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Re: Recording Gear For Installation (was Olympus LS-10 and Sony D-50

Subject: Re: Recording Gear For Installation (was Olympus LS-10 and Sony D-50
From: "Rob Danielson" danielson_audio
Date: Sun Jul 6, 2008 7:47 pm ((PDT))
Hi Lily-- My simple answer is: Mics can matter much more than 
recorders. Before we get into what mics and stereo rigs might work 
well for you and then the recorder question you pose,.. Are you using 
very high quality speakers in your installation?  Describe the 
speakers, amps and surfaces, size of room, HVAC (acoustics) of the 
room the installation will be in.
.
Do you want the  playback of the recording to be as "real" as 
possible? Describe some other settings you want to record in addition 
to, "a field of tall grasses." Also your recording gear budget: How 
about $1400 for sure-fire, low-noise, spacious recordings? If not, 
how about $420?  Do you might carrying and setting up tripods and 
cables-- that sort of thing? Rob D.

  = = = =

At 9:45 PM +0000 7/6/08, lilyplants wrote:
>Rob, thank you for responding to my question.
>
>After reading/listening to everything on the site including all the 
>reviews and uploaded
>recordings, I have further questions.
>- should I return the LS-10
>- buy the Sony PCM D-50 to try
>- wait for a light wt. point and shoot with warm sound
>- consider something I'm missing (don't want to buy pre amps.. new 
>mic would be fine)
>
>It seems to me that the LS-10, although I LOVE the unit, won't 
>provide the kind of
>recording I want.
>
>the naturerecordists emphasize the Olympus LS-10 over the Sony PCM 
>D-50 (is that for
>wt. and stealth only? or are you more concerned with isolating 
>sounds than a sound
>environment?
>
>Before I return the LS. I really need some feedback on the recorders 
>considering my needs.
>
>I want to do a variety of ambient sounds as well as music. For 
>example, the sound of a
>field of tall grasses for a sound installation; groups of people in 
>an urban environment. Goal: a you are there feeling which involves.
>
>last night I recorded music from a DJ with people dancing in a room.
>the LS is supposed to have quiet mic pre amps but I could hear an 
>airy sound over the
>music and people which I could not hear with my Sony MD MZ-100.
>the LS sounded too tiny to listen to with low cut on.
>however, using its internal mics, the LS gave nice separation 
>between music and people. I
>don't know if that was because of the binaural mics for the recorders.
>
>I very much appreciate hearing from this wonderful group before 
>making a decision.
>lily
>
>(I've tried to post a rich text message two times as a reply from 
>Yahoo to Rob's message in
>the thread. my new message didn't show up. what's the problem? We do 
>need to post
>from Yahoo don't we?)
>
>--- In 
><naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com> 
>Rob Danielson <> wrote:
>>
>>  At 3:48 AM +0000 7/5/08, lilyplants wrote:
>>  >I ordered the Olympus LS-10 thinking it would be much easier to use
>>  >than my MD Sony
>>  >MZM100 with soundprofessional binaural mics. It is.
>>  >
>>  >But it doesn't seem sensitive enough (okay with on high sen, 24,
>>  >limiter on and clip off).
>>  >
>>  >I want it to sound as good as possible with ambient and music. The
>>  >Japanese warbler is much
>>  >better recording than I have achieved.
>>  >
>>  >What really confuses me are the sound samples. Those Sony PCM D-50 on the
>>  >Wingfieldaudio.com site are moving (more overtones). The choir
>>  >sample of the LS is fatiquing
>>  >and uninteresting. YET the samples provides on this site show both
>>  >to be noisy although not
>>  >as noisy as the R09 (can't remember who did them (4 "point and
>>  >shoot" recorders).
>>  >
>>  >How does one account for these differences.
>>  >and Can one achieve better results with one of these recorders 
>>over the other?
>>  >
>>  >I'm new to ambient recording. Thank you for your help.
>>  >lily
>>
>>  Hi Lily--
>>  The "hi-sensitivity" setting does make make good sense for ambience
>>  recording. Maybe turn the Limiter off? Someone who owns an LS-10
>>  might be able to post the settings checklist they follow for
>>  recording quieter sounds and settings. Close-mic'd music should
>>  produce sufficient sound levels to work with.
>  >
>>  As for improving the performance of the LS-10, I'd definitely follow
>  > Vicki's recent comparison tests and suggestions including using Shure
>>  WL183 external mics. Other recordists have been posting recordings
>>  with comments. Here's a search of "LS-10" in the list archive:
>>  <http://tinyurl.com/5bwupr>http://tinyurl.com/5bwupr Raimund's 
>>suggestion of using external
>>  mics with low self-noise and very high sensitivity is a good one
>>  though there aren't too many mics to recommend that meet these specs
>>  that are well-suited for recording ambience.
>>
>>  In interpreting the samples provided in the review web sites, look
>>  for tests done in the field using high gain (and preferably with
>>  specified condenser mics, if external mics are used). Most of the
>>  conditions I've come across to date are not similar to those found in
>>  nature recording so they are not a very good indicators of the
>>  performance you might get. Rob D.
>>
>>  --
>>
>>
>>
>
>


-- 






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