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Re: Advice please on what mics for recording in quiet outdoor enviro

Subject: Re: Advice please on what mics for recording in quiet outdoor enviro
From: "Magnus Bergsson" icelandnature
Date: Wed Sep 12, 2012 5:53 am ((PDT))
Hi Ian
I think I must have a few words here. I have use NT1 a lot for very "quiet"
nature recordings with very nice result. It always surprise me how
wonderful mic this is for smallest audible details without adding noise. It
sometimes remind me of high quality telescope. Many of this recordings can
be found at http://fieldrecording.net
But NT1a is not designed for humid or windy outdoor recordings. It also
must have VERY good shockmount and isolation from tripod. Therefore NT1a is
not everyday workhorse as MKH20-30-40
I have spend some time to make this mic more useable in wind in XY and NOS
setup.
I have try to make my own windshield:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104187345157190691446/WindshieldsForRodeNT1aAn=
dNT2a
Or put two NT1a in one Blimp in XY setup:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104187345157190691446/RodeNT1aXYInOneBlimp
But I have end up with two NT1a in two blimps:
https://picasaweb.google.com/104187345157190691446/RodeNT1aInBlimp
But anyway, I have never been satisfied. Wind noise is always audible, even
in small wind and when mics are close to the ground.
Before next spring I will strip down a pair of NT1a and overhaul in 1 pc
NOS or ORFT array, to fit in  Rycote stereo windshield. But I have found
Rycote more effective than Rode Blimp

I have make a "mic noise comparison test" in quiet room. It was very
interesting. I make many recordings with lot of mics, including NT1a, NT2a,
MKH30 and MKH50.
In same distace all mics record same spoken word in extremely low level and
michanical "noise" in battery driven alarm clock. The recorder was SD788 at
full gain
Just in few words. NT1a was the winner. It pick up all spoken words and
clock noise clearly. NT2a sounds similar but was not as sensitive and
slightly more noise. MKH 30/50 did not pick up this weak sound as clearly
as NT1a. But it is hard to compare. They have different character and the
noise was not in same spectrum as Rode mics.
I will publish this test include all recordings with spectrogram as soon as
I have time to work on it....hopefully this winter.

>
>
--
Bestu kve=F0jur / Best regards
*Magn=FAs Bergsson
*Tel: + 354 6162904*
*
http://fieldrecording.net









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