Inexpensive stereo microphones for recording sounds of nature.

[Lilay Purple]

Hello everyone, My name is Lilay. 

I apologize in advance for my English.

I need the help of experienced people in the field of recording sounds of nature.

I am very attracted to the recording of natural ambient, namely the so-called silence and very quiet sounds. I'm a beginner and the budget is limited, I already have a Zoom H5 as a recording device. The Rode NTG 5 microphone with a full set of accessories, a tripod that suits me, a powerbank for powering the Zoom H5. Now I have a question about buying a good microphone for stereo recording. Zoom h5 microphones are already starting to make a lot of noise at level 6-7.My budget is small, I can allocate about 1000 euros. Microphones Rode NT5, sE Electronics sE 8 with wind protection fit into this budget and make little noise. But on your forum I saw mentions of Audio Technica BP4025, they say it is good for recording nature and I really like it because it is not a pair of microphones, but everything is placed in 1 case.
Please tell me, will Audio Technica BP4025 be a good investment for recording quiet sounds and the environment?

Thank you for your attention to my question, I will be glad to hear your opinion!

[PMC]

You may have read it already but the B&H purchasers seem to really like the mic and rate it highly. 

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/602082-REG/Audio_Technica_BP4025_BP4025_X_Y_Stereo_Field.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwOXA_77__AIV2f_jBx3L8gLsEAAYAyAAEgJcr_D_BwE

[petersont]

I would suggest picking up a pair of omni mics (small condenser or even lavalier ) and experimenting with AB stereo / spaced pair. Lovely, spacious sound field.

And maybe next, a pair of cardioid condenser mics and play around with the various configurations.... ORTF is hard to go wrong with for starters.

 

While you can easily spend more than €1000 for even a single top shelf omni or cardioid mic, you do not need to and certainly not before you have a good reason and a specific purpose in mind...  

For your budget I can recommend mics from Line Audio - fairly low self noise, high max SPL and very good quality - especially so given their price. And still have plenty of €s left over for proper shock mounts, good wind protection and cabling. http://www.lineaudio.se

Something about their omni here: https://www.soundonsound.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=54387

and here:https://gearspace.com/board/remote-possibilities-in-location-recording-amp-production/1337916-recommended-stereo-omni-mics-nature-recording-ideally-ones-i-might-find-cheap-second-hand.html

 

I actually own a pair Line Audio's CM4 cardioids and have made recordings of opera singers as well as nature ambiences with very nice results.

I bought mine from PinkNoise, who are great to deal with and not so far away...

https://www.pinknoise-systems.co.uk/line-audio-cm4s-w-rode-ws8-windshields-gravity-ms-stb-stereo-bar-bundle.html

https://www.pinknoise-systems.co.uk/line-audio-omni1-w-rode-ws8-windshields-stereo-bar-bundle.html

 

As you know, a ton of information on line for nature & ambience recording, from low to high budget, but here is one sight worth checking out for his lovely recordings & discussion, most of which are done around Iceland as I understand it. While he often uses Sennheiser Omnis (€€)  in AB spaced pair array he does experiment with other brands. HLJÓÐMYND – SOUNDIMAGE [ https://fieldrecording.net ]

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

If you are considering Peter's suggestion of experimenting with omni lavs, I've heard very good things about the MikroUsi, which are only €120 for a pair.  They are hardwired, but that makes a very low noise floor possible, which is perfect for ambient recording.  Don't forget excellent wind protection, and a way to soft mount them!  A cheaper microphone paired with good quality accessories will probably do more for your audio quality than spending it all on an expensive mic.

And if you go for this approach, let me know how they are!  I've been wanting to try them out in a binaural head...

https://store.lom.audio/products/mikrousi-pro

 

[Throwback]

I would second the affordable small omni mics in your case: the LOM Uši Pros (which always seem sold out!) are based on Primo EM272 capsules, like the Clippy mics made by Micbooster in the UK. An alternative to both are the slightly cheaper Earsight mics (made with AOM-5024L-HD-R capsules by Immersive Soundscapes in France): these all sound very similar (and can be had in XLR/P48 and 3.5mm PIP versions) and have the same self-noise (14dBA), but the advantage of the Earsight ones in the OP's case is the significantly greater sensitivity (which would help with the less than stellar preamps in the H5). At the other end of the spectrum, large diaphragm mics can be used in the field, and offer a means of getting very low self-noise for little cost (say a pair of Rode NT1 mics), bu wind protection isn't for the faint-hearted, the rig will be heavy and you would want a decent preamp/recorder to take full advantage. And I would second the recommendation for studying Magnús Bergsson's Hljóðmynd – Soundimage: he uses all sorts of mics in the field, across a huge range of budgets.

 

Cheers,

 

Roland

[Lilay Purple]

1 hour ago, Throwback said:

В вашем случае я бы добавил доступные маленькие всенаправленные микрофоны: LOM Uši Pros (которые всегда кажутся распроданными!) основаны на капсюлях Primo EM272, таких как микрофоны Clippy, произведенные Micbooster в Великобритании. Альтернативой обоим являются немного более дешевые микрофоны Earsight (сделанные с капсюлями AOM-5024L-HD-R компанией Immersive Soundscapes во Франции): все они звучат очень похоже (и могут быть в версиях XLR/P48 и 3,5 мм PIP) и имеют тот же собственный шум (14 дБА), но преимущество Earsight в случае OP заключается в значительно большей чувствительности (что помогло бы с менее звездными предусилителями в H5). С другой стороны, в полевых условиях можно использовать микрофоны с большой диафрагмой, которые обеспечивают очень низкий уровень собственного шума при небольших затратах (скажем, пара микрофонов Rode NT1). малодушный, установка будет тяжелой, и вам понадобится приличный предусилитель/рекордер, чтобы воспользоваться всеми преимуществами. И я бы поддержал рекомендацию для stuумирающий  Магнус Бергссон, Hljóðmynd – Soundimage : он использует все виды микрофонов в полевых условиях с огромным диапазоном бюджетов.

 

Ваше здоровье,

 

Роланд

I looked at the options that I can get. Unfortunately, all the microphones listed above are not available or delivery is expected, but it is not known when. Apparently the reason for this is a full-scale war in my country. That's why I gave examples of popular brands that are available, such as Audio Technica, Rode, sennheiser.
Now they sell Rode NT55 at a discount of 15%, they have both a cardioid and an omnidirectional circuit. Might be the best option for me at the moment.

Thank you so much for your help!

[Throwback]

Certainly, if getting mics delivered is - understandably - difficult, then buying what is at hand locally would make sense. The NT55 omni capsule is pretty good (indeed, highly rated by none other than Tony Faulkner), and the cardioid capsule is fine for your use. Suitable wind protection varies from the modestly priced Rode WS8, through, say, Rycote Baby Ball gags, to full blimps (with the omni capsules you can even use the mics end-to-end in a single blimp as I did with my NT55s a few years ago (see pic): obviously, we have no idea what wind protection is available to you in Kharkiv.

 

All the very best in the difficult circumstances.

 

Roland

[Lilay Purple]

3 hours ago, Throwback said:

which would help with the less than stellar preamps in the H5

I didn't know anything about preamps... Unfortunately, on the Internet they only talked about how to get rid of noise, you can connect a good external microphone.
Perhaps you could recommend a compact preamp for the Zoom H5 + Rode NT55 kit?
I will be very grateful!)

[Michael Render]

I use a BP4025 in my kit. It offers a lot of value for the money. It also fits in my blimp, so I didn't have to invest in more wind protection.

But the self-noise is about 14dB - good enough for most things, but if you are trying to record very quiet sounds, it may not be good enough.

[Throwback]

43 minutes ago, Lilay Purple said:

I didn't know anything about preamps... Unfortunately, on the Internet they only talked about how to get rid of noise, you can connect a good external microphone.
Perhaps you could recommend a compact preamp for the Zoom H5 + Rode NT55 kit?
I will be very grateful!)

First off, I would suggest seeing how your proposed new mics (NT55 or whatever) sound with the Zoom H5 (self-noise of which is shown by its EIN or -120.5dBu); if noise/hiss isn't an issue with the sources you are recording and at reasonable play back levels, then you are fine.

 

Your original post, however, mentioned recording 'so-called silence and very quiet sounds', and the modest preamps in the H5 might be rather exposed in such circumstances (subject to what mic your are using): it is very hard to tell as we don't know what you are recording. With the Rode NT55 (15dBA self-noise and -38dB sensitivity) I think you may find that they, rather than the H5, will be the limiting factor in terms of hiss during recording of very quiet sounds, though the cheaper Earsight mics (if you could get them) would give a lot more output (14dBA self-noise and -24dB sensitivity: that's 14 dB less gain needed) and it would be the mic self-noise that would definitely be the limiting factor. So, the reality is if you are struggling with self-noise recording very quiet sounds with a Zoom H5 + NT55 mics, you need to replace both! Let's hope it doesn't come to that, given your budget. Low self-noise SDC mics are not cheap. LDC low-noise mics can be cheap, but are cumbersome outside and there is a lack of off-the-peg windshields for them. A cheapish low-noise recorder (easier than adding a preamp in from of your H5) is less of an issue: the Zoom F3 or F6 have reasonably low self-noise (-127dBu). It is hard steering your way through this when beginning: have you contacted Philippe at Immersive Soundscapes to see whether sending you mics is really impossible? It would be a cheap way to see whether a high output 14dBA mic would work for your planned recording. If not, can you test an NT55 pair with your H5 before buying?

 

Cheers,

 

Roland

[Lilay Purple]

33 minutes ago, Throwback said:

First off, I would suggest seeing how your proposed new mics (NT55 or whatever) sound with the Zoom H5 (self-noise of which is shown by its EIN or -120.5dBu); if noise/hiss isn't an issue with the sources you are recording and at reasonable play back levels, then you are fine.

 

Your original post, however, mentioned recording 'so-called silence and very quiet sounds', and the modest preamps in the H5 might be rather exposed in such circumstances (subject to what mic your are using): it is very hard to tell as we don't know what you are recording. With the Rode NT55 (15dBA self-noise and -38dB sensitivity) I think you may find that they, rather than the H5, will be the limiting factor in terms of hiss during recording of very quiet sounds, though the cheaper Earsight mics (if you could get them) would give a lot more output (14dBA self-noise and -24dB sensitivity: that's 14 dB less gain needed) and it would be the mic self-noise that would definitely be the limiting factor. So, the reality is if you are struggling with self-noise recording very quiet sounds with a Zoom H5 + NT55 mics, you need to replace both! Let's hope it doesn't come to that, given your budget. Low self-noise SDC mics are not cheap. LDC low-noise mics can be cheap, but are cumbersome outside and there is a lack of off-the-peg windshields for them. A cheapish low-noise recorder (easier than adding a preamp in from of your H5) is less of an issue: the Zoom F3 or F6 have reasonably low self-noise (-127dBu). It is hard steering your way through this when beginning: have you contacted Philippe at Immersive Soundscapes to see whether sending you mics is really impossible? It would be a cheap way to see whether a high output 14dBA mic would work for your planned recording. If not, can you test an NT55 pair with your H5 before buying?

 

Cheers,

 

Roland

I ordered the microphones, when they arrive, I will test them and in case of problems I can send them back since 14 days are eligible for a refund.
I was thinking about Zoom F3 at the very beginning, but unfortunately, then I will lose portability in case I need to urgently record some sound. Zoom H5 is always with me in my backpack, just in case.