OK, here's the scoop. I bought a Tascam DR-40 a couple of weeks ago and I love it. The built-in in mics are great. So now I want to get a set of match condenser mics that are as good or better than the DR-40 mics. I looked for the frequency chart for them but can't find anything.
So does any one know the specs on these mics, what is equal to them or have a suggestion for a set of matched condenser mics?
I want to use them mainly for "field" recording, say for nature or an outdoor concert, fireworks show, awesome sounding vintage cars, WW2 airplanes (I found a vintage car meet and WW2 airplane museum for this), etc. I also know a lot of musicians so I want to be able to use these mics just about any where.
I looked at the Audio-Technica 2022 because of the X/Y pattern but you can't separate them and place each mic at a different spot. I also looked at RODE M5. My budget is $250.
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doubtful the mics in the Tascam are of any significance. i mean
doubtful the mics in the Tascam are of any significance. i mean they are just fine but not something to write home about ..... almost any sd condenser will be as good or better, even cheapies. look to see if anyone has a pair of MXL or the like used on CL or FleaBay. best of luck.
Tascam makes an accessory kit that includes a muff that seems to
Tascam makes an accessory kit that includes a muff that seems to work pretty well. It's less than $30 and did fine on the beach recording early morning surf recently. Rycote also makes a nice one that you can get for less than $40, and that one is probably even better, as Rycote is the king of muffs (that didn't sound PC, did it?).
I have a DR-40 that I use for spot work, it is a good machine fo
I have a DR-40 that I use for spot work, it is a good machine for the $$. If you like the internal mics, that's where I would leave it. You are really at the mercy of the internal mic preamps, which are not particularly quiet, if you go the external mic route. I tried to use the Tascam with a pair of SDC's (Shure SM81's), but the phantom power ate up the battery life so quickly that I gave up on that idea. Added to that is the fact that many times a stereo mic is a better course than a pair of external mics, especially if you are trying to capture environmental and ambient sounds.
As far as frequency plots and charts on mics, these can be very misleading, and they tell you nothing about how the mics will work in the field.
Just be sure to get a 'dead cat' (wind screen muff) for the rig you have now and learn to use it. Realistic upgrading will require a bigger budget than you
listed before you realize a discernible improvement in the results.