I completely support what Rob has been saying. As a newbie still
working my way around the trade-offs with equipment choices, I started
with trying to work with the cheapest equipment that might do the trick
(when I was not sure whether or not I was really interested in doing
this work), but currently am of the opinion that the only sane choice is
to buy the best microphones that you can afford. This does not
necessary mean buying the most expensive, as the price v. results curve
for sound equipment is a bit weird (compared, for example, with
photographic equipment that uses film).
Clearly the most expensive part of most recordings is getting there in
the first place. It would be completely daft to compromise the quality
of recordings for a few hundred dollars, if that choice makes an audible
difference.
When I was not sure about whether or not I wanted to put significant
time into sound recording I made this experimental recording of ambient
traffic etc sounds, using some cheap binaural "headphone" microphones,
walking home from a tube station:
http://soundcloud.com/user2340027/section-from-a-walk-home-from-the-tube-st=
ation
which I think is not shabby, was worth doing, and I still enjoy
listening to it (if you like urban sounds :-) [1]). However, somewhat
belatedly, in Malaysia I did quick comparison between those cheap
binaural headphones and the built-in mics in the Marantz PMD 620:
http://soundcloud.com/user2340027/comparison-pmd620-int-mics-v-cheap-binaur=
als
My reaction on listening to the recordings afterwards was to simply drop
the cheap binaurals in the nearest rubbish bin - the internal mics were
that much better. And I understand that the internal mics in the Sony
M10 are even better again. [3]
I think for sound recording equipment it is really helpful and important
to have something that you can use quickly, and where the quality is
acceptable [2]. Having something you can put in your pocket, and which
will produce good recordings is definitely a Good Thing (whether you are
using the built-in mics or some small good quality microphones.) Here is
an example, done with the PMD620 internal mics:
http://soundcloud.com/user2340027/telephone-frog-endau-rompin-peta-nerc
and this one:
http://soundcloud.com/user2340027/chanting-sam-poh-buddhist-temple-brinchan=
g-april-2010
Neither of these would have been made if I did not have an easy to use
recording device in my pocket. With hindsight I dearly wish that I had
had something that would have recorded with better quality, and the
lesson I take away from this experience is to not, as far as is
possible, compromise on the quality of recording equipment.
Richard
[1] I have a small phobia about noise, and unexpectedly have found that
listening to recordings like these has made handling the real noise
sources somewhat easier.
[2] Still trying to work out what "acceptable" means here. Initially
working through the Malaysian material I was a completely happy bunny -
posting the tracks to SoundCloud, listening to them with pleasure. Then
recently I started to produce basic CDs, and listen to them on my
(definitely not audiophile!) domestic hi-fi, and for a time was
completely gutted, since I could now hear errors that previously were
inaudible - operator handling/talking sounds, aeroplane/traffic noise,
etc ("this work is too difficult, I will never be able to do it
properly").
[3] And I do appreciate that the Sound Professionals' binaurals would
probably produce better result than the PMD 620 internals. This is a
general point I am trying to make, not a comment on specific equipment.
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