Thanks, Tom. The idea of taking a SASS somewhere and then not using it is v=
ery familiar to me. I'll try to have a listen to your comparisons later, an=
d I'm looking forward to a tree ears comparison if you get around to it.=0D
=0D
I'm wondering what one should do if there's no suitable tree for the tree e=
ars, eg if there's nothing but reeds. Maybe clip them to the box I run my M=
10 in, and hope for the best?=0D
=0D
I've had the components to make the tree ears for a couple of years now, an=
d not got around to it. Maybe I should make it a New Year's resolution.=0D
=0D
Peter Shute=0D
=0D
Sent from my iPad=0D
=0D
On 24 Dec. 2016, at 6:51 pm, <=
rr.com> [naturerecordists] <<naturer=
>> wrote:=0D
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=0D
=0D
To answer Peter's questions about the tangents I went off on while trying t=
o come up with a stereo micing technique that sounds as good as an SASS but=
packs smaller:=0D
=0D
=0D
What started all this was a trip to Edinburgh this past June. I was there f=
or a conference, not for field recording, but I figured I'd bring my gear i=
n case opportunity arose. I packed my sound bag, my camera bag, a tripod, a=
nd carved out half the space in my suitcase for my SASS. Mine's built of re=
latively thin plywood, so it's more fragile than the one Vicki made out of =
foam. I had to dedicate even more space to pad it in my bag so it wouldn't =
be destroyed by baggage handlers. When I arrived in Edinburgh, I learned my=
bag had been sent somewhere else. I spent a fretful night imagining splint=
ered wood mixed in with my clothes, but when I was reunited with it the nex=
t day I was overjoyed to learn it had arrived in one piece. (Well... two. I=
'd disassembled the nose for transport.)=0D
=0D
=0D
I had a terrible time recording while I was there, and finally resorted to =
opening my hotel window to record the Edinburgh night life. Only problem wa=
s the window only opened so far. I couldn't fit the SASS out the window! I =
wound up using spaced omnis (aka EM-172 lavalier mics) I draped out on my w=
indow sill. Not perfect, but I got decent sound.=0D
=0D
=0D
But after all the hassle of transporting my SASS and never once using it, I=
was pretty motivated to come up with something better.=0D
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To date I've tried:=0D
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- SASS (my baseline)=0D
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- spaced omnis (the same EM-172 lav mics)=0D
=0D
- Olson Wing (again, same EM-172 lav mics)=0D
=0D
- ORTF (EM-184 lav mics on a homemade mic bar)=0D
=0D
- XY (similar setup to the ORTF)=0D
=0D
- M-S (three matched TSB-165A capsules with dual Alice boards - more on thi=
s later)=0D
=0D
=0D
Tests I still want to run:=0D
=0D
- Tree ears (thanks for the reminder, Peter)=0D
=0D
- Brinbox (just ran into this again about a week ago)=0D
=0D
- OSS (Jecklin disc)=0D
=0D
=0D
Of these, the Brinbox really isn't all that portable unless I make it so it=
breaks down easily into 12"x12" panels. The Jecklin disc would be slightly=
more portable, but still bulky. The rest are all smaller than the SASS. Th=
e smallest would have to be the spaced omnis or tree ears. Same mics, just =
a different arrangement. These saved me in Edinburgh.=0D
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=0D
By far the easiest to set up is the M-S. Everything lives in one mic body a=
nd uses a 5-pin XLR cable to bring the signals out to the recorder. I've pr=
obably spent more time than I should've trying to get this to work just bec=
ause it's so convenient to use. Stereo on a stick.=0D
=0D
=0D
I've posted some of my tests on Soundcloud, but not all of them. Here are a=
couple:=0D
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SASS vs. Olson Wing via coqui frogs and insects:=0D
=0D
https://soundcloud.com/tnbenedict/sass-vs-olson-wing-coqui-frogs-and-insect=
s=0D
=0D
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I had wind protection on the SASS and not on the Olson Wing. The tonality i=
s a little mismatched, even though the two used the same capsules. I think =
the wind protection on my SASS is pretty transparent, but I can't know for =
sure if that's what caused the tonal differences. To my ear the stereo imag=
e is comparable on both of them. I repeated this test with ocean waves, thi=
s time with wind protection on both rigs, and the Olson Wing sounded a litt=
le harsh. I think it's better matched to birds, frogs, and insects. (I can =
post that comparison if anyone wants to hear it.)=0D
=0D
=0D
SASS vs. ORTF via coqui frogs and cattle reverb:=0D
=0D
https://soundcloud.com/tnbenedict/sass-vs-ortf-via-coqui-frogs-insects-catt=
le-and-reverb=0D
=0D
=0D
Kind of a fun night. I didn't know there were cows just beyond the edge of =
the eucalyptus forest where I was recording. I did this as a drop-and-recov=
er, so I wasn't even aware of the cows until I listened to the recording af=
terward. It was raining, so not ideal, but you can get an idea of the diffe=
rence in stereo imaging between the two.=0D
=0D
=0D
SASS vs. M-S via ocean waves:=0D
=0D
https://soundcloud.com/tnbenedict/kiholo-bay-sass-vs-m-s=0D
=0D
=0D
The mics in this test are wildly different. The SASS has Primo EM-172 capsu=
les in it. The Mid-Side mic followed a build by Jules Ryckenbusch, and uses=
Transsound TSB-165A capsules and Alice circuitry. Ignore the tonal differe=
nces for the purposes of this test. To my ear the M-S mic doesn't create th=
e sense of space the SASS does. This is with the M-S dialed to around 30/70=
, favoring the side mic.=0D
=0D
=0D
More recently I've been testing some changes to the Alice mics. These are t=
wo sets of tests, one with coqui frogs and insects, and the other with ocea=
n waves. Both of these are mono recordings:=0D
=0D
=0D
https://soundcloud.com/tnbenedict/alice-hf-eq-vs-alice-stock-coqui-frogs-an=
d-insects=0D
=0D
https://soundcloud.com/tnbenedict/c-a-c-b-c-d-a1-b1-a2-b2-a3-b3=0D
=0D
=0D
The first one is a pretty straightforward A-B test between an Alice with an=
EQ mod to tame the high frequency end and an unmodified Alice.=0D
=0D
=0D
The second one is a bit of a mess. It's a test of the EM-172, an Alice with=
the EQ mod, an unmodified Alice, and the EM-184 I've been using for ORTF a=
nd XY. The first half of the test pairs each of the other mics against the =
EM-172. The last half pairs the two Alice mics together for three different=
sounds.=0D
=0D
=0D
I think the modified Alice brings its sound more in line with that of the E=
M-172, albeit with a little less low-end. I just finished modifying the Mid=
-Side mic I built, and I plan to get out with it again later in the week to=
see if this helps it compete with the SASS. (Yeah, I really am fixated on =
making this thing work.)=0D
=0D
=0D
Peter, I probably won't have a chance to get out again for the next several=
days, but I'd be happy to try EM-172 tree ears against my SASS. I'll try t=
o find a tree around 5-6" in diameter if that works.=0D
=0D
=0D
If there are any other tests you think I could run with the gear I have, pl=
ease let me know. I'd be happy to do them.=0D
=0D
=0D
Tom=0D
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=0D
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