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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    The Mix-Pre 3 II is a much more versatile recorder. For starters it is a 3 Pre-amp, 5 track recorder. It has three XLR inputs and also Aux inputs (3.5mm mini-jack) so can take and 5 inputs in total. This is probably overkill for most birders, but I have on occasions used multi track recording...
  2. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    As per earlier in the thread, I think the Mix-Pres are currently the best 'standard' field recorders for birders. For starters they are standard format, so fit a normal audio bag rather than being some peculiar shape, and requiring a special carrying case. The main controls are easily...
  3. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    This is interesting to know. Reading between the lines I think in the original post the intention was not to create dual mono, but to create two tracks with different gain settings - in effect safeguard against too low or too high gain settings, by having the ability to select the channel with...
  4. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Ah, I think I understand. You are taking one input and feeding it to two channels that are not linked. You are then applying different gain settings to each channel. You could either do this as preset gain levels (near and far as you suggest), or you could create a backup channel (with lower...
  5. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Is this not just for a mono to dual cable - a mono mic to two channels on the recorder? I don’t think it would have any impact on gain. I don’t think it is like a similar USB that doubles up the voltage - just the same signal duplicated/divided.
  6. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    I also have both these recorders and have been meaning to play for some time. It is a shame that I bought the R-26 not that long before another recorder came on the market that tickled my fancy. So the R-26 has been underused and I keep trying to think of excuses to bring it back into...
  7. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    My guess is that the M Series are designed for interview or for recording an instrument. I know that mic sensitivity is not everything, but the M4 internal mic has a sensitivity of −42 dB/1 Pa at 1 kHz (8 mV/Pa) which is quite low, which is why I think the design is for close work. You could...
  8. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Thanks for this. When I looked at the info from SoundDevices I realised my maths was wrong and way to simplistic. The type of AA and the battery resistance play a big part. Reading the info, for those willing to pay the extra, the Lithium AAs would provide even longer recording times. But 2...
  9. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    I just bought a SmallRig cheeseplate - the one with the screws in the end, so that I can screw it to the Telinga tripod attachment plate (which then slides into the handle. See Small but Good (part 5) SmallRig do loads of bits and bobs, which normally can be combined to make an appropriate...
  10. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    A valid comment. I have thought for a long time that understanding the physics of sound and how sound equipment works is rather daunting (especially when you take your first plunge into sound recording). It is not even like buying a camera - at least then you generally know how a camera will...
  11. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Interesting - do you suffer any noise issues? As the connection is XLR, I am not concerned about a poor connection and twisting of the cable. I just thought that you might get some 'handling noise' carrying down the cable to the mic. My setup with the F3 has been to fix the recorder on a...
  12. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Yep the Tentacle and Zoom F2 are both mono, but then with close mic work your are focusing on a single vocal, so I dont think it really matters. The recorders are designed to work with standard lavaliers, so a shortish cables is OK (circa 1.5m). Banging on about 32bit float, you don't need a...
  13. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Going back on to favorite "field" recorders, how about Close mic work Zoom F2 with lavalier Pros - 32bit float, USB C powering options for long deployment, small size. Cons - Not very robust/plasticky, not particularly weatherproof (but recorder and battery can be placed in waterproof bag...
  14. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    As I say, in my case I don't find the power consumption a key issue. Interesting to note that the Tascam DR-60DKMKii and the DR-701D spec sheets say that maximum power consumption is 5.4 and 6.5W respectively, so neither of your field recorders of choice are really low energy models either. In...
  15. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Very nice, but I think this is a bit niche, and not what most of us get up to. I think that your recorder recommendations would all be about power consumption, as that will be a big factor given your specific requirements. A bit like I said at the beginning 'first think about how you want to...
  16. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Found this Mix Pre 3 and Mix Pre 6 Maximizing battery runtime. Not the Mix-Pre II, but presumably the Mix-Pre and later Mix-Pre II are no that dissimilar. Looks like variable consumption depending on mic powering, number of channels etc. but less than 6W (which is the figure for the Mix-Pre 6...
  17. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Never been that good at understanding volts, mAh and Watts! If Wh = V x Ah does this mean that a rechargeable AA battery is circa 2.4Ah x 1.5V = 3.6Wh? an L-Type battery is circa 8.8Ah x 7.2V = 63.2Wh? a power bank could be 20.0Ah x 5.0V = 100Wh? Again stumbling here, but assuming the...
  18. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Running out of power, can be a problem in certain places/situations. I was lucky to do a trip to Papua New Guinea and we stayed at a remote camp that had no electricity, so no option to recharge batteries after a day in the field. I have also stayed at other accommodation that only ran a...
  19. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Not sure that needing a computer should put people off 32bit float, as I think most recordist use a DAW for post editing in any case. Most audio software (including Audacity, which is popular and free software) will now handle 32 bit float in any case. If you are really stumped, then with the...
  20. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Probably not the best method, but I can actually do this with my Telinga parabola and the Zoom F3 - as long as the device is recording - point the parabola using one hand and hold bins with the other - and I don't have to press any buttons, and create the risk of handling noise.
  21. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Quite a few audio programs use 32 bit float internally in any case, so when you think you are working in 16 or 24 bit it has already been converted internally for editing. Most programs can also read 32 bit float files, including Audacity which is free. There is really no need to worry about...
  22. J

    Best bird recorders for field recording

    Not sure if this is a thread asking for recommendations, or a straw pole of the great and the good (e.g. the favourite recorder I have ever owned). If the latter then the Sound Devices 702 wins my vote - beautifully engineered, sturdy as anything, crystal clear pre-amps, two XLR inputs and...
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