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If you're interested in building a taping rig so that you can capture the sounds of a concert, here is a guide on the products you'll need to do so.
Taping concerts can be expensive to get into, but it's worth it when the outcome is a perfect recording. If you're interested in building a taping rig so that you can capture the sounds of a concert, here's a guide on the products you'll need to do so.
Step 1:

Purchase some quality microphones. Microphones are what will capture the sounds of the concert you want to tape. So put a lot of thought and effort into purchasing the right ones. The more you are willing to invest in microphones, the better the sound quality will be. In general, you'll need to purchase a pair of matched condenser microphones so that you can record in stereo. These are better for taping because they have better frequency response and sensitivity as opposed to dynamic microphones.

It's also important to consider what polar pattern you'll want your microphones to have. Your taping rig needs to capture the best sound, so cardioids microphones are probably the best pick (they capture a heart-shaped noise pattern, with less rear and side noise). If your taping rig is built in a larger room, you might prefer hypercardioid microphones. Just don't go with omnidirectional mics - they pick up everything and can make your concert recording sound awful.

Try to get microphones with at least 20 Hz (a broad frequency response). And if you can pick one up that's durable and long-lasting, you'll save yourself the expense of replacing it too soon.

Step 2:

Purchase a microphone preamp. To build your taping rig, you'll also need a microphone preamp, especially if you are using condenser microphones. A preamp will convert low-voltage output from a microphone into higher voltage line-level for your audio recording equipment. Quality for microphone preamps varies greatly, but in general, spend the most that you can afford. Higher price usually translates to better quality, which is important if you want your taping rig to produce high-quality recordings. (And don't forget to buy a battery for your preamp!)

Step 3:

Make sure you have digital recording capabilities. Digital recording is quickly becoming the norm these days. But if you are still recording in analog, make sure that you have conversion capabilities. A high-quality analog-to-digital converter will take an analog signal from your microphone and convert it to a high-quality digital signal. You'll find that this will drastically improve the taping.

Step 4:

You'll need something to record on. Now that you've got all of your equipment in place for the taping rig you want to build, you need to figure out what recording device you'll use. Digital Audio Tapes (DAT) are quite inexpensive these days, but they are obsolete (having been replaced with CDs and minidisc recording technologies). Your best choice for recording your concert sounds is to use a disk recorder. Find one with stereo recording capabilities up to 24 bit, or 96 kHz uncompressed .wav or .aif format. Make sure it has great audio to digital conversion capabilities. And ensure it comes with a battery.

If you can purchase all of these components, you'll be able to build a high-quality taping rig that will give you years of fine recorded music.

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