agrumpyoldsod
Well-known member
Yes a Tascam x8 but I should have brought much better mic with me to make use of it. I am using a Blue Timecode generator which writes to both my Z9 and the X8
Does anybody use an audio-recorder?
- Thread starter ElenaH
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I have the Zoom h1 and edit with Audacity. Here is a great link to a training video.
@ElenaH
The Zoom H1n is excellent for recording ambient sounds. The Zoom F3 is even better portability (smaller unit, & takes batteries and can be charged or powered by USB-C) and is a 32-bit Float recorder. If you don't know, 32-bit Float means you don't need to test incoming audio and then set the gain to avoid clipping, and then start recording like with other recorders. However, it is $349± and you need to add a small mic (like an on camera mic) as it does not have one built in. The huge advantage is some animal sounds will definitely clip and corrupt your sound, clipping is not only loss of loud sounds, it is noise corruption too. 32-bit Float never, ever clips! I have both the H1n and the F3 and hardly ever use the H1n any more because the F3 is gain-worry-free and all you have to do is hit the Record button and the recorder starts up in 1-sec, not the 3-5 sec startups by other recorders. This can be important for animal sounds— they happen and they're gone.
The Zoom H1n is excellent for recording ambient sounds. The Zoom F3 is even better portability (smaller unit, & takes batteries and can be charged or powered by USB-C) and is a 32-bit Float recorder. If you don't know, 32-bit Float means you don't need to test incoming audio and then set the gain to avoid clipping, and then start recording like with other recorders. However, it is $349± and you need to add a small mic (like an on camera mic) as it does not have one built in. The huge advantage is some animal sounds will definitely clip and corrupt your sound, clipping is not only loss of loud sounds, it is noise corruption too. 32-bit Float never, ever clips! I have both the H1n and the F3 and hardly ever use the H1n any more because the F3 is gain-worry-free and all you have to do is hit the Record button and the recorder starts up in 1-sec, not the 3-5 sec startups by other recorders. This can be important for animal sounds— they happen and they're gone.
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Not A Speck Of Cereal
Well-known member
I have the Zoom H6. I think it's a nice combo as it comes with the XY (stereo) mic and some packages also have the MS (variable stereo) mic, with windscreens, and you're ready to go.
Lately, now that I've been getting deeper into field recording (and joined online communities), I wish I had got the Zoom F series and got the mics separately. But this is higher cost and somewhat more of a learning curve (since you have to research the mics and stuff) and also would need mic mounts, mic stands of some variety, mic cables, etc.
The H6 is all in one and makes fine recordings of field stuff like animals. If you don't care about M/S mic'ing (mid/side for variable stereo recordings that has wider sensitivity and better mono compatibility), the ~$300 H6 package with the X/Y mic is more than enough.
Chris
PS: I just looked at the Zoom H1n. It looks like it would actually be quite capable of doing what you asked for a lot less $$. And if you get bit by the field recording bug later and want to get better, you're only out the smaller amount (and may still use the H1 at times even if you did also upgrade).
Lately, now that I've been getting deeper into field recording (and joined online communities), I wish I had got the Zoom F series and got the mics separately. But this is higher cost and somewhat more of a learning curve (since you have to research the mics and stuff) and also would need mic mounts, mic stands of some variety, mic cables, etc.
The H6 is all in one and makes fine recordings of field stuff like animals. If you don't care about M/S mic'ing (mid/side for variable stereo recordings that has wider sensitivity and better mono compatibility), the ~$300 H6 package with the X/Y mic is more than enough.
Chris
PS: I just looked at the Zoom H1n. It looks like it would actually be quite capable of doing what you asked for a lot less $$. And if you get bit by the field recording bug later and want to get better, you're only out the smaller amount (and may still use the H1 at times even if you did also upgrade).
My SONY A1 and A9 II have recording capability designed to record a voice memo to go along with a picture but you can use it for anything.
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Roy
Well-known member
I've always been a still photographer but lately I've needed to shoot video more often.
In the studio a recorder and mike work great.
But for wildlife I found just connecting a shotgun mike gave better results....
ElenaH
Well-known member
Absolutely... This is very interesting what you are writing. I had a look - z9 and H1n both recording 24bit linear PCM (what ever PCM is ;-) so, audio must be similar (I don't know if my logic is correct). The F3 is floating what helps to avoid clipping. The problem what I see is XLR - line in. I have Rode video mic that has line in like for Zoom H1n..
So, I don't know if there are some adapters but as far as I understood I will loose some quality if I use the adapter.
exactly!
The problem is not about money but I am afraid to get stressed if the setup will be a bit complicated. We are normally staying in the ground tent and not in the roof tent. In the roof-tent it will be easier, I will be less scared. Last time I was working in the dark, I was afraid to use light becasue light can attact the lions. So, with camera and Mic it was already too complicated: switch on the camera, switch on the Mic, press record, check if it is doing, cover the recording light.... Next September I will be camping in area with a lion pride of 12+ lions. Last time I did recording when 5 lions were outside of my tent
it is easy to forget to press record button or do something wrong.Today I was also thinking about it! the question is how long the recording can be and what is the quality. I need to check it for z9 !
that's true!
Wes Peterson
Well-known member
You can replace your 3.5 cable with an XLR to 3.5 cable
wildlifr
Active member
She would actually need a vxlr+ to 3.5 cable, if they make such a thing. I found out the hard way that standard xlr adapter doesn't work. The F3 only supplies zero, 24 or 48V and the rode mic needs ~3V which is what the vxlr+ does; steps down the voltage.
Wes Peterson
Well-known member
Actually shes stated several times that she has the Rode video mic and thats powered internally with a 9v
wildlifr
Active member
Oh, I for some reason assumed the video mic Go for some reason.
wildlifr
Active member
Do you mean the Atomos Ultrasync Blue for the time code generator? I just bought it and I'm having nothing but troubles with it dropping the Z9 connection. I've narrowed it down to very weak bluetooth reception on the Z9. It's too bad because it's dead simple to make work with my F3. At this point I'm wondering if there's something wrong with my Z9.
agrumpyoldsod
Well-known member
Yes -- it seems to work just fine with both my Z9 and the X8 -- i am using firmware 3.10 in the Z9 and checking all devices are full charged.
Wes Peterson
Well-known member
In a wildlife videography sense what is the need for a timecode generator? I run the line out into my camera as a scratch track while recording on the audio recorder then align clips by waveform in post.
Calson
Well-known member
Something that I had overlooked until recently is that DaVinci Resolve includes an excellent sound editor referred to as Fairlight.
I just purchased the Zoom H1n and really like the sound and performance. It's also very small and will fit in a shirt pocket easily.
ElenaH
Well-known member
yes, me too. I just purchased Zoom H1n and I am testing it. So far I like he performance. However, it is sensible to the strong wind. I bought a dead cat but it cut the level very much. So, I need to continue testing. Ir maybe my dead cat is not so good ;-)
I think, H1n will be perfect with external microphone but I didn't test it yet.
There are certainly better options, better equipment but as far as complexity extends some level I will not use it, I know myself. Especially in stress-situation where some small mistake can cause the loss of the track or fooage.
I bought the dead cat as well and it seems to work pretty well but I’ve been trying to record early morning when there’s little to no wind. I also want to try it in conjunction with my external mics to see how it performs.
I have a new in box Tascam DR-05, don't want it and have no use for it. Not sure why I bought it a couple years ago. 
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I use an ancient Zoom H1 I bought new around 12 years ago. You almost need a magnifying glass to use it, but it produces wonderful audio quality.
ElenaH
Well-known member
You need to try to sell it here, in Marketplace.
I had a look in Marketplace. It's great! Ufortunatelly, I cannot make a use of it because being in Europe we need to pay customs for something ent from USA, have some customs-registration number and so on... what sounds for me very complicated. and lasts weeks. at the end it can be more expensive than to look for stuff and buy it in EU.
And there are not too many members from Europe.
Calson
Well-known member
The compact audio recorders are very convenient but they also have inferior preamps so more "self-noise" is evident in recordings even with the low frequency cut-off filter on. They are also designed for recording broad sound sources so great for recording a choral group indoors but no very good for recording sounds from an individual animal. That is where shotgun mics are a better choice and there are relatively inexpensive ones that can be powered by the recorder or from an internal battery like the Sennheiser MKE-600 that is also short enough to mount on a camera hot shoe without it intruding into the frame. At 4.5 ounces the MKE-600 even with a wind muffler is not going to add a lot of weight to the rig.
ElenaH
Well-known member
oh! this is one of the best! I think, MKE-400 is also good.
I have Rode Video-Mic and here for example, I took a video of lions eating buffalo and talking ;-)
Sometimes iPhone is also not so bad but if I try to record from the tent (being inside the tent) then it doesn't work, it is too weak (or I am too stupid to set it properly
) but Rode works good!Here in the beginning of the video the sound taken by iPhone Pro Max:
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