From: "fieldrecordist" <>
> It seems like the shotgun telinga might be the best? I have never
> really thought of doing directional mono recordings but that might be
> a good idea for me. I already have one binaural mic from sonic
> studios. I wonder if there is some way I could use something as a home
> made parabola, like an umbrella hat or something?
The telinga is a parabolic mic. A shotgun mic is a entirely different
thing. The telinga gets gain from it's parabolic reflector. A shotgun
mic only limits the direction it picks up, it's interference tube
provides no gain, so it's not near as good for more distant subjects.
Though it has those who prefer it.
You can get a lot of directionality and gain from a umbrella. It's not
as good as a proper parabolic reflector, but does work. Look for a
smaller plastic umbrella that's got close to the parabolic curve when
opened.
You can also make a homemade parabolic using something like the telinga
reflector, which is available as a spare part:
http://frogrecordist.home.mindspring.com/docs/quickparabolic.html
Note that most homemades are mono. Making one in stereo requires a bit
more careful design, and costs more.
Part of my thought on the telinga is that a volcano is not something you
walk up to while active. You will be recording from some distance. The
telinga has the gain for that, and also will cut out some of the noise
from other directions. To get a good recording you will have to get away
from the other tourists somehow, they will not stop making noise, even
if you ask them and they agree.
And when not recording volcano's the telinga is very good for recording
birdcalls and so on.
> Good idea about the nighttime thing. I am planning on staying there a
> few nights so I would like to try that.
As has been noted it's going to take a little planning to do it safely.
It's not country to be walking around without lights at night. A fresh
lava area is full of sharp rocks, irregular surface, and you can break
through the crust, sometimes into hot stuff. If you are unfamiliar with
this sort of stuff, stick with established paths.
Walt
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