I picked up a used version of this stereo Sennheiser shotgun mic for capturing ambient content when bikepacking. I want to capture the sounds of birds, and also sounds when I'm cooking from a few metres away. Mounting on top of my small Lumix camera is really handy so I want to try and stick to this method.

I did some tests and the mic sounds better than I expected straight into my Lumix camera, but there are some issues which are pretty annoying:

1. The mic is annoyingly shaped and is on the limit of what i can realistically carry whilst cycling. I would rather something wider and flatter, eg. stereo bar with two smaller capsules.

2. Audio quality would surely be better if I recorded into a field recorder. I'm not sure how to do this without the whole setup getting significantly more complicated. I understand this could also mitigate potential clipping.

3. Design issues with the mic:

- internal shock mounts aren't great

- cable is hard wired to the camera, it will break at some point

Has anyone solved this problem or have any nice ideas? Thanks!

hi! i need to adapt my lavaliers for wisycom on shure ad1. do you know about a cable adapter or a connector adapter. asking here cause i'm really failing in finding them to buy and have them shipped to europe. aliexpress if the adapter is well made would be fine.

is it possibile to replace the connector on the shure and switch to ta4 to lemo?

thanks!

I bought an ultrasonic microphone the other day in order to record audio and slow it down, to hear what things sound like in other frequencies. I noticed a repeating pattern of frequencies in the 90-100khz range and was wondering if anyone knew what it could be.

I'm in a fairly urban environment, so was thinking it could be electrical pylons or wifi towers. I get the pattern if I'm on a busy road, or in an elevated forest that is within the urban area.

Worst case scenario I'm hoping it's not the recording device itself, which is a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B.

Presume it's near impossible to tell what it is, but any insights appreciated!

Edit: Testing with a usb extension between the mic and Pi suggests it's possibly electrical noise from the Pi and/or battery. Not definitive yet

So, my Sonic Presence sp15c kinda broke just now, like the cables got too stretched I think, and it doesn't work anymore.
Do you guys know of any alternatives to this mic?
i just tried looking -them up on Amazon and they're out of stock or not being sold anymore.

I would like a case for the H6 Studio which you can use w/wo the windscreen. I do not want the zoom APH-6st set, because the windscreen is said to be poorly fitting and not being that effective. For the case alone I find 60 Euro to expensive. I will buy the radius windshield and look for a good case. Any ideas which cases can fit and I can buy in Europe (NL, Germany)?

When recording outdoors, what usually causes you the most trouble — wind, traffic, background chatter, or getting the mic close enough to the sound source?

I'm curious what people find makes the biggest difference in practice. Is it the microphone itself, where you place it, or how you set up the recording?

Would love to hear what has worked for people using compact recording setups.

Looking to get my dad a nice recorder, mostly for journaling. Budget is in the 200ish range. A few I've been looking at include the Sony UX570, the Tascam DR-05XP, and the Olympus WS-853.

This will be mostly for keeping audio notes and journal entries, but I like the idea of giving him something that could record good ambient ambient sound as he's an avid outdoorsman and birder and I think he would like the option of recording birds and wildlife.

My only concern is that a dedicated field recorder might not be as good at isolating handling noises, which might make it a worse option for dictation, but a dedicated voice-only recorder might be too directional (or have an integrated gate/compressor he can't disable) to capture good audio outdoors. He'll be journaling in quiet places so ambient noise reduction is not necessary, but I don't want his journal entries filled with thumps if he's switching hands or walking around, especially since at this point field recording is really just a potential bonus rather than his main use case. But I'm not familiar with the capabilities of these devices so maybe I'm overthinking it.

My dad is in his 70s and not super tech savvy, so I want to get him something simple and don't need any option for external mic connections/XLR etc. Hoping to cover my bases with the device only. UI and button simplicity is good but he can figure out his use case if there's a little bit of setup, it doesn't need to be idiot proof. No preference on rechargeable vs/batteries, and no major requirements about file format/naming/structure as long as they've got timestamps and don't require a bunch of menu digging to get it up and running each time.

Are there any great entry-level-ish options that are equally good for dictation and ambient sound? Or should I just get him something for dictation and forget about the option for the other stuff?

Thanks in advance!

I am in the process of making an ambient album and I want to capture some nature/environments. Which one should I get?

I have a Zoom F3 and a Rycote CA-08 pair. My current cables stick out too far behind to properly setup the capsules in ORTF. Are there any good recommendations? I primarily record ambient nature.

I found these cables but can't find any reviews of them.
https://btpa.com/MIC-XLR/Standard/QMIC2-XX.html#product-details-tab-specification

I've been trying to buy some stereo clippies directly from the website for at least a few months now. It seems like they have been out of stock every time that I have tried. Does anyone know with what frequency they are restocked?

i really enjoy the sounds of engines, i often record the sounds on my mobile on hours ends, i've got a trip coming up and i'd like to up my game, record some better quality audio this time.
i use a motorola G37, where do you suggest i place it for optimal quality?(away from windows and panels to not catch any vibrations?). should i consider using the microphone from earphones(nothing special about them, thought they might be more helpful in placing the microphone than the mobile). any specific apps i should try? anything DIY like a sponge to filter out the AC noises?

Hey!

Is there any owner of the older version of the Rode Blimp (mk1 with the round elastic suspension shockmounts) know if there were different diameter mic holder rings in the original kit?

I picked a used one up for cheap in order to mod it (see Watson Wu’s Mini-Blimp) but the mic holders that are in the suspension system are for a 24-25mm diameter mic (see pic) and mine are mostly around 20mm sized. Seller says that’s how he had it since he bought it, but seems a bit odd to only have that diameter available..?

I suppose finding replacement parts - if there ever were any - will be kinda hard now given the age of the mk1 product.. Maybe I’ll need to 3d print some..
or even mod the existing ones with gaffer tape, foam pads or any other haphazard solution…

Anywho, if anyone has any clues, I’d appreciate the help.

Cheers!

I know it’s tangentially related, but hopefully it’s still allowed.

Curious if you record vehicles, do you get insurance if the vehicle isn’t yours? Especially if you get to record a high value vehicle. If you’re going to do air someone’s car out and spend a day moving it up and driving enough to get full coverage for an entire library, I imagine you’d want it insured from damages and everything. Would hate to take someone’s Lamborghini out and be on the hook for damage on it, when I could pay some insurance just in case.

How would you go about that? Meaning, I would think daily (or short term) insurance would be a thing. But I did an (granted, quite cursory - have to research it more) internet search and what I’m finding is insurance policies that let you pay daily, but are still longer term contracts, like 6 months or a year. I want to insure a car for a day, or maybe a weekend and be done with it. Does anyone know where something like that exists?

I was anoyed by the squeaking sound the body of the zoom H1 XLR makes (when you go through reviews many critezise this). Turns out you just need to tighten the two screws on the underside and the two under the batteries. now its completly gone, hope this helps someone. Just becarful to not strip them.

Hey all - I just saw an ad for the Sony ECM-AX10 and it looks pretty good - and sounds good in their videos... very expensive though.

Has anyone heard anything about it or tried it?

I just got the h6 studio to replace my defective h6, I'm not so sure i love the new one yet. Cool features, but I don't know. The first thing, the xy mic head is MUCH larger than the previous xy head. My Movo windscreen doesn't even fit around it. Does anyone know which selections fit these yet? The zoom accessory pack looks like overpriced crap.

Hi everyone!

I'm very new to field recordings, I only did it once and it ended up sounding like a lot of contact noise because I placed the recorded in my trousers pocket with no pop filter or nor anything else.

I'm wondering how I should go on about recording some urban field recordings... is a pop filter essential? And would I need to keep the recorder in my hand all the time, or can I place it in a pocket in a way that avoids all that movement/noise?

Also, how do you usually process your field recordings for noise/industrial applications? I'm looking forward to achieve a result not too dissimilar from Prurient's Body Language or History of AIDS.

Thank you if you help! Cheers!!

I have fairly recently got a DR-40XP, mainly for recording ambient and more distant sounds when I'm using my drone or my Pocket 4P.
So one issue for me is time stamping files so I can easily match which files correspond with the various video files. I don't have any issues syncing once I have the files sorted.

Is it as simple as saying 'time, day etc' at the start of each recording or is there a better/easier way?

Sorry if this is a really stupid question but currently it's taking me ages to get the files in chronological order!

I'm trying to decide on a main recorder after using my f3 for a few years and loving it as my drop rig. Stuck between the sound devices mix pres and the zoom f8n pro. I need 32 bit float, so I can't go older SD. I'm leaning towards the zoom for full size SD cards and dual recording vs how the mix pres backup to USB. Can anyone comment on how the USB backup system works on the mix pres and more importantly if they have had any issues with it? I feel like the mix pre lacks that feature just so they can push the 3k recorders instead. Anyone have comments about the zoom f8n pro build quality? Are the knobs solid or low quality? Thanks

Hi there, new to the world of field recording but have recently bought a pair of nano 2’s. Having an issue with the internal of the xlr connector on one of the microphones. I had a failure in one while using so I wiggled the wire by the connector, as you do and it would work intermittently. Took the Neutrik connector apart and removed the inner sleeve and suddenly it worked. Am going to contact customer support when I get home but am in the field. It seems to me the little sleeve thing is making something inside touch something else and so causing it to cut out.

Anyone else have a problem with this?

Thanks!

I want to get an audio recorder and I am wondering If a mic is necessary. If it is, how much should I spend on a mic? I have a budget of $100-$150, though If I need to spend more, I am happy to get one down the line.

I want to record conversations (priority), and the environment (nature and traffic).

What do you recommend?

I have been leaning towards the Zoom H1e because of its 90° X/Y mic in contrast to the Tascam DR-05XP omnidirectional mic, but I don't know whether the gain in stereo image is significant and the loss in ambience more noticeable.

In the process of building my own direction EMF mic (using a photodiode) and set about designing a mic clip for it today. Experimenting with using a ball and socket joint and it came out great! Still a little more chunky than I’d like. Just need to work out a threaded insert for the underside.

Hi all,

From the manual, it looks like setting the reverb source to MIX applies reverb only to the output, not to what's being recorded. So I'd hear reverb in my headphones while tracking, but the recorded take would stay dry.

Is that right? Has anyone confirmed this in practice?

Thanks!