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Author Topic: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.  (Read 22027 times)

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Offline digifish_music

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Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« on: September 17, 2007, 10:16:19 PM »
So you have $1000 (or less) to spend and you need in order of priority...

Stereo pair.
High sensitivity.
Very low noise.
Cardioid.
$1000 or less.

Will be paired with a Sound Devices MixPre.

Suggestions?

I notice most people here are recording various gigs, as is natural for the Taperssection :) however I am interested to see what people suggest. I am assuming that if the mic has the first 3 covered the frequency response is going to be fairly flat. However that's not critical to me, sounding good is more important...after all who knows what the duck sounded like live...so long as the recording is convincing and free of artifacts and hiss.

FYI: Some previous recordings.

http://www.digifishmusic.com/sounds/DaintreeRainforest2007.mp3

http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/usersViewSingle.php?id=29541

Note to download the high quality versions you need to be registered, the preview works as a guest.

digifish
« Last Edit: September 17, 2007, 10:26:08 PM by digifish_music »
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Offline guysonic

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #1 on: September 18, 2007, 03:38:15 AM »
Mics for high quality sounding monophonic nature recording has wider choice of excellent sounding low noise mics like Sanken CS-3e shotgun to 1/2" or larger capsule omni mic.  Stereo is a mixed bag where most single point stereo like Rode NT4 Shure VP-88, lower costing Audio Technica AT-825, or (like you're planning) using two directional mono directional type mics in some kind of fixed array give inconsistent results from excellent to mediocre depending on working conditions and your end use purposes.

If wanting to capture consistent stereo-surround of the entire sound field exactly like you're hearing at the recording position in very consistent high quality manner, then suggest considering HRTF wind-screened version of Sonic Studios (my company DSM-1S/H) matched set especially suited for this type of recording interest.

Many natural/nature sounds raw recordings and compositions using this model/type of mic with equipment notes/links at:
www.sonicstudios.com/mp3.htm
"mics? I no got no mics!  Besides, I no have to show you no stink'n mics!" stxxlth taper's disclaimer

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Offline digifish_music

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #2 on: September 18, 2007, 07:38:22 AM »
Thanks, I have had a good look at your stuff before. Nice.

For stereo, I already have a Rode NT4, Pair of NT5s, Pair of Behringer C2s, Audio Technica AT825 and a Sound Professionals SP-TFB-2. I carry an Edirol R-09 + SP-TFB-2 binaurals every where I go, 'just in case'.

So how do your binaurals compare to the Sound Professionals?

digifish.   
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Offline Frank in JC

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #3 on: September 18, 2007, 11:24:55 AM »
Unless you need the isolation from unwanted sounds that a shotgun gives you, the ADK TLs fit your needs and budget.  I've used them several times for nature/city/ambient recordings and find the results "natural," no pun intended.  I normally run them as split omnis outside, but with 4 switchable patterns, you can run them in virtually any configuration you want.


Favorite generic quote from Archive.org:
"This recording is SICK--it's almost as good as a soundboard!"

Offline rokpunk

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2007, 11:46:01 AM »
VP88 by Shure might be a good choice for you.
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Offline guysonic

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #5 on: September 18, 2007, 12:26:24 PM »
Thanks, I have had a good look at your stuff before. Nice.

For stereo, I already have a Rode NT4, Pair of NT5s, Pair of Behringer C2s, Audio Technica AT825 and a Sound Professionals SP-TFB-2. I carry an Edirol R-09 + SP-TFB-2 binaurals every where I go, 'just in case'.

So how do your binaurals compare to the Sound Professionals?

digifish.   

Lower noise, uncolored extended bandwidth, effective transparent-to-sound windscreens.  The many 'raw' sample recording encoded directly to MP3 give reason to suspect there's truth to these claims.
"mics? I no got no mics!  Besides, I no have to show you no stink'n mics!" stxxlth taper's disclaimer

DSM HRTF STEREO-SURROUND RECORDING SYSTEMS WEBSITE: http://www.sonicstudios.com

Offline digifish_music

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2007, 08:43:30 PM »
Unless you need the isolation from unwanted sounds that a shotgun gives you, the ADK TLs fit your needs and budget.  I've used them several times for nature/city/ambient recordings and find the results "natural," no pun intended.  I normally run them as split omnis outside, but with 4 switchable patterns, you can run them in virtually any configuration you want.

Thanks, that's a fairly bulky rig for lugging tho...how are you shielding those outdoors? Specs look nice, worth investigating.

I had thought about experimenting with a pair of NT1-As, but would prefer to stay with a small diaphragm condenser for convenience purposes if possible.

digifish
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Offline digifish_music

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2007, 08:48:42 PM »
VP88 by Shure might be a good choice for you.

Yes, a nice mic, but already having two single-point stereo mics I was looking for the flexibility of the matched pair approach. BTW: When using the NT5's and C2's I monitor what I am recording using sound isolating headphones (~ -32 dB attenuation from the real world) and adjust the mics spacing/angles etc so the stereo image is pleasing and detail I am interested in is audible. As I mentioned I am not after photorealistic accuracy of the space, just something that sounds good. I am getting the feeling that no one here post-produces their recordings? ;D

digifish.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2007, 08:50:28 PM by digifish_music »
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Offline John Willett

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2007, 07:29:40 AM »
For nature sounds the standard is to use Sennheiser MKH microphones because of the immunity to damp - but these are above the budget I'm afraid.

I do know of nature recordists who have great success with the Sennheiser K6 series - which *is* within budget - and the K6+ME64 is the cardioid version.  You don't need special matched pairs as manufacturing tolerances are tight to make random mics a matched pair.



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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #9 on: September 19, 2007, 08:22:33 AM »
For nature sounds the standard is to use Sennheiser MKH microphones because of the immunity to damp - but these are above the budget I'm afraid.

I do know of nature recordists who have great success with the Sennheiser K6 series - which *is* within budget - and the K6+ME64 is the cardioid version.  You don't need special matched pairs as manufacturing tolerances are tight to make random mics a matched pair.


Thanks. Budget can stretch...but ouch, if the mics are $2000 I'll be waving $3000 at the shrubbery and that makes me nervous, one reason I really like the C2's is I don't care if they are destroyed. :)

digifish
« Last Edit: September 19, 2007, 08:37:13 AM by digifish_music »
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Offline audBall

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2007, 12:54:33 PM »
If the budget can 'stretch', have you thought about a small diaphragm MS set from a company like Schoeps or Neumann?

Have I spent enough of your money yet?  ;)
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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2007, 07:06:20 PM »
If the budget can 'stretch', have you thought about a small diaphragm MS set from a company like Schoeps or Neumann?

Have I spent enough of your money yet?  ;)

On the other side of the coin, sometimes throwing more amounts of money into mics doesn't mean getting consistently better results and/or chances of surviving field working conditions.
"mics? I no got no mics!  Besides, I no have to show you no stink'n mics!" stxxlth taper's disclaimer

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Offline digifish_music

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2007, 07:10:26 PM »
If the budget can 'stretch', have you thought about a small diaphragm MS set from a company like Schoeps or Neumann?

Have I spent enough of your money yet?  ;)

Yes :)

but I wanted to start a conversation with specifications and performance in the mid price bracket for most things since it's where 80-95% of the performance is to be had for 50-70% of the money. That last 5% get's exponentially expensive...and sometimes it's not even 5%.

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Offline digifish_music

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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2007, 07:16:21 PM »
If the budget can 'stretch', have you thought about a small diaphragm MS set from a company like Schoeps or Neumann?

Have I spent enough of your money yet?  ;)

On the other side of the coin, sometimes throwing more amounts of money into mics doesn't mean getting consistently better results and/or chances of surviving field working conditions.

Indeed.

A great examle of the $$$ factor, is the Rode NT1-A LD condenser. They can be had for about $199. Now it may not be your cup of tea and you
may want multiple patterns etc, but you can't argue about it's audio specifications and performance. It's a very quiet and sensitive mic. 15 years ago, worse performance would have cost you over $2000 in the money of the day.

digifish
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Re: Mic Suggestions for nature work - Low Noise, < $1000 USD.
« Reply #14 on: September 20, 2007, 05:29:41 AM »
On the other side of the coin, sometimes throwing more amounts of money into mics doesn't mean getting consistently better results and/or chances of surviving field working conditions.

Especially if you take into consideration dampness outside and what happens to microphones in such conditions.

Most condensers are AF condensers and the charge on the very high impedance capsule tends to leak away on water molecules in the air causing noise and crackles.

There is one mic. I know of that says it must *not* be used outdoors.

RF condenser mics (Sennheiser MKH series), because of the way thay work, are pretty well immune to these problems as the capsule is just a low impedance RF tuning capacitor.

 

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