There are a number of places now that can provide the equipment for basic
professional recording (I'm in the USA). I've seen a number of people using
a Sony TCM-5000EV (about AUS$500?) with some kind of Sennheiser microphone
(AUS$300-$1500).
But if your friend wants to start with something really basic, the cheapest
thing I could find is a Panasnic RQ-L319, for under AUS$50. (Almost all
tape recorders you can find these days use the tiny "dictaphone" tapes.) An
electronic wizard in New York* who specializes in this stuff (e.g. he
modifies a TCM-5000EV for high-frequency work) sells his own directional
microphone (the SME-V6502) for about AUS$100. (It gets its own battery...
no mike without power will be strong enough for nature recording.) Of
course it's nothing like the expensive kits, but you definitely can make a
recording of almost anything you can hear... which may be a good place to start.
* Saul Mineroff Electronics
phone +1-516-775-1370
FAX +1-516-775-1371
... don't know if he's on the 'net...
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