Jatinder Singh wrote:
>
> Hello All pros,
> I have been following the discussion on Mic. recorder combinations,
but have been able to digest only a little bit of it - being a
novice. I was wondering if the likes of Rob, Raimund and others would
be kind enough to develop a list of mic and recorder combinations in
increasing order of quality and price so that novices can then take a
look at it and depending on their budget and purpose pick a
combination. I know it is going to involve a bit of work, but it will
be a blessing for novices and newcomers like me and help us to invest
our money in the right place. Also, recommendations on sound analysis
software will be welcomed.
> Thank you all
> Jatinder
I'm also afraid that such a list would probably very difficult to
create. Please also note that the noise issue is only one thing to
consider when investing in new gear. Another important factor for
instance is its usability and ruggedness.
If you are mainly interested in (scientifically) studying animal
vocalizations, then the noise issue that has been discussed here
extensively is probably not such a big issue for you. This is
certainly true if you are using a parabola.
In any case I would (subjectively) recommend a Sennheiser K6/MExx
series microphone. On a very limited budget, you could look at the
TASCAM DR-1 or Marantz PMD620 recorders. The slightly more expensive
Olympus LS-10 would provide a significantly lower preamp noise floor.
Though, most of the above mentioned recorders might suffer from their
small size with their tiny and often fragile 3.5mm microphone input
connectors (the DR-1 has the advantage that it also offers a more
rugged 1/4" input). So, if your budget allows, you might consider one
of the larger recorders with XLR microphone input connectors such as
the FOSTEX FR-2LE, Marantz PMD 660, 671 or TASCAM HD-P2. You can
expect that these recorders will be more reliable under rough field
conditions.
Recommendations on sound analysis software would also depend on your
specific application. In case you need to measure sound parameters in
the context of a bioacoustic research project, you might have a look
at our Avisoft-SASLab Pro software
(http://www.avisoft.com/soundanalysis.htm). There is also free Light
version available. Other options include for instance the free
Audacity software (http://audacity.sourceforge.net) that provides a
basic spectrogram display option.
Regards,
Raimund
|