Author Topic: Mics for Backcountry - Jungle, Safari etc.. (Read 8337 times)

speedo · « **on:** May 30, 2009, 12:20:05 AM »

I'm going to get a Sound Devices field recorder for some sample libraries I'm working on over the next year. The sounds will be nature in remote areas of central, s. america, hawaii, new zealand and africa. I will be backpacking in mostly.

I want them to be as high quality as possible. I'm wondering what kinds of mics I should get. I love the sound of Schoeps, but not sure if they'll withstand the humidity of a tropical rain forest.

Anyone have any experience in this field. I have a decent budget so that's not a huge worry - just wondering what your recommendations might be for a nice assortment of mics for high quality outdoor field recording.

xpander · « **Reply #1 on:** May 30, 2009, 05:41:28 AM »

I'm slowly gearing up for the same task, just that my conditions will be more arctic than tropical. I haven't got any decent mics yet, but certainly do have some ideas of what to look for. Since I don't have the first hand experience on these, I can't really recommend anything.

But you might find some of these following articles and sites interesting. Some of the gear might be more or less outdated, but there's handy info too.

Electronic Musician, Going Wild
http://emusician.com/daw/emusic_going_wild/
Electronic Musician, Bernie Krause interview in full
http://emusician.com/em_spotlight/bernie_krause_interview/index.html

Naturerecordists, E-Mail group for the people interested in nature recording. If you have time for search, the archives have lots of information.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/naturerecordists/

Wildlife Sound Recording Society
http://www.wildlife-sound.org/equipment/index.html

http://www.f7sound.com/field-recording.htm

speedo · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2009, 10:58:06 AM »

Great resources. Thanks for that.

Seems like the MKH series might be the way to go for tropical forest work. Do you think with the 30 and 40 set up I would be good to go?

I'm wondering if I should get the piggy back trigger or a stand for ms setup... I'd rather not backpack with a stand but maybe there's some foldy lightweight think I can use.

spcyrfc · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2009, 07:14:01 PM »

Quote from: speedo on May 30, 2009, 10:58:06 AM

Great resources. Thanks for that.

Seems like the MKH series might be the way to go for tropical forest work. Do you think with the 30 and 40 set up I would be good to go?

I'm wondering if I should get the piggy back trigger or a stand for ms setup... I'd rather not backpack with a stand but maybe there's some foldy lightweight think I can use.

is the ability to handle humidity a universal with sennheiser? traveling soon and wondering about brining along some mkh8040's. maybe picking up a senn figure 8.

on a side note, any ideas on insuring gear while traveling abroad?

speedo · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2009, 02:04:37 AM »

I'm also curious with a m-s setup how would you monitor if you a) don't have a mixer in the field and b) your recorder doesn't have a decoding option?

I guess my question is this: Is m-s monitoring completely necessary? Can you get decent results simply by monitoring the M and S separately in your cans?

ghellquist · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2009, 05:50:18 AM »

Quote from: speedo on May 30, 2009, 10:58:06 AM

Seems like the MKH series might be the way to go for tropical forest work. Do you think with the 30 and 40 set up I would be good to go?

You will definitely get the sound with a MKH30/40 and it will work in harsher conditions than many mics. Add a Rycote Windshield and it will work in wind conditions as well. Add the Sound Devices recorder and a pair of headphones and you are ready to go. Ready to carry a sort bulky combination around as well and ready to part with a bit of cash. I do have that combination and it really shines.

One idea if possible -- try to rent / borrow the equipment a day or two before buying. This will allow you to experiment and gives a much better feeling what is involved. Do check on battery charging - I run a few extra batteries + a combined wall charger / 12 V charger.

Personally, I am not fully convinced of the newe 80xx series yet and their roadworthyness. I believe all the MKH-s share same technology base and would stand tropical heat the same. But it has to be tested if you ask me. No figure 8 in the series yet.

Gunnar

xpander · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2009, 06:08:02 AM »

Quote from: spcyrfc on May 30, 2009, 07:14:01 PM

is the ability to handle humidity a universal with sennheiser? traveling soon and wondering about brining along some mkh8040's. maybe picking up a senn figure 8.

As far as I know, its the RF condenser technology which makes these mics way better at handling the humidity. I have no idea if all Sennheisers are made like this, for example that MKH8040 seems to. I'm sure mic expert like DSatz could tell better what RF biasing is and what other brands (if any) would have similar technology or handle humidity nicely otherwise.

Quote from: speedo on May 31, 2009, 02:04:37 AM

I guess my question is this: Is m-s monitoring completely necessary? Can you get decent results simply by monitoring the M and S separately in your cans?

M/S monitoring is not necessary as long as you are still able to do what you want, but for sure it would help. The little tests that I've done without, at first it was confusing to position the mics since you don't hear the real stereo field. After a while you might get used to that though. Again, I have too little experience on this to be definitive.

Even if your pre/recorder doesn't have M/S-decoding (monitoring), you could have a separate M/S headphone decoder. I've seen both passive decoders made with transformers and active designs.

Here's one example of the latter, DIY to boot.
http://www.pugetsoundman.com/articles/MSheadphone.htm

edit: ghellquist wrote some info too, while I was at it...thanks.

shaggy · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2009, 09:59:41 AM »

Quote from: speedo on May 31, 2009, 02:04:37 AM

I'm also curious with a m-s setup how would you monitor if you a) don't have a mixer in the field and b) your recorder doesn't have a decoding option?

I guess my question is this: Is m-s monitoring completely necessary? Can you get decent results simply by monitoring the M and S separately in your cans?

The SD 7XX series will allow you record discreet M and S channels while allowing you to monitor it as a decoded L and R. You can mix it to taste in post. Read the manual carefully and dry-run it a few times before you hit the road.

As far as environmental/nature mics go, I heard that the Audio Technica AT3032 is the most quiet mic for the money. The nature recordists love these mics. It is an omni so you will need a baffle or space them out a bit. The other thing is that they are out of production but still can be found new if you poke around a bit.

deedee · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2009, 10:15:54 AM »

is the obvious being overlooked here?
the dpa 406x series can be cleaned by immersing them in a glass of distilled water, and then repowered to help in drying them out. says so right in the owners manual.
A little humidity?

speedo · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2009, 12:53:32 PM »

I record professional commercial sound libraries - mainly instruments up until now, but this will be my first incursion into nature recording. I am definitely after a professional system. Our company's quality standards are very high. As we all know, the gear won't always get you the best sound, so I'm thinking that I could get a system better budgeted that will still yield pro results.

After adding the costs together and seeing the physical bulk I'm thinking of slimming down the system to be more cost and travel effective. I've been doing a ton of research over the past few days and rather than getting the sound devices and mkh setup I'm thinking of going for the fostex fr2le and a Sure Vp88. This will be about $2k cheaper and a few microphones smaller and lighter

- afterall, I do have to carry food and water too! I suppose I could throw a pair of omnis in the mix.

Does this seem like a legit system for professional work? I guess my question now is, should I consider getting a decent preamp for the fostex? Is it worth the extra weight, cost, bulk?

it-goes-to-eleven · « **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2009, 12:59:49 PM »

Quote from: shaggy on May 31, 2009, 09:59:41 AM

As far as environmental/nature mics go, I heard that the Audio Technica AT3032 is the most quiet mic for the money. The nature recordists love these mics.

Interesting. I am also planning some remote nature recording this summer (leaving SOON) and trying to decide what to run. I was leaning toward 4061's, since they are my only omnis (and they're tiny). Though the 4061 self noise is rather high at 26-28dB.

As a comparison, I see the schoeps mk21at 14dB, mk2 at 12dB, and AT3032 at 16dB. There is a big difference between 26 and 16 dB, but I wonder how significant it is in the big picture of quiet nature recording? Gain tends to be quite high.

I haven't decided between the AERCO (smaller, easier unbal input) or V3 (more detail, probably even more quiet). I haven't run the AERCO at very high gain, where I know the v3 is quiet. I was going to run into the r09, but now that I think about it, using the v3's a/d into the dreaded microtrack would probably be more quiet.

I will have a lot of time to record in some incredibly quiet places, so I do want to do it right. I need more mics like I need a hole in my head

To deedee's earlier point about cleaning the DPAs in water... Just because they can be cleaned that way doesn't in itself say how they work in humidity.. Though it is very encouraging from a field fix standpoint.

I haven't done nature recording before, so if anyone has pointers to FAQs, etc, they would be very welcome!

xpander · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2009, 01:51:22 PM »

No matter how wonderful lavaliers would be as far as handling and maintenance goes, I don't think their performance would be ideal in nature and field work otherwise. As I've understood, in general their frequency response might be too limited and self noise too high to handle quiet sources well. All this dependent on the application too, of course.

The afore mentioned Sennheiser MKH-series and AT303X have been on my short list of possibilities for quite some time and so far I've not been able to find much more suitable for my needs, as per all the tips and advice given.

OOK · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2009, 03:01:59 PM »

The Rode NTG3 might fit the bill for the environment your going into....here is how rode describes it...I own Rode's NT2000 and the quality is excellent...I don't own an NTG3 but would assume the quality is the same....

Peace OOK

The NTG-3 is the result of years of development by RØDE engineers, providing the professional broadcast and film industries with an affordable yet uncompromising microphone.

Using a technology known as RF-bias the RØDE NTG-3 is almost completely resistant to moisture, making it the only option when recording in any demanding environments where condensation is an issue.

In addition to its robust properties the NTG-3 combines very low weight (163g), a durable anti-glare finish and incredibly low handling and self-noise (13dBA) to become RØDE’s premier A/V microphone.

When not in use the NTG-3 can be stored away in the included weather resistant aluminium storage cylinder, providing additional protection when travelling and storing the microphone.

* Designed to withstand adverse environmental conditions
* 50% less self-noise than the majority of shotgun microphones
* True condenser (externally RF biased)
* Extremely low handling noise
* High level of immunity to radio frequency broadcast
* Superior broadcast sound quality
* Weather resistant aluminum storage cylinder included

Power    P48 (48V) phantom supply
Acoustic Principle    Line Gradient
Directional Pattern    Super Cardioid
Frequency range    40 Hz - 20 kHz
Output impedance    25Ω
Signal noise ratio    81 dB SPL (A - weighted per IEC651)
Equivalent noise    13 dB SPL (A - weighted per IEC651)
Maximum SPL    130dB SPL (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load)
Maximum output voltage    8.2dBu (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load)
Sensitivity    -30 dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (31.6 mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz
Weight    163gm
Dimensions    255mmH x 19mmW x 19mmD

http://usa.rodemic.com/images/mics/ntg-3_polar.jpg

http://usa.rodemic.com/images/mics/ntg-3_freq.jpg

http://usa.rodemic.com/images/mics/ntg-3_quarter_front.jpg

http://usa.rodemic.com/images/mics/ntg-3_001.jpg

http://usa.rodemic.com/images/mics/ntg-3_with_case.jpg

it-goes-to-eleven · « **Reply #13 on:** May 31, 2009, 03:57:20 PM »

The adverse weather ability of the rf mics is interesting... Though I'm glad I'm not going where it is humid.

I'm also more interested in non-directional ambient mics. They tend to sound more natural, especially at lower price points.

spcyrfc · « **Reply #14 on:** June 01, 2009, 01:50:36 AM »

the main points i am considering for a travel kit are

- quality (of course)
- size/form
- battery life / hd space
- durability
- expense

I own a vp-88 and have just begun to do cityscapes with it. haven't had enough time to put it through the ringer and test the self noise in nature situations. The mic itself is huge, a little heavy, but feel durable. at the used market price point, if there is any left over cash it seems to me, will be a versatile mic to carry. walking through the city with it in its shock mount with a rode windscreen and a pistol grip is a breeze. so far, i have been pleased with the quality, but have not yet put it thru to a quiet test.

i have been very pleased with the battery life of the sony d-50 (twelve hours) and the aerco on a dvd battery (at least 12 hours). add the seamless transition to internals and your over 20 hours for the preamp. the sony is a little big, but solid. much more solid, IME than the fr2-le, tho it is a great box. that said, i don't know if i will ever need 20 hrs of record time without a recharge, but if i did, i would be glad to have it.

i have been thinking about picking up a 20-70 aerco for quiet sounds.

great thread.

sanaka · « **Reply #15 on:** June 01, 2009, 02:38:23 PM »

Speedo -

Note that the following is kind of 'armchair pontificating' for me as far as nature recording, but: AFAIK, the important things for what works for nature sounds are quiet, sensitive mics and quiet, sensistive mic preamps. IOW, capturing low level sounds with high gain and low noise. These happen to be the most demanding things to ask of a both mics and mic preamps. The Sennheisers into a Sound Devices fit this bill perfectly as the all the MKH mics are extremely low noise while having very high sensiitivity (~25mV output!), and the inputs of the SD machines similarly have very low noise but high (72dB) gain. The RF operation of the MKH mics makes them highly resistant to humidity to boot. Probably why the MKHxx series is widely renowned for field recording. The MKHxxxx series is too new to have much track record, but are essentially a smaller format of the same RF mics, so probably are excellent as well. The Rode mentioned by OtheroneK has insanely good output and noise specs too, if you want a hypercardiod pattern.

The Shure VP88 is I think an excellent, bombproof sort of mic, but has extremely low sensitivity, only .5mV, and not excellent self noise specs either. To capture quiet sounds, your preamps would be cranked way up, where even the best preamps start showing their weaknessses (noise). Having to get an outboard preamp to compensate for this (or for low or noisy input gain) to me seems self-defeating in a backpacking type rig. However, the FR2-LE's preamps are well thought of for the price range, and with nice hot mics like the Sennheisers you'd probably do fine. However, like the MKH mics, The Sound Devices are the renowned machines for field work. Highly reliable and capable with excellent sound.

A Sound Devices machine and some MKH mics is my personal dream rig. You could record anything with that setup. If I had the opportunity, it is what I would do hands down.

Peace,
Sanaka

speedo · « **Reply #16 on:** June 01, 2009, 08:21:50 PM »

OK, been doing some more research. How exactly do I mount an m-s setup with the MKH 30/40 setup?

I see a rycote kit at B&H for "stereo" suspension. Is that really necessary? Is it normal to spend $750 for a pistol grip and windjammer? Should I prepare to dish out that on top of the mic setup?

it-goes-to-eleven · « **Reply #17 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:03:44 PM »

Quote from: speedo on June 01, 2009, 08:21:50 PM

OK, been doing some more research. How exactly do I mount an m-s setup with the MKH 30/40 setup?

I see a rycote kit at B&H for "stereo" suspension. Is that really necessary? Is it normal to spend $750 for a pistol grip and windjammer? Should I prepare to dish out that on top of the mic setup?

How are your seamstress skills?

speedo · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2009, 09:53:36 PM »

Quote from: Freelunch on June 01, 2009, 09:03:44 PM

Quote from: speedo on June 01, 2009, 08:21:50 PM
OK, been doing some more research. How exactly do I mount an m-s setup with the MKH 30/40 setup?

I see a rycote kit at B&H for "stereo" suspension. Is that really necessary? Is it normal to spend $750 for a pistol grip and windjammer? Should I prepare to dish out that on top of the mic setup?

How are your seamstress skills?

poor. but i do have some rubberbands here in a glass jar

ghellquist · « **Reply #19 on:** June 02, 2009, 12:17:34 AM »

Quote from: speedo on June 01, 2009, 08:21:50 PM

OK, been doing some more research. How exactly do I mount an m-s setup with the MKH 30/40 setup?

I see a rycote kit at B&H for "stereo" suspension. Is that really necessary? Is it normal to spend $750 for a pistol grip and windjammer? Should I prepare to dish out that on top of the mic setup?

I find the Rycote pages difficult to navigate. Probably because there simply are too many options and the stereo version is not very common. This page has better pictures I believe:
http://www.thefind.com/instruments/browse-rycote-stereo#

What you are looking at for a MKH30/40 is the Rycote Stereo Windshield. This is a large beast, sort of difficult to see in the pictures though. It has to be large as you need place for the two mics and air around them. Still standing air around the mic is what makes for reducing wind noise.

The mics are the mounted in a double clip, looking somewhat like and X. One mic above each other. The mic clips look like these:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/497696-REG/Rycote_048463_48463_25SQ_25SQ_25SQ_25SQ.html

Add the handle and preferrable a stereo conn box, and well, 750 or more. It will last your lifetime though.

I will see if I can crank out the camera and take a picture of mine, not the next few days though, too much else to cater for.

// Gunnar

notlance · « **Reply #20 on:** June 02, 2009, 09:23:41 AM »

Quote from: speedo on May 31, 2009, 12:53:32 PM

I record professional commercial sound libraries - mainly instruments up until now, but this will be my first incursion into nature recording. I am definitely after a professional system. Our company's quality standards are very high. As we all know, the gear won't always get you the best sound, so I'm thinking that I could get a system better budgeted that will still yield pro results.

After adding the costs together and seeing the physical bulk I'm thinking of slimming down the system to be more cost and travel effective. I've been doing a ton of research over the past few days and rather than getting the sound devices and mkh setup I'm thinking of going for the fostex fr2le and a Sure Vp88. This will be about $2k cheaper and a few microphones smaller and lighter - afterall, I do have to carry food and water too! I suppose I could throw a pair of omnis in the mix.

Does this seem like a legit system for professional work? I guess my question now is, should I consider getting a decent preamp for the fostex? Is it worth the extra weight, cost, bulk?

Perhaps you have already reconsidered your idea of using a fr2le/Vp88 combo for field use, if not, please do. I am no expert on nature recording, but I do own both the fr2le and a SD 702. IMHO, I would not even consider taking the fr2le into the bush, especially if you are going to record MS. The SD recorders are better suited for nature recording. They are much more rugged, have quieter preamps (no need for and external pre) AND headphone amps (the fr2le headphone amp is rather noisy) , have redundant power and media, have a built in battery charger, and have built in MS decoding and MS headphone monitoring. In your first post you said "Our company's quality standards are very high." If that is really the case, the SD box is the only way to go. I'd buy a 722 to get the internal hard drive.

I also own Sennheiser MKH mics, and have used the Shure VP88 mic. The vp88 is OK, but the Sennheisers are in a different league. The MKH mics have about 12 dB more output and have about 12 dB less self noise. The Sennheisers also are less susceptible to humidity. For size and weight considerations, the MKH8000 series would be ideal, but that series does not offer a figure 8 cap. If you want to do MS, a MKH30 and MKH40 (or MKH50) combo is as good as you can get.

Before you go into the field, build a power cord for the 722 that has a 4-pin Hirose on one end and car battery clips on the other. With that you can run and recharge your 722 from any vehicle with a 12V electrical system.

it-goes-to-eleven · « **Reply #21 on:** June 02, 2009, 11:15:55 AM »

Quote from: notlance on June 02, 2009, 09:23:41 AM

Before you go into the field, build a power cord for the 722 that has a 4-pin Hirose on one end and car battery clips on the other. With that you can run and recharge your 722 from any vehicle with a 12V electrical system.

aaronji · « **Reply #22 on:** June 02, 2009, 11:38:51 AM »

Quote from: Freelunch on May 31, 2009, 12:59:49 PM

To deedee's earlier point about cleaning the DPAs in water... Just because they can be cleaned that way doesn't in itself say how they work in humidity.. Though it is very encouraging from a field fix standpoint.

Well, I don't know anything about nature recording, but a pair of 4060s might make a pretty good back-up pair of mics. They were designed to be moisture/humidity resistant; the DPA site says that, "The utmost attention has been paid to the microphone's resistance to humidity. A double vent protection system together with water resistant materials inside the microphone make it more than difficult for moisture to cause the Miniature Microphone to fail." I have a friend that uses these for nature recordings, and he said that he uses them in the rain with no fear. They are so small that they would take up little room in a pack (although you'd need some XLR adapters too) and are quite sensitive (20 mV/Pa). True, as others have noted, they could be quieter, but that may not be an issue in the jungle or rain forest, especially at night. My one time in the jungle, I was really surprised by the cacophony after dark. Couldn't sleep for a few nights, until I was so exhausted I just dropped!

Not the cheapest back-up, but maybe worth considering if the budget allows. It would suck to have a mic problem in the middle of nowhere...

Quote from: Freelunch on June 02, 2009, 11:15:55 AM

Quote from: notlance on June 02, 2009, 09:23:41 AM
Before you go into the field, build a power cord for the 722 that has a 4-pin Hirose on one end and car battery clips on the other. With that you can run and recharge your 722 from any vehicle with a 12V electrical system.

<imagines jumper cables attached to 722>

I had the same image in my mind...Great suggestion, though...

speedo · « **Reply #23 on:** June 02, 2009, 11:57:01 AM »

Quote from: notlance on June 02, 2009, 09:23:41 AM

Perhaps you have already reconsidered your idea of using a fr2le/Vp88 combo for field use, if not, please do. I am no expert on nature recording, but I do own both the fr2le and a SD 702. IMHO, I would not even consider taking the fr2le into the bush, especially if you are going to record MS. The SD recorders are better suited for nature recording. They are much more rugged, have quieter preamps (no need for and external pre) AND headphone amps (the fr2le headphone amp is rather noisy) , have redundant power and media, have a built in battery charger, and have built in MS decoding and MS headphone monitoring. In your first post you said "Our company's quality standards are very high." If that is really the case, the SD box is the only way to go. I'd buy a 722 to get the internal hard drive.

I also own Sennheiser MKH mics, and have used the Shure VP88 mic. The vp88 is OK, but the Sennheisers are in a different league. The MKH mics have about 12 dB more output and have about 12 dB less self noise. The Sennheisers also are less susceptible to humidity. For size and weight considerations, the MKH8000 series would be ideal, but that series does not offer a figure 8 cap. If you want to do MS, a MKH30 and MKH40 (or MKH50) combo is as good as you can get.

Before you go into the field, build a power cord for the 722 that has a 4-pin Hirose on one end and car battery clips on the other. With that you can run and recharge your 722 from any vehicle with a 12V electrical system.

OK, I've decided to go with the 722 or 702 and the MKHs. I just can't justify being "cheap" when our company has a budget for different levels of gear to make our products.

Now I'm trying to decide between the 722 and 702. In my experience and research it seems that Cards are the way to go - less heavy, less prone to failure. Not to be "cheap" again but do you really think the HD feature is worth it? I mean, with a 4GB card I can get almost an hour of stereo 24/96.

notlance · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2009, 01:04:07 PM »

I'd buy the 722 so I could record to BOTH the HDD and CF simultaneously. Redundancy is a good thing in the bush. You can record simultaneously to the internal CF and an external HDD via FireWire with the 702, but the external HDD and cable is not what you want when you are backpacking.

sanaka · « **Reply #25 on:** June 02, 2009, 03:24:06 PM »

Heh heh... if you're really, um, comfortable with your company's budget, there's the 788T-SSD:

256GB of flash drive storage.

Only ~$6500

But seriously, the 702 vs 722 is up to how much storage you think you need. If you're really going to wander around recording at 24/96 (because, yes, any good jungle ought to have bats), the hard drive might be very important. If you're dumping off to a laptop often enough, I'd feel safe and more convenient with a bunch of flash cards.

Peace,
Sanaka

midside · « **Reply #26 on:** June 03, 2009, 12:17:36 PM »

Regarding the VP88, I used this mic for years in the field and was very happy with the sound for the most part. If the gain did not have to be turned up too much, then the sound quality was great. Too much gain in quiet environments led to too much self noise as others have stated. This was only an issue in very quiet situations, nature recordings might frequently fall in that category. But, I would not hesitate at all to use the VP88 for nature recordings, it still has many benefits...it sounds great, it is very rugged, built in MS, and runs forever off of a tiny battery. The number 1 reason I sold this mic and went on to a different setup was because of the size of the blimp I had to carry around with this thing. Here are a few photos: in blimp, hand held, and in shock mount (no blimp).

notlance · « **Reply #27 on:** June 03, 2009, 03:17:48 PM »

Hey speedo, a 722 is in the YS right now.

it-goes-to-eleven · « **Reply #28 on:** June 18, 2009, 01:36:05 PM »

I am 'in the field' and recording.......

spcyrfc · « **Reply #29 on:** June 20, 2009, 07:56:47 PM »

Quote from: Freelunch on June 18, 2009, 01:36:05 PM

I am 'in the field' and recording.......

what exactly? good work nonetheless.

got fete du musique manana in paris, should be good or at least interesting.

it-goes-to-eleven · « **Reply #30 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:49:21 AM »

I have been doing a lot of remote nature recording at higher gain with the v3 and schoeps mk21..... gain is in the 50-55db range and I can say I need every bit of noise floor reduction possible. It is also a challenge to manage any wind noise at those gain levels.

I do wonder about those at 3032's and whether their noise floor would be lower. Certainly the price is right.

guysonic · « **Reply #31 on:** July 18, 2009, 06:47:36 AM »

My company has been supplying professional mic systems for this very purpose for over 20 years with mics traveling to the Arctic, high elevation mountains, deep jungle expeditions, and just about anywhere on the globe without a single incident of environmental failure to perform.

Links to recording projects, downloadable samples, and notes on the mic systems used found at: www.sonicstudios.com/mp3.htm

Definitely worth considering if interested in reliably doing this kind of recording.