iPod nanos: They’re not just for music anymore!
Apple’s smallest portable music player, the iPod nano, helped revolutionize the way we store songs and listen to music. Few people know, however, that the nano is also a high quality, easy-to-use recording device.
Properly outfitted, a nano can be used for recording interviews, making field recordings and capturing sound effects for multimedia projects.
OSCR’s popular Gear-to-Go program, located in the Multimedia Learning Lab (MLL) (CC 303), recently acquired 10 nanos and created “recording kits”; each containing a nano, a stereo microphone that plugs into the bottom of the nano, a lapel microphone that can bypass the stereo microphone, a pair of mini headphones and cables for downloading the recorded audio to a computer. Each nano has also been pre-programmed with freeware that enables the conversion of recorded WAV files to MP3 files.
The recording kits are a relatively new addition to Gear-to-Go’s arsenal of multimedia devices but there has been very positive feedback from OSCR clients who have used the nanos to make recordings.
“So far, we’ve had clients from Art, Law, and Eller and, without exception, all reports are that the kits work great and were simple to operate,” said Gregory Anderson, on-site supervisor in the MLL. Each kit comes with an instruction sheet for assembling the components, making recordings and downloading and converting the audio files. “We created very easy to understand, step-by-step instructions because we understand a lot of our users will be non-technical people recording lectures and presentations. If people get stuck, OSCR is always a phone call away and we’re more than happy to talk clients through the process,” Anderson added.
While OSCR’s higher-end Gear-to-Go equipment is a better choice for multi-track recording, professional quality recording of concerts or other complex recording projects, the nano kits fulfill a definite niche, especially with the recent interest in podcasting and posting lectures to iTunes U. All the usual Gear-to-Go rules apply — clients must have a faculty sponsorship and equipment must be returned with 48 hours.
OSCR’s Gear-to-Go resources are available free of charge to all UA students, staff and faculty who are working on coursework or instructional projects.
For more info
oscr.arizona.edu/gear
Multimedia Learning Lab
621-9404
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