[Yo-Yo]

Laptop, a decent USB microphone (Rode makes good and affordable ones,) and free Audacity software. Use an external SSD, record in mono, lowest bitrate, MP3 compression, and you'll get thousands of hours on a 1TB SSD.

https://www.audacityteam.org/

[hecticskeptic]

Yup... That’s what I did at a wedding party a while ago where I wanted to record all the speeches. Good quality microphone (Blue Yeti) and my laptop.

[George from New England]

Mono at 64 kbit if mp3. Wave files at 44.1 kHz in mono are best for uncompressed.

Find sound absorbing wall material, to keep any echo down. A dead sound booth or room is best. Directional mike cuts down on the sound pickup except in the direction you talk from.

Sennheiser has the classic MD421U I think. It’s a 1970s design.

In PA applications the Shure SM58 classic mike.