> I have seen a Roland R-05 Wave/MP3 Recorder for =A3170 and would then
> need to get a microphone as well.
David,
I reckon any music mp3 recorder would do fine. I use a Tascam DR-1 and
have been looking at the cut down version DR-07 which will produce the
same recording quality without the frills. Canford Audio have a DR-07
and a DR-100 on offer. The important difference is that the DR-100 has
XLR inputs and also phantom mic powering which may be important.
> what sort of microphone do people suggest I get.
That's where the choices get bewildering. I assume you only need mono
which makes life much simpler. There is a great deal of guff spouted
about types of mics and parabolas etc, but it is the practice which is
important, not the theory.
The secret of field recording is reducing noise above everything else,
including frequency responses. A mono mic has no noise rejection, and
a cardioid only reduces surrounding noise by a few dBs, hence the use
of shotgun mics and parabolas.
Even a small parabola will give a good "fetch" for most birdsong but
it only works at higher frequencies unless it is huge. However, with
digital recording you can record at low level and raise the level
later after filtering out the bass and unwanted frequencies without
losing quality. I use Audacity for cleaning up. It's good and it's
free.
I'll let you into a secret - the reflector doesn't have to be a
parabola and doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. A wok lid can give
fair results with a cheap electret mic.
The other option is a gun mic, which is more directional at mid
frequencies than a parabola, but the cost doesn't stop at the mic. You
will need a floppy mount and a good windgag for outdoors which can
double the price of an "affordable" gun mic.
A quality choice is a ME66 and K6 power unit but that's your budget
gone even without a mount and gag. This quality of mic can be used
with long cables, but they have to be phantom powered by a mixer or
recorder, and this is where the Tascam DR-100 comes in as it supplies
built-in phantom power.
There is a bewildering choice of electret mics to go with home video
cameras, and many of these are self powered with a built-in battery,
but will only work with a shortish lead. Look for a gun mic about a
foot long which comes with a floppy mount. The supplied foam windgags
are usually useless outdoors. I've found one, the Superlux PRA-118S
but can't find any details.
David
David Brinicombe
North Devon, UK
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
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