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> Just remember I'm a complete beginner and don't require fantastic
> quality just yet.
Arwen,
I'm always prone to dishing out advice especially to newbies. :-) Yet
again I'll say that the secret is to get the mic in the right place at
the right time or you're on a non starter however high the quality of
your gear.
You are limited in what mics you can use with a 3.5mm stereo jack
unless you add a mixer or amplifier but you are not there yet. My
first advice is to take it out with a fitted windjammer or just
wrapped around with something soft like a sock and see what you get.
You will be disappointed with the stereo image, and the built in mics
till pick up everything from every angle. Compare the stereo sound
with the single image from each channel and I would be surprised if
you hear any difference.
The PCM-M10 has a high impedance input so you will get less hiss from
a higher output mic. But what mic? For general outdoor use I would not
advise a cardioid as they have a very wide pickup "solid angle" (Left
right, up, down)
Whatever mic you start out with you will soon want better if you get
hooked. You don't mention stereo, and that basically doubles your mic
costs, but it does give you extra information on wildlife behaviour.
Look out for a secondhand quality gunmic of any sort and you will be
able to select by pointing.
> 1) a cheap omni mic in a parabolic reflector - I still have to some
> how get a reflector and the mic - one has been recommended to me by
> a nature recordist for $50 from the UK, but once shipping costs are
> considered and the reflector, this probably blows my budget.
And you will have to lug a reflector around everywhere. This is a
specialist device and limited in usefulness as a general mic.
> 2) my preference: a cheap(ish) shotgun mic with cardioid and
> supercardiod responses.
Beware of systems which promise a lot for little money. I'd avoid
cardioids in favour of any gunmic, and hypercardioids have bad rear
sensitivity lobes which pick up from areas you don't want, including
ground reflections. Good in treated studios, bad in the big outdoors.
< I came across the Nady SGM12 from B&H, and am wondering whether it
< would fit the bill and I could just order it with the recorder. It's
< very cheap, but I'm not sure if it's suitable and I'm a bit
< concerned that the frequency response is 50Hz to only 16kHz. The
< signal to noise ratio is >68dB, max input sound level 125dB.
< Sensitivity (1KHz at 1 Pa): 52dB / - 44dB (=B12dB) It has 3 pin XLR
< output connectors ... would this be any good for my purposes?
I don't know this mic. I think the frequency spec will be the least of
the problems. The sensitivity seems low so you will have to wind the
gain up along with the hiss. If you can afford it, it may be a good
experimental mic to learn with and help you to choose a better one
later.
If you are good at making things I can let you have details of the
"Brinibox" prototype to play with. The original was a cut down
cardboard box with two =A310 mics and is giving good stereo and low
hiss with a gain of about +12 dB.
Brinibox compared with a Sennheiser pair on:
http://www.stowford.org/recordings.htm
David
David Brinicombe
North Devon, UK
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
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