At 7:23 AM +0000 8/2/09, Al wrote:
>
>
>Folks,
>
>I'm trying to determine which hand-held recorder has the most
>sensitive, directional (and lowest self-noise) built-in microphones.
Hi Al--
"Directionality" and stereo imagery with an expansive impression are
often at odds in array options. Are you primarily interested in
close-ups or recording subjects at a distance with ambience?
>
>I own and use a couple of (low-end) shotgun mics. I find myself
>making recordings more often without my external mics available. And
>I end up using the built-in mics of whichever recorder I'm using at
>the time.
>
>Given this habit I have, I've decided that my next equipment
>purchase, should be a recorder with the best built in mics possible
>(within my <$1000 US budget).
Hopes are high that the newer Sony flash card stereo recorder will
have a "pro" quality, very low noise mic preamp. If that unit comes
in around $350USD, you can spend another $50 to $70 on a portable
phantom supply unit and still have several hundred to invest towards
good mics. If you'll outline your priorities (recording style,
subjects to be recorded, desired end-products), we'll make some
recommendations and you can search the list archive for sample
recordings etc.
>Does anyone have a link to reviews that are focused on built-in mics
>of handhelds? I haven't found any so far (just general reviews).
The list archive has quite a few comments and tests regarding
built-in mic performance. "Built-in mic test" =3D
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/naturerecordists/2009-07/=
msg00237.html
Among these matches, Matt's recent test stands out in my mind:
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/naturerecordists/2009-07/=
msg00237.html
This test also address your question about the self-noise performance
of the built-in mics of several pocket recorders.
Rob D.
>
>I thought I would just ask the Group here, as there is a good chance
>that someone already happens to know which hand-held recorder has
>the best mics.
>The new Zoom H4n looks a bit promising,
>I've been thinking that the Sony PCMD50 may be better, but I'm not
>sure. I will say that something as expensive as Sony's PCM-D1, would
>definitely be out of my range.
>
>Thank you,
>
>Al
>
>
>
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