Portable recorder mics

B

Bert Alan

New member
Do any of the portable audio recorders(Zoom,Tascam,etc) have built in mics that are good enough for thunder storms
 
In a quiet environment the tascam DR-100 works fairly well. When I record rain/thunderstorms, I'll usually run about 10 to 15 minutes with the internal mics in stereo, then grab my shotgun and roll about another 10-15 minutes of mono stuff, pointing it at various sounds, like the rain hitting leaves, of the run-off onto the deck. Also, keep the recorder handy for when the rain stops because all of the night creatures will be raising a racket after the rain.
 
If you want the real deep bass thunder roll, you will need something with more bass extension. Depends on whether you want subwoofer material.
 
The Sony D-50 is astounding. But you could get a Zoom H1 for 100.00 then get a Rode NT-4 for roughly the same price.

EDIT}}} You may just be happy enough with the Zoom alone though!
 
thanks

thanks

I kind of guessed that the low bass wouldn't be all that great and from the reviews I got that the S/N wasn't all that great with the built ins. I just wanted to hear from people who actually record that kind of thing. I'm just trying to keep the gear to a minimum so that I can take it along when we(family of 5 with LOTS of stuff) go camping.
 
I had a Zoom H4, and that has the same mics as the H1. If you just need some rain and thunder, it will sound just fine. You will need wind protection though. Check out TheWindCutter.com
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the bass. It's hard to record much sub bass with out picking up a lot of stuff you don't want.
If you really need the floor to shake do what the professionals do and fake it (sub Harmonic synthesizer).
 
Still, I think if you had even a Zoom H1 mounted on a tripod (so it's not in your hands receiving handling noise) and with wind protection, a real thunder clap would be picked up well - including the low rumble. And yes you can enhance that in post either by turning up the bass, or adding bass with something. But really for just rain & thunder you don't need much, and you may find you like the little Zoom H1. No it's not super professional, but it's decent for what it is. Check it out on youtube.
 
When the lightning strikes, the S/N ratio is pretty good--can't hear the clock, the BART or the freeway :)
Another option might be to add an extra track or two, and add some crashing, rolling bass from another source that you find online.
And then there is the rock box, just record a box of rocks at 192 and slow it down a few octaves.
If you are outside, water in the mic capsule is a big problem.
 
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