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Re: omni-directional mic

Subject: Re: omni-directional mic
From: Walter Knapp <>
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 11:41:32 -0500
From: "thorley_tom" <>

> In brief, you should use an omni-directional mic when you are looking to 
> make an open natural sounding recording that does it's best to capture all 
> the 
> sound that is there. However when you want to focus on a specific sound you 
> should use a directional mic. It will still pick up the surrounding ambience 
> but 
> the level of the ambient noise will be quieter relative to what the 
> microphone 
> is pointing at. It is not necesary to have both types of microphone, there 
> are 
> definately recordists who focus exclusively on atmosphere sounds and also 
> recordists who focus on getting the sound of a specific species.
> 
> Tom

While I agree, I should point out that "natural sounding" recordings are 
hardly limited to omnis. And there are plenty of mics that do their best 
to capture all the sound that is there, though if directional they do it 
only for the direction they are looking. Since human hearing is 
directional, it could be said that directional is more natural.

Certainly a single mono omni is not natural sounding to me. Without the 
directional cues of stereo it's very unnatural. That's two omnis 
minimum. Or two mics of some pattern.

And I agree, if specializing in one type of recording then one can get 
by with just one mic. One of the first things to decide, before buying 
any mics, is what you plan to record. That should determine the mics.

However, I've not met many nature recordists that were pure ambient or 
pure species. Though the latter is approached by quite a few. Most of us 
are somewhere in the middle. Having one mic is like having one fixed 
lens for your camera.

Walt




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