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FAQ on Favorite Equipment?

Subject: FAQ on Favorite Equipment?
From: "Jim Morgan" <>
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 22:09:34 -0700
Have added equipment lists of two more members and some additional equipment 
for my list.

This is starting to get interesting!

Jim

Jim Morgan
Acting Moderator
Nature Recordists e-mail group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists
Personal Photography:
http://wingsofnature.com/

********************************************
Jim Morgan:

mic - Two Telinga Twin science - recorder - four Sony MiniDisc MZ-R50 and one 
MZ-R55. Also a 32" Greg
Clark dish that needs a full time mic.

A mounting bar that adapts to a tripod and holds a Telinga mic and a spotting 
scope for observing & verification of the bird being recorded.

Martyn Stewart:

Telinga Stereo Dat, Twin Science and dish (for species recording)
 Sennheiser mics MKH 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, 110
 AT 4071A Shotgun
 Marantz PMD-670 Flashcard recorder
 HHB Portadisk (yet to be beat)
 Tascam DP-1 Dat recorder (Not used much now)
 Sharp DR-7 Minidisk (very handy pocket recorder)
 2 X Sure ECM-44 (Great ambient recording mics as per Bernie Kraus)
 Sennheiser EW-500 transmitter and receiver (I can sit in the car on Mozzie
 days)

Walt Knapp:

Let's see: In the Ranger, my "regular set", goes on every recording trip.

Recorder: HHb Portadisc  (not a battery hog, excellent recorder) Lives 
in a PortaBrace case, the one they make specifically for it. Case has 
room for spare battery caddy, 6 extra minidiscs, and a thick pack of my 
field cards. In addition to the Portadisc.

Preamp, used occasionally: Sound Devices MP-2 with cables to match to 
the Portadisc and mics (I use a 15dB attenuating cable set between it 
and the Portadisc). Also lives in a PortaBrace case, the one for it. 
Keep nimh battery pairs for it in the case. But there is lots of unused 
room. The MP-2 can provide M/S decoding in the field for the headphones 
without messing with the M/S being recorded.

Microphones:

1) Telinga Pro VI with DAT Stereo mic element (that's the latest handle, 
runs off phantom power and has a removable cable in my 5 pin stereo 
system) Also has the rycote windscreen. In season lives loose on top of 
things in the Ranger when not in use. I have the dual science mic, but 
hardly ever use it. Even scientific survey recordings are better done in 
stereo.

2) SASS/MKH-20 and SASS/MKH-110 (modified SASS as per Lang's design 
idea, my machining, both with Crown's windscreen, and handmade fur cover)
http://frogrecordist.home.mindspring.com/docs/my_mod_sass.html
These each in plastic bins from the container store.

3) MKH-40/30, MKH-60/30 & MKH-80/80 M/S mics. (mixture of rycote and 
sennheiser windscreens/suspensions/fur)
http://frogrecordist.home.mindspring.com/docs/my_ms_setups.html
All three in one craftstore plastic bin, still looking for storage just 
the right size.

Headphones: Sony MDR-V900 (two pair along)

Cables: Canare star quad cables, Neutric X-HD series waterproof heavy 
duty XLR connectors, I make my own cables. All the above systems are 
adapted via Y cables or such like to a 5-pin XLR stereo system, with Y 
cables at the recorder end to break the channels back out. Saves cable 
clutter. The star quad is used with both channels in the 4 conductors of 
the star quad, which negates some of the interference resistance of the 
cable, but not a big problem for nature recording. I've cables from 5' 
for hand held up to about 100'. This and more small stuff in a 
PortaBrace large run bag.

Support: Two unknown brand lighting tripods. For heights up to 19' with 
the newer one I just got. The original one is good for about 15' and is 
heavier duty:
http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/tall.tripod.1.jpg
Use adapters I custom machined to attach the mics.

Sound Meter: Extech 407750

Location: Garmin Street Pilot III loaded with detailed maps in it's 
removable memory. Don't forget to document what you record. Backed up by 
a Delorme Gazetteer, the Garmin is not good for looking at the larger 
picture. These normally live on the Ranger dash.

Weather: Kestrel 4000 (measures just about any weather parameter), also 
have a no name digital thermometer that has a magnet so can be plunked 
on the outside of the ranger for a quick reading.

Lighting: Petzl LED/incandescent dual headlamps, several maglights and a 
couple newer high intensity LED flashlights. Recording frogs is a 
nightime activity. A sackfull of nimh batteries, organized in sets, 
managed on a charge schedule. Also onboard chargers for everything, some 
12volt, the rest run off a small Radio Shack inverter. There are 7 power 
outlets I put on the Ranger dash to handle it all.

Transport: It all is carted by a 2000 Ranger 4x4 supercab 4 door pickup 
with a Leer high top canopy. Which has a Tule luggage carrier and kayak 
mounts on the bars on top (The kayak I use is a Ocean Kayak "Drifter", 
though I have a couple others I could use). The Ranger is also my home 
and sleeping quarters on foray.
http://frogrecordist.home.mindspring.com/naturerecordists/Ranger.jpg

Note the Ranger is wired with Sony MD changer and Sony MD/radio unit 
networked together with a Sony link unit. With line in capability to 
play from other sources. Record a MD, play it on the way back home. Or 
as many as 7 without having to change any. Used mostly for music on the 
run to and from recording sites. Could easily be set up for playback, 
some could be done just by opening all 4 doors.

That does not count the biologist gear. Swift Field microscope, nets, 
snake hooks, boots, sample bottles, critter keepers and so on. Nor the 
Palm Tungten C which contains my database, photos, ID sound samples and 
assorted other data nice to have along. (and a computer scanner to 
diagnose the Ranger's computer) Nor does it get into the digital camera 
gear. Or food, clothes, sleeping equipment, tools and so on.

Also have at home:
Two MKH-816's, MKH-70, some more MKH-110's, two Sennheiser 1000 digital 
wireless setups. A couple hydrophones, and a number of lessor mics like 
the Sony ECM-MS957,  A unmodified SASS, a early Sennheiser binaural 
head. And lots of assorted other misc. Still waiting completion of 
setups, or like the two Sony MZ-R30's replaced. Some goes along with me 
sometimes.

Is any of this my Favorite? It's what I use currently, and in some cases 
I believe it's the best for me, and probably for many others. But 
something could come along tomorrow that would be better. That does not 
mean I'd get it, but it does mean that favorite may be too strong a word.


J Young:

HHB Portadisc (the battery monster)
Sony MZ-R30
        MZ-R50
        MZ-R55    player/recorders

Telinga Stereo-DAT mic
            EM-23 ??
            Parabolic dish

Sennheiser  K6, ME 64
                  K6, ME 67
                  MKH 110
Homemade windscreens, designs of which are always in flux.

All stored and most carried in PortaBrace packs.

There you have it, the whole kit. I'd love to find one more MKH 110. If anyone 
has one too many ...




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