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Re: Savannah Sparrow and the 722

Subject: Re: Savannah Sparrow and the 722
From: Tim Nielsen <>
Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2005 13:34:48 -0700
Klas, I just helped to do a little write-up for Electronic Musician  
comparing some of the latest recorders. We did three different tests,  
recording some dialog, a snare drum, and some night ambience. The  
night ambience was recorded with a pair of Earthwork omni's.

Those are pretty quiet mics, so what we were hearing in noise  
difference was mainly the input stage (instead of saying just mic  
preamp, since the A/D convertor can theoretically be significant to  
what you hear as well).

There was a HUGE difference. I won't propose to know exactly what I  
was hearing, but the 722 and the Fostex FR2 were fairly quiet, and  
both Marantz units that were tested were VERY noisy. Hiss. Lots of hiss.

I honestly don't know where and at what stage it's all happening. Is  
the unit just adding additional noise?

When we did the dialog test, since the dialog was loud enough, the  
noise on each of the devices wasn't really an issue, the noise floor  
was down there enough that it didn't really matter.

I'm not an overtly technical person, so I won't argue too much, but  
there is most certainly a difference between a minidisc recorder, a  
Sony DAT, my 722, my HHB, all of them. A lot of time too I notice not  
even so much a 'level 'difference in the noise, but a different sonic  
character, what seems 'smoothest', less distracting.

The thing is, you take a very quiet mic, like the Telinga, Schoeps,  
etc. But then to record something quiet, you're applying 60dB of gain  
or more, so that noise floor is coming up, but also the device starts  
to add it's own noise, and I do think it's cumulative.

Anyway, not to open this can of worms again....

Tim

On Jun 19, 2005, at 9:37 AM, Klas Strandberg wrote:

> Don't understand it....
> The dominant noise should be the Telinga noise....?
>
> Could anyone connect one channel of the Telinga to the 722 and the  
> other to
> - say - a Tascam DAP1?? And record .Wav??
> If it shows a significant difference, I have to excuse myself for  
> all I
> have written on this list about preamps. Jesus....
>
> Klas.
>
> At 18:21 2005-06-19, you wrote:
> >I too am amazed at how quiet the preamps are on my 722. I honestly
> >don't like the sound quality as much as the Lunatec preamp, but it's
> >probably quieter, just somehow not as 'lush' (But it's close). But
> >for a built-in preamp on a portable device, it's as good as I've
> >certainly ever seen. It's a fantastic recorder.
> >
> >I still can't decide to hang onto my old DAT gear, or sell it off.
> >It's honestly worth so little now, I have a hard time justifying
> >selling it.
> >
> >Another very nice recording.
> >
> >Tim
> >
> >
> >On Jun 19, 2005, at 8:51 AM, Martyn Stewart wrote:
> >
> > > I have been asked a few times whether there is any filtering on  
> the
> > > White-crowned sparrow recording I posted yesterday, I can honestly
> > > say no,
> > > this is in the raw. This file shows the capabilities of the 722  
> and
> > > its
> > > pre-amps. I have just posted another file I made this morning out
> > > chasing
> > > Savannah Sparrows in an urban park at about 5:00am. Unfiltered.
> > > It's a long file about 1:26 sec.
> > > http://www.naturesound.org/Sound%20Files/Savannah%20Sparrow% 
> 20WA.mp3
> > >
> > >
> > > Martyn
> > >
> > > Martyn Stewart
> > > Bird and Animal Sounds Digitally Recorded at:
> > > http://www.naturesound.org
> > >
> > > N47.65543   W121.98428
> > > Redmond. Washington. USA
> > > Make every Garden a wildlife Habitat!
> > >
> > > 425-898-0462
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > "Microphones are not ears,
> > > Loudspeakers are not birds,
> > > A listening room is not nature."
> > > Klas Strandberg
> > >
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > > To visit your group on the web, go to:
> > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/
> > >
> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> > > 
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of  
> Service.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >"Microphones are not ears,
> >Loudspeakers are not birds,
> >A listening room is not nature."
> >Klas Strandberg
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> Telinga Microphones, Botarbo,
> S-748 96 Tobo, Sweden.
> Phone & fax int + 295 310 01
> email: 
>         
>
>
>
>
> "Microphones are not ears,
> Loudspeakers are not birds,
> A listening room is not nature."
> Klas Strandberg
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> To visit your group on the web, go to:
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> 
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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