digital recorder questions (1 Viewer)

Clandestine Bird · Jul 20, 2009

Hi Birders,

Regards from Ecuador. I am looking for suggestions about equipment for recording bird vocalizations, I am thinking about a digital recorder and if this not enough which microphone and other equipment do I need to use?.

Searching in the internet I found Marantz recorders.

Can you help me please

Manuel

temmie · Jul 20, 2009

Ola Manuel,

Recording equipment depends on what your aim is. If you just want to record to verify, you will need little more than a recorder with good built-in microphone, and you will only record in mp3 compressed format.
A lot of people use remembird, with satisfying to good results: http://www.remembird.com/

If you want to playback in order to get the bird closer (be warned, I am not a big supporter of this 'disturbance'), you will need an external microphone, such as Sennheisser 300 MKE: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MKE-300-Microphone/dp/B00005UQIH

If you want high quality recordings, and are planning to study birdsounds and make sonograms of the recordings (this is quite necessary for some species to be accepted as rarities), I can advise you the (expensive) Sennheisser ME66 or ME67 (67 is a little longer): http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-ME66-Short-shotgun-capsule/dp/B0003066X2

This microphone will only render the highest quality if combined with a good sound recorder, which can record in WAVE or PCM. But remember, those solid state recorders are expensive and recording in high quality requires a lot of memory cards. Another important aspect is the connection with the recorder. As you see in the pictures of Sennheisser MKE300, it will connect to a mini jack. The Sennheisser ME66 will connect with a XLR cable, which can give higher quality IF connected with a soundrecorder which also has that XLR port. If not, you end up with very high quality input at the microphone, which will be partly lost (and you will have more noise) at the connection with the sound recorder.

Don't connect simple voice recorders with your microphone. They have a low signal to noise ratio, and very low internal amplification of the signal that comes in.

I am perfectly happy with a ME66, XLR to Jack cable and a Tascam DR-1 solid state sound recorder. It proved to be sturdy and reliable, but has a rather slow starting up time: http://solidstatesound.co.uk/tascam_dr-1.htm
One of the main advantages is that I can play sounds and scroll through them very easily with the big jockey wheel. The disadvantage is the jack input (instead of XLR), and the specific battery which can only be loaded at USB. AA batteries are more flexible. The one that is liked best at the moment is the Edirol R09HR: http://solidstatesound.co.uk/edirolr-09HR.htm

You will find some more recorders and microphones through this website. Allmost all will fullfill your requirements I guess, but the very good ones don't come cheap.

Clandestine Bird · Jul 21, 2009

Thanks

Hi Temmie,

Thanks for your help, I don't like to use playback but unfortunately the playback is a current practice in some places, I used to try to show the vocalization of some birds (target) the birders need to put attention, and I need the recorder to record the vocalization and compare after which the bird vocalizations I have.

Regards,

Manuel
www.clandestinebird.com

temmie said:
Ola Manuel,

Recording equipment depends on what your aim is. If you just want to record to verify, you will need little more than a recorder with good built-in microphone, and you will only record in mp3 compressed format.
A lot of people use remembird, with satisfying to good results: http://www.remembird.com/

If you want to playback in order to get the bird closer (be warned, I am not a big supporter of this 'disturbance'), you will need an external microphone, such as Sennheisser 300 MKE: http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MKE-300-Microphone/dp/B00005UQIH

If you want high quality recordings, and are planning to study birdsounds and make sonograms of the recordings (this is quite necessary for some species to be accepted as rarities), I can advise you the (expensive) Sennheisser ME66 or ME67 (67 is a little longer): http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-ME66-Short-shotgun-capsule/dp/B0003066X2

This microphone will only render the highest quality if combined with a good sound recorder, which can record in WAVE or PCM. But remember, those solid state recorders are expensive and recording in high quality requires a lot of memory cards. Another important aspect is the connection with the recorder. As you see in the pictures of Sennheisser MKE300, it will connect to a mini jack. The Sennheisser ME66 will connect with a XLR cable, which can give higher quality IF connected with a soundrecorder which also has that XLR port. If not, you end up with very high quality input at the microphone, which will be partly lost (and you will have more noise) at the connection with the sound recorder.

Don't connect simple voice recorders with your microphone. They have a low signal to noise ratio, and very low internal amplification of the signal that comes in.

I am perfectly happy with a ME66, XLR to Jack cable and a Tascam DR-1 solid state sound recorder. It proved to be sturdy and reliable, but has a rather slow starting up time: http://solidstatesound.co.uk/tascam_dr-1.htm
One of the main advantages is that I can play sounds and scroll through them very easily with the big jockey wheel. The disadvantage is the jack input (instead of XLR), and the specific battery which can only be loaded at USB. AA batteries are more flexible. The one that is liked best at the moment is the Edirol R09HR: http://solidstatesound.co.uk/edirolr-09HR.htm

You will find some more recorders and microphones through this website. Allmost all will fullfill your requirements I guess, but the very good ones don't come cheap.

Paul McNelis · Jul 25, 2009

I'm a hobbyist, and I purchased the Edirol R-09HR. I love it! I spent 2 years looking for a digital recorder before finally purchasing this one.

I recorded my first bird (in my mother's backyard),a House Wren, and analysed it with Raven Lite. You can listen to here

I don't remember if I recorded this with the built-in microphones or with the Sound Professionals Sp-TFB-2 binaural microphones that I also purchased.

If you want to hear my first recording with the binaural microphones you can listen to that here.

Andrew Whitehouse · Jul 25, 2009

Here's a good guide for beginners to sound recordings. There are also various equipment reviews here too:
http://www.wildlife-sound.org/equipment/newcomersguide/index.html
I mostly use a Fostex FR2LE and Sennheiser ME66 and you can certainly make very good recordings with that combination, which I suppose is 'mid-range' in terms of price.

Paul McNelis · Jul 29, 2009

I have recently recorded birdsong in a woodland area which you can listen to here: http://mindink.com/2009/07/26/woodland-stream-field-recordings/

This were recorded with the internal microphones of the Edirol R-09HR as well as with the Sound Professionals SP-TFB-2 binaural microphones.

Again, I'm a hobbyist, and I do not own expensive mics like the ME67. However, I am very pleased with these recordings.

Here is a House Wren I recorded as well: http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=76337

Clandestine Bird · Aug 10, 2009

thanks digital recorders advice

Hola

Thanks for your help with the best recording combination.

Regards,

Manuel
www.clandestinebird.com

digital recorder questions (1 Viewer)

More options

Clandestine Bird

Well-known member

temmie

Well-known member

Clandestine Bird

Well-known member

Paul McNelis

Member

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Paul McNelis

Member

Clandestine Bird

Well-known member

Similar threads

Users who are viewing this thread