Hi Clint,
My budget priorities, in order, would be:
The best quality microphone that you can afford for the kind of
recording that you intend to do. Maybe there is a particular reason
why you want a shotgun mic, but if not you are better off getting an
omnidirectional or cardiod mic, depending on what you want to record.
If you intend to record outdoors in anything except the lightest of
breezes, you are going to need a hand grip, mount, zeppelin and fur
covering. Don't underestimate the importance or cost of these units.
I use Rycote, but the K-Tek units that I have seen also look good.
And if you do not want to record hand-held, you are going to need a
tripod or other stand.
Good headphones to monitor your recordings. I think that getting used
to the headphones that you choose, in terms of how what you hear
through them is rendered in the recording, is more important than the
brand. I happen to use Sony MDR-7506 headphones, but there are
others. The key point is, the cost of monitoring headphones is not
negligible.
Recording medium. Calculate how much memory you need, and how much it
will cost. Also, cables, batteries, a bag for your gear. All of this
"little stuff" adds up.
The recorder. Except for pre-amps, digital is digital. The recorder
can be a computer with sound recording/editing software, which you
have to have anyway, plus an interface, or a dedicated recorder. In
my view, the choice depends on how much your budget is and how much
mobility you need. Do you already have, or intend to buy, a laptop
computer? If so, do you need a field recorder?
One other comment about recorders. I use a Sound Devices 702T, and
I'm not familiar with these other machines. However, as I understand
it, some of them will record two tracks, but not one. If that is
true, it is something to consider when you are calculating how much
memory you need, because it will double your memory requirements.
Sound recording/editing software. I put this second-last only
because, if one is on a budget, the obvious choice is Audacity, which
is free.
Unless your objective is to record birds or frogs or whatever quite a
distance away, I would put a parabolic setup dead last. Unless you
are going to build one yourself, they are expensive, and there is a
lot of other stuff to pay for first.
Regarding dealers...
Someone suggested B&H Photo-Video. I buy from them occasionally and I
am in their store several times a year. The only reason to use B&H as
a dealer is that their prices are sometimes cheaper. In my
experience, their staff are much stronger, in terms of knowledge, on
photo gear than audio gear. Their pricing on audio gear is often no
better than elsewhere.
Unless B&H offers a significantly more attractive price, I would use
one of these specialized retailers, all of which I have dealt with:
www.trewaudio.com (Nashville, Toronto, Vancouver)
www.coffeysound.com (Los Angeles)
www.gothamsound.com (New York)
To be clear, I have nothing against B&H. They are completely
reputable. It's just that I would rather give my money to a dedicated
sound shop with knowledgeable staff. And from a straight financial
point of view, my experience is that smaller outfits will save one
money, due to good advice, in the long term. Because you are in New
Zealand, any may not have an on-going relationship with the dealer
from whom you buy, this may be less of an issue for you.
I was in New Zealand a few years ago. There are amazing recording
opportunities there.
Cheers
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