From: Geoff Sample <>
> I was very taken with the improvement in sound, when I started using the
> MP2, as opposed to the internal pre's on the DAP1. Since it's the really
> special recordings that make it worth-while for me, if I'm going to set u=
p
> the stereo, I now want it running through the MP2. Can't help it - I'm mo=
re
> of a sound aesthete than a scientist. My battery packs have served me wel=
l
> over the years (I get about 5 hours of DAT power from each one), but I'm
> going to rethink it when upgrading to solid-state/hard-disc in a year or =
so.
In my case the difference in sound quality between using just the
Portadisc and adding the MP2 is hard to find. I can get more gain using
the MP2. And that's the main time when I use it, when I need max gain
for some reason.
You do want to investigate the newer NIMH batteries, the capacity has
been climbing significantly. I get nearly 4 hours with the Portadisc
running off NIMH AA's and that's powering the MKH mics. Though I think
the minidisc mechanism may use less power than DAT.
> I can see the convenience in this, which is so often very useful to us -i=
e
> we often don't have the time or even opportunity to get closer. But I'm
> interested to know if, given the choice, you'd prefer to get one of your
> wider/more open stereo set-ups (below) placed closer to the subject. Or a=
re
> there times when you would prefer 60/30 above these?
I like to say my typical site is recording over the barbed wire fence
with the no trespassing sign. Getting closer is very often not a option.
And you'd have to try wading some of Georgia's swamps to see the other
problems.
So, the 60/30 does have a purpose as far as being unable to be closer.
It also has another purpose in that I'd choose it where I have a small
group of animals close together. I view it both as something for greater
distance and for narrower fields. The final result may not sound narrow,
I'm referring to the field as it is at the site. Or what I want to pick out=
.
There is also that the 60 simply has a better sound than the 40 to my
ear. Probably some combo of it's greater sensitivity and lower self
noise. I don't have a MKH-50, though I can duplicate the pattern with
the MKH-80's.
I don't know as it's a thing where I have to choose one. I consider the
uses different enough, and each valid. I don't have hard and fast rules
on it, I'm new enough to these setups to still be doing a lot of
experimenting.
> So much choice!!
Goes along with so much variety in sites.
>>> It's good to see Sennheiser looking at all at producing a all in one
>>> stereo mic. I'm hoping they will do more. I'm sure this was not put out
>>> for nature recordists but for the niche you describe. That does not mea=
n
>>> we cannot try it out.
>
>
> Absolutely. And maybe I should try out this 60/30 combo. I've always trus=
ted
> my ears. When I started doing nature recording seriously, I went for the
> best set-up I could afford/find for my purposes, which was the 30/50. Sin=
ce
> then, I've grown to value the discipline of using just the one set-up by
> choice (other than reflector or MKH70 for mono) and thinking carefully ab=
out
> mic placement, distance from where I hope the subject(s) will perform and
> location acoustics. Though in the last few years I've added the option of
> the MKH40 for a slightly tighter stereo picture and rear rejection. I exp=
ect
> I'll cave in to an MKH20 soon, unless something along the lines of this 4=
18s
> emerges to replace the whole system. Unlikely.
My setup grew in a order as much dictated by finding good prices on ebay
as anything. I had a list, but which came first was luck of the draw.
I pretty much confine the MKH-20's to the SASS. But, they are so good
there it's hard to see anything that would be a improvement in using them.
I'd heard Lang's MKH-60 pair, but had only one when I set it up M/S. If
the MKH-30 was just a little better it would be even nicer. I really
need to machine parts and set up with a MKH-80 side with it and see how
that does. Don't get too worshipful of the narrowness of field of a
short shotgun, it's still pretty darned wide. I think 60 degrees or so.
In comparison I consider the MKH-40 M/S to be about half a circle, and
the SASS to be about 3/4 of a circle. The MKH-50 must lie somewhere in
between, maybe 1/3 circle?
I have a MKH-70, but so far have not done much with it. I'll probably
try it M/S too, though I'm less sure that's going to work. If not I will
wait until I manage to get a 2nd one to do stereo. I simply won't do
mono anymore, except hydrophone. And if I could figure stereo out there
I'd use it.
I agree, getting the most out of each mic setup is a very worthwhile
goal. But I don't believe that one setup is universal enough. Kind of
like the photographer who has more than one lens.
> A nice mix of species. Are the rising click series the ornate chorus frog=
?
> But yes the slow rolling croaks sound very like Rana temporaria. Though t=
hey
> are the same genus, there are other members of the genus in continental
> Europe that sound very different.
Managed to leave that one off the list, that's the southern chorus frog.
The ornate chorus frog sounds kind of like a hammer hitting a anvil at a
steady pace. The loud yeeping is the spring peepers. They were why I
waded out as far as possible. They were mostly in the shore bushes.
I have another recording at the same pond of a time when the chorus was
going strong, which ended up on my CD. That really sounds like Rana
temporaria. Much more than the single calls. The short ID clip I've got
on my gopher frog page has a very short section from that recording. As
well as some singles and hydrophone recording.
http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/docs/gopher.frogs.html
We have 9 species of Rana in Georgia, a considerable variety of calls,
no two alike.
> Thanks for the reply and best wishes, Geoff
>
Thanks for the Rana temporaria recording, I'm going to be meeting with
some frog experts down here tomorrow and will take it along for them to
hear. I bet when I play it all will think it's Gopher Frogs until I tell
them.
Walt
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