Hello! I'm really passionate about acquiring some equipment that would enable me to record random sounds i.e. from the airplane going over head to rainfall to distant music.
I have zero expertise in audio equipment, but i'd like to buy something that I can do all these things with at really high quality . Can anyone point me in the right direction, please? I'm looking to spend around £500 max really
My main rig is a Sound Devices MixPre-6 in conjunction with a pair of Audio Technica AT4022 omni mics. My slightly more portable rig consists of an Olympus LS-P4 with a pair of LOM mikroUsi mics.
My results are a little better with the main rig but really it just depends what I have with me at the time. The Olympus and the LOM microphones deliver really good quality too.
I also have appropriate wind protection for all of my mics that I use outdoors.
Note all of my current mics that I use for this are omnidirectional, but depending on what you want to record, cardioids/MS setup/Shotguns may be more suitable. Mono might be an option you want to consider too.
I'm not heavily into field recording but a good handheld is something to value. I've had a Tascam DR-100 for many years now (the original version - the link now takes to to the 3rd issue of the device) and I find it remarkably useful for recording all sorts of things, from gigs to thunderstorms.
As someone who's done a lot of this in the past...
Get the best recorder you can afford... in these contexts any internal noise from the recorder can be very obvious. Many of the sounds you want to capture will actually be very quiet. You don't want the sound getting tangled up in the electronic noise of the recorder.
If you're serious don't rely on the onboard mics - good though they can be.
The biggest issue with outdoor recording is wind noise. Even the gentlest of breezes can ruin a recording with wind-blast. Invest in quality wind suppression covers. Check out what's offered by Rycote - simply the best.
... and don't be surprised by what a noisy place the great outdoors is! Distant cars, tractors, lorries, aeroplanes, helicopters etc etc. I had a Sunday morning recording of birdsong at 5am almost ruined by traffic noise - in a country park some way from roads!
As someone who's done a lot of this in the past...
Get the best recorder you can afford... in these contexts any internal noise from the recorder can be very obvious. Many of the sounds you want to capture will actually be very quiet. You don't want the sound getting tangled up in the electronic noise of the recorder.
If you're serious don't rely on the onboard mics - good though they can be.
The biggest issue with outdoor recording is wind noise. Even the gentlest of breezes can ruin a recording with wind-blast. Invest in quality wind suppression covers. Check out what's offered by Rycote - simply
... and don't be surprised by what a noisy place the great outdoors is! Distant cars, tractors, lorries, aeroplanes, helicopters etc etc. I had a Sunday morning recording of birdsong at 5am almost ruined by traffic noise - in a country park some way from roads!
Good luck!
That sums it up nicely! Similar experience here. Outboard mics are absolutely essential: spaced omnis, one or two cardiods/hypercardioids, maybe even a shotgun and all the wind protection you can get...
For really quiet sounds I tend to use a Sound Devices Mixpre-D with my recorder.
For a start, I would probably go for a good recorder and two omnis.
Guest
Re: Best equipment for picking up sounds in any environment
wireman wrote:So for people using two omnis, what are you mounting them on, and how portable is this?
Would you discount a (pole mounted) stereo microphone?
I use dynamic omnis on a stereo bar, either handheld (Rycote soft grip extension handle) or that or a larger stereo bar mounted onto any old camera stand.
Stereo mics are less useful as you obviously can’t use them spaced wich is something you will want to be able to do when recording environmental sounds.
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Re: Best equipment for picking up sounds in any environment
Watchmaker wrote:+1 for the Zoom H4n. High quality and very reliable.
The Zoom H4n is more practical for musicians. The internal mics are noisy and not much use for environmental sounds. You would need external mics and a good external preamp to get usable results.
This is hard to achieve with this device as it doesn’t have proper line ins, just instrument level ins.
Otherwise good device and easy handling, but I’d say horses for courses...
Guest
Re: Best equipment for picking up sounds in any environment
An H4n Pro and a couple of Line Audio OM1s would just about keep in budget allowing for cables, a stereo bar, and a small mic stand.
Might require some DIY on a suitable blimp though.
Toby Harries wrote: i'd like to buy something that I can do all these things with at really high quality . Can anyone point me in the right direction, please? I'm looking to spend around £500 max really
To do this in 'really high quality' you'd need to increase the budget at least five fold, if not more. My own location gear amounts to almost £10k... although I can do a lot more than record distant atmosphere sounds.
That said, you will be able to make perfectly usable ambient recordings using a budget handheld recorder -- ive made some superb recordings using an Olympus ls11, for example. The suggested h4n recorder sounds a good bet to me, although a sound devices mixpre3 would be my personal preference if the budget could be stretched.
The OM1s are a good option, but you will need to invest in very good windsheilding. Personally, when spaced omnis are needed, I usually use lavalier mics in rycote windjammer pouches. The 'traditional' mounting used by many location recordings is a wire coat hanger, but I use a couple of telescopic radio aerials!
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Best equipment for picking up sounds in any environment
Toby Harries wrote: i'd like to buy something that I can do all these things with at really high quality . Can anyone point me in the right direction, please? I'm looking to spend around £500 max really
... The suggested h4n recorder sounds a good bet to me, although a sound devices mixpre3 would be my personal preference if the budget could be stretched.
Which H4n? The old one has pretty bad preamps and internal mics. Did you mean the Pro?
Guest
Re: Best equipment for picking up sounds in any environment
Probably a bit off-piste for the O/P, but as it's been mentioned...
For stereo I used a Rode NT4 in a Rode Blimp2 feeding a Zoom F4.
You can buy an adapter kit for the Blimp 2 so that it'll hold an NT4. Very good, but very heavy on a boom. Latterly I switched to an NTG4... much lighter, but obviously mono only.
Now all except the F4 have gone as part of the great downsizing...
I use a little Tascam for 'grab stuff'...
Just a thought for the O/P... assuming you're in the UK, have a chat to the people at Pinknoise Systems... good, knowledgeable people who specialise in this kind of gear.
Unless this really is more than just casual recording a Zoom H4 would do an admirable job. I've used one for a few years with no complaints about audio quality. I've also recently added an H5, largely for access to the interchangable capsules - if the budget runs to it it's a good option too.
Like a camera, the best recorder is the one you have with you - I've captured as much useful material on my charity shop Olympus LS-P1 as anything, since it travels with me on a whim!
Hugh Robjohns wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:59 pmThe 'traditional' mounting used by many location recordings is a wire coat hanger, but I use a couple of telescopic radio aerials!
Initially you quoted Toby Harries' original post which didn't contain any reference to the information Hugh shared so I've modified your post to reflect the Manfrotto technology that Hugh was referring to in his reply.
Hugh Robjohns wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:59 pmThe 'traditional' mounting used by many location recordings is a wire coat hanger, but I use a couple of telescopic radio aerials!
I'm really passionate about acquiring some equipment that would enable me to record random sounds i.e. from the airplane going over head to rainfall to distant music.
. Can anyone point me in the right direction, please? I'm looking to spend around £500 max really 
