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Re: Microphone (stereo) test, what do you think?

Subject: Re: Microphone (stereo) test, what do you think?
From: "NordicNature" nordicsounds
Date: Tue Jun 7, 2011 10:15 am ((PDT))
Thank you both David and John for listening and for your advice.
I will keep practicing using the telinga handheld.
I haven't tried to make an suspension for the microphone in a telinga, but =
some day I might do something.


Birdrecording should be like recording bats, because then I always delete e=
veryting below 18kHz so it doesn't matter how much noise I make... ;)
But on the other hand they are flying around like maniacs so it's not that =
easy to follow them. :o


--- In  "John Lundsten" <=
> wrote:
>
> Avocet ans re H=E5kan, post
> > I want to (learn to) handhold it because sometimes I want to follow
> > for example a Woodcock flying.
>
> I used to teach trainee boomswinigers the "slack arm" method. You
> don't grip the boom or mic firmly but with a limp wrist (don't worry -
> nobody will notice.:-) ) Similarly, your arm muscles should not be
> taut and should retain some "give" compatible with holding the mic in
> place.
>
> Agreed, but panning with "a Woodcock flying" as against keeping tolerably=

> on-axis to an actor who is walking & turning & the mic is less than 1 met=
er
> away from the mouth has very different requirements.
>
> Some aspects & differences
> Nature recording;
> you may want to have Much lower frequencies clean & usable and record muc=
h
> quieter sound sources as compared to good dialogue recording, where even=

> with deep voiced Male actors one can savagly cut everything below 80Hz & =
the
> result still sound very fine.
>
> Most, mic suspensions are pretty rubbish (when either violent movement as=

> may be needed for Film/TV  dialogue recording, or when trying to record
> really quiet sound.)
>
> It is quite possible to make good music recordings with no mic suspension=
 or
> isolation at all, the level of the wanted sound is massive compared to
> vibrations transmitted through the mic stand.
>
> Some/many suspensions just reduce mic stand vibration enough to be of use=

> for somewhat quieter music sources such as string quartets.
>
> There are some great new suspension designs such as the Rycote Lyres, tha=
t
> are "magic" for Film/TV use.
>
> Ok they are not really magic, they do for sure obey the laws of physics, =
but
> work way better than most previous designs. But good as they are, do bear=
 in
> mind at Hz below what is required for good dialogue recording they are no=
t
> at all good, this is not a fault, just a sensible design decision.
>
> Some basic physics.
> 1) the bigger an object, the lower will be the fundamental frequency at
> which it will vibrate the most (the resonant frequency)
> 2)  so for a low mass object you can isolate it from external vibration b=
y
> having a Very soft, very "bouncy" suspension made typicaly of rubber or
> springs. A practical problem for say small mics is that to get good
> isolation they will not be able to be "pointed" in a particular direction=
,
> because they will be wobbling about too much.
> 3) as the mass gets larger, the stiffer the suspension can be, the "Lyre"=

> mounts are quite clever in that the required "stiffness" can be different=

> for each axis..
>
> So, that being the  physics.
> For nature recording;  A stand/tripod makes a lot of sense.
>
> But if you need to move the mic during a recording: I reckon if "outside"=

> you will need a "blimp" or windshield - this will add to the mic weight s=
o
> increase the total mass (+ point).
> a) A big minus point is that any LF vibrations, like you holding the hand=

> grip will almost certainly be of sufficiently low frequency to bypass mos=
t
> suspensions.
> b) So the looser, or  most "limp wristed"  way you can hold the mic the
> better.
> b1) holding the mic +windgag handle by your thumb & forefinger is good. B=
ut
> not so good for accurate "aiming".
> b2) dangling the mic assembly, via an elastic band (or 2-3-4) is better.
>
> John L
>








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