Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a number below, or scroll down to read all questions & answers.
1. What is the difference between a short shotgun microphone and a long shotgun microphone?
2. What microphone should I choose if I want to record a bird call?
3. I'm not sure whether I should purchase a shotgun microphone or a parabolic microphone.
4. What are the differences between the Marantz PMD-222 and the Sony TCM-5000EV?
5. How is the PMD-222 (Bird Version) different from the regular PMD-222?
6. What kind of cassettes should I use in the field?
7. I'm not getting enough playback volume on my recorder.
8. When I turn on my Sennheiser K6 power supply the red light flashes on and then goes off after a few seconds.
9. How do I roll up my parabola?
10. What are the proper settings I should have my Marantz PMD-222 recorder set to in order to start recording?
11. How do I use the Audio Technica AT8415 shockmount?
12. Do I need to use headphones?
1. What is the difference between a short shotgun microphone and a long shotgun microphone?
The long shotgun microphone offers more rejection of unwanted ambient sounds than the short shotgun. (The angle of acceptance is narrower the longer the tube.)
2. What microphone should I choose if I want to record a bird call?
A shotgun microphone or parabolic microphone. See item #3 for greater detail.
3. I'm not sure whether I should purchase a shotgun microphone or a parabolic microphone.
A parabolic reflector will allow you to pick up sounds much further away than a shotgun microphone. The difference can be explained as follows: If you were to look through a cardboard tube pointed at a bird, what you would see would be what a shotgun microphone would be able to pick up. That is, you would be able to pick up the bird and a small portion of the noise that is around the bird, but it wouldn't bring the bird any closer to you. A parabolic microphone is equivalent to having a telephoto lens. It would zoom in on the bird enabling you to pick up the bird at a further distance away, with much less surrounding noise. To get a sense of this difference, a parabola may pick up sounds 150' or more whereas a shotgun microphone may be able to only pick up sounds 30' to 75' away. This is all very dependent, though, on how loud the source is that you're trying to record, how much surrounding noise is present, and what microphone and recorder you are using. A parabola is also much more directional than a shotgun microphone. For example, if there are three birds singing in a tree, you can point a shotgun microphone at one of the birds and pick it up predominantly but the other two birds will still be in the background. If you point a parabola at one of those birds, you will have a much better chance of isolating the one bird call without hearing the other two in the background. A disadvantage of using a parabola is its somewhat cumbersome size. If you'll be walking through thick brush, a shotgun microphone may be much easier to carry around and it's also easier to operate. A parabola may also not be the best choice if you're recording in high wind or rain.
4. What are the differences between the Marantz PMD-222 and the Sony TCM-5000EV?
The Sony TCM-5000EV recorder has a much louder playback speaker, is more durable, and is easier to use than the PMD-222. The Marantz recorder has a superior record quality, has a balanced XLR microphone input (means you won't accidentally pick up radio frequencies when recording), and offers a better frequency response than the Sony TCM-5000EV. The XLR microphone input on the PMD-222 is also a much more durable connector and it locks into place.
5. How is the PMD-222 (Bird Version) different from the regular PMD-222?
The PMD-222 (Bird Version) has a gain modification done to the recorder which helps to "pull in" the sound you are trying to record, thus giving you a louder recording. It is very helpful when trying to record soft sounds such as birds, insects, etc.
6. What kind of cassettes should I use in the field?
We recommend using high bias chrome (type II) cassettes for field use (60 minutes or less). They provide a clear, bright sound without unnecessarily draining the battery in your recorder. Use type I Normal bias cassettes for the Sony TCM5000, if possible.
7. I'm not getting enough playback volume on my recorder.
The first thing to check is that the record level is turned as high as possible without distorting when making your recordings. If your recorder has been calibrated for a particular tape stock you'll want to use that kind of cassette. Also, check the speaker volume and turn it up all the way. If it is still not loud enough, you may want to purchase an external amplified speaker such as the Archer speaker/amp. This connects to the external speaker jack on the recorder (if there is one) or it can be plugged into the headphone jack.
8. When I turn on my Sennheiser K6 power supply the red light flashes on and then goes off after a few seconds.
When you turn on the K6 power supply the red light should flash on and then go off. Sennheiser designed it this way so that it does not drain the battery by having the light illuminated all of the time. If the light doesn't turn on at all, check your battery.
9. How do I roll up my parabola?
The Telinga parabolas are collapsible to a diameter of 6". To roll, remove all microphone pieces leaving only the dish. With the back of the dish resting against your chest, grasp the left outer rim of the dish with your left hand and the right outer rim with your right hand. Slowly move your hands toward one another in front of you and overlap one side of the dish over the other side, overlapping about three or four inches. Be sure the diameter of the rolled dish is at least six inches! Use rubber bands or some other type of non-abrasive tie to hold the dish in this rolled up position. You can store your parabola like this for up to six weeks. The longer the dish is rolled up, the longer it will take to regain its natural shape. When you've arrived at your destination, simply unroll the dish and let it sit. If put on a flat surface, it will regain its shape after a day or two. If the dish must be used instantly, make a cross of adhesive tape either over the opening of the dish itself (from rim to rim), or on the back side of the dish from one edge of the dish to the other edge of the dish. In general, it is a good idea to roll the dish only when necessary for travel purposes.
10. What are the proper settings I should have my Marantz PMD-222 recorder set to in order to start recording? (These are preliminary settings based on using an external microphone plugged into the XLR microphone input, and using the built-in speaker)
REC MODE - MANUAL
SPEED - STANDARD
REC LEVEL - SET TO 2 or 3 initially but when recording, turn the REC LEVEL up far enough that when the loudest sounds are recorded, the peak indicator light is just starting to flicker on regardless of what the VU meter is doing. Once recording, use the tape/source switch to compare that the recorded level on the tape is set properly (not too high that it distorts; not too low that it sounds hissy).
PITCH - STRAIGHT UP
MONITOR - SOURCE
TONE - FLAT
LEVEL - STRAIGHT UP (this is playback volume - you'll probably want to turn it up)
EXT. SPK. - OFF
TAPE SELECT - set to whatever type of cassette your tape is MIC ATT - 0dB
A.N.C. - NORMAL (middle position)
INPUT SELECTOR - MIC/TEL (middle position) XLR/ECM - XLR
11. How do I use the Audio Technica AT8415 shockmount?
When you receive the AT8415 shockmount, it comes with a U-shaped bracket attached to it. The bracket will allow you to attach the shockmount to a microphone stand. For field use, simply unscrew the U-shaped bracket leaving only the cylinder with the criss-cross of rubber bands. Insert your microphone in the center square of bands and slide the shockmount down over the power supply. To use the microphone, simply hold the shockmount. The shockmount will help to prevent handling noise in your recordings that can often occur if the microphone is not held perfectly still. Note: With some microphones you may want to pretwist the rubber bands before inserting the microphone to hold it tighter. To pretwist bands, pull the outside lower band up and pull the outside upper band down and insert the microphone through the newly created hole. Repeat with the other end of the shockmount. It is not necessary to twist the interior bands.
12. Do I need to use headphones?
Headphones are an essential part of your recording equipment as they help you to properly aim the microphone. Without headphones, it would be difficult to tell if you were pointing the microphone at the best spot to pick up the bird. You can (and should!) compare between source and tape to see if you have a good record level. (This is only applicable to cassette recorders that have a third head, or DAT machines that have a fourth head.) The choice of headphones is usually one of personal preference. The AKG headphones fit over the entire ear, offer great isolation from surrounding noise, and are very comfortable. The Sennheiser headphones are lighter in weight, have a smaller ear piece, and offer a louder sound. Each part of the Sennheiser HD-25SP headphones can be purchased separately and can be fixed in the field by the user. The AKG headphones usually need to be sent to AKG for repair. The AKG K-240M headphones are the most popular with the Cornell Lab users. All of the headphones that we sell are of excellent quality and will perform nicely in the field.
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