ger
Date: Wed Jun 17, 2009 5:14 am ((PDT))
Very interesting Robin. For the work that I do I am not willing to
compromise the sound quality. I routinely record at 48/24. I recently
upgraded to a Sound Devices 702 from a Tascam HD-P2 because of the quality
of the mic pres. If I used a Sound Devices MP-2 as the mic preamp for the
Tascam all was fine. However, this required an additional piece of
equipment, batteries etc. I don't mind carrying the 702 over the shoulder a=
s
most of my recording is in the field with birds, bugs, frogs and
soundscapes.
It will be interesting to see if others respond and what the different
viewpoints are.
Wil Hershberger
Nature Images <http://www.natureimagesandsounds.com/> and Sounds, LLC
Hedgesville, WV
From:
On Behalf Of escalation746
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 7:47 AM
To:
Subject: [Nature Recordists] Re: Hello all!
brucethehoon wrote:
> I have taken it into my head that photos are
> not good enough for recording memories of my
> vacations, and I'd like to know what my options
> are for high quality audio recording.
A lot of it comes down to convenience versus audio quality.
I have a Fostex FR-2LE which is an over-the-shoulder unit with phantom
power. This rig includes two very quiet AT3032 omni mics, mic cables, mic
stand and some jury-rigged wind protection. Up-side: sound quality,
recording formats, pre-record buffer. Down-side: not exactly minimal and no=
t
exactly discreet. Plus it does not have the build quality to stand up to
adverse conditions. (The Fostex is plastic versus the sealed metal bodies o=
f
recorders costing 2x, 3x or more.) So I wouldn't take it to a desert or the
arctic.
I also have a Sony Hi-MD unit. The preamps are as good as anything out
there, all the way up to a Sound Devices. It is very portable and very
discreet. Since it looks like a MD player (it is!) no-one thinks you're
recording. But it only supports 16-bit, is not large enough to have phantom
power, requires transfer software and takes proprietary batteries.
My third unit is the Olympus LS-10. Advantages include built-in mics,
excellent build quality, wide range of recording formats and quality
settings, AA batteries, built-in memory and seamless recording of any
(reasonable) length. Again it is too small to provide phantom power and has
compromises in the recording quality (bass roll-off, handling noise).
The biggest advantage of the LS-10? Ergonomics. It is dead easy to operate
and the screen is excellent. Though I am a trained audio engineer I am
willing to compromise sound quality (a bit) for this! I always have the
Fostex if I need it.
So, the question is: What are you willing to compromise? What are your
priorities?
-- robin
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