Compact recording device for long term birding trip (1 Viewer)

[Antpitta'd]

Hi, later this year I'll be going on a long trip (6+ months) backpacking, and would love to bring a decent recording device that I can use with my iPhone. So far I've just been using Merlin and my phones mic. I really just need something better than that, and ideally as small as possible so I can carry it with me for months. Any tips would be much appreciated, thanks! Budget ideally <€200 but could go higher. Thanks in advance!

 

[Ruff-Leg]

A Røde VideoMicMe (there's an iPhone version) will give you a better microphone with better directionality and a dead cat. The app that comes with the mic - Røde Reporter - is terrible and unreliable. Merlin is already recording at audio CD quality (44.1khz/16 bit); you can get a greater sampling rate with an app like RecForge II (48khz) but it's not necessary for your purposes. Basic editing can be done with something like WaveEditor, but it takes practice and is a bit of a faff, as you might say. Otherwise, it will take much more than €200 to really improve on that kit.

Here's my Coraya Wren from Ecuador recorded last fall. Done with that kit.

Best of luck!
View attachment 609042022.wav

 

[MiddleRiver]

A Røde VideoMicMe (there's an iPhone version) will give you a better microphone with better directionality and a dead cat. The app that comes with the mic - Røde Reporter - is terrible and unreliable. Merlin is already recording at audio CD quality (44.1khz/16 bit); you can get a greater sampling rate with an app like RecForge II (48khz) but it's not necessary for your purposes. Basic editing can be done with something like WaveEditor, but it takes practice and is a bit of a faff, as you might say. Otherwise, it will take much more than €200 to really improve on that kit.

Here's my Coraya Wren from Ecuador recorded last fall. Done with that kit.

Best of luck!
View attachment 1559893

So, are you saying that the MicMe improves on phone alone (in my case iPhone)?

 

[CMB]

The iRig Pre HD (by IK Multimedia) is an XLR mic preamp that connects to an iPhone’s USB/Lightning connector. It can generate 48v phantom power using internal batteries. Most shotgun mics will connect directly to the unit’s XLR jack without using an XLR cable.

The unit is reasonably priced, very small, light, has good recording quality, and the batteries last a long time. It can work with 3rd party recording apps on the phone.

The downside is that it does not do 32-float recording, so you have to manually adjust the gain so you don’t clip recordings.

I have an older version (iRig Pre 2). I switched to the Zoom F3 when the F3 came out. Overall I prefer the Zoom F3 because one doesn’t set gain levels. But the iRig is a great option for traveling with a shotgun mic.

 

[Ruff-Leg]

So, are you saying that the MicMe improves on phone alone (in my case iPhone)?

Yes, I think it does. I've experimented, comparing recordings made with the naked phone (Pixel 8 Pro) and with the Røde mic plugged in. To my ear, there was better fidelity with the mic in use, and certainly better side noise rejection. It's not a Sennheiser (!), but at three inches in length and 60-70 USD, I think it might suit the OP.

 

[Antpitta'd]

A Røde VideoMicMe (there's an iPhone version) will give you a better microphone with better directionality and a dead cat. The app that comes with the mic - Røde Reporter - is terrible and unreliable. Merlin is already recording at audio CD quality (44.1khz/16 bit); you can get a greater sampling rate with an app like RecForge II (48khz) but it's not necessary for your purposes. Basic editing can be done with something like WaveEditor, but it takes practice and is a bit of a faff, as you might say. Otherwise, it will take much more than €200 to really improve on that kit.

Here's my Coraya Wren from Ecuador recorded last fall. Done with that kit.

Best of luck!
View attachment 1559893

This is awesome, thanks so much this seems absolutely perfect!

 

[Elkhornsun]

I would get a Sony PCM-A10 or Sony PCM-D10 audio recorder that has integrated mics in a compact lightweight form. The PCM-D10 uses four AA batteries which would be advantageous as you would not need to recharge the internal battery as with the PCMN-A10 recorder.

 

[Gnome du Jardin]

If you have to travel light, want to use your Iphone as a recorder and have a budget of around 200 euro, I have to agree with Ruff-Leg for a small Rode mic compatible with an Iphone. Any shotgun will cost you more than you would like to spend. I think you should get de best small Rode mic compatible with an Iphone you can get. Think about a good compatible deadcat and why not a small handle to put the mic. It's gonna be waaayyyy more comfortable AND you should have better aiming and sound! If you like used item, in Canada there's A LOT of small Rode mic on Facebook marketplace.

For the price, the other option could be to ditch the Iphone and get a recorder with integrated mic. Zoom H1n with a deadcat fit your budget and get a lot of good reviews. For your budget, you could check on Facebook marketplace for a better recorder. I would skip the Zoom H4n to get directly for the Zoome H5.

That being said, if your backpacking trip isn't bird oriented, the Rode mic seems to be a better solution. Less weight, less space and a ton of fun!

 

[Antpitta'd]

If you have to travel light, want to use your Iphone as a recorder and have a budget of around 200 euro, I have to agree with Ruff-Leg for a small Rode mic compatible with an Iphone. Any shotgun will cost you more than you would like to spend. I think you should get de best small Rode mic compatible with an Iphone you can get. Think about a good compatible deadcat and why not a small handle to put the mic. It's gonna be waaayyyy more comfortable AND you should have better aiming and sound! If you like used item, in Canada there's A LOT of small Rode mic on Facebook marketplace.

For the price, the other option could be to ditch the Iphone and get a recorder with integrated mic. Zoom H1n with a deadcat fit your budget and get a lot of good reviews. For your budget, you could check on Facebook marketplace for a better recorder. I would skip the Zoom H4n to get directly for the Zoome H5.

That being said, if your backpacking trip isn't bird oriented, the Rode mic seems to be a better solution. Less weight, less space and a ton of fun!

Thats a great option, thanks! I think I'll go with the rode for the trip as its so compact, but I'll look into this for a more comprehensive option for recording when not travelling