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Re: New recorder question

Subject: Re: New recorder question
From: "Dan Dugan" dandugan_1999
Date: Sat May 14, 2016 9:02 pm ((PDT))
> I ordered the Tascam DR-05... This morning I went out to a favorite spot =
to do some recording.
> As I was reviewing the recording, I noticed a constant noise floor, there=
 was a little wind bot nothing serious I thought. I set up the recorder for=
 an average of -20dB,based on an article I read, but I didn't set the low c=
ut filter. Any suggestions to get better results with this recorder?

Depends on what the soundscape you were recording was like, but you may hav=
e turned up the gain a bit high if a relatively quiet background was brough=
t up to -20.

Digital recording has such a wide dynamic range that a fixed level can be f=
ine for almost all nature recording. Speak in a conversational tone of voic=
e to your recorder at arm=92s length, and set the record level to peak arou=
nd -12 dB. That could give you a universal record level setting.

That said, the recorded noise level compared to the environment is mostly i=
ndependent of the recording gain. It is determined by the self-noise of the=
 microphones. The mics on most hand-held recorders are pretty noisy. Fine f=
or recording urban soundscapes or popular music rehearsals. Too noisy for q=
uiet nature scenes.

Tascam doesn=92t publish a self-noise or S/N rating for the mics. They only=
 quote a very good figure for external inputs. It might be pretty good with=
 a pair of quiet external mics.

-Dan




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