Any reccommendations for a good mic to use?

[Steelflight]

ok i just got this from amazon:

Sony MZ-NH700 Hi-MD MiniDisc Walkman

what else do i need now so i can go plant this out in the woods for a few hours and record songs? any recommendations for a mic to use? do i need a parabolic deflecter?

[Steelflight]

forgot to mention...

i want to record barn owl calls and coyote howling in a large open field area

any ideas on a mic? (hopefully under 100 bucks!)

[ermine]

You don't want a parabolic dish for this. A dish emphasises sounds from one direction at the expense of others.

A cardioid would do if you are recording from one edge of the area. You trade range for wide area coverage. If you can hear the sound clearly unaided it will be detectable on the recording.

http://www.oldbird.org/mike_home.htm may give you some ideas.

You then need a plastic bag to enclose the recorder to prevent it getting soaked or dew forming on it.

[Steelflight]

that kind of makes it sound as tho a cardioid mic will only pick up sounds up above it? coyotes are usually ground level... and owls do a lot of calling from mid- to low- level perches. You still think a cardioid is the way to go?

[Steelflight]

i also forgot to ask...

what is a good kind of cardioid mic to buy? any suggestions?

thanks!

[ermine]

that kind of makes it sound as tho a cardioid mic will only pick up sounds up above it? coyotes are usually ground level... and owls do a lot of calling from mid- to low- level perches. You still think a cardioid is the way to go?

Depends how you mount it. A torch shines mainly in front, but naturally if you mount it pointing up then it shines mainly up :) The oldbird site is unusual in that he is looking for migration calls from the sky, so he points his mic up, and sites it as high up as poss to be clear of insect and frog noise.

You can either mount you kit in the middle of the space your covering and use an omnidirectional mic, or at the edge and use a cardioid. It's normally more practical to be at the edge, but if your situation does allow you to site your kit elevated in the middle of the area to be covered an omni would give you a more even coverage. Oldbird's rig, mounted elevated 20ft up but upside down would give you reasonable coverage. Or pointing up, but only a couple of feet off the ground. Your coyotes may take a fancy to it in that location however :) The sky isn't that noisy, apart from aircraft noise. The mic directional pattern is more like more like a hemisphere than the beam of a torch. Alternatively, mounted on its side from one edge of the area you are scanning would also be worth a go.

Get some experience with your gear - try it out. If you don't have a mic start off with a lousy computer mic which you normally get free with a soundcard, on a day with no rain forecast and just get a feel for what you can get. There's no substitute for getting out in the field and getting some birds in front of your mic to get a feel for what works and what doesn't. As long as things aren't too windy you'll be surprised.