Tascam DR-05x (1 Viewer)

iveljay said:

Can you say what you are intending to use it for? It can make the world of difference if you are recording single birds a long way away or interested in recording the ambient birdsong you hear in your garden overnight for later identification.

I would always recommend getting a furry windshield for the DR-05, or any recorder for that matter as sooner or later you will need to use the base recorder with its built in mics outdoors and the windshield will help for a cleaner recording.

Most folks who buy an external microphone on this forum, go for the Sennheiser ME66/ K6 combination.
It consists of the ME66 microphone with a K6 powering module that contains a battery to power the microphone as your recorder is not designed to provide that power. There are two versions of the K6 one with and one without the battery, so getting this right one is important. The only other thing you would need is a cable that converts the 3 pin connector on the microphone to the 3.5 mm stereo jack into your recorder. The signal from the microphone is mono, so the cable you need is one that splits the mono signal into two mono signals. Its this cable that is the area where most people come to grief, so its best if you can discuss this with the person you are buying from.

Go to the top screen for this Bird Sounds recording .... part of the Forum and search for ME66 - you will find many threads discussing this.

There are of course other microphones, but this is the most popular.

Have fun

J

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sausy1987 said:

Any suggestions for cheap microphone for the dr05x ? How about the HTDZ HT-81?

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Jib said:

I use the Tascam DR05X with a cheap external microphone, the qtx SG300, for nocmig. The Tascam goes in a freezer bag with blue tack to seal where the microphone cable exits. The external microphone significantly improves the loudness and quality of the recordings.

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Jib said:

I use the Tascam DR05X with a cheap external microphone, the qtx SG300, for nocmig. The Tascam goes in a freezer bag with blue tack to seal where the microphone cable exits. The external microphone significantly improves the loudness and quality of the recordings.

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nexstarneil said:

Jib - please could you share the basic settings you use for this combo? Sorry for additional Q's but presumably you select OFF for mic power as the QTX has it's own phantom power? Do you just use AA's for the DR05X and if so how long do they run? Does the recorder split files to the micro SD or record a single file for one night's noc mig? thanks Neil

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Jib said:

For nocmig I record with MP3 320k files. Low cut filter is set to 220Hz. Mic power is off. The recorder saves the night’s recording as 1 file which can be downloaded onto the computer and into Audacity without problems.

For power I use a power bank. I did use AAs but found they only gave 6-7 hours before the recorder stopped. I use the TalentCell Rechargeable 36W 12V/3000mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack - this was recommended by a forum member who found that some other power banks switch off as the recorder draws very little power. This power bank works very well.

The qtx SG 300 uses an AA battery which lasts forever. I have the switch set to the top position.

I’m a nocmig novice who has only been recording for 2 months and have lots to learn but this set-up has given me very satisfactory results.

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