The Ultimate Guide to Field Recording On A Budget

 

Is it possible to record professional-level audio on a beginner’s budget? Learn from my mistakes (and success) in this post.

 
 
Save Money.jpg

Beginner Me

When I first became interested in field recording, I was a recent graduate looking for a job. I was lucky to have some money saved but I certainly didn’t have enough to afford anything “professional.”

In the beginning, I spent a lot of time researching field recording, field recorders and microphones. I knew I wanted a portable field recorder with internal mics and extra features I could grow into.

Many “Top 10” articles later, I purchased a used Tascam DR-40 off eBay for $100. I was attracted by the 2 XLR inputs, phantom power and internal microphones capable of recording in A/B or X/Y orientation.

Boy was I misled.

I was immediately disappointed with this recorder. After eagerly unpacking my prize, I plugged in headphones and recorded my room. All I could hear was static and hissing.

I took it outside and while I could hear some cars and birds, the hiss was still the focus. Not out of it yet, I took my DR-40 on a field recording trip but my recordings were just too noisy for my taste.

Back to the drawing board.

This was when my real research began. I hit the forums hard and read up on self-noise, preamplifiers and microphone sensitivity. I wanted to record nature sounds so I researched what other nature recordists were using. Here’s where I hit a roadblock.

Most nature recordists were using state-of-the-art field recorders paired with ultra quiet external microphones. These pro setups averaged between $4-5k. Talk about sticker shock. Discouraged but not disheartened, I changed the nature of my searches.

I now added “on a budget” at the end of all my google searches. I found a Yahoo forum called “Mic Builders” that was very informative and led me to the answer of my prayers: Vicki Powys.

Vicki’s has written an amazing article on exactly how to achieve professional sound on a beginner budget. Her creation is named “SASS-Lite” and she not only shows you how to construct one, she also puts it head-to-head with 2 MKH20 mics recording to a Sound Devices 702 recorder ($3500 setup). See the results for yourself here (link removed because Vicki’s site is no longer active).

I followed her instructions and constructed my own SASS-Lite. The rest is history…

Links on this page are affiliated with Sovrn and Amazon Associates networks.

Step 1: Field Recorder

Most importantely, we need something to record with. For the best recordings, we need a recorder with the lowest self-noise possible. I’ve written an entire article about why self-noise is important. Read it here for more information.

The main takeaway is that self-noise makes a buzzing sound and specific field recorders produce more or less of it.

Self-noise can be measured in 3 different ways. Self-noise, equivalent input noise (EIN) and signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR). The chart below depicts the range of values for each measuring method and how they rank in quietness. For the rest of this article, I will be using EIN values.

Self-noise (dBA) EIN (dBu) SNR (dB) Rating Description
≤ 10
-130 ≥ 82
Ultra Quiet Undetectable even under the most critical recording conditions.
11-15 -126 78-81 Very Good Very slight noise discernable when recording the quietest signals.
16-19 -119 74-77 Good Good enough for most purposes. Noise noticeable in quieter recordings.
20-23 -110 70-73 Fair Noise obvious when recording anything below speaking level.
≥ 24
-100 ≤ 69
Poor Not recommended.

Since we’re on a budget, ultra quiet setups are not an option, however, “very good” and “good” ones are.

Best Budget

The Zoom H1n is the quietest field recorder for around $100.

The Zoom H1n is the quietest field recorder for around $100.

Zoom H1n

The Zoom H1n’s EIN is not listed by Zoom. However, I personally own one and estimate it to be -114 dBu.

At this price and quietness, it has no direct competitor that is still in production.

To hear how good the H1n sounds recording quiet nature sounds, click here.

The H1n is easy for the beginner to use and produces high-quality audio for more professional projects.

Click here to read my full review on my H1n.


Wireless Control

Released in 2019, the Sony PCM A10 has a great set of modern features and offers good self-noise performance.

Released in 2019, the Sony PCM A10 has a great set of modern features and offers good self-noise performance.

Sony PCM A10

The PCM A10 from Sony is the lowest self-noise field recorder below $300 with an EIN of -116 dBU.

The A10 has a retractable USB port that is used for transferring files to your computer and also for charging the internal battery. It can also be used to power the recorder via a power supply in the field for extended battery life.

A unique feature of the A10 is its ability to be controlled wirelessly with the REC Remote App. Through the app you can start/stop recording, check/adjust the recording volume levels, add track marks, and change the recording settings.

Wireless control uses Bluetooth and will quickly drain the battery on the PCM-A10 so an external power supply is recommended when using this feature.


Best Features

zoom h5 handheld field recorder

Zoom H5

Coming in at -121dBu, the Zoom H5 is the second quietest handheld on the market. The Sony D100 is quieter but the H5 is roughly one-third the price!

Besides its quietness and price point, the H5 also has 2 XLR phantom powered inputs for external microphones.

Additionally, the onboard mics are detachable and interchangeable. Currently, Zoom offers 6 mic capsule options including shotgun and mid side options.

Having XLR inputs and interchangeable mic capsules makes the Zoom H5 the most versatile field recorder on this list. These features will allow you to grow with the H5 without having to purchase a new recorder.


Best Performance

d100.jpg

Sony PCM D100

The Sony D-100 is the king of all handheld field recorders. Its EIN is ultra quiet at -127 dBu!

Besides being the quietest handheld on the market, the D100 also features swiveling mics that can be arranged in 90° XY or 120° wide stereo positions, 196kHz/24-bit recording capabilities, and includes a nice case, wind protection and a remote control.

This is my primary field recorder. It has produced amazing audio for me and has survived outdoor conditions including freezing temperatures and high humidity with no problem.

I’ve owned my D100 for over a year and recently wrote a full review on it.


Below $100

tascam dr-05x handheld budget field recorder.jpg

Tascam DR-05x

If none of the recorders above fit your budget, check out the Tascam DR-05x. With an EIN of -109 dBU, it is certainly nothing to write home about. However, when paired with cheap, external microphones, it produces good audio results.

To ready more about the DR-05x, check out my detailed review here.


Step 2: External Microphones

The above field recorder options can all be improved with just a $60 investment in external microphones. I have an entire article specifically about external microphones and three different options. For this article, I’m going to talk about the cheapest (and best) option.

Primo EM172 Stereo

  • Omni-directional

  • 14 dBA self noise

  • -28 dB sensitivity

  • $60-85 (€53-75)

At only 14 dBA of self noise, the EM172s are very quiet. The Primo EM172s are my top pick for three reasons.

To hear audio recorded with these microphones check out the playlist below ↓. All of these tracks were recorded with a stereo pair of EM172s plugged into my Olympus LS-10.



Step 3: Wind Protection

If you do choose to go with a pair of Clippy EM172s, you will need wind protection for them. See the below video for a great DIY solution for only $2.

If you have $45 left in your budget, the best manufactured wind protection for small microphones come from BubbleBee Industries.

They come in four sizes. The Clippy EM172 will need size 4.

I have a pair of these and they’re perfect in winds around 15mph (24kph). They are a little difficult to get on but that’s a good thing. These fit so snugly on my EM172s that I never have to worry about them falling off. I have been impressed by their construction and performance and feel confident in recommending them.

I’ve done a lot of research trying to find a cheaper alternative but I cannot find any products I feel comfortable recommending. Most available options lack a secure attachment method and are unclear on what size microphones fit.



That’s It!

You have the lowest self-noise recorder you can afford. You’ve upgraded your mics to the ultra low noise EM172s and you even slapped some wind protection on them!

With this setup you will have people believing that you spent a fortune on your equipment. If they ask how you did it, spread the knowledge☺

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Thanks for reading,
-Jared


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Avoiding Noise Pollution: The Best Times to Record

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What's that Hiss? Field Recorder Self-Noise Guide