At 3:28 AM +0000 9/7/07, paulmcnelis wrote:
>Thanks everyone for your input so far!
>
>I am still seeking advice but I have narrowed my decision.
>
>#1.I am not looking to record specific sounds, such as specific birds
>or frogs. What I invision is to sit near a pond and record its ambience
>(frogs, birds,crickets,etc) , or sit near a stream and record the same,
>or by the ocean and record the surf plus perhaps birds or
>people/children, etc.
>
>#2.I wish to record in stereo. That is my priority. I am not picky
>about what I wish to record, as someday I may wish to record nature
>then maybe the ambience of a pub. Just as long as it's in stereo and
>minimal internal "hiss".
>
>My questions:
>
>Would the WL-183's be a good decision to start off with?
>
>If I get a Sony HiMD, H4, Edirol R09 or FR2-LE, do the 183's have to be
>modded to fit these devices?
>
>What other microphones would be good for stereo?
>
>My budget would be around $400 (give or take a hundred).
>
>Thanks again!
>
Hi Paul--
Perhaps one way to think about it is a choice between ~$250USD to get
started or ~$1000USD for a longer-term investment.
~$1000: As you are willing to work with a stationary rig and are
primarily interested in ambience in quiet locations, a safe bet would
be a pair of Audio Technica-AT-3032 mics and a FR2-LE recorder. Curt
Olson's rigs are quite simple to build (or have someone build for
you):
http://www.trackseventeen.com/soundscapes/mic_rigs.html Prices at
your location may vary significantly but I think the recorder and
mics would run about $900 in the States.
~$250USD: For a budget starter, a used MiniDisc recorder (Sonys and
Sharps are popular) with a pair of WL-183's are a good match. The
higher, 23dBA, self-noise on WL-183's would likely mask the lower
noise performance of the other recorders. The WL183's can be easily
body-mounted, headphone or tree-mounted. I'm sure there's someone who
can solder the connector on for you.
Note that Hi-MD recorders do require a phantom power supply unit in
order to use phantom-powered mics like the AT-3032's (and a wider
choice of mic options). So, rather than spend around $300 for a new
Hi-MD, H4 or R09 recorder at this juncture, I'd seriously consider
the additional ~$250 for the FR-2LE recorder for the quality, ease of
use and the ability to use phantom-powered mics.
You'd probably want a good pair of headphones too.
http://tinyurl.com/2gjwnz Rob D.
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