As you implied, I think you might want to read what has already been discus=
sed in the archives. That said, I think you would be successful just going =
ahead with the choices you have already made. There is no perfect setup and=
there are always different options.
> The main goal here is education but I would
> love to be able to accomplish that goal with
> as high quality sound as possible. I know its
> a lot more possible these days than even 10-15
> years ago.
When I first did something similar we had to use cassette recorders. The la=
st time I used MiniDisc and had ten-year-olds recording just fine. Anything=
you get now will be so much better, especially since the built-in mics mak=
e things easier... to a point (handling noise is often the limiting factor)=
.
> I had been considering the Tascam D07
> and having students build a pair of
> binaurals off of something like WM61As.
If that unit is the cheapest and will allow you to get more recorders in st=
udent hands then go for it. The built-in mics will be most suited for loud =
close sounds, as is always the case. But your class will be able to learn t=
he basics of recording, about how difficult it is to avoid noise, how to pi=
ck locations, etc. And the D07 has better pre-amps than other popular units=
(like the Zoom H2) so it's less of a dead-end.
Instead of building you can purchase home-built binaurals relatively inexpe=
nsively on eBay. Maybe someone else can recommend a seller. I assume you wo=
uldn't need a pair for every recorder; they can be shared out. Using mics o=
ff-recorder will encourage a new set of skills.
(But if you're doing electronics as well, why not build some?)
> I am leaning toward a Fostex Fr-2le with
> either 2x AT4042 (4041s?) or 2x Rode NT1As.
Sounds good to me. Budget for some of the larger Tamiya batteries and charg=
ers, since the AAs don't last long using phantom.
> How would one characterize the differences
> between the AT4041, 4042s and Rodes?
The R=D8DE NT1-A are large-diameter cardioids and not as handy in the field=
. But either will work. Don't forget to budget for stands, cables, brackets=
, etc. as good ones don't always come cheap. (I have just bought a camera t=
ripod since you can get sturdier ones cheaper than mic stands, which seem t=
o be expensive. Now I just need the correct bushing to convert the screw mo=
unt.)
-- robin
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