@Robert,Robert Henke wrote:The D50 has much more quiet mic pre amps then the Edirol R-9. It allows to record 96 k and it has a good limiter....
If you want to record quieter stuff the D50 beats all the other recorders in the same price range. I know it has no XLRs, but i do not miss them since I am very happy with the internal mics.
Robert
Lots of field recording requires a shotgun MIC for capturing stuff you really can't get near or just recording in a very "live" environment... So unfortunately that recorder or any recorder w/o XLR inputs wouldn't do for those situations. For general XY stereo recording that sony unit would be quite nice though.
@The rest of the thread regarding shotgun MICs,
As far as Shotgun MICs I can recommend the Sennheiser MKH60 up in the high end coupled with an MKH30 and some external matrix with you want to do any M-S recording. Loewest self noise and flattest response of any shotgun mics out there, so it'll run you about 3 grand for the set. :O Another option is the Sennheiser MKH416 for mono shotgun recording, or the MKH418-s for a point and shoot stereo version... THe cardioid capsule on the 416 does does not sound "exactly" like the 416 unfortunately even though they were toting it as the stereo version of the 416.
Good mid range options are the Senn me66 for mono shotgun, and the AT815ST for stereo shotgun. One of the best shotgun MICs on a budget for the money is the Rode NTG-2, I mean holy shit RODE just keeps wining in the quality department... Will be my next purchase cause It's something I can actually afford.
(On a side note I personally own a NT1-a and use it for Foley, It's supper quiet and flat.)If you just need a great point and shoot XY/M-S stereo non shotgun MIC, the AKG AT825 and the Shure vp88 are tried and true MICs. I opted for the vp88 albeit it's a bit noisy, it has more stereo spread options with the M-S matrix, and it also can handle a lot of nasty humid environments that the Sennheisers couldn't . As long as you're not trying to record insanely quiet sounds it's amazing.
Whatever you buy make sure you get a nice suspension and windshield system for it, these typically run as much as the MICs themselves, but you can make your own. I made my own and it works great in REALLY windy situations.
Listen to a sample of a beach recording here: http://www.vimeo.com/777287
@The rest of the thread regarding field recorders... If you want something that you don't need an external M-S matrix, External pre, really just an end all of digital recorders... Go for a sound devices field recorder. Especially if you're going into the fucking Jungle haha... For point and shoot there are a lot of options out there, just be warned a lot of them are really noisy and colored.
