In a nutshell, Greg. I have taken Nagra recorders to environments so =
unfriendly and have been rewarded by their reliability,
Bernie (Krause) dropped one out of a helicopter from 30 feet and the
bloody thing was still recording when he went to retrieve it, I have
dropped mine for 20 feet and the only thing that finally finished its
life was my ex wife smashing it up in a fit of rage when we divorced!
I'm well aware of the professionalism of Nagra, i've owned them for
year and I still do but here is the thing, You would never take a
recorder or a microphone to an environment you were not sure of how it
preformed. Nagra and sound devices do not make recorders for "Nature
recordist" nor in fact does anyone else in the market. We as a
collective group are responsible for testing them in the field.
Microphones are in the same boat, the only microphones I would take
into high humidity are the MKH series because of their durability and
size of diaphragms. They preform 100% of the time.
The sound devices 7* series recorders are top quality recorders and I
have tried and tested them in unforgiving environments, my point is
basically you can have the best preamps and best mics and recorders
out there but will they work where you need them to? If I was given a
choice to go to Ecuador next week and I could take my pick from any
recorder, price no exception it would be the 7* series recorders and
sennheiser MKH series in a heartbeat and I bet you I would come back
with my sounds intact... If you took the Nagra VI would you be as
confident? (It's the Nagra VI I'm talking about NOT nagra as a company)
Martyn
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Martyn Stewart
http://www.naturesound.org
Redmond WA
425-898-0462
Make every garden a wildlife habitat
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On Oct 7, 2008, at 2:43 PM, Greg Simmons wrote:
> --- In Martyn Stewart <>
> wrote:
>
> > Would you take it to Papua New Guinea in a remote place for 16
> days?
> > What about the Arctic for 21 days?
>
> If I felt it was the best choice for the job, of course I would...
>
> From a sonic point of view, if I was fortunate enough to be going to
> PNG or the Arctic for an extended recording session, I'd want to make
> sure I was taking the best-sounding equipment I could get my hands
> on - I think nature deserves nothing less, especially when it comes
> to sounds that may not exist in another decade or two. The Nagra VI
> offers very high sound quality, so in that respect it would be a
> contender.
>
> I personally believe that we [nature recordists] have a collective
> responsibility to capture and preserve those sounds as well as
> possible, because one day they may not be there at all. If that day
> came, it would be disappointing to find that the only known recording
> of a certain species and/or location was made on a crappy-sounding or
> failing bit of gear by some well-meaning nature recordist who spent
> thousands of dollars getting to a remote location but skimped on the
> equipment just because it was marginally easier to carry. In my
> opinion, that approach sounds more like a recording holiday and is,
> at the very least, under-achieving.
>
> Considering the planning, expense and effort required to get to the
> sorts of places you mentioned above from wherever you are, the
> additional cost/size of the Nagra VI over other devices is not much
> *if* it offers superior sound and ease of use, and the required
> reliability. The latter is unknown for now, but it is a Nagra and
> they've always made excellent and highly-regarded field recorders.
>
> It is physically large but not at all heavy; in fact, without the
> battery it feels as though the box is empty. So it makes your baggage
> a bit larger but not much heavier than some competing products. Bulk
> and weight are big problems, but bulk on its own is the lesser of the
> two evils IMO. Some might disagree, but the Nagra VI is not
> outrageously large in absolute terms, it is just relatively larger
> than most of its competitors. Some of the pioneering nature
> recordists were carrying much larger and heavier things than the
> Nagra VI into remote places, and got the job done.
>
> Certainly, in the Arctic, I'd appreciate the Nagra VI's larger size
> when I needed to make gain adjustments or similar, because I probably
> wouldn't have to take my gloves off! I doubt I could do that with
> some of the ultra-small devices on the market. And if my experiences
> with wind chill in the high mountain passes of Tibet are any
> indication of what it might be like in the Arctic, the ability to
> keep my gloves on would be highly appreciated.
>
> > Would the machine cope with high
> > humidity? Would the screen fill up with condensation?
>
> These are good questions... It's a new machine, those things are yet
> to be tested and humidity in the display is obviously a concern (as
> it is for *all* devices with such displays). But Nagra have been
> making professional field recorders for over 50 years now and they're
> not a company to rush things to market. It would be reasonable to
> assume they've tested it for those things. Time will tell, of
> course...
>
> > These are the questions that matter, you said you used it in
> studios
> > etc but what about extended use away from amenities?
> > What would you do for battery life for the duration?
>
> What would I do for extended battery duration? I'd solve the problem,
> that's what I'd do. I enjoy such challenges.
>
> For the reasons stated above, I personally put sound quality and
> reliability ahead of ultra-portability and convenience. So no matter
> what device I was using, if I have decided it provides the sound and
> reliability that I want or need, then I figure out how to make it
> work for me. Electrical power is an easy problem to solve...
>
> When I do extended recording trips in the Himalaya, I take a solar
> power system with me to recharge the batteries. It adds weight, but
> so does carrying a pile of batteries, so it's a valid solution IMO.
> Another solution would be to look *around* the battery. The Nagra VI
> can be powered by the film industry standard +12V DC via a 4-pin XLR.
> A 10 minute visit to your local electronic components supplier
> followed by an hour with a soldering iron could produce a detachable
> power source that used readily available and easily replaced D cells
> to provide +12V DC through the 4-pin XLR. Then I'd have to weigh up
> (sic) the pros and cons of taking a few dozen D cells against taking
> my solar power rig in terms of cost, weight and environmental impact.
> For a short trip, D cells might be the better option, but they are a
> finite thing =96 they will go flat after use and become dead weight
> that needs to be carried out and disposed of properly. The solar
> power system will continue to be a viable power source for as long as
> there is daylight =96 certainly for a lot longer than D cells at the
> same weight.
>
> > If I was comparing to a 4 channel recorder I would still pick the
> > SD744 because its tried and tested in grueling environments.
>
> As are all the Nagras preceding the VI, dating back over 50 years
> now. Nagra know what they're doing, and they didn't get their
> reputation by making junk.
>
> > Nagra say this is a 6 channel recorder but in fact you DO need
> extra
> > pre-amps boosting the weight capacity!
>
> There are six input channels and six tracks; that is an undeniable
> fact. But only four of the input channels have microphone preamps.
> That is an undeniable bummer if you want to use more than four
> microphones at once.
>
> I summarised this in the last two paragraphs of my post, Martyn,
> where I wrote that most nature recordists would probably be better
> off with one of the Sound Devices products, either the 744 if they
> needed four tracks or the 788 if they needed more. I also pointed out
> that you would need extra preamps if you wanted to use more than four
> microphones on the Nagra VI. But thanks for repeating those
> observations here, anyway. We finally agree on something.
>
> - Greg Simmons
>
>
>
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