> Interesting point about going lower. My sense of this had always
> been to approximate the height of a human head,
What has the height of the human head to do with it? The main
difference between head height and low level is the ground reflection,
which our ears filter out. The mic doesn't though, and you get a
ground echo whether it improves the recording or not.
> but I haven't tried comparing head-height with knee-height.
Then be bold and try it next time you're out. Forget the theory, just
try it. If you don't like the sound, use a different height.
Theoretically, if you are recording bird song, you should be up in the
trees. :-)
> Wouldn't the 'reach' of the mics be somewhat less down low?
"Reach" or "fetch" as I prefer to call it is a gain in wanted sounds
over the background noise, so if the background gets less as you lower
the mic, you can wind the wick up a bit. Listen to the background as
you lower the mic and make a judgement. If it is better on a stand,
use a stand - or vice versa. My crossed MKH-416's have a better fetch
on the ground and I can often pull in good sounds at 100 yards.
David
David Brinicombe
North Devon, UK
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
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