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Re: Need help completing my rig for nature and field recording

Subject: Re: Need help completing my rig for nature and field recording
From: madl74
Date: Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:35 pm ((PST))
> Hi all, my first post here. I've found great info here in the past, but c=
ould use some specific advice right about now.
>
> I need some help completing my field kit.
> I do sound effects mainly, and enjoy capturing nice nature recordings. It=
 would be nice to do some acoustic instrument recording, but field and natu=
re recording are the higher priority.

Jason,

Nature field recording is a very different process to music recording as it=

is usually uncontrolled and unpredictable. You have also to contend with
wind and unwanted noise, while balancing wildlife sounds with a natural
ambience. Patience and luck are important parameters.

I usually use a pair of old MKH415's at an angle of about 30 deg. The
advantage of this over a stereo pair of cardioids or a M-S rig is that a
large part of the solid angle above, below, to the side, and rear, is in
lower sensitivity regions. This reduces the total anthropogenic and wind
noise and gives some needed control over the recording.

In practice the two mics do not have to be a matched pair and I have even
got an acceptable stereo image from a MKH416 and a MKH816 long gunmic.

Some recordings with pix and info are on:
www.stowford.org/recordings.htm
Have a listen to the "The Thrush and Pheasant". There is a noisy stream in=

the wood, a grain mill on the opposite hill and a main road not far away.

My advice would be to get another gunmic and experiment.

> -Boom pole or Tripod (do I need both?)

Neither. I put my mics on the ground where they usually sound better. Try
it. Mic stands are for speech and music.

The other advice I boringly nag about is to record low and boost later when=

you know where the peaks are. I've had pheasants crow into the mics without=

distorting or hitting the limiter which I hate. Digital recording noise is=

so low it is easily swamped by acoustic noise.

David Brinicombe








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