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1. Re: Need help selecting a field recorder and microphones :)

Subject: 1. Re: Need help selecting a field recorder and microphones :)
From: "Rob Danielson" danielson_audio
Date: Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:53 pm ((PDT))
Hi--
There's a .doc referenced in this section of the
FAQ that might help Digidandy with his research:
http://tinyurl.com/29lhzub

The URL for the Community FAQ is:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=3Ddcvd49w8_23fbw2vqg2

Rob D.

  =3D =3D =3D

At 9:53 AM +1000 7/18/10, vickipowys wrote:
>Rob & Martyn,
>
>Can we have a link direct to the new FAQ pages where the small PIP
>microphones are discussed in more detail? Could this link be shown
>at the bottom of all emails, automatically, in the same way that the
>quotation from Bernie is always shown?
>
>thanks,
>
>Vicki
>
>On 18/07/2010, at 6:58 AM, digidandy wrote:
>
>>  Vicky,
>>
>>  I am not familiar with the new Telinga clip on mics you mention,
>>  and I'm not sure I can find anything about them on the Telinga web
>>  site.
>>
>>  Could you be more specific?
>>
>>  =D8.
>>
>>  --- In
>><naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com>=
om,
>>vickipowys
>>  <> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Hi Christian,
>>>
>>>  That is a very lovely recording, very realistic!
>>>
>>>  If you are interested to go a step further with quality then I would
>>>  add that I have heard wonderful soundscapes with no noticeable hiss
>>>  from a friend who uses a Sony recorder (model before yours) plus two
>>>  Telinga EM23 mics. I am sure the new Telinga clip on mics would be
>>>  as good or better. I understand Mike Rooke also makes (or assembles)
>>>  PIP mics of a similar quality.
>>>
>>>  cheers,
>>>
>>>  Vicki Powys
>>>  Australia
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  On 02/06/2010, at 9:16 PM, redteamwins wrote:
>>>
>>>>  Hi everybody!
>>>>
>>>>  I just wanted to update you all. I went ahead and bought a Sony
>>>>  PCM-M10 - it's beautiful, graceful, and just generally wonderful.
>>>>
>>>>  Rob, after your nudging, I followed your advice and did the right
>>>>  thing and soldered up a pair of WM-61A's that I bought from Digi-
>>>>  Key (I've got 8 more that I've got to figure out what to do
>>>>  with :). Thank you for those instructions! I got an old pair of
>>>>  Sony walkman headphones (right angle plug!), desoldered the little
>>>>  baby speakers, and soldered the ends of the wires to the microphone
>>>>  capsules. I shrink-wrapped each capsule, put a non-shrink wrapped
>>>>  sleeve on the end so that it will all mount on my eyeglasses, and
>>>>  put some foam at the end with a rubber band for crude wind
>>>>  protection. Building mics like this is probably routine to you
>>>>  badasses but I felt pretty proud of myself when it was all done.
>>>>
>>>>  I made a recording this past weekend on a beach near Rosarito,
>>>>  Mexico covered in small rounded stones. During high tide, the
>>>>  waves crash on the stones - as the water recedes the stones roll
>>>>  and collide and make a wonderful sound. I was sitting on the rocks
>>>>  higher up on the shore and the water was about two feet away from
>>>>  my feet when big waves came.
>>>>
>>>>  My friend took a photo of these stones years ago:
>>>>
>>>><http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidg/30181933/>http://www.flickr.com/ph=
otos/davidg/30181933/
>>>>
>>>>  I have posted a recording of these waves here:
>>>>
>>>><http://soundcloud.com/redteam/mexico-rocky-waves-96-24>http://soundclo=
ud.com/redteam/mexico-rocky-waves-96-24
>>>>  (file currently uploading - it should be up about 35min after this
>>>>  message is posted)
>>>>
>>>>  The microphones sounded pretty good until my ears tuned in to the
>>>>  hiss. This was rather soul-crushing as it's something that's hard
>>>>  to un-hear. Also, many of the sounds have a rather hollow quality -
>>>>  as if the mics were mounted at the bottom of two plastic cups.
>>>>  There were actually mounted with only foam windscreens at the front
>>>>  of my eyeglasses. Regardless, this recording is the achievement of
>>>>  a dream I've had for at least 8 years and you all helped me get
>>>>  there. Thank you all.
>>>>
>>>>  Now I'm considering buying the Telinga Clip-Ons for my trip to
>>>>  Europe that begins in a couple of weeks. I haven't really been
>>>>  able to get much information about them from Telinga. I think
>  >>> they're actually too big to be discreet with in public, but some of
>>>>  you say such nice things about Telinga that I'm willing to give
>>>>  them a shot despite their size - I really need higher quality
>>>>  mics. Anyone have pictures of these microphones? Any specs?
>>>>
>>>>  Thanks again, folks!
>>>>
>>>>  -Christian
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  --- In
>>>><naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com>=
.com,
>>>>Rob Danielson <type@>
>>>>  wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>  Hi Christian--
>>>>>
>>>>>  This is how I see it: You're spending thousands on a once in a
>>>>>  lifetime trip. You are excited about recordings acoustic nuances of
>>>>>  settings that range from loud to very quiet. The recorder and mics
>>>>>  are $200 under your budget,.. The ~$300 Telinga mics will be a
>>>>>  great,
>>>>>  safe investment that will not lose value and I know you'll be glad
>>>>>  you made the investment many years from now. Solder-up a pair of
>>>>>  the
>>>>>  WM-61A's for $30
>>>>><http://tinyurl.com/2fr2p6r>http://tinyurl.com/2fr2p6r
>>>>>or pay $80 for them
>>>>>  this
>>>>>  week and hear what you think.
>>>>>
>>>>>  Sorry about throwing the numbers at you. Here's a description about
>>>>>  mic self-noise:
>>>>>  <http://tinyurl.com/2ws926p>http://tinyurl.com/2ws926p
>>>>>
>>>>>  32dB(A) Noisiest mics
>>>>>  22 dB(A) Average
>>>>>  16 dB(A) almost quiet enough for quiet location
>>>>>  <10 dB(A) lowest self-noise you can get, best.
>>>>>  To convert signal to noise, subtract the S-N number from 94.
>>>>>  e.g. the
>>>>>  MM-HLSO specs,"Signal to noise ratio: 65dB, 1khz at 1pa" so,
>>>>>  95-65 =3D
>>>>>  30 dB(A) self-noise.
>>>>>
>>>>>  There's no point in spending a penny more on these smaller mic
>>>>>  options unless you can see they'll give you an improvement in noise
>>>>>  performance. Here's a list of the basic retail repackaging options
>>>>>  for the smaller mics except for Klas' "Clip Ons" which use Primo
>>>>>  EM-172's which are new and not on the list. You can contact Klas at
>>>>>  <telinga@>.
>>>>>  <http://tinyurl.com/ykdesaj>http://tinyurl.com/ykdesaj
>>>>>
>>>>>  Soldering steps:
>>>>>
>>>>><https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/type/www/116/Trek01/BuildingMics/>https:/=
/pantherfile.uwm.edu/type/www/116/Trek01/BuildingMics/
>>>>>  WM-61A_BrookBuildsMics/WM-61A_BrookBuildsMics.html
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  At 9:52 AM +0000 5/17/10, redteamwins wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  should I get one of those little 9v battery supplies for whatever
>>>>>>  microphone I buy?
>>>>>
>>>>>  No.
>>>>>
>>>>>>  I'm concerned about a car or bus completely overwhelming my
>>>>>>  microphones in somewhat loud street environments. From what I've
>>>>>>  learned, that situation is helped by some kind of "pad" or
>>>>>>  attenuator cable and/or a battery supply giving more power to the
>>>>>>  microphones to avoid clipping. Am I going in the right direction
>>>>>>  here?
>>>>>
>>>>>  Not a worry. Turn the gain down, go to low sensitivity setting if
>>>>>  need be.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>  At the same time, I wonder if there is some nice place in between
>>>>>>  the Sound Professionals' ~US$80 offering and Telinga's ~US$750+
>>>>>>  offering! Does anyone have anything favorable to say about Core
>>>>>>  Audio's ~US$250 offering? How about products from Microphone
>>>>>>  Madness?:
>>>>>>
>>>>>><<http://microphonemadness.com/products/mmhlsomsenmi.htm>http://micro=
phonemadness.com/products/mmhlsomsenmi.htm>http://
>>>>>>  microphonemadness.com/products/mmhlsomsenmi.htm
>>>>>>  I haven't read any real reviews of their products.
>>>>>
>>>>>>  I have heard nothing but good stuff about Sonic Studios' products
>>>>>>  but jeeeeeeeez ... I can't afford those either.
>>>>>
>>>>>  See the doc above. I'd consider these instead for 1/3 cost and same
>>>>>  noise performance.
>>>>>
>>>>><https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/type/www/audio-reports/Shure-WL183s/>http=
s://pantherfile.uwm.edu/type/www/audio-reports/Shure-WL183s/
>>>>>  index.htm
>>>>>
>>>>>  But 14 dB(A) performance from the Clip-ons at ~$120 more makes
>>>>>  better sense to me. Rob D.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>  So here's my point - maybe Sound Professionals' US$80 products are
>>>>>>  good, but if I can get anything substantially better for ~US250
>>>>>>  I'll
>>>>>>  totally do it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  And again - folks - thank you for sharing your advice and
>  >>>>> expertise.
>>>>>>  I'm sure newbies post in here for this kind of advice all the time
>>>>>>  and yet you have been so patient with me. I can't wait to make
>>>>>>  some
>>>>>>  recordings for you all to listen to.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  -Christian
>>>>>>
>>>>>>  p.s. Can anyone point me to a good primer on learning what you
>>>>>>  guys
>>>>>>  are talking about in terms of dB's? I'm trying to learn how to
>>>>>>  distinguish between microphones and I can't decipher all the
>>>>>>  values.
>>>>>>  I think I have a pretty good idea about what a noise floor is and
>>>>>>  what self-noise is ... but after that I don't really know what to
>>>>>>  look for.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  ------------------------------------
>>
>>  "While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
>>  sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie
>>  Krause
>>  Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>
>


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