~~~Wildlife~Sound.com~~~

In The Field

NAGRA 4.2 (click link to view image)
My trusty Nagra reel to reel, a great machine, that can be relied on wherever you are and whenever you want a good recording. This 4.2 was used to record many of the sounds on the earlier David Attenborough series, in the capable hands of Trevor Gosling. I always hoped that some of his skills would rub-off on me. Heavy machine but quality all the way. It took the place of my first Nagra, a model E, another good machine still being used to record some great natural history sounds with Mike Houston.

NAGRA V (click link to view image)
This is the latest recorder from Nagra. It uses a removable hard disc as a storage unit. It records 24 bit recordings with sample rates up to 96 khz, it provides digital recording at its very best, proving to be totally reliable, just like its older brother, with pre-amp quality that is second to none. Lightweight to use, with similiar ergonomics to all Nagras. If you don't get a good recording on this machine, it must be the recordists fault, a very rewarding bit of kit

FILMTECH PAM 42 FIELD MIXER (click link to view image)
A field mixer I have used for 10 years or more. Totally reliable, great quality, I used it with my Portadat to improve the mic pre-amps. Ruggedly built, one of Martyn Richards best, performance guarenteed. Newer Filmtech mixers even better.

AMBERWOOD 20 " PARABOLIC REFLECTOR (click link to view image)
Versatile, quality built parabolic reflector, that took the place of my old Atherstone. Lightweight fibreglas construction, with very good microphone and tripod mounting. Good to use in the hand, seen here in stereo mode with twin Scheops omni microphones. An essential bit of kit for the wildlife recordist.

"FRED" THE COMPROMISE BINAURAL HEAD (click link to view image)
Fred in its latest form, using any pair of omni microphones is giving me some very pleasent results. I love using "Fred", it gives, what I think to be the best stereo you can hear, wonderful on headphones, and in this compromise construction good through loudspeakers. You ought to try this way of recording, you'll be very pleased.

MICROPHONES (click link to view image)

You just cannot have too many of them. I consider microphones of the omni type to capture superior and the truist of sounds. I use them in my binaural heads of course, but also in the parabolic reflector and singly as and when needed. This is not to say that I don't use other configerations. I use all the other types when a particular need arises, they all play thear part.

Quality microphones don't come cheap, but if you can afford them they will give you many years of fruitful use. My old T powred Sennheisers have travelled the world always giving fantastic results. I also use Scheops, probably the most natural sounding microphones I have. Pearl, great sounding and very robust, DPA minature microphones give a sound that belies their smallness, great mics for discreet usage.

All of them can give wonderful results, as long as the recordists is up to it !!

NAGRA 4.2 (click link to view image) My trusty Nagra reel to reel, a great machine, that can be relied on wherever you are and whenever you want a good recording. This 4.2 was used to record many of the sounds on the earlier David Attenborough series, in the capable hands of Trevor Gosling. I always hoped that some of his skills would rub-off on me. Heavy machine but quality all the way. It took the place of my first Nagra, a model E, another good machine still being used to record some great natural history sounds with Mike Houston.

NAGRA V (click link to view image) This is the latest recorder from Nagra. It uses a removable hard disc as a storage unit. It records 24 bit recordings with sample rates up to 96 khz, it provides digital recording at its very best, proving to be totally reliable, just like its older brother, with pre-amp quality that is second to none. Lightweight to use, with similiar ergonomics to all Nagras. If you don't get a good recording on this machine, it must be the recordists fault, a very rewarding bit of kit

FILMTECH PAM 42 FIELD MIXER (click link to view image) A field mixer I have used for 10 years or more. Totally reliable, great quality, I used it with my Portadat to improve the mic pre-amps. Ruggedly built, one of Martyn Richards best, performance guarenteed. Newer Filmtech mixers even better.

AMBERWOOD 20 " PARABOLIC REFLECTOR (click link to view image) Versatile, quality built parabolic reflector, that took the place of my old Atherstone. Lightweight fibreglas construction, with very good microphone and tripod mounting. Good to use in the hand, seen here in stereo mode with twin Scheops omni microphones. An essential bit of kit for the wildlife recordist.

"FRED" THE COMPROMISE BINAURAL HEAD (click link to view image) Fred in its latest form, using any pair of omni microphones is giving me some very pleasent results. I love using "Fred", it gives, what I think to be the best stereo you can hear, wonderful on headphones, and in this compromise construction good through loudspeakers. You ought to try this way of recording, you'll be very pleased.

MICROPHONES (click link to view image) You just cannot have too many of them. I consider microphones of the omni type to capture superior and the truist of sounds. I use them in my binaural heads of course, but also in the parabolic reflector and singly as and when needed. This is not to say that I don't use other configerations. I use all the other types when a particular need arises, they all play thear part. Quality microphones don't come cheap, but if you can afford them they will give you many years of fruitful use. My old T powred Sennheisers have travelled the world always giving fantastic results. I also use Scheops, probably the most natural sounding microphones I have. Pearl, great sounding and very robust, DPA minature microphones give a sound that belies their smallness, great mics for discreet usage. All of them can give wonderful results, as long as the recordists is up to it !!