naturerecordists
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Directional recording in stereo / Siamang vocalizations

Subject: Re: Directional recording in stereo / Siamang vocalizations
From: "Rob Danielson" danielson_audio
Date: Fri May 21, 2010 4:16 pm ((PDT))
At 10:39 PM +0100 5/21/10, Richard Folwell wrote:
>
>..what.. I want to accomplish... some... near sound included in 
>stereo... I was hoping [for] a figure-eight mic alongside the 
>Videomic [to] add some stereo ambience [and] would fit in my 
>day-sac, and would have reasonable wind protection.
>...
>Today I finally discovered the Audio-Technica BP 4029:
>
><<http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/9087c643d6d7530f/index.html/>http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/9087c643d6d7530f/index.html/>
>
>which seems to do what I am looking for, and will fit into a standard
>Rycote blimp like the one I am already using. Still not a day-sac fit,
>but I was carrying one of these things around already.

Hi Richard--
The shotgun/figure 8 combo is a popular solution for the conditions 
you describe.

>So, going forward, buying a 4029 seems to have made it onto my shopping
>list (I appreciate that its floor noise is a bit higher than is normally
>acceptable for nature recording, but having listened to some published
>examples of it being used this way it does seem to do the job).

Good researching. The 4029 should be fine for robust sounds like the 
monkeys. The side mic on the BP 4029 is rated at 26 dB(A) self-noise 
which stands to make your NT-4 sound "clean" in comparison should you 
need to "crank up" the record gain. The sensitivity is not overly 
high either for a shotgun.

These "close-up with ambience" situations  make me want more than two 
channels. I can imagine a DR-680 recorder and a 4022 pair for 
ambience on a stand and a shotgun with a radio transmitter to run 
around with.  That way you maximize your portability and make quality 
stereo recordings while you move around for optimum close-ups to 
mix-in. Rob D.

  = = =

>
>>  Anyway -- siamangs have always interested me greatly so I envy you
>>  your chances to hear/see them and really appreciate your sharing your
>>  recordings of them.
>
>One thing that I still do not understand, and which puzzles me greatly,
>is why they call for such long periods. The other monkey calls that I
>heard on that trip were much shorter, and kind of fitted into our
>expectations of why monkeys call: alarm calls, group cohesion, etc. I
>heard Siamang call on two occasions, and each time the call sequence
>went on for several tens of minutes, or longer.
>
>I found their sound completely fascinating, and look forward to being
>able to do more recordings in the future (they are an endangered
>species, unfortunately), hopefully informed with a better understanding
>of their lifestyle and behaviour.
>
>Richard
>


-- 









<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the naturerecordists mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU