RabidMonkey Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 I have been experimenting with a setup that I have been leaving in the forest unattended overnight. I am currently using SP-BMC-2 mics mounted in a case that I mount on a tripod and recording with a NH900. I set it up at dusk with the mic sensitivity between 13-15, and time marks for 60 minutes. I review the recordings with a audio editor so I can quickly find the parts where there are noises without listening to 9 hours of mostly blank audio. As would be expected, the majority of the sounds are semi-distant. The attached file is an example of this I recorded a month ago. As you can tell, most noises are so quiet that their is a very audible hum when the volume is lound enough to clearly hear the recording. I am trying to improve the quality of the recordings and have decided that I will add a portable preamp. I was hoping that some of you might have some other tips I could try.cackle.mp3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff DLB Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 I think your ecording levels are much too low (13-15, you said). Try 25 the next night, and then go up or down based on the results. Make sure you are not set to "loud noises" or "low sensitivity".I have the SP-BMC3 mics and find them extremely sensitive.-Jeff DLB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmachine Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 I don't hear a constant hum, but rather a strange flanging sound in the background. Is is also present in the original, udedited recording or has it been added due to further processing (mp3 conversion?)? Did you adjust levels in the audio editor or leave it as loud 'as is'? Your current recording peaks at about -16dB but since you're recording unpredictable sounds with unpredictable peaks, i wouldn't go significantly higher with the level setting, it can't be wrong to leave some headroom in such situations. If you raise the levels, you're not only raising the signal, but also the unavoidable noisefloor. A quieter preamp seems to be a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabidMonkey Posted May 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2005 I am not really hearing the flanging noise you mentioned. Sorry that I did not mention that I did adjust the levels on the recording, so I probably can go a little higher with the level settings. 25 is a little higher than I am willing to go as it adds too much noise. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archivist Posted June 12, 2005 Report Share Posted June 12, 2005 Sorry to pull up this older post, but I have a bit of experience with this kind of thing. I have done ambient nature recordings in country areas at night, to hear crickets and night birds and the like. I have used the Sharp DR480 and the SP-BMC-12's, which make for a very good combination.Going to a better set of mics definitely helps due to the lower mic-noise levels. I am also considering a good preamp and even better mics.Even so, I have made recordings of nature in Mono with a lapel microphone, and the narrower frequency response of the mic meant that the bird and insect sounds were more distinct, clearly audible in the relative silence of the recording. I did those with the MZ-R55 with the mic level on High.I must say that you're a bit brave to be leaving your gear in the middle of the forest overnight!Funnily, I, too, can hear the flanging. It is clearer in the second half of the track, sounding like a regular 'rasa rasa rasa' noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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