what is probably the only absolutely solid rule when it comes to induction recording: bad speaker = bad recording. Always. Whatever the speaker sounds like, that's what your recording will sound like. If the speaker sounds bad your recording will sound bad, no matter what.

As for the iPod thing- don't do it. I started out using an iPod voice recorder attachment with a line in (I think it was made by Belkin). The quality wasn't bad but there are several other issues. One- the iPod has a tendancy to lag and the recorder never seems to start when you want it to, which can be a problem. Two, if you use your iPod as an iPod as well you'll run into battery issues most likely. Three, you can't set or even see levels or any other settings (HUGE problem). And fourth and worst of all, the attachments usually use the dock connector, which is extremely unreliable. Often the iPod wouldn't recognize it was there or it would come lose during the recording (which isn't hard when you're on, say, Space Mountain). In both cases, the result is no recording.

I cannot stress enough: don't buy a voice recorder. Buy an audio recorder. Voice recorders are made for recording just that- voice. They are designed to adjust for volume and such to produce an audible recording of the human voice. They are not designed to record music, and are not designed with audio quality in  mind. If you want to be recording music you need a recorder that was designed for that purpose. The ability to manually set levels is a MUST. Also, you want to be able to record to an uncompressed format.

And by the way, I went out a few weeks ago and bought an 8gb SD card for my Edirol. I can now record something like 60 hours at 320kbps MP3. I even did some recordings at 98khz 24bit WAV- and let's just put it this way: I tried playing them on my iPod and it crashed. Good quality though!

[fbueller]

The cost of cards is minimal nowadays. I just picked up a 16GB SDHC for $24 on special this week. That's about 25 hours of uncompressed .wav recordings on a single card.

Lots of podcasters use iRivers, I know that. But I don't know about the music recording quality. I've tried a Creative Zen V Plus and it's not terribly good, despite recording 160kbps MP3's.

[eyore]

OK, here goes.
One induction mic.
Sharp MT280E(S) Recorder.
One pack minidics.
(don't need adapter, option to record mono to both channels from mono mic)
One finger (to hold mic in place). 
OK, I'm only starting out so that's in fun as it's good to have this list.
I did notice that there was lots of stuff I could have used to extend my reach in the trash bins (had I had some tape with me) I have bought some glue dots for next time.
Apart from the above, I'm also carrying a camera, a video recorder, spares for the above, packets of batteries, a waterproof, a drink, spare cigarettes, spare lighter, mp3 player and earphones (with pre-recorded BGMs), a notepaad to jot down what it was I recorded .....the list goes on.
Somewhere I also have passports and money plus my insulin pen and glucose tester.
I need a bigger bag

[pepelapew]

Eyore, you need a suitcase. I thought I was bad with my camcorder, DSLR, zoom lenses, extra batteries, DVC tapes, Tripod, index cards for autographs, pen, list of pressed penny machine locations, roll of quarters, roll of pennies, money, sunglasses, poncho, etc. etc. etc. My husband complains about lugging that packback around with us. I tell him that I will carry it, but he doesn't want to look like a jerk carrying nothing while his wife is saddled down with this huge bag on her back. I could care less, as long as I get my pics and videos. I had thought about getting into doing some recording too. I am not sure that I am ready for it. I may have a trip where I will be alone for 2 days in the park while my husband is at a conference. If I am ever going to try it, that will be the best time. I am taking a look at the lists from members above and checking into some equipment, just in case.

[eyore]

Don't laugh but we now have this down to a fine art.
My wife also has a collection of stuff (usually much more practical like a change of shirt, her camera, my son's stuff which he hates to carry etc).
What we do is pack them all in our backpacks, pack these into our hand luggage so, when we get to the hotel, we just take the backpacks out, leave the baggage (and half empty hand luggage) at the hotel (room is never ready when we get there and we're not hanging around for it) and off to the park. Saves hours of messing around.
We unpack after it's closed

[magic]

Where can i buy an induction mic?

[eyore]

The usual place is somewhere like Radioshack.
You buy  it for recording telephone conversations. (telephone pickup).
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103876

[magic]

Wow whats cheap, now whats the best and cheapest way to bet good quality recording

[kirky]

Wow whats cheap, now whats the best and cheapest way to bet good quality recording

Depends on how you define good and cheap.  Usually they are two different things.  Expensive = good, cheap = not good.  There are a few thread if you do a search where we have gone over our equipment, costs, and strategies.  Be advised, just getting a $7 mic and a good recorder do not euqal good results.  You're looking at hours and hours of recording and audio editing to get something that may or may not be good enough to really listen to.

And in all honesty, chances are, you won't even get close to the stuff that's already in circulation.  Probably if it's not in circulation, it's not going to be possible for a rookie to get it done either.  But don't let that discourage you.  I just want to make sure people understand the process and how difficult and time consuming it is.  We've got some people who have spent more time recording stuff than most of us have spent in the parks, period, and still have trouble.

[eyore]

I agree with kirky.
It's a complicated hit-and-miss thing BUT it's also great fun even if you just want to take back memories and that "perfect" recording isn't your aim.
There's a great sense of satisfaction at making an induction recording of your own.
The results here are from people who have spent hours learning and refining technique and you are listening to all that experience (and dedication).

If you listen to a professional singer, you'll probably never achieve that standard.
Doesn't stop you enjoying singing in the bath though
Try it and have fun. Keep your costs down until you learn (but not too cheap) - something within budget that you can afford to consign to a drawer if you don't find it fun.
You can always get better equipment if you get hooked (very easy)

[magic]

Lets see, i never go to Disneyland for it being too expensive, and i could afford the audio stuff, and i have done audio auditing.

[eyore]

The go for it!
Take note of what the people here who make great recordings (not me) say and read the reviews for the equipment they suggest.
Fortunately (unless you want to make your own like some have), the induction mic is standard - there isn't a more expensive (or better) version.
have fun.

[wcool]

Hi,

I want to do a suggestion (please tell me if I am kicking this topic or what so ever).

I do induction myself and I have a digital WAVE/MP3 recorder from Olympus (don't know the type, but can look up for you).
I also have a induction mic from maplins (we haven't got it in Holland:()
I can give you some links if you like, just let me know via this topic.

Wcool