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Recommend Mic for portable recorder

  • 16-11-2009 5:11pm
    #1
    Mr Floyd
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68 ✭✭


    Going buying a portable recorder like a Zoom or Edirol and want to purchase a descent quality mic for recording random sounds outdoor to go with it, dont know much about mics, could anyone point me in the direction of a suitable mic under 200 quid, presume it should be a condensor mic, much appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    studiorat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,408 ✭✭✭studiorat


    Why not go for a recorder with microphones already built in?

    I just got a Yamaha Pocketrax it's just great for little field recordings.


  • #3
    madtheory
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,892 ✭✭✭madtheory


    The onboard mics of the Zoom H4 are actually really good. Start with those and see how you get on!


  • #4
    Mr Floyd
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68 ✭✭Mr Floyd


    The Zoom H4 is the one i'm gonna buy, I'll see what the internal mic is like so. Have been looking at external mics, seems to me its shotgun mics are what I need, the Rode NTG 2 seems like a good option, thanks for the help.


  • #5
    kfoltman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 252 ✭✭kfoltman


    1. Most entry-level portable recorders don't provide phantom power, so forget non-electret condensers (and they usually have a built-in electret one!)

    2. Typical Flash card-based portable recorders (Boss BR-864, Zoom MRS-8) use very drastic and unsophisticated compression (DPCM into 8 bits/sample/channel), so investing lots of money in a good microphone and preamp or phantom power supply doesn't make much sense.

    Yes, you read it right. 8 bits/sample. DPCM, not MP3 or something with similar level of complexity. For reasons, too.

    AFAIK Zoom R16 uses 16-bit linear PCM and has phantom power.


  • #6
    madtheory
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,892 ✭✭✭madtheory


    Zoom H4 is 24 bit and can supply phantom power.

    Shotgun mics are used when you need to eliminate ambient sound and focus on a particular sound, such as a person's voice. omni is probably more useful if you want to record ambiences. Directional mics will always have a poorer frequency response than omni.


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  • #7
    old gregg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,245 ✭✭✭old gregg


    I've bought mics for field recording from these folks in the USA http://www.microphonemadness.com in the past and the quality is great, prices are wonderful and they ship in plain envelopes so that you'll have little grief from the revenue (unless like me you've gone straight down to the tax office and declared them :p).

    A little bit beyond entry level but these are what was recommended to me by Chris Watson (ex Cabaret Voltaire ... does nature sound recording for BBC ... releases albums of field recordings, etc) and by Mike Harding from Touch the UK label. Gorgeous microphones for field recording: http://microphonemadness.com/products/mmhlsomsenmi.htm

    remember to get a battery pack for any of these.


  • #8
    kfoltman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 252 ✭✭kfoltman


    madtheory wrote: »
    Zoom H4 is 24 bit and can supply phantom power.

    Oops, I can't read! Also, you're right.


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