> I have decided on two inexpensive EM 158 mics from Froglogger.com,
> but now I have a stupid question.....
Chris,
No question is stupid, especially from a newbie. :-) We want folks to
get infected by the recording bug. :-)
The EM 158 is omnidirectional and can be replaced with better quality,
less hissy, mics later. For stereo you need some sort of baffle rig
like the SASS, but a Jecklin Disc is simpler. There are many versions
of this rig, but try any non-resonant baffle material, with or without
a soft surface, but I find it best with the mics close to the baffle.
Forget the hype, try vatiations.
You can get stereo with any baffle between the mics and I have been
experimenting with cardbard boxes with the Brinibox:
http://www.stowford.org/sounds/brinibox.htm
This very crude prototype rig not only gives a good stereo image but
it also gives about a 12dB lift in level which helps to swamp the mic
hiss.
> How do I connect the two mics to my LS-11 recorder so that one mic
> records to one channel and the other mic to the other?
With 3.5mm jacks, look for a stereo adaptor which takes in left and
right and outputs on a stereo 3.5mm male jack.
> I am a biologist, not a sound engineer and haven't ever soldered
> anything in my life. I guess if I have to get a solder gun and head
> down to Radio Shack
Soldering is not difficult but it takes a knack to make it neat. With
delicate items like mic capsulea you need to get the joint made in
under a second. If I only give one bit of advice, that is to use extra
flux and not depend on the flux in the solder wire.
You can start with a cheap miniature soldering iron,
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3D2062738
but they tend to overheat. You can rest it on a chunk of metal, or get
a temperature controlled iron. You also need miniature wire cutters,
also for stripping the insulation. Look for the flush cutting printed
circuit
board type. I haven't seen the Radio Shack type but this may be
suitable:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3D3929418
Soldering is a skill worth mastering as you can then make up your own
mic and adaptor leads. Try to find someone who can show you the ropes
which are 1) extra flux 2) pre-tinning wire ends 3) speed when hot.
I also tidy up ends with heatshrink tubing which you can shrink with
the side of the soldering iron.
There is a how-to-solder web page which shows someone making a total
bodge of joining two wires. :-(
David
David Brinicombe
North Devon, UK
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
"While a picture is worth a thousand words, a
sound is worth a thousand pictures." R. Murray Schafer via Bernie Krause.
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