Anyone reccommend a good brand of cardioid mic?

[Steelflight]

I've been looking at mics, and there's too many too choose from! Anyone got suggestions for where to start? My spending range is 100-400 bucks, and I'm recording stuff in a large field that is about the size of 4-5 football fields (only loud stuff, like coyote howling and barn owl screams).

[Steelflight]

I've been browsing around, and there is something called a Sennheiser K6 (220 bucks), and you can also buy something for it called a ME64 cardioid capsule. Would this get the job done?

Thanks a lot-- especially you ermine for putting up with my ignorance!

[ermine]

I've been browsing around, and there is something called a Sennheiser K6 (220 bucks), and you can also buy something for it called a ME64 cardioid capsule. Would this get the job done?


The Sennheiser K6 is the powering element. Alone it wouldn't do anything for you, but it is designed to go with the ME series of mic heads. You must have both. The advantage is you only need one K6, but you can have more than one mic head giving you the choice of pickup pattern.

This system would be an excellent choice for a starter bird recording system and works well with HiMD recorders. There are two versions of the K6, a phantom powered module and a battery powered one. Make sure you get the battery powered K6 module and NOT the P48 version, which needs a pro mic input to power it.

you want this

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/03279

and NOT this

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/03280


This mic series has a low background noise and high sensitivity which is a good combination. Read more about the system here

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/products_microphones_k6

Ebay is worth a look (http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2 F&fkr=1&from=R8&satitle=sennheiser+K6&category0=) to see if you can get some of these elements used.

ME 64 is the cardioid version, and would be a very good choice for a fixed installation to the side of the expected target. If you expect to be going into the field pointing the mic at birds you can see, there is something to be said for the ME66. But if you won't be aiming the mic the ME64 is a very good choice. You will need to think about wind protection with any mic in the open in winds over about 3-5 mph. A Rycote windgag over the Sennheiser foam cover would be a good, and relatively low-cost start.