If you were new to the industry and have a big love for the events side of things in the music industry, where would you go and how would you start off? 

Working at a production company or a crewing company will get you working at some cool shows, and all you need to know is how to roll a lead and lift heavy things!

I have a Zoom Q3 HD and i was wondering what you guys think of it.   I know its not a professional piece of equipment but ive heard its the best hand held out there.

Man, I've been going to get one of the Zooms but really can't decide which one!

Everytime I make up my mind, a new one comes out. 

I have to agree with d4Dever, although things like rolling leads and lifting heavy things can be learnt/taught.

 

As for the Zoom Q3, I haven't used that one specifically, but I do have and have used a H2.  The place where the H2 excels for me is in capturing ambiences.  The ability to do surround with a single battery powered device is great.  The MS ability of the new one is intriging, but I'm not sure I need to get it as I have something that does that job anyway.

 

As 2 differing examples of the H2, here are some links.  The first is a combination of a couple of different recordings that I made at the Mt. Gravatt Show a few years ago.  Some of the stock cars came within a couple of meters of the H2.  I put this together as part of an assignment at uni firstly as surround, but the submission required stereo.  Pity.

 A Night at the Show by Tim Roberts Sound

This second one is a recording of my brother's band is a small shed.  Is surround mode, with the back of it facing the drums, bass amp front and centre with 2 guitar amps on either side.  Mixed with the volume knobs on the amps, slight EQ and compression, with vocals recorded later with a RODE NT1A.

You Found Me by Tim Roberts Sound

Yeh Zooms are great, I haven't used their video stuff, but have a few H4n's which are awesome.

 

I mainly record live gigs, and have found the Zoom amazing in these situations:

 

1. Recording a whole gig - use the onboard mics for ambience and get a main L/R from the desk. The sound from the video is done this way 

2. Use it to record crowd noise to add to a multitrack recording, with the advantage of not using up channels on the multitrack, and also being battery powered you can put it anywhere! I have had issues with syncing audio from the zoom as it clocks a little slower than my multitracks, but when just using for crowd noise, its not an issue.

3. Used as described in number one along with a full multitrack recording, this way it acts as a backup of sorts if the multitrack dies.

I ended up getting the H2N.

It's a little fun machine!