Field recording

[timp]

Heh, I am allergic to any library with the word “trailer” in it and could never bring myself to make such a thing. (I am old school enough to believe stylised sounds should be unique to the project, and created by the sound designer for that project, including the trailer. But I suspect a lot of that generic stuff gets cut in by the picture editor from their limited grab bag of “trailer soundz” and the cycle repeats again and again until even gentle dramas have massive booms & wooshes thrown at them… Sorry this is off topic /end rant… Merry xmas!)

[crazeebo]

[quote=“papernoise, post:1148, topic:4644, full:true”]

@ach

I still don’t know if I am interested in the Geofon or not, but it does seem to do a great job at capturing the lower end of the spectrum, which seems to pair well with contact mics, which tend to capture the higher spectrum.

As i have a Geofon since 3 days, this is my first impression. I did a test hooking it up to our washing machine first. Sounded as expected, lots of low mid rumble but not anywhere below 100hz. I then hooked it up to our inhouse radiators system-4 floors, 12 flats and maybe 20 radiators resonating. In a way a huge metal thing. I could sense the lowend when i opened the preamp although its hard to on Headphones. So two things came up: the geofon will always give you the low mids (apparently up to 1000hz) a sound that is possibly unwanted in most situations and because the really lo end is mostly much lower in level you need a lot of steep lopass filtering to actually hear/feel it-and thats not possible on headphones; you need monitoring with a sub. Nevertheless its a great tool to discover lowend! It needs experimenting with sources. Large metal constructions are perfect for this

[Ricardo_Morejon]

Hi completely new to this group. I was looking for advice on the Usi Pro mics and the Clippy and stumbled upon you all and I am enjoying reading back all what you have shared. Loving it! I didn’t see this event happening which is sad, but just wanted to say nice to meet you all and thanks for such a nice space.

I am Ricardo, from Ecuador living in Montreal. I usually do classical music recording, but I am very excited to get back to field recording and this group is very inspiring.

Thanks and happy solstice to everyone!

[Ricardo_Morejon]

Hey! I think this is doable. I recently got upgraded to the MixPre10T, and I’ve used it for live streaming concerts while recording to the SD, to Protools and having the freedom of routing effects to the USB 1,2 outputs back to the mix pre.
You could definitely route your recorded tracks or swipes as stereo to loudspeakers while you record the actual space using both your DAW and the MixPre as separate mixers. Cheers and congrats on the MixPre10!

[timp]

Hide Aoki did a comparison recording using Geofon beside Barcus Berry contact mic… but to compare really need to roll off the BB recording at 1k as per the Geofon…

SOUND NOTE, November 2020 | Blog AND

[Hovercraft]

Stereo field recording of the sound of high tension powerlines that cross the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia. The electrical drone shifts as wind blows across the towers and the lines. Towards the beginning of the recording a woman rides by on horseback. Recorded with a MixPre 6 and a pair of Usi Pro mics. @speakerdamage

[hankyates]

Went out to record wind blowing through the forest yesterday with my trusty Zoom H1. The wind was very light but made a lovely sound in the forest. The recording was useless though, I believe that the sound was too soft so the noise floor was too prominent in the recording.

I have a MixPre3 and a stereo pair of Royer R10 and am considering carrying a mic stand out to see if that improves the results. I’m curious what a good stereo mic(s) would be instead the ribbons? I’d rather not use the Royer’s for field recording if this becomes a regular thing.

[kbra]

One perhaps obvious thing to watch out for is that wind can cause permanent damage to ribbon elements. Even though the R10 are sturdier than normal because have an internal windscreen to protect them, I assume (not sure!) there’s still a real risk that a stronger wind outdoors will damage the mics.

There’s plenty to choose from regarding stereo mics / mic pairs. If you don’t have a set idea of which mic technique to use and want to start on the cheap, a small matched pair of relatively low noise omnis like the Lom Uši Pro (available occasionally when Jonas makes a batch), Fel Clippy XLR (available regularly) or Naiant X-X low-noise version (available regularly but only ships to US addresses) with matching windshields, attached as AB stereo (eg. just a spaced pair), seems to be a simple but effective recipe.

Or, if you want single mic X-Y stereo, something like Rode NT4 seems to be a common relatively low-noise inexpensive choice (still about triple the price of one of the cheap lav mic pairs above though).

I have a pair of Lom Mikrouši Pro (smaller, slightly less low-noise version of the Uši Pro) with my MP6, and have been very happy so far.

[vals]

For field recording, mics is suggested to provide at least 16 dB(A) self-noise level (the lower the better). However, for quiet locations, look at 10 dB(A) or lower.
Self noise is only one thing of importance. Others are mic sensitivity, handling noise, wind sensitivity, humidity and temperature sensitivity.
eg. omnis are considered of handling wind better.

[vinc]

Can you name some mics that has A 10 dBA or lower?

[vals]

this is a very old list. Some newer mics -like Lom Uši Pro, Fel Clippy XLR or Naiant X-X- are not here. Also others are out of production. But I think the list is still useful.

condenser mics with 16dBA or lower self-noise (old list)

Brand	Model	Self Noise	Sensitivity	Polar Pattern
Sennheiser	MKH-70	5 dB(A)	50 mV/Pa	H (super-cardioid/lobar)
Røde	NT1-A	5.5 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	C
Microtech Gefell	M 940	6 dB(A)	23 mV/Pa	H
Rode	NT1000	6 dB(A)	16 mV/Pa	C
Sennheiser	MKH-60	6 dB(A)	40 mV/Pa	H (super-cardioid/lobar)
Danish Pro Audio	4040	7 dB(A)	90 mV/Pa	O
Danish Pro Audio	4041-S	7 dB(A)	90 mV/Pa	O
Microtech Gefell	M 930	7 dB(A)	21 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	TLM 103	7 dB(A)	21 mV/Pa	C
Rode	NT2-A	7 dB(A)	16 mV/Pa	C,O,8
Røde	NT2000	7 dB(A)	16 mV/Pa	C,0,8
Shure	KSM-44	7 dB(A)	28 mV/Pa**	C.O.8
AKG	C 4000 B	8 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	C.,O, H
Audio Technica	AT3032	8dB(A)^^ see note	19.9mV/Pa	0
Audio Technica	AT4047/SV	9 dB(A)	18 mV/Pa	C
AKG	C480B/CK-69	9, 11,15 dB(A)	27, 54, 8.5	H, Lobar
Danish Pro Audio	4041-T	10 dB(A)	85 mV/Pa	O
Neumann	TLM 193	10 dB(A)	18 mV/Pa	C
Sennheiser	MKH 20	10 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	O
Sennheiser	MKH 80	10 dB(A)	40 mV/Pa	O, W, C, H (super-cardioid), 8
Sennheiser	K6/ME66	10 dB(A)	50 mV/Pa	H (super-cardioid/lobar)
Sennheiser	K6/ME67	10 dB(A)	50 mV/Pa	H (lobar, long gun)
Sennheiser	MKH-800	10 dB(A)	40 mV/Pa	O, W, C, H (super-cardioid), 8
Sennhesier	MKH-80/80 M-S	10 dB(A)	40/40 mV/Pa	M-S Combo dual multipattern
Sennheiser	MKH-20 SASS Enclos	10 dB(A)	29 mV/Pa*	Binaural (quasi)
CAD	E350	11 dB(A)	18 mV/Pa	O, C, 8
CAD	M-177	11 dB(A)	16 mV/Pa	C
CAD	M-179	11 dB(A)	16 mV/Pa	O.C,8
Schoeps	MK 2/CMC6	11 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	O
AKG	C480B/CK-61	11, 13, 17	40, 20, 6.3	C
AKG	C480B/CK-62	11, 13, 17	40, 20, 6.3	O
AKG	C480B/CK-63	11, 13, 17	40, 20, 6.3	H
Audio Technica	AT3035	12 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	TLM 49	12 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	U 87 Ai	12 dB(A)	28 mV/Pa	O, C, 8
Sennheiser	MKH 40	12 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	C
Sennheiser	MKH 50	12 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	SC
Studio Projects	B1	12 dB(A)		C
Telinga	Pro 5 / DAT Stereo	12-13 dB(A)		parabolic, stereo, PZM multicapsule
Beyer	MC801	13 dB(A)	28 mV/Pa	O
Beyer	MC803	13 dB(A)	30 mV/Pa	C
Beyer	MC805	13 dB(A)	30 mV/Pa	H
Brauner	VM1	13 dB(A)	28 mV/Pa	O, C, W, H, 8
Brauner	VM1S Stereo	13 dB(A)	28 mV/Pa	O, C, W, H, 8 -In stereo
CAD	Vx2	13 dB(A)	18 mV/Pa	O, C, 8
Microtech Gefell	M 294	13 dB(A)	17 mV/Pa	C
Microtech Gefell	M 295	13 dB(A)	17 mV/Pa	C
Microtech Gefell	M 900	13 dB(A)	17 mV/Pa	C
Microtech Gefell	M 990	13 dB(A)	28 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	TLM 50 S	13 dB(A)	20 mV/Pa	O
Røde	NTG-3	13 dB(A)	31.6 mV/Pa	SC
Sennheiser	MKH 30	13 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	8
Sennheiser	MKH-416	13 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	H (super-cardioid/lobar)
Shure	KSM32	13 dB(A)	16 mV/Pa	C
Sennhesier	MKH-30/MKH-40 M-S	13/12 dB(A)	25/25 mV/Pa	M-S Combo omni/8
Sennhesier	MKH-30/MKH-70 M-S	13/5 dB(A)	25/50 mV/Pa	M-S Combo Short Shotgun, 8
Sennhesier	MKH-30/MKH-60 M-S	13/6 dB(A)	25/40 mV/Pa	M-S Combo Short Shotgun, 8
Audio Technica	AT4073	13dB(A)	35 mV/Pa	U, Long Shotgun Line/Gradient
AKG	C 414 B-TL II	14 dB(A)	12.5 mV/Pa	O,C,W,8
AKG	C 414 B-ULS	14 dB(A)	12.5 mV/Pa	O,C,W,8
AKG	C460/CK61	14 dB(A)	7 mV/Pa	C
AKG	C426B	14 dB(A)	11mV/Pa	M-S, X-Y Stereo; C mono
Audio Technica	BP4025	14 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	Stereo X-Y
Audio Technica	AT4073a	14 dB(A)	70 mV/Pa	U, Long Shotgun Line/Gradient
Audix	SCX-25	14 dB(A)	29 mV/Pa	C
Marshall	57M	14 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	C
Marshall	V67Q	14 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	X-Y Stereo
Marshall	V88	14 dB(A)	25 mV/Pa	C
MBHO	603a/KA100DK	14 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	O
Microtech Gefell	MT 711S	14 dB(A)	13 mV/Pa	C
Microtech Gefell	UMT 70S	14 dB(A)	13 mV/Pa	O,C,8
Microtech Gefell	UMT 800	14 dB(A)	13 mV/Pa	O,W.C.H.8
Microtech Gefell	M 296	14 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	O
Microtech Gefell	SMS 2000/M21	14 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	C
Microtech Gefell	SMS 2000/M27	14 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	H
Neumann	TLM 170 R	14 dB(A)	8 mV/Pa	O,W.C.H.8
Shure	KSM27	14 dB(A)	28 mV/Pa	C
Telinga	EM-23	14 dB(A)	10 mV/Pa	O
Sennheiser	MKH 418 S	14 dB(A*	25 mV/Pa*	M-S (cardioid Lobar/Figure 8)
CAD	VSM1	15 dB(A)	22 mV/Pa	C
Danish Pro Audio	4006	15 dB(A)	10 mV/Pa	O
Danish Pro Audio	4051	15 dB(A)	30 mV/Pa	O
Danish Pro Audio	4052	15 dB(A)	30 mV/Pa	O
Danish Pro Audio	4053	15 dB(A)	30 mV/Pa	O
Danish Pro Audio	4003	15 dB(A)	45 mV/Pa	O
Microtech Gefell	M 910	15 dB(A)	14 mV/Pa	H
Rode	NT55	15 dB(A)	16 mV/Pa	O, C
Røde	Stereo Video Mic SVM	15 dB(A)	6.3 mV/Pa	C - Stereo X-Y
Schoeps	CMC-5/MK-41	15 dB(A)	13 mV/Pa	Supercardioid
Sennheiser	ME62	15 dB(A)	31 mV/Pa	O
Sennheiser	MKH 110	15 dB(A)	20 mV/Pa	O
Sennheiser	MKH-110 SASS Enclos	15 dB(A)	24 mV/Pa*	Binaural (quasi)
Audio Technica	AT3031	16 dB(A)	19.9mV/Pa	C
Avant Electroniics	CK-1	16 dB(A)	10 mV/Pa	O, C, HC
Behringer	B-2	16 dB(A)	19mV/Pa	C, O, 8
Behringer	B-5	16 dB(A)	12.5 mV/Pa	O. C
Beyer	MCE90	16 dB(A)	10 mV/Pa	C
BPM	CR-95	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	O, C, 8
CAD	E100	16 dB(A)	18 mV/Pa	H
CAD	E200	16 dB(A)	18 mV/Pa	O, C, 8
LineAudio	CM3	16 dB(A)	6 mV/Pa	C
Marshall	MXL2006	16 dB(A)	18 mV/Pa	C
Microtech Gefell	M 300	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	KM 150	16 dB(A)	10 mV/Pa	H
Neumann	KMS 150	16 dB(A)	10 mV/Pa	H
Neumann	KM 130	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	O
Neumann	KM 131	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	O
Neumann	KM 183	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	O
Neumann	KM 184	16 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	KM 140	16 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	KM 143	16 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	W
Neumann	KMS 140	16 dB(A)	15 mV/Pa	C
Neumann	KU-100	16 dB(A)	20 mV/Pa	Binaural Dummy Head
Røde	NT4 stereo	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	C
Røde	NT5	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	C
Schoeps	MK 3/CMC6	16 dB(A)	10 mV/Pa	O
Schoeps	MK 4/CMC6	16 dB(A)	13 mV/Pa	C
Schoeps	MK 41/CMC6	16 dB(A)	13 mV/Pa	H
Schoeps	MK 5/CMC6	16 dB(A)	13 mV/Pa	O,C
Sontroniics	STC-1	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	C
Sony	ECM-678	16 dB(A)	30 mV/Pa	S-C
Studio Projects	C4	16 dB(A)	12 mV/Pa	C ,0 (dual caps)

[swhic]

One thing you might need to consider, is that self noise might not be that important or at least is not the only factor. choose with your ears not with figures. Try some mics to find your taste…
My DPA4060 have self noise 23db but to my ears their sound is sooo sweet

[Deru]

Agreed. I’ve surprisingly chosen the 4060’s over quieter mics in the past.
And noise can often add a desirable element for me.

[airimpirtlet]

hovercraft, i am interested in taking part in the meetup. could you pls pm me the details?

[timp]

an edit of the original:

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for March 16, 2015 | GoComics.com

[Namonzy]

Both equally appreciated

[rmro]

My old and trusted Sony PCM-M10 has a ‘quirky’ on off button. You slide it and hold to switch on or off, however sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and figured out any workarounds. I took the back off to have a look inside but it’s all buried underneath moulded plastic. I’m not ready to let it go yet!

[kbit]

You could try cleaning the switch with contact cleaner. Remove the batteries, spray contact cleaner into the switch, work it back and forth for 30-60 seconds. Don’t power it on until the excess contact cleaner has evaporated (which it usually does in a couple minutes) and clean the residue off the exterior. Not a sure fire fix but it’ll likely improve things without having to take the recorder apart.