Hi John,
This is the first I have heard of pre-amp noise. How did you find out about
the level of pre-amp noise of a minidisc recorder compared to for example the
olympus ls-11?
I was pretty convinced that going with a recorder with xlr inputs was the way
to go and was prepared to get the Tascam DR-100 mkII, however I have no idea
what the pre-amp noise is of this machine. Is there a website or a place to
find out about the pre-amp noise of various recording devices?
Thanks
Ryan
--- In "John Crockett" <> wrote:
>
> Hi Ryan,
>
> I'm afraid I'm a little late to the conversation but I wanted to add and
> reinforce a couple of things that others have contributed.
>
> I have been recording with minidisc and the NT4 for the past 4 or 5 years (10
> years with minidisc). I just switched from the minidisc to the Olympus LS-11
> recorder a few months ago, and I'm very happy with the Olympus. The main
> benefit for me is getting rid of the minidisc's mechanical noise. Activating
> recording is simpler as well, and the battery life is phenomenal. Also, the
> Olympus and the PCM-M10 require no software to work with the Mac. Just plug
> in and they show up as an external drive. Easy. Much better than the horrible
> Sony Hi-MD Transfer software for Mac.
>
> One thing to note about the minidisc recorders is that they had very
> low-noise preamps for a small portable recorder. There is nothing quite like
> them currently on the market. The NT4 is not a very sensitive microphone, so
> it has a fairly low output noise (-114 dBu). That means you need quiet
> preamps to go with it. The minidisc preamps work very well with the NT4. The
> closest you can get with current small recorders is the Olympus LS-5/10/11
> (only the LS-10 is available in the U.S.) or the Sony PCM-M10. These are a
> couple of dB noisier than the minidisc, but not enough to make an audible
> difference. But if you get a recorder that is any noisier than one of these,
> I think you may start hearing more noise in your recordings with the NT4 than
> what you are used to.
>
> I find the stereo image with the NT4 to be a little dull. It works well for
> me when I have a focal sound that I want to emphasize along with a general
> sense of the stereo sound field, and when I can get the mic close to the
> source. It also sounds good played over loudspeakers. But for a detailed and
> accurate soundscape image on headphones, do consider building a SASS type
> microphone array. They are very easy and inexpensive to build, and the stereo
> image is much more detailed than what the NT4, or any crossed pair of
> cardioids or shotguns, delivers. I've compared the NT4 with the SASS and a
> crossed pair of ME66 shotguns. Each has its benefits, but I tend toward the
> NT4 for convenience and portability, and the SASS for shear joy of listening
> (I haven't tried Curt Olson's winged array, but I will at some point).
>
> For wind protection, the Rode Blimp works very well with the NT4. The Blimp
> comes with large clips that fit the rather large body of the NT4. In my
> experience, the NT4 needs a blimp. Nothing else adequately protects the back
> side of the capsules, although maybe someone out there has a DIY solution to
> this.
>
> For me, the LS-11, NT4 (with blimp) and SASS-type mic array make a very good,
> basic recording kit for relatively little money. With any luck this
> technology will still be relevant 20 years from now. It's hard to see how it
> could improve much at this point, except maybe for quieter preamps to become
> more affordable.
>
> What worries me is that the quality of natural soundscapes will continue to
> deteriorate.
>
> best wishes,
>
> John
>
> John Crockett
> Westminster, Vermont
>
> --- In Ryan Logtenberg <ryanlogtenberg@>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Group!
> >
> > My last post was in 2005 under another username and now I'm getting
> > ready to take up my hobby of nature recording again. I was hoping I
> > could get some advice on my gear and upgrading it.
> >
> > Here's what I have:
> >
> > 1. Rhode NT-4 Mic (10 years old)
> > 2. Sony Minidisc (10 years old).
> >
> > software: Adobe audition
> >
> > I use a Mac computer now, so I'd like to replace my minidisc recorder
> > to something that is compatible with a mac for importing the files.
> > I'd also would prefer built in storage with the option to expand (ie:
> > SD card slot) but this is not a deal breaker if the built in storage
> > is enough.
> >
> > I also need to get some sort of wind sock (I always meant to have one,
> > but didn't get the chance.). Need some advice on which one to get.
> >
> > The types of sounds I'd like to record include: ambient nightime
> > sounds (crickets, frogs, owls), ocean surf, rain, babbling brooks. So
> > a stereo mic is obviously important. That is why I originally bought
> > the Rhode NT-4.
> >
> > Is my mic still relevant for recording CD quality sounds?
> >
> > My budget is $500. I was hoping for a recording device under $250.
> >
> > Thanks!
> > Ryan
> >
>
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