A good source for nature recording FAQ is found here
https://docs.google.com/View?id=3Ddcvd49w8_23fbw2vqg2
Gene
From:
On Behalf Of Darren
Sent: Wednesday, May 18, 2011 8:58 AM
To:
Subject: [Nature Recordists] Newbie Canadian Seeks Advise
[first post!]
Using Google and Youtube, I have attempted to give myself a crash course on
portable digital audio recorders for the purposes of recording nature
sounds. Many hours later, I have a little info on equipment, but almost non=
e
on its use :)
I have also not yet run into any sort of FAQ or tutorial on this whole new
world of nature audio recording, especially re: internal/external mics,
etc.. I would love this!
Since I had to start *somewhere*, I decided to check out the equipment
offerings in Canada for some of the more recent/popular recorders, and here
is what I have found so far:
Low End
-------
- Zoom H1 =3D $90
- Tascam DR-05 =3D $105
Mid Range
---------
- Tascam DR-07M2 =3D $170
High End (for me!)
------------------
- Olympus LS-7 =3D $185 (+)
- Olympus LS-10 =3D $290 (-)
- Olympus LS-11 =3D $380 (-)
Two things jumped out at me when I did this research:
- The very competitive price (in Canadian $) for the LS-7
- The horrible distorted price (in Canadian $) for the LS-10/LS-11
For a good laugh, check the price of the LS-10 on Amazon.com vs Amazon.ca
($200 vs $400). Note that the Canadian dollar is currently *higher* than th=
e
US dollar. Of all the online US stores that sell to Canada, only B&H photo
seems to offer the Olympus line at all -- and at so-so pricing. I have no
idea about customs/duty hits...
OK, as with any piece of electronic equipment (including computers, TVs,
etc) there is the age-old dilemma of a 'newbie' deciding whether to 'go
cheap' at the start (just in case it all doesn't pan out), or to do the 'go
big or go home' route so avoid disappointments and limitations later. With
this in mind, I ask for your advise!
- are all of these choices reasonable?
- are there any I should disqualify for the purposes of nature recording
(e.g. internal mic orientation, external mic futures)?
- anything else you might want to say?
The sound-recording ability of the H1 is apparently super, but my assumptio=
n
would have to be that the 'battery drain' problem is no longer in effect --
otherwise I would disqualify it. The DR-05 looks like a better choice
*except* for bulkiness. The DR-07M2 looks like a great compromise between
low and high end stuff -- but still works out to be *twice* that of the H1.
Ack!
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