Bogdan

Any burglar reading this will become a cat litter treasure hunter Well, maybe my joke isn't funny. Yet, I've certainly never thought of this unusual strategy. Thanks for inspiration! It makes sense to cover expensive gear in repulsive bags when travelling forever:)

Yes, thank you!

Uff...MixPre-3 and MixPre-6 just came out :))

One simple question (and other related questions): Does humidity damage LDC mics permanently? (or similar fragile mics)... or.... Does humidity damage these mics gradually.... over a (very) long time of exposure to humidity? or... Humidity affects these mics temporarily. Meaning, if I travel in a misty/humid place, I could record with them (albeit noisy), but as soon as the air dries, these mics will come back to their noiseless state, with no harm done. ? And..same question(s) as applied to temperature.

Cheers Grant! Already familiar with the AT4022 (the sneaky update of the legendary AT3022). Very tempting for the price. I need to research a good way to protect my mics from humidity though... If I chose to travel with fragile mics....such as LDCs...it would be because I discovered a good way to wrap them in a waterproof condom which doesn't interfere with sound waves too much. yahoo group: naturerecordists@yahoogroups.com Already part of the yahoo group. I find it hard to navigate and hard to find the info I need, but definitely a popular rendez-vous point for nature recordists. Also found this relevant to the multi recommendation of Earth is a Solar Powered Jukebox.... Seems interesting! Watched 6 minutes and I'm hooked. These kind of videos/audios complement the "evening classes" Jez recommended. If you know more relevant clips like this please let us know!

I suspect a great deal of them are unknown because I have no idea what I will encounter in my travels. It's part of the surprise. What is certain is that at first (first months or years) I will look for the most quiet places in Europe and then Asia (any recommendations/suggestions welcome). I feel this need to reset my brain and escape the noise. I suspect these places are to be found in the miserable cold of the North...However I had enough of cold (UK I love you) so I will look for the most quiet places in the central/eastern/southern parts. What will come out of silence I don't know. Even birds can be too much for me... In fact they might be my main "polluter". I love birds...though.... Another certainty is that I will create sounds myself in silent environments (I like creating sounds in general wherever I go). I will create sounds with my voice...hit objects...experiment acoustics. Thuds are my speciality. I love using deep heavy sounds and create rhythms( base/drum). I also love high pitched sounds of course. And because I will have no studio isolation... I will look for natural studios....experimental studios...such as caves and underground cavities. That's me basically saying I want a bit of everything....foley included :(. This is why my intention is to start with 2-3 mics which give me enough flexibility for a start....and free of noise. I would want to use them for about a year or so before I add more mics to my bag. This sounds motivating enough to me. I will try to find SH DPAs, as Dan recommended. It makes sense. I will have more budget for MKHs or whatever I decide. Most likely I will come back to this thread whenever I decide to upgrade.

Love your comments! I'm getting closer and closer to taking action! Just a few quick remarks/questions before I fully digest your inputs. I will travel in a van...live in it...sleep in it. I will have a roof full of dollar panels :p. So that means I will have 2 big rechargeable batteries inside. As for the portable battery...even though important, it's not a concern for now. Worst case scenario I open a window and record from the van... which brings me to the second remark... Dan suggested a tent+blanket above. A funny concept at first, yet got me thinking a bit. It was my last thought before falling asleep last night ...Highly recommended! :)) Instead of using a tent I could use the van itself as a mic shield in bad weather conditions. Just open a window, cover the open space with a layer (blanket) for wind absorption.....point the mic at the window... et voila... If I repeat the process and open all windows... Or I can simply transform the whole van into a Rycote basket.... Joking of course... but for fun....imagine a fluffy "rycote van".jpg lol Good to know the highway...s were nearby. I was concerned you were deep inside nature. Hopefully there's no hum where I go :))

HAHAHA that made my...night. Not a completely bad idea though..... Hahha still laughing at the blanket pic...

Thank you! 416 posts for you (at this point in time) and 30 for me... must be a sign :))

Yea..I stopped watching after 5 minutes or less... :)) I hope I will continue at some point.

Yup, I remember something about "Nagra" Falls I will definitely test them; it's a fact. Also the 8000 series I suppose. I have a friend of a friend who has them. When I do, I'd also like to compare them with minimum two other sets. I don't want to rush. I'm tempted to compare their sound with the 'unrecommended for outdoors' LDCs. I will go in the woods, nearby Edinburgh. There's also a cave nearby...

Ha, John... your comment is almost a thread killer. For me knowledge and brainstorming is not a waste of time. I even received some thanks messages for creating this thread. You could have at least recommended a mic or two...and maybe argument your choice (except your awesome DPA review ). I will test the DPAs and compare them with some other omni mic as soon as I decide which one. As I said, I left my budget mindset at the door. I've learned a lot since I started this thread...I adapted to new possibilities. At the moment I am looking for 2 professional mics as a basic kit. I've already explained what I want to achieve. I expect them to cost up to 2k...preferably in the realms of 1.5k. But budget is relative at the moment. If I can invest in two amazing mics that give me enough flexibility for some years to come, then I would have no problem extending my budget. So far I haven't been recommended an awful lot of microphones. In fact, clear recommendations (with arguments or samples) came from people who are not even active users here. I've had a listen Jason. Very brave to share your raw recordings :)). Not sure what to say, except I wish you recorded more quiet sources. But it feels this mic is a bit noisy for what I want to achieve. I think the waves overwhelmed the mic too. And I liked the stereo sound of the motorbike, even though I can hear you cranked the gain a bit. But for the price and 2 in 1 mic, it feels like a good choice. I look forward to hearing some more!!! I think your simple setup has a lot of potential in the right context.

Awesome, I'll add it to the list. Thanks Mark!

I can see the contradiction Yet, Constantine recommended something I haven't heard before in field recording...digital LDC. Or at least it is not tested very much for sure..if at all. Even though I would need to scratch my ears with one hand to record the AES 42 signal...without being surrounded by converter boxes....it certainly opened up a new portal. This portal bumped me into "audio-over-IP"..."Dante"..."Ravenna" topics.... People with far more experience in sound recording than I have can come up with untested solutions (on paper at least). That's what I meant. Some people stop at the first mic recommendation...I need to squeeze the lemon This is your playground as much as it's mine... What I am actually going to test...I still don't know. I hope more people will chip in new ideas. Possibilities are endless... Welcome Jason! I'll have a listen later on. This is what I am looking for! Thanks!

I actually love this "revolutionary" LDC approach. The first time you suggested it, I was too absorbed in the recorder discussion. I considered conventional LDCs some time ago, then disregarded them when I realised how sensitive to humidity/heat they are. They tend to become noisy in those situations I've heard. Many people regretted bringing them in humid/warm environments. So, one aspect I would need to investigate is how to protect them from heat+humidity as I plan to travel in warm+wet countries more often than not. I'm sure there are some very "thin".. low handling noise...waterproof covers which can ...cover... the microphone with minimal sound alteration...In fact, for bright mics, these layers can help "dampen" the sound a bit. If anybody knows some elegant heatproof/waterproof solutions please shout! Maybe aluminium foil....:D. And then there is the handling noise aspect to consider. I don't mind the extra effort in experimenting with LDCs, as long as I find a solution without too many compromises. I've seen some people record nature with a pair of NT1A mics. There's a nice youtube video with a guy creating a very portable solution. They are too bright for me though.... and I think I'd like to invest in something I can play around with a bit more. But digital LDCs change everything....I am definitely investigating the Neumann TLM-103D and similar. AES 42 looks a bit scary though... Multi pattern LDC mics seem ideal to me. However, as I said, I need to find a 'bulletproof protective case' solution. I'd love a low noise multi pattern mic. NT2A looks like the entry level...but it's a HUUGE mic and probably very limited. Your POV is extremely valuable! And I also 100% agree that the placement of the mics will play a MAJOR part. I don't take it for granted. Yet, this truth is valid for any mic and it will be my playground. So I need to check what mics I could use first... Just like testing microphones, at the moment I am testing ideas. At first I had doubts. I thought this topic may confuse me more than help me. But, in fact, it only brings my indecisions to the surface. I was hoping for samples and for people to share their work, but so far there are only 1 or 2 brave heroes showing off Now I see how different everybody's ideas are. Some are conservative...others are more "revolutionary". Some ideas are closer to my heart than others. At the end of the day I will try the setups which resonate the most with my instinct. I am sure other people who are in a similar position and are reading this thread will take something completely different out of it. At first, I was reading threads about ambient recording without replying. Most of them were repeating a MKH/SD...mantra (among others). After becoming familiar with more possibilities, I decided to write my own topic, as I realised most topics were not "touching the unknown". There is nothing wrong with the "tested by many with solid results" suggestions. They are necessary to create professional results! Yet my personality asks for the exploration of the untested. Before I go in this adventure, I need to know the limitations of the tools I choose and how to use them creatively. I believe creativity is a "must" even when choosing a working tool. It also requires courage and perseverance. Whenever I repair my bike, I try to do it without the conventional tools (because I don't have them :P). Yesterday I repaired my chain without a chain tool. The satisfaction was intense... So bring more creative ideas to the table!! It's also required to understand what are the mic setups that proved to be successful for travelling and nature recording. All ideas are useful, as not everybody wants to risk... .----------. P.S. If it's "legal" to change the name of a thread, I'd kindly ask a moderator to remove the Zoom F4 from the title, as this thread is obviously not just about that.

Cheers Chris! I just want to narrow down a few mics, so that I don't borrow all the mics in the world Thanks again Jez! I think you "get" me. Not sure I understand the first paragraph 100% though :)). The way I understand it, you're suggesting M/S is not really a good choice for nature recording as a basic kit at the beginning. It makes sense. And yes ..."super quiet nature type sounds" is my intention here. On a daily basis, I definitely don't want to record what most people record...birds..meadows...rivers...waves...traffic...fire. I've already done that. Nonetheless, I will have a go at them, from time to time, with my new kit. Instead I would love to find unique isolated sounds... and from my experience silent environments are an amazing source of mysterious sounds. They are much better defined. I will record two channels 95% of the time. Aside from DPA mics what other mics (to capture great bassss) would you recommend ? (the question is not just for you Jez :P) The MKH 20/8020 you "almost" recommended look like very interesting option actually. 10Hz at the bottom range seems amazing. I have no idea who are most of the people who recommend mics on this forum, but I hope the topic is clearly focused on nature/ambient/sound effects, rather than film type dialogue. I will use these mics for voice as well, but what I mostly want to capture are sounds that I can transform into sound effects, music and/or attach them to my video projects. Basically I would love to combine and alter natural sounds (or man made) into musical tracks. This is why I need diversity, low noise, high dynamic rage/frequency response. The documentaries I'll create will have a very organic approach, especially from the sound point of view...if you ignore my artificial DAW post-processing :D. Thanks to the suggestions of some users here and my own research, I decided to put the budget mindset aside and firstly discover what would be the most suitable starting kit for my travels (2 main caridiods + 1 omni). At least this is what makes sense now. I don't want to have more microphones than I need at first. 2 channels is enough, until I get into the game. I will most likely sell my NTG3 for more cash. I am looking for bulletproof (heat/moisture) low noise mics, with good dynamic range/frequency response . At the moment I am looking at the MKH 30/40/50 and the MKH 8000 series. P.S. I realise the title of this topic was poorly chosen. Also, this topic is an easy google find. I didn't anticipate the discussion will get here... I would gladly take the zoom f4 from it if I could. Too much advertising for it and not sure it will even be my choice :))

Ha! I thought the same!! :)) Hmm... I somehow missed "Into the Wind". In daniel's BBC link I could only find "Sound Waves: The Symphony of Physics". I'll have a browse.

Thanks Grant for your input! Very useful. I see you use the M/S MKH 30/40. How did you decide to use this setup? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ At the moment I'm investigating what setup I prefer for my travels. I'm considering all options until I discover what my ears like to hear... ORTF, M/S, X/Y ... So far MKH 8040 MKH 30/40/50 and Schoeps mics seem to be mentioned alot. Does anybody know a good place to check comparative outdoors samples of these different setups? Any resources/opinions/experience welcome!! So far, it's obvious to me that each setup is useful in different situations. I would probably like to own 3 main mics (excluding DPA lavalier mics). I would probably use 2 at a time for stereo. The 3rd one I would use to change the setup and for more flexibility. So basically 1 shotgun - 1 figure of 8 and then an additional superhypercardio :)) As I mentioned in the first post I already have a NTG3. But I see it's not very popular in stereo ambient recordings. I'm considering to sell it for a higher range mic (more frequency response). I saw what can be achieved in post when recording above 20khz. As a personal preference I would love a more bassy mic to use for my voice from time to time and for more bassy sounds (like the rumbles of a volcano). MKH 50 seems to do a good job for that? I most likely wont record birds that much...

Thanks, that's good to know! I checked the manual. It doesn't really say what's the actual power and I have no idea if there is a standard in this case. Most handheld recorders have 5v PIP. But the optimal power would be 9v for EM172 capsules for example. I'm considering a surround setup using a crazy DPA + EM172 setup :)) Ohh and now I see this is your first post. Thanks for stopping by!

Finally a sample!! Thank you Tom. I was actually considering the 4025. I like the recording! There is one thing about it though. I hear this consistent low frequency hum, similar to traffic in the distance. Many nature recordings have this background hum. What is it and where does it coming from? And these frogs are very high frequency :)) I am more familiar with those low frequency frogs :P.

Thanks for your useful tips! Something inside of me resonates with what you are suggesting here. I suppose unconsciously I don't trust my passion for recording sound 100%. I love listening 100%. Without this confidence I will always have doubts in investing most of my savings and hope it will pay off. I don't even know if my journey will even be about recording sound as means to sustainability. Life is always full of surprises. I might end up sucked into a colony of underground aliens and forget about my sound intention entirely :)). I suppose in that case it won't matter what gear I've had anyway :p. You mean I could sell the default G2 mics and use the DPA's instead?

Not sure if you're asking me, but I'll definitely monitor my sound until I feel it's not needed anymore. I've considered these long time ago. I will get a pair of capsules and make them myself. I own a gas soldering iron...very portable. I think it's a must have for anybody travelling. I repaired many broken cables...especially for my headphones. One technical question though... These capsules, by default require PIP (Plug-in power). How can you power a PIP mic from a recorder like SD..or Sonosax..or F4..or D701? without going into Macgyver mode of DIY conversion to XLR?...Its optimal power is 9v.

Thanks John, Going to read it tonight. Already registered. Meanwhile I found two samples....of some random birds, one with Zoom F4, one with SD 722. Most likely apples and oranges... but worth a try :)) https://soundcloud.com/colin-hunter/dawn-chorus-nernier-haute-savoie-france. SD 722 DPA 4060 https://soundcloud.com/user-152608475/forest-on-the-outskirts-of-the-city Zoom F4 DPA 4060 That hiss on Zoom... Was someone trying to take the "hiss" at zoom? Any comments?

Wow, thanks Jez for sharing so much! A wonderful article and a juicy morning read I'm sure many will find it useful as this thread is easy to find. It's great to hear people talking from their 'alone in the wild' experience. I will most likely expand my budget a bit, just to hit the road with the essentials. I was a bit 'scared' of the DPA4060s noise. But there's almost no thread or article about ambient recording without their presence :)) I will carefully check all your suggestions and I will contact you when I feel it's needed, possibly to share more adventures. Currently rewatching many inspirational wildlife documentaries...Microcosmos, Life, Planet Earth, Human Planet etc. I'm amazed by what people can achieve in terms of sound/image. Hey Tom. I've also considered Dr-701D indeed. Seems to be Zoom's alternative Jeklin disk looks like something I will most definitely try in all possible combinations :))

Thank you! I'm hooked :)) Somehow there's something missing in both Z4 and SD7xx. Sonosax sounds amazing.....sonosax....SX...rrrrrfourrr ..yea I see why "plus" ruins it. It sounds as if I don't even need to read the specs :)) Hey...watch it...this is my thread :)) hahha. Well yes, I'm also interested. I also live in UK. Import taxes are like 20% from the states :(. What a strange world....