Sonia,
The Hi-MD recorder will do a fine job as a field recorder.
All Hi-MD recorders have the same preamp and recording
mechanism, so you could save money by buying the MZ-RH910
(about $165 at www.bhphotovideo.com and other retailers).=20
One difference: The RH10 has a display that is very easy
to read when the ambient light is dim (say, just before dawn).=20
The RH910 is easy to read in daylight, but the screen is
harder to read under low light conditions. Does that make
the RH10 worth the extra money? In my opinion, no.
The RH10 comes with a Sony NH-14WM 1350mAh rechargeable
battery. The RH910 is equipped with sony nh-10wm 950 mAh
battery. The batteries are physically the same size. I'd
suggest buying a couple of NH-14WM batteries (or equivalent
from another manufacturer), about $15 each.
A single Hi-MD minidisc costs about $7 and holds 94 minutes
of high quality stereo WAV recordings. A box of 10 discs costs
about $65. After you copy the recordings to a computer, you
can erase and re-use the minidisc. Be sure to regularly make
a backup copy of your computer files to CD or DVD, and keep
the backups in another building for safety.
I'm sure you will receive lots of advice for the selection
of a microphone. Members of this group have reported that
the Audio Technica AT3032 has low self-noise and works OK
in humid conditions.
The AT3032 requires "phantom power" from an external source
(that is, the AT3032 has no built-in battery like some mics
do. The Hi-MD recorders provide "plug-in power," a lower
voltage than the mic requires. So you will need a portable
power source for the mic.
Two such power sources are the ART Phantom II Dual Phantom
Power Adapter (about $50) and the Rolls PB224 Dual Phantom
Power Adaptor (about $75). Both use two 9 volt batteries
to provide power to the mic.
You will need an XLR male to XLR female cable to attach the
mic to the power source. A second cable is necessary with
two XLR female plugs at one end (connects to the power source)
and 1/8 inch tip/ring/sleeve plug at the other (the Hi-MD
recorder).
Good luck with your project,
--oryoki
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