best mic for capturing severe weather sounds

[JMarcomb]

first i was set on a shotgun mic in mono... but now im starting to think a stereo mic with heavy duty wind foam for anything from tornado, thunder, hail

what would be your go to tornado mic?


thanks

 

[Daisy]

Electrovoice 635A

 

[whyseye]

LOL - the one in the ad under the first post!

...currently a compact X-Y....might change when I refresh....

There's a CL ad up now for a sweet Sennheiser boom mic setup with all the goodies ...

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/msg/561033912.html

 

[billisa]

I would use two small condensors in a Binaural set-up. Essentially, you're placing the mics where human ears would be (with acoustic isolation in-between, simulating the cranium). Play this back through headphones and the effect is stunning -- close your eyes, and you are right in the aural environment, sounds do not seem to be emanating between your ears, but outside, in 3D.

 

[undergroundtoon]

Take a look at this guys site. He has mp3 samples of his work under products on the left hand side. Looks like in the first link i put up his mic was a matched stereo pair of Earthworks QTC-1.

http://www.f7sound.com/thunder2006.htm

also look up his Suburban Thunder demo (recorded with a Crown SASS-P mk II stereo microphone) its thunder sound was good enough to be used in the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest".

http://www.f7sound.com/thunder.htm

It seems like their is a common theme of using a stereo mic on bad weather. I am guessing because a mono recording would be hard to replicate the unpridictable nature of nature's round sound. Or to put it another way...

Its too much work to split a mono track and get it to sound like the storm is real (and in your face)because you have a lot of uneven echoes to try and duplicate from side to side.

 

[ofajen]

first i was set on a shotgun mic in mono... but now im starting to think a stereo mic with heavy duty wind foam for anything from tornado, thunder, hail

what would be your go to tornado mic?


thanks

Definitely a stereo pair of true omni mikes, whether it be binaural, OSS or spaced. The 635a is a great mike for a lot of instruments, and is cheap, so maybe that makes a good choice if you're worried you'll trash the mikes, but they do have a pretty serious low end roll off designed to tame wind noise (remember, it's an ENG mike, so it's optimized for recording interviews, not the rumble of thunder) so you won't get the full low end picture you would with an omni with flat response all the way down. At least with my RE-55s, the rolloff doesn't start until 40 Hz, and they are about as rugged as the 635a. If I was sheltered, I'd use the SM-80s, since they don't have any roll off in the audio band.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[JMarcomb]

thanks for the suggestions everyone

that pmz stereo microphone looks really interesting. im hoping the mic is also senstive enough for birds and other small animals. i'll have to pay attention to the freq response charts. i'd hate to ruin a $600 mic from bringing it in a thunderstorm.. i dont want to be a lightning rod either

the hdv camcorder im using has a onboard mic circuit thats a little too noisy for my tastes. so.. im mounting a bracket on the side to hold an external 24/96 sound recorder and mic. should be an interesting setup

 

[JMarcomb]

Electrovoice 635A

Definitely a stereo pair of true omni mikes, whether it be binaural, OSS or spaced. The 635a is a great mike for a lot of instruments, and is cheap, so maybe that makes a good choice if you're worried you'll trash the mikes, but they do have a pretty serious low end roll off designed to tame wind noise (remember, it's an ENG mike, so it's optimized for recording interviews, not the rumble of thunder) so you won't get the full low end picture you would with an omni with flat response all the way down. At least with my RE-55s, the rolloff doesn't start until 40 Hz, and they are about as rugged as the 635a. If I was sheltered, I'd use the SM-80s, since they don't have any roll off in the audio band.

Cheers,

Otto

would you still need to use a mic muff for the wind if the 635a has some major low end roll off

 

[tc4b]

I would use two small condensors in a Binaural set-up. Essentially, you're placing the mics where human ears would be (with acoustic isolation in-between, simulating the cranium).

But doesn't sound travel through the cranium? I mean, empty-headed jokes aside, doesn't sound travel better through a solid than a gas (air)? For example, tap a penny on your desk, listen, then put your ear against the desk and tap again. Much MUCH louder. On first tap, the sound travels through the air between you and your desk, and the second time it travels through wood directly to flesh and bone.

This is just what I always thought, don't mean to hijack the thread, I'm always curious to learn from people who've been at this longer than I.

 

[faderbug]

But doesn't sound travel through the cranium? I mean, empty-headed jokes aside, doesn't sound travel better through a solid than a gas (air)? For example, tap a penny on your desk, listen, then put your ear against the desk and tap again. Much MUCH louder. On first tap, the sound travels through the air between you and your desk, and the second time it travels through wood directly to flesh and bone.

This is just what I always thought, don't mean to hijack the thread, I'm always curious to learn from people who've been at this longer than I.

the sound waves reaching the cranium don't carry enough energy to make it resonate. at least not at an audible level.

the experiment you're describing involves direct transfer of vibrations from one solid object to another.

 

[rayc]

I LOVE binalral recordings - I have a couple of LPs & CDs (Lou Reed mainly) but the image doesn't translate to speakers well.
Setting up for stereo is the go and the binaural speacing etc is fine but isn't a standard set up for a number of reasons that I won't go into - least of all that you need a dummy head, ears to replicate reflection etc.
Have a look at the stereo mic frame at naiant for a cheap & easy tool (a matched pair of MSH1s would be cool for the project too if you have portable phantom power).

 

[billisa]

I LOVE binalral recordings - I have a couple of LPs & CDs (Lou Reed mainly) but the image doesn't translate to speakers well.

One thng is to use 4-tracks -- two in standard stereo array of some type, and the other two for a binaural mix.

I own an old JVC binauaral recording headset from the '70's that works like a charm, but the noise-floor while acceptable in the days of 57db S/N cassette is much more noticeable now... Even so, binaural is one of the most stunning, yet unknown processes around.

 

[mshilarious]

the sound waves reaching the cranium don't carry enough energy to make it resonate. at least not at an audible level.

Not true:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_conduction

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003341.htm

 

[LP2006]

the sound waves reaching the cranium don't carry enough energy to make it resonate. at least not at an audible level.

the experiment you're describing involves direct transfer of vibrations from one solid object to another.

Actually, the head, torso, and the pinna (outer ear) all greatly affect our perception of sound through filtering effects.

 

[billisa]

Actually, the head, torso, and the pinna (outer ear) all greatly affect our perception of sound through filtering effects.

That's why the most effective binaural setups either have a human being wearing them, or simulate the same... No joke, there is a device called the "Aachen Head" for this purpose.

 

[mattkw80]

That's why the most effective binaural setups either have a human being wearing them, or simulate the same... No joke, there is a device called the "Aachen Head" for this purpose.

http://www.headacoustics.com/

 

[ofajen]

would you still need to use a mic muff for the wind if the 635a has some major low end roll off

If ya got 'em, I'd try 'em and see if they help.

BTW, what are you trying to produce, a recording that works over speakers, headphones only, or something that manages to be pretty cool over both? The Optimum Stereo Signal (OSS) technique is a decent compromise between true binaural that really only works over headphones and other spaced techniques designed for speaker playback.

David Josephson maintains a tech note on the OSS:

http://www.josephson.com/tn5.html

Cheers,

Otto

 

[faderbug]

Actually, the head, torso, and the pinna (outer ear) all greatly affect our perception of sound through filtering effects.

through means of absorption/reflection/blocking, not by conducting sound to the inner ear.

 

[Headcheese]

CORE Sound

try Core Sound mics - I would post the link but the forum wouldn't let me.
I have these and they just do a fantastic job. Lately I have been using them even in the studio . Just clip to your glasses (use Sun glasses) and you can't go to wrong. The stereo imaging as you move around is truly breathtaking. I have used this with a Sony camcorder to record a stage musical and the results were beyond expectations. Call and talk to them - they are wonderful resources.

 

[jacobmyers]

Rode Nt4

I recently got a RODE NT4 for location recording (with MZR700 MiniDisc recorder) and I really can't say enough good things about it. I've used it for rehearsal recording at home (with a Tascam 564) and it performs well there, too. The recordings I've made actually sound better to me than being in the room.

Two matched NT5 capsules on a single body with built-in power and -60dB noise floor (on battery power)? Maximum SPL handling of >140dB? Mono-compatible and relatively flat response from 20-20kHz? Priced under $500? Yes to all. And the noise floor is rated nearly 20dB lower with outboard phantom power (and you don't have to remove the battery).

The NT4's only real drawback is that RODE didn't include a shockmount. Though the included clip is sturdy enough, it doesn't isolate the mic very well from handling noise. RODE's shockmount for this mic can be had for an extortionate $50.

I'd definitely use it to record a thunderstorm (but it's still winter here). One caveat, though, would be to take care not to get the capsules wet. A "dead cat" wind muff, shockmount, a "rain shield" or umbrella, and a monopod (along with your recorder, of course) and you'd be set...