Jim Lee wrote:
> Has anybody had experience with the Rode NT4 stereo mic for nature
> recording? The physical configuration seems ideal for fitting into a
> parabolic dish.
> http://www.rodemicrophones.com/NT4ComingSoon.htm
>
They are available on ebay all the time and often don't get many bids.
And talked about here, though not in the context of a parabolic mic. But
I don't think we have had anybody take the plunge for nature recording
and then report back.
Setting aside the question of the sort of stereo field you would get out
of a parabolic for the moment, the thing I notice is the mic is bulky.
And looking it up, this mic weighs a full pound bare, without battery or
connector. It's a darned heavy mic.
I use parabolics hand held, and the handles are typically behind the
dish. That pound of weight will be outside of the focal length as it
would have to be pointed in. Taking the Telinga I use as a example, the
mic outweighs the entire Telinga I think, including it's mic. It has a
focal length of about 8" and the handle is a couple inches behind the
dish. I'm estimating another 3-4" for half the length of the mic. That's
one pound on a 14" or so lever arm for your wrist to support steady. Try
it and see how long you are steady. My guess is not long.
You could design a parabolic with the handle below the dish to get it to
the balance point. Then it would be your elbow to worry about.
So, it's probably not the thing for hand held. The weight will be less
of a problem for those using tripod mounted parabolics.
Back to what's it going to pick up. My gut feeling regarding X/Y setups
and parabolics is that the positioning will be fairly critical, and will
vary from dish to dish. This mic has a fixed setup, you can't change it.
You get one shot.
The NT-4 might work well as a ambiance mic without the parabolic.
Assuming of course it can handle the nature recording environment. It's
self noise is moderately good. I'm sure sooner or later someone will
take the plunge.
Incidentally, for those who judge mics by their self noise spec, check
out the Rode NT1-A the new revised version. Self noise is 5dBA!
Walt
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