Richard, Oryoki and Scott--
Optimistic thinking can bring out the worst in gear. :-) The adage,
"I'll take a spare to be sure that I don't need it, " comes to mind.
I like to power-up condenser mics, outside, 3-5 hours before I'll
really need them and leave them on. If the
popping/fizzing/sputtering/whining doesn't stop after 5-7 hours, then
I seal the mics in a ziplock bag with several desiccant packets for
24 hours and start over.
A few more precautions to toss in: Take more power and media than you
think you'll need even on short excursions. Carry redundant memory
cards, power and a pair of cheap ear buds in the case. Bring
redundant cables, connectors, adapters for camp. Also in the
recorder case, a plastic bag large enough to quickly cover the whole
rig in a downpour*. For camp, an extra portable phantom supply to
keep mics that are acting-up powered and hopefully "working-through"
the moisture issues. Practice using any new set-ups before taking
them out and go through all of the knobs and menu settings before
hitting the trial. I'm more likely to do really, really stupid things
when the recording conditions are exciting.
*In addition to your rain cover set-up.
re:
>I'm mostly interested in stereo/binaural ambient recording. Link to
>something I am fairly happy with so far, done locally in London, at
>the end (ambient recording of rain, not critters).
Thanks for posting the recording examples. If spaciousness is a
quality you'd like to emphasize in your recordings, you might enjoy
experimenting with spaced stereo arrays before heading off. The mic
capsules in the coincident, X-Y and M-S arrays, as with your sample
recordings, are placed close together, not ear-spaced as is typical
of binaural types. In broad bandwidth settings and especially with
dense sounds like rain, spaced arrays tend to produce less bunching
of the sounds in the center of the field. Here's an archive search
with some matches that will point you in directions that recordists
have explored from arrays to mics used: http://tinyurl.com/yz27qol
If you don't have a bunch of money to spend on omni mics that can be
separated, the Shure WL183s are one, popular option. Maybe someone
can help you find a local source for them. Enjoy your trip and let us
know know it goes. Rob D.
= = =
At 7:38 AM -0800 3/7/10, Scott Fraser wrote:
>
><<You will be amazed and in awe of the rainforest! Since you'll be
>there for only a few days, the chances are you won't have any problems
>with humidity. >>
>
>In my experience in rain forest climates the deleterious effects of
>humidity upon externally polarized condenser mics was immediate & none
>of those recordings were usable. Within a minute of powering up a pair
>of C451's they were popping continuously.
>
>Scott Fraser
>
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