Jon.Bryant
Well-known member
For some time I have been toying with ideas for compact sound recording equipment, which would be more convenient while travelling on holidays.
I have just returned from Texas where I tested some options, the first of which is a compact 32 bit float recorder with a videomic. After doing a bit of research I settled on the Tentacle Track E (but a cheaper option could be the Zoom F1), coupled with a Sennheiser MKE400. To hold the recorder and mic I used a Small Rig camera grip with an integral hot-shoe to hold the mic, then bolted a cheese plate to the grip and taped the recorder to the plate (as shown in the picture below).
The recorder is light enough to hold in one hand, and I even attempted to record some birds and watch them at the same time - recorder in one hand and binoculars in the other.
As the recordings are 32 bit float, recording levels do not need to be monitored and I have opted to therefore not attach headphones - I have just trusted that if I get reasonably close, the signal to noise will be OK.
I set the mic to have 20dB gain (one of three settings available on the MKE400 - high gain, normal and low gain are the options). It would be interesting to experiment on normal settings - it may be that there is more noise created by applying mic gain, than if I had just normalised the 32 bit signal (without mic gain applied) to minus 3dB, as the 32 bit float recording will have a very low noise floor.
I have been pretty please with recordings. Two of which are attached as examples. Both birds were within circa 10m so not very far away. To allow review of the recordings, no post work has been done, except levels have been normalised to -3dB. The White-eyed Vireo was recorded on a slightly windier day, and was a bit further away. There is no wind buffeting noise, so the dead cat cover included with the mic seems reasonable, but there is obviously more noise in the White-eyed Vireo recording.
I thought I would share, as it is a compact setup that could be appealing to those not wanting to carry a full size shotgun and recorder. It is quite an expensive option (circa £550), but would be cheaper if the Zoom F1 was used instead (circa £350). Either option is however a lot less money than most full scale set ups with a shotgun, suspension and dead cat cover.
Regards
Jon Bryant
I have just returned from Texas where I tested some options, the first of which is a compact 32 bit float recorder with a videomic. After doing a bit of research I settled on the Tentacle Track E (but a cheaper option could be the Zoom F1), coupled with a Sennheiser MKE400. To hold the recorder and mic I used a Small Rig camera grip with an integral hot-shoe to hold the mic, then bolted a cheese plate to the grip and taped the recorder to the plate (as shown in the picture below).
The recorder is light enough to hold in one hand, and I even attempted to record some birds and watch them at the same time - recorder in one hand and binoculars in the other.
As the recordings are 32 bit float, recording levels do not need to be monitored and I have opted to therefore not attach headphones - I have just trusted that if I get reasonably close, the signal to noise will be OK.
I set the mic to have 20dB gain (one of three settings available on the MKE400 - high gain, normal and low gain are the options). It would be interesting to experiment on normal settings - it may be that there is more noise created by applying mic gain, than if I had just normalised the 32 bit signal (without mic gain applied) to minus 3dB, as the 32 bit float recording will have a very low noise floor.
I have been pretty please with recordings. Two of which are attached as examples. Both birds were within circa 10m so not very far away. To allow review of the recordings, no post work has been done, except levels have been normalised to -3dB. The White-eyed Vireo was recorded on a slightly windier day, and was a bit further away. There is no wind buffeting noise, so the dead cat cover included with the mic seems reasonable, but there is obviously more noise in the White-eyed Vireo recording.
I thought I would share, as it is a compact setup that could be appealing to those not wanting to carry a full size shotgun and recorder. It is quite an expensive option (circa £550), but would be cheaper if the Zoom F1 was used instead (circa £350). Either option is however a lot less money than most full scale set ups with a shotgun, suspension and dead cat cover.
Regards
Jon Bryant