Childhood memories
This weekend, as I walked around my former elementary school, McEbright Elementary, I was aware of a number of feelings. Feelings of nostalgia. Feelings of joy. Feelings of sadness for innocence lost. I wanted to keep these feelings alive because I thought that they would make a great project. Certainly, I didn’t want to slow down the process by writing. It’s too cumbersome.
I had been thinking of purchasing a digital recorder. So, I went to the only place that I was pretty sure would be open on Sunday morning, Walmart, and purchased a Sony 1 GB digital recorder for about $60 USD. It’s compact, very easy to use, and has a number of features to make organizing one’s thoughts fairly easy. You can organize your thoughts into folders: A, B, C, D, E.
After I made the purchase, I came back to the school, got back into the mood, walked around the playground, the building, and recorded my thoughts and memories. All through the rest of the morning, I simply pressed the record button to record any thoughts that I had. It’s a great way to take notes, etc. of those great, yet fleeting, ideas that you have along the way. I think that this will be my constant companion from now on.
When I returned, I sat down and, as I worked on my book and listened to the snippets that I had recorded. It was fantastic way to recapture those on-the-spot feelings that often soften and even disappear after a very short time.
The downside to this particular recorder, as well as other Sony recorders, is that it is a proprietary format and has only Windoze software available for it. There is no Mac equivalent that I have found. I did see a post on a forum of a work-around. Plug the output of the recorder into the Mac and record it directly to the machine. Yeah, it’s digital to analog to digital, but at least it will be captured on your computer. Also, I found in that same post that Olympus recorders are Mac friendly.
I can say that I would have bought an Olympus, if Walmart would have had them AND I would have known about the Sony Windoze-only issue. However, it’s not a show stopper. I’m glad that I bought it. However, I could have saved about $20 by getting a 512 MB model.
Another non-photography tool for the bag. I think that I’m now officially multimedia! 
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10 Responses to “Another tool for the bag”
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You will love it Paul, I have been using a voice recorder off and on since college. They are great for in the car when that ‘great idea’ hits and for those ideas that come in the middle of the night as well. Besides when I sit down to write something it all seems to disappear so the recorder is a great way to keep the words alive.
First, what a wonderful picture you made here. I really like this. I’m going to purchase a recorder next week myself. I have no idea about multi-media
Sorry, got cut off, fat fingers…..
I have no idea about multi-media with FCP but I think I’m going to purchase the express copy and go to lynda.com and learn as I have a couple projects in mind.
Tom
This image is really great – I like the strict composition and the fine work with the out of focus background that contains all the connecting information. Superb.
Re. the compatibility issues: this is something I really do loathe. Those manufactures want to decide in which way and connected to which other gear we use what we have bought. But it’s the same with raw image formats, and we have learned to suffer and only quietly grind our teeth.
@Markus: Thanks! The photo is part of a book that I’m working on. As for the compatibility, it seems ridiculous that I cannot just hook up the recorder to USB, see the folders, download the .mp3 files, or whatever they are, and use whatever operating system I want. I guess that I’ll install the software on my Windoze machine when I get home and copy them to the Mac. When I hook it to the USB port, nothing happens. It doesn’t even show up as a drive. C’mon Sony!!!
Paul,
Do you have the receipt? Walmart is good about taking things back. Perhaps this one form amazon.com would be better?
http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-VN-5200PC-Digital-Voice-Recorder/dp/B001DDT42I/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1246625553&sr=8-4
Although I find the recorder idea very attractive, I haven’t had that great luck with using one. Perhaps I need to give it another try. I seem to require the visual connection with material. There is something about the tactile experience of recording thoughts that works better in my case. I suspect that there is a way to get the best of both methods and I simply need to further explore this. You have me thinking about this for the first time in a long while.
Your book comments are wonderfully mysterious (good, you should probably keep them that way) and, as is often the case with your posts, the photograph is the perfect accompaniment. What a lovely image and so full of feeling. You will have us all in a state of fine suspense by the time you are ready to unveil the secret.
I have to admit that when I need a voice recorder, I simply use my cellphone. Works for me and I don’t need to purchase yet another gadget. Whenever I go on a trip already now I schlepp around 7 (!) power adapters…
Your photos drives thoughts and emotions forcefully into one direction – yet still leaves much room for developing ones own particular interpretation. Great – that’s such a perfect balance!
Wow, I love this image. Incredibly powerful and dynamic with these crossing lines.
I got my son one of those for school thinking it would be good for taking notes. I got him an Olympus. He has yet to use it after an entire year. I may just have to commandeer it for myself…lol. I’ve often thought it could come in handy.
This is a really powerful image to go along with this post. Wonderful.