Nature Ambience Recoring

redBDGR

New member
Hey, I am new to this forum & sound recording in general, so excuse any lack of general knowledge or any stupid questions please :P

I have been interested for some time in recording both natural and urban ambience. My goal is for instance to go and sit in a field and record any small sounds like soft winds, grass, crickets etc. I am currently looking at microphones and am a bit confused with what to go with. I have been suggest the Rode NT4 & the Audio Technica AT2022, however i think it would be best to get some other opinions from people who know a lot more.

All suggestions and constructive opinions are welcome, so please feel free to share :) thankyou in advance

- redBDGR
 
Well . . . I don't know what to say.

I haven't had experience with the NT4, but I have NT1, NT1a, NT5 and NTR Rode mikes, with which I'm particularly happy. I'm impressed with their low self-noise.

I haven't had experience with the AT2022, but I have AT853 and AT Pro 45, and likewise I am happy with these.

That means I don't think you will lose, which ever choice you make.
 
Well . . . I don't know what to say.

I haven't had experience with the NT4, but I have NT1, NT1a, NT5 and NTR Rode mikes, with which I'm particularly happy. I'm impressed with their low self-noise.

I haven't had experience with the AT2022, but I have AT853 and AT Pro 45, and likewise I am happy with these.

That means I don't think you will lose, which ever choice you make.

Thanks for you answer, unfortunately, i do already understand that these microphones have good performance (for their price & close recordings anyway), I am just not sure about how they will go with what i am trying to do with them. Will either of them be fine for recording sounds that can sometimes be far away? and also, would there be much difference if I spend the extra like $400 on the NT4, or should i just get the AT2022 and save some money?
 
I'm just using an Olympus voice recorder . I think the little MICs spec down to 80Hz

I got one bad-ass cricket on this one;
 

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That's pretty cool, do you know if i would benefit much by buying an actual microphone & audio interface over just getting something like what you have?

Oh also, i forgot to include that i might be using this microphone for voice recording / streaming, so a voice recorder might not be the best option :(
 
My thoughts are that better gear can help grabbing specific things, and better is better if you want a Stereo Field

My lower cost ws-822 looked like it would fill the bill for me. Mixed results, but the conference room processing might prove valuable. It will do a basic WAV, but the clip was mp3. The MIC/line sounds good enough, bit I'm not hot on the analog out
 
My thoughts are that better gear can help grabbing specific things, and better is better if you want a Stereo Field

My lower cost ws-822 looked like it would fill the bill for me. Mixed results, but the conference room processing might prove valuable. It will do a basic WAV, but the clip was mp3. The MIC/line sounds good enough, bit I'm not hot on the analog out

hmmm okay, so what do you think would be the best for my situation? out of the NT4, AT2022 & AT8022, and the things you have suggested? Keeping in mind that i do not really mind spending a bit more money if its worth it, but at the same time don't want to go over the top.
 
Will either of them be fine for recording sounds that can sometimes be far away?

Even boom mics have their limits. Most fad out after 2 or 3 feet.

and also, would there be much difference if I spend the extra like $400 on the NT4, or should i just get the AT2022 and save some money?

Look at these for $59.00. They are a matched set. Make sure you watch the video. I just tested them out this morning and I like them. Here are some crickets this morning from my iPhone.

View attachment 100419
 
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Been sent out to capture ambience and "b-roll" on more than a few occasions. Once I was handed a Zoom (H4N pro?). I've used them for recording many times and hate the noisy preamps and what not - so I wasn't expecting much out of the built-in mics.

HOWEVER -- Evidently, they save all the "good stuff" for the built-in mics. The stuff sounded absolutely wonderful. Clean, quiet, clear, natural.
 
Well, there is a train that still rolls several miles south of the Mexican border & it is often quiet enough. It is that kind of stuff that might benefit from sensitive MICs and decent preamps ??
 
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