Hi. I bought your ebook - it's been very helpful. I'm interested in the ls-10, but can't find it on ebay apart from in Japan. Is the olympus ls-11 the same as the ls-10 in terms of self noise?
You are great at inspiring me to get out and record. I started with a Zoom H6, then went to a Zoom F4, then to a Sound Devices MixPre-6 ii. I still have all of them. Great video. Nice production and presentation!
Ah I too have an H6. But I would love an F6. Those recorders almost sound Sound Devices with out the price tag. Yes theire are the MixPres. But the 2 less expensive ones have too little XLRS for me. It's till you get to the pre 10 that I'm interested. Cause I'd love to record in surround sound.
@@hamitcampos4989 The new Zoom F8n Pro is worth a look too if you're interested in more mic pres. It's basically the exact same model as the older F8n, but it's black instead of blue and has 32-bit float bit-depth. As a Sound Devices 702T owner, I can confirm that the difference in self-noise between it and the Zoom F-series line is not noticeable.
Ah yeah the F8N Pro. Yeah I've heard it. The only mis step Zoom did wass not giving it the new connector from the H8. Had they done so you could do full 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos with it. But yes if I had the $900 I'd totally get it. Then perhaps the Core Sound Octo Mic.
Very interesting. I did not know the H8 had internal 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos processing. However, I'd imagine you'd still want to mix the surround in a DAW, which somewhat negates the internal surround processing, although it does eliminate the file conversion process.
i have other recorders from Zoom and Marantz (esp for interviews) but the Olympus LS5 which is the same as the LS10 and some say has better preamps for plug in dymanic mics, is definitely my favourite. It seems a perfect design.
I have Olympus LS 12 and I am very happy with it's result. Also the price is really cheap comparing to Zoom or Tascam. Great content, thanks for your effort.
@@acoustic_nature Actually my gf gave it to me sometime ago, she works for a national radio as a journalist. She probably bought it online long ago but I'm not sure where from.
Wow! So useful video for me, thank you very much for your analysis! I almost decided to buy tascam dr-40x for my first field records (mostly in the forest), but now I understand that this was probably not the right decision (although I have already watched a lot of videos on this topic).
Jared I enjoyed your video, Well done. and in my bag I have an array of mics and my drop rigs are a zoom H1N , which I got recently so not much use, and a Sony ICD sx713 which has been through the grinder a bit , its been trampled by buffalo , mauled by Hyena( which took me a while to find) and rained on . The on off switch is dodgy but the unit is still good . My next trick is dropping the Sony with a drone and retrieving it the following day ( I did a practice run , which is on TH-cam ) and finally I have a Sound Devices Mixpre 3 which I use with parabolics or a matched set of Rode NT1A mics, for me ,needless to say I dont drop it off . Originally I had a Zoom H4N but found it to be not so good and we parted ways. They say " unfortunately your best recordings are nearly always done with the worst equipment " as thats the units you prepared to run the highest risks with.
Ooo is there anyware I can here your Mix Pre and matched NT1-A recordings? I love the NT1-A. Would love the matched pair for ORTF. ORTF is my favorite stereo method. Though what I'd really love to do is record in surround sound. Which would mean getting either Zoom's somewhat newish F8N Pro or the Pre 10T. Then the Core Sound Tetra Mic. Or hell just get either recorder and hook 8 mics and set'em up 7.1 style. Again I don't care about mono compatability or any of that other stuff. I just want true 7.1. Yo the other mic setup I found interesting and would love is the Shoeps ORTF 3D in and outdoors sets.
Digging the channel Jared. I have both the Dr-40 and the Dr-05x and equally disappointed with the built in mics. I’ll be looking for the lbs-10 soon. Sean (captured sound 😉)
Thanks a lot Sean! I’ve enjoyed connecting with you and listening to your recordings on SoundCloud. If you need more than the 16GB limit on the LS-10, look into the LS-10s and LS-11. Both models support 32GB cards but are difficult to find for sale
Hi. Thanks for this video. I have the same experience with Tascam RD 40x (self noise and radio-interferences). But I use it anyway ... Sony D100 is not in sale anymore, if I know.
hello, found your channel via your blog post about handhled recommendation :) was wondering if you had any thoughts on the zoom h1e? Due to availability I am mostly looking at h1e, and the ls-p1 (the ls-10 is far less available and much higher price but looks great). Although the temptation is to spend more and get a 2nd hand d100 from japan (feel a bit iffy about this, maybe just paranoia lol). But yeah I was wondering if your ls-p1 recommendation as pocketable and hobbyist/beginner recommendation or thoughts would have changed with the availability of the h1e? :) Any help much appreciated. thanks
I like the H1e on paper but don’t have direct experience with it. You can read more here: acousticnature.com/journal/zoom-essential-review If you’re looking for your first handheld, you can’t go wring with any of the options you’re considering. Most important thing is getting out there and practicing. In the beginning anything will do and I think you’ll learn more from a more affordable recorder
On your website you have audio samples of the h1n with internal mic and external mic. Do you have any content on how to rig up a external mic to the h1n? Any help would be appreciated. I would like to be able to rig it to my cameras hot shoe and a handheld rig.
I use a stereo pair of EM272 capsules with the H1n. I attach the mics to a tree with bungee cords and hang the H1n in a dry bag. For your camera, you could get a stereo bar and a hot shoe adapter to attach the mics to. You could do similar for a handheld rig but replace the hot shoe adapter with a foam grip.
Jared, thanks for the candid, extremely informative presentation, and for confirming my purchase and use of the Olympus LS-10 for location recordings. I intend to pair the LS-10 for videos and photos made with Olympus OM cameras for live and web presentations created in Adobe LightRoom on a Mac. Live presentations will be output to an external Bose speaker. Is this a setup you would recommend?
Thanks for your kind comment Gary, I’m happy to hear you found the video helpful. I’m unfamiliar with the Olympus OM cameras. Do they have Bluetooth? I’m wondering how you’re planning to send live audio to the Bose speaker.
@@acoustic_nature I plan to record audio with the LS-10 mounted on and wired to my cameras. the Olympus system is designed for this. After editing audio and visuals on my iMac, I would transfer the presentation to my Macbook Air for on-site shows. The audio would be sent to the Bose or any other speaker connected to my laptop via bluetooth. But technology marches on. I'm now wondering if my Google Pixel phone will simply do it all. The Pixel's audio recording is surprisingly good.
@@garycralle7696 Ah okay, so the audio doesn't have to be live for your live and web presentations. Yeah, I'd say that if the sound quality is satisfying to your standards, then stick with it! I do not have that much experience with live presentations, but I would always have wired solution as a backup ready to go just in case you run into wireless issues with the Bluetooth.
Hi Biraja, please have a look at this article, any of the condenser microphones mentioned are great choices: acousticnature.com/journal/best-microphone-for-recording-nature-sounds For more affordable mics that still perform well for nature sounds, please see this article: acousticnature.com/journal/plug-in-power-external-microphones-buyers-guide
Of all the reviews I’ve watched, first I’m hearing of the Olympus. I may pick one up. In need of something quiet and portable. Do you think it’s quieter than the H6?
The Olympus was a game changer for me when I first started recording nature sounds. It’s small, lightweight, aluminum and very quiet. For field recorder self noise, I’ve always referenced the excellent independent research of Avisoft Bioacoustics. They have the Olympus and H5 both listed at -121dBu. I assume the H6 internals are the same as the H5, so it looks like the H6 is equally quiet to the Olympus. Here’s the link to their research: www.avisoft.com/recorder-tests/
Hi!!! Nice Channel! I have a question. I want to buy a clippy em272 stereo matched pair, basically for nature sounds, like frogs, insects, etc. Then, I have a Tascam dr05 and a ZOOM F6. The tascam is very portable, and that is really great in some situations with a lot of gear, but it use a minijack connection. And, in the other hand, the zoom is slightly bigger, but with a xlr connections. So, in your experience, do you see a difference in sound quality between a minijack and xlr diveces? Does perform better the same em272 in the xlr version than the minijack? I want the portability, but obviously is more important the sound quality. What do you think? Best wishes!! Thank you in advance!
Hi Kloketen, thanks for your compliments and for leaving a comment! The answer to your question is not so straightforward. There are a lot of variables to examine before coming to a conclusion. Firstly, when considering sound quality for nature sounds, self-noise is an important factor. Microphones and the preamps that power them both add noise (hiss) to the signal. However, I’m my tests, plug-in-power (PiP) preamps seem to be very quiet, no matter the device. When testing a 3.5mm stereo pair of EM272 capsules with 3 recorders with preamp noise levels of -109dBu, -121dBu and -127dBu, it was difficult to tell the difference and they all sounded great. The Zoom H6 has a preamp noise level of -121dBu, so I’d expect it to be very slightly quieter than the Tascam. However, this benefit may not be worth the cost in battery life, as using phantom power will quickly drain your batteries. PiP is much more efficient in this regard. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
@@acoustic_nature wow, what a great answer. I was in doubt as to whether or not the preamps of an xlr recorder would be better than those of a recorder with a minijack input. I was not sure whether to buy the Clippy EM272 for my Tascam DR05 or for my Zoom F6. The most important thing will always be sound quality, understood as the least amount of self noise possible. But, if my Tascam DR05 with the Clippy EM272 gives me a clean sound, it could be a good alternative for its portability. If there is no noticeable difference between the two, then I might consider buying for my Tascam and not for my ZOOM. What a dilemma! LOL. Thank you very much for your time and advice!!! Best wishes from Chile!
Thanks for your comment and support! Although I don't own an Olympus LS-P1, I think it's a fantastic recorder. I've written extensively about it and the Zoom H5 here: acousticnature.com/journal/best-handheld-field-recorder-buyers-guide Although I own a Zoom H5, I'm still saving up for a pair of condenser mics so I never use it and is why I didn't feature it in this video.
Just dusted off my LS-10 after 10 years of not using it. Looks brand new of course! Question - I just recorded a presentation then I read in the manual I must use a special usb cable to get the audio off the internal memory. Is this true? I don't have the original cable. If I use a normal usb cable will I damage the unit??
Getting files off the internal memory of the LS-10 requires a mini USB cable, which is larger than a micro USB cable. You won’t damage your LS-10 with a normal USB cable because it won’t fit!
@@acoustic_nature Yes, it copied but very slowly about 3MB/s but that's ok. It is an older unit. Now I'm having problems synching this audio with the original video presentation. I'm still trying right now. To make it simple I'm using virtualdub2. I add a delay to my new audio and it syncs. I then check the end and it's out of sync. I tried Wavosaur, Ocenaudio but they can't view 2 tracks at once to align. Tried Reaper too, but that could take a while to figure out. Very frustrating. What would you suggest?
Yeah they’re a gamble but a cheap one. I’ve purchased many over the years and two of them had audio issues even though they were in mint condition. Both would randomly stop recording on one or both channels.
Great roundup Jared - I very much enjoyed the concise and informative presentation. I started making recordings last year, so I'm new to this world and very much inexperienced. I use an Olympus LS-5 which apparently has the same internals of the LS-10, and a Sony PCM-M10 (for attended recordings). I heard a new product from Zoom will be out in early March, this year. It's the Zoom F3. From preliminary research based on specs and announcements, I learned that the input noise is going to be -127dBu - it should be an interesting option when used with external microphones, what do you think?
Hi Antonio, thanks a lot for your comment and supportive feedback. I’ve read good things about the LS-5. Olympus certainly made some great recorders. Thanks for bringing the Zoom F3 to my attention. After reading about it, it sounds like an awesome little recorder. I also saw that impressive noise spec of -127dB. That’s the same noise level as the Sony D100. I’m very interested in the unit and curious to see its retail price and early reviews. The Zoom F2 line had a pretty disastrous product launch so while I won’t preorder the F3, I’ll be very engaged with its release.
The only things I don’t like about the F3 on paper is no support for plug-in-powered microphones via a 3.5mm jack and it’s support for only microSD cards. I don’t have a many microSD cards in my kit and they’ve always felt fragile in my hands. However, I’d still purchase one if it’s as quiet as advertised and at the right price. It could be the motivation I need to convert one of my EM272 SASS microphones to XLR, which I’ve been thinking about doing anyways for better noise performance with the higher voltage.
@@acoustic_nature Thanks for taking the time to answer. I agree with you that PIP input would have been great for this unit. Being so compact it would have been a perfect replacement for anybody willing to use the small low-noise microphones (e.g., Uši , Clippy). Oh, well... We can't have everything I suppose :)
You’re welcome! Clippy and Usi do make XLR versions of the beloved EM272 capsules and it’s not too hard to convert an existing 3.5mm version to XLR. Here’s a great resource for doing so: tombenedict.wordpress.com/2016/03/05/diy-microphone-em172-capsule-and-xlr-plug/
No. What I meant was the connecter thing. The 1 on the H8 will exept 4 channals. So what I meant was had they given the f8N Pro this plug for the snap off peaces you could use the EX H8 peace from the H8 and hook 12 mics to the recorder over all thus you could get 12 channals to make Atmos. Oh that would be cool. I should submit that to Zoom as an idea. Or if you wana. Just email them.
Ah yeah the D100 was $800. The other big flaw with it is no XLRs. I mean that thing and you didn't mention it can even record in DSD. Which roomer has it is purer clearer and more real sounding then WAV. Ahim so say the DSD fans. Don't take that as gosple as I've not myself heard DSD. Did you ever make a DSD file with it? Is this true? Another good recorder would've been the Olympus LS-100.
Honestly, I’ve never experimented with DSD. However, from my research, WAV vs DSD recordings are nearly impossible to distinguish and WAV files are easily read by most audio players while DSD are not. Do you know differently?
@@acoustic_nature Yes it's cause of the coding. PS Audio explains it but not on that channal. Darn I can't remember his studio channal name at the moment. Paull is a total DSD nurd. He's 1 of those that sware it's pretty much reality. Again not judging as I've not heard a DSD file myself. Most of the DSDs on HD Tracks don't even interest me. But yes it's cause of the coppy right and also the process code if you will isn't the same as WAV. There are tricks you can do to get a PC to play it but yes you read that correctly. Some AVRs can decode DSD. Also and I don't get how this works but the creative sound blaster AE7 and AE9 cards can decode DSD. But how it works is beyond me. I mean I can't emagin it's as symple as you have 1 of those 2 cards and bam Windows Media Player can suddenly do DSD. Ah I think the 100 can also do Flac.
@@hamitcampos4989 Always something new to learn in this vast field! I really love that as it keeps interest high. The D100 can read FLAC but not record
Hi. I bought your ebook - it's been very helpful. I'm interested in the ls-10, but can't find it on ebay apart from in Japan. Is the olympus ls-11 the same as the ls-10 in terms of self noise?
You are great at inspiring me to get out and record. I started with a Zoom H6, then went to a Zoom F4, then to a Sound Devices MixPre-6 ii. I still have all of them. Great video. Nice production and presentation!
Thanks a lot Rod! I've greatly enjoyed our recent conversations. I hope you find the time to get out and record soon!
Ah I too have an H6. But I would love an F6. Those recorders almost sound Sound Devices with out the price tag. Yes theire are the MixPres. But the 2 less expensive ones have too little XLRS for me. It's till you get to the pre 10 that I'm interested. Cause I'd love to record in surround sound.
@@hamitcampos4989 The new Zoom F8n Pro is worth a look too if you're interested in more mic pres. It's basically the exact same model as the older F8n, but it's black instead of blue and has 32-bit float bit-depth.
As a Sound Devices 702T owner, I can confirm that the difference in self-noise between it and the Zoom F-series line is not noticeable.
Jared!!! this is Simon, Finally I've found your yt channel. :) i'm so happy to listen more detailed infos about your recorders. :) talk to you soon :)
Hey Simon! Nice to connect with you here :)
Ah yeah the F8N Pro. Yeah I've heard it. The only mis step Zoom did wass not giving it the new connector from the H8. Had they done so you could do full 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos with it. But yes if I had the $900 I'd totally get it. Then perhaps the Core Sound Octo Mic.
Very interesting. I did not know the H8 had internal 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos processing.
However, I'd imagine you'd still want to mix the surround in a DAW, which somewhat negates the internal surround processing, although it does eliminate the file conversion process.
i have other recorders from Zoom and Marantz (esp for interviews) but the Olympus LS5 which is the same as the LS10 and some say has better preamps for plug in dymanic mics, is definitely my favourite. It seems a perfect design.
Have you tried the LS-14? or LS-12?
Not personally but they have the same specifications as the LS-10
great!
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate your comment!
I have Olympus LS 12 and I am very happy with it's result. Also the price is really cheap comparing to Zoom or Tascam. Great content, thanks for your effort.
Glad you like your LS12, Olympus made some great gear! Did you get your LS12 on eBay?
@@acoustic_nature Actually my gf gave it to me sometime ago, she works for a national radio as a journalist. She probably bought it online long ago but I'm not sure where from.
@@acoustic_nature I captured plenty of nature recordings with it. Gets pretty quality sound if it is not windy.
@@dustedsound That was a great gift! I've enjoyed your Relaxing Vibes channel very much. Great sounds and video editing!
Great info, thank you!
Thanks for watching and for your support by leaving a comment! It means a lot to me ☺️
Wow! So useful video for me, thank you very much for your analysis! I almost decided to buy tascam dr-40x for my first field records (mostly in the forest), but now I understand that this was probably not the right decision (although I have already watched a lot of videos on this topic).
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found the info here useful. Self noise is a very important specification for us nature field recordists
Jared I enjoyed your video, Well done. and in my bag I have an array of mics and my drop rigs are a zoom H1N , which I got recently so not much use, and a Sony ICD sx713 which has been through the grinder a bit , its been trampled by buffalo , mauled by Hyena( which took me a while to find) and rained on . The on off switch is dodgy but the unit is still good . My next trick is dropping the Sony with a drone and retrieving it the following day ( I did a practice run , which is on TH-cam ) and finally I have a Sound Devices Mixpre 3 which I use with parabolics or a matched set of Rode NT1A mics, for me ,needless to say I dont drop it off . Originally I had a Zoom H4N but found it to be not so good and we parted ways. They say " unfortunately your best recordings are nearly always done with the worst equipment " as thats the units you prepared to run the highest risks with.
Ooo is there anyware I can here your Mix Pre and matched NT1-A recordings? I love the NT1-A. Would love the matched pair for ORTF. ORTF is my favorite stereo method. Though what I'd really love to do is record in surround sound. Which would mean getting either Zoom's somewhat newish F8N Pro or the Pre 10T. Then the Core Sound Tetra Mic. Or hell just get either recorder and hook 8 mics and set'em up 7.1 style. Again I don't care about mono compatability or any of that other stuff. I just want true 7.1. Yo the other mic setup I found interesting and would love is the Shoeps ORTF 3D in and outdoors sets.
Wow sounds like you have some awesome gear and ingenuitive techniques! I’m going to have to check out your drone drop video. That sounds awesome
Digging the channel Jared. I have both the Dr-40 and the Dr-05x and equally disappointed with the built in mics. I’ll be looking for the lbs-10 soon. Sean (captured sound 😉)
Thanks a lot Sean! I’ve enjoyed connecting with you and listening to your recordings on SoundCloud.
If you need more than the 16GB limit on the LS-10, look into the LS-10s and LS-11. Both models support 32GB cards but are difficult to find for sale
Hi. Thanks for this video. I have the same experience with Tascam RD 40x (self noise and radio-interferences). But I use it anyway ... Sony D100 is not in sale anymore, if I know.
I just saw today that there are some new D100 units on Amazon but they’re listed for significantly more than they retailed for
hello, found your channel via your blog post about handhled recommendation :) was wondering if you had any thoughts on the zoom h1e? Due to availability I am mostly looking at h1e, and the ls-p1 (the ls-10 is far less available and much higher price but looks great). Although the temptation is to spend more and get a 2nd hand d100 from japan (feel a bit iffy about this, maybe just paranoia lol).
But yeah I was wondering if your ls-p1 recommendation as pocketable and hobbyist/beginner recommendation or thoughts would have changed with the availability of the h1e? :) Any help much appreciated. thanks
I like the H1e on paper but don’t have direct experience with it. You can read more here: acousticnature.com/journal/zoom-essential-review
If you’re looking for your first handheld, you can’t go wring with any of the options you’re considering. Most important thing is getting out there and practicing. In the beginning anything will do and I think you’ll learn more from a more affordable recorder
On your website you have audio samples of the h1n with internal mic and external mic. Do you have any content on how to rig up a external mic to the h1n? Any help would be appreciated. I would like to be able to rig it to my cameras hot shoe and a handheld rig.
I use a stereo pair of EM272 capsules with the H1n. I attach the mics to a tree with bungee cords and hang the H1n in a dry bag. For your camera, you could get a stereo bar and a hot shoe adapter to attach the mics to. You could do similar for a handheld rig but replace the hot shoe adapter with a foam grip.
Jared, thanks for the candid, extremely informative presentation, and for confirming my purchase and use of the Olympus LS-10 for location recordings. I intend to pair the LS-10 for videos and photos made with Olympus OM cameras for live and web presentations created in Adobe LightRoom on a Mac. Live presentations will be output to an external Bose speaker. Is this a setup you would recommend?
Thanks for your kind comment Gary, I’m happy to hear you found the video helpful. I’m unfamiliar with the Olympus OM cameras. Do they have Bluetooth? I’m wondering how you’re planning to send live audio to the Bose speaker.
@@acoustic_nature I plan to record audio with the LS-10 mounted on and wired to my cameras. the Olympus system is designed for this. After editing audio and visuals on my iMac, I would transfer the presentation to my Macbook Air for on-site shows. The audio would be sent to the Bose or any other speaker connected to my laptop via bluetooth. But technology marches on. I'm now wondering if my Google Pixel phone will simply do it all. The Pixel's audio recording is surprisingly good.
@@garycralle7696 Ah okay, so the audio doesn't have to be live for your live and web presentations. Yeah, I'd say that if the sound quality is satisfying to your standards, then stick with it! I do not have that much experience with live presentations, but I would always have wired solution as a backup ready to go just in case you run into wireless issues with the Bluetooth.
What's ur opinion and recommendation of mics for zoom h5 for nature sounds
Hi Biraja, please have a look at this article, any of the condenser microphones mentioned are great choices: acousticnature.com/journal/best-microphone-for-recording-nature-sounds
For more affordable mics that still perform well for nature sounds, please see this article: acousticnature.com/journal/plug-in-power-external-microphones-buyers-guide
Of all the reviews I’ve watched, first I’m hearing of the Olympus. I may pick one up. In need of something quiet and portable. Do you think it’s quieter than the H6?
The Olympus was a game changer for me when I first started recording nature sounds. It’s small, lightweight, aluminum and very quiet.
For field recorder self noise, I’ve always referenced the excellent independent research of Avisoft Bioacoustics. They have the Olympus and H5 both listed at -121dBu. I assume the H6 internals are the same as the H5, so it looks like the H6 is equally quiet to the Olympus.
Here’s the link to their research: www.avisoft.com/recorder-tests/
💙💚💙💚💙💚
Thanks for your comment and support for the channel!
Hi!!! Nice Channel! I have a question. I want to buy a clippy em272 stereo matched pair, basically for nature sounds, like frogs, insects, etc. Then, I have a Tascam dr05 and a ZOOM F6. The tascam is very portable, and that is really great in some situations with a lot of gear, but it use a minijack connection. And, in the other hand, the zoom is slightly bigger, but with a xlr connections.
So, in your experience, do you see a difference in sound quality between a minijack and xlr diveces? Does perform better the same em272 in the xlr version than the minijack?
I want the portability, but obviously is more important the sound quality. What do you think?
Best wishes!! Thank you in advance!
Hi Kloketen, thanks for your compliments and for leaving a comment!
The answer to your question is not so straightforward. There are a lot of variables to examine before coming to a conclusion.
Firstly, when considering sound quality for nature sounds, self-noise is an important factor. Microphones and the preamps that power them both add noise (hiss) to the signal.
However, I’m my tests, plug-in-power (PiP) preamps seem to be very quiet, no matter the device. When testing a 3.5mm stereo pair of EM272 capsules with 3 recorders with preamp noise levels of -109dBu, -121dBu and -127dBu, it was difficult to tell the difference and they all sounded great.
The Zoom H6 has a preamp noise level of -121dBu, so I’d expect it to be very slightly quieter than the Tascam. However, this benefit may not be worth the cost in battery life, as using phantom power will quickly drain your batteries. PiP is much more efficient in this regard.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions.
@@acoustic_nature wow, what a great answer. I was in doubt as to whether or not the preamps of an xlr recorder would be better than those of a recorder with a minijack input. I was not sure whether to buy the Clippy EM272 for my Tascam DR05 or for my Zoom F6. The most important thing will always be sound quality, understood as the least amount of self noise possible. But, if my Tascam DR05 with the Clippy EM272 gives me a clean sound, it could be a good alternative for its portability. If there is no noticeable difference between the two, then I might consider buying for my Tascam and not for my ZOOM. What a dilemma! LOL.
Thank you very much for your time and advice!!! Best wishes from Chile!
Thanks for great info video. What is your opinion about Olympus LS P-1 and Zoom H5?
Thanks for your comment and support! Although I don't own an Olympus LS-P1, I think it's a fantastic recorder. I've written extensively about it and the Zoom H5 here: acousticnature.com/journal/best-handheld-field-recorder-buyers-guide
Although I own a Zoom H5, I'm still saving up for a pair of condenser mics so I never use it and is why I didn't feature it in this video.
Just dusted off my LS-10 after 10 years of not using it. Looks brand new of course! Question - I just recorded a presentation then I read in the manual I must use a special usb cable to get the audio off the internal memory. Is this true? I don't have the original cable. If I use a normal usb cable will I damage the unit??
Getting files off the internal memory of the LS-10 requires a mini USB cable, which is larger than a micro USB cable. You won’t damage your LS-10 with a normal USB cable because it won’t fit!
Any mini USB cable will work though, you don’t need the specific one from Olympus
@@acoustic_nature Thanks, I'll give it a try now.
Did you have success?
@@acoustic_nature Yes, it copied but very slowly about 3MB/s but that's ok. It is an older unit. Now I'm having problems synching this audio with the original video presentation. I'm still trying right now. To make it simple I'm using virtualdub2. I add a delay to my new audio and it syncs. I then check the end and it's out of sync. I tried Wavosaur, Ocenaudio but they can't view 2 tracks at once to align. Tried Reaper too, but that could take a while to figure out. Very frustrating. What would you suggest?
hmm, that`s helpful, there are quite a lot of ls-10`s on ebay for like $20...
Yeah they’re a gamble but a cheap one. I’ve purchased many over the years and two of them had audio issues even though they were in mint condition. Both would randomly stop recording on one or both channels.
When are you getting your MixPre?
I’m not sure. They seem to all be on backorder and the price has gone up about $100 😞
Great roundup Jared - I very much enjoyed the concise and informative presentation. I started making recordings last year, so I'm new to this world and very much inexperienced. I use an Olympus LS-5 which apparently has the same internals of the LS-10, and a Sony PCM-M10 (for attended recordings). I heard a new product from Zoom will be out in early March, this year. It's the Zoom F3. From preliminary research based on specs and announcements, I learned that the input noise is going to be -127dBu - it should be an interesting option when used with external microphones, what do you think?
Hi Antonio, thanks a lot for your comment and supportive feedback. I’ve read good things about the LS-5. Olympus certainly made some great recorders.
Thanks for bringing the Zoom F3 to my attention. After reading about it, it sounds like an awesome little recorder. I also saw that impressive noise spec of -127dB. That’s the same noise level as the Sony D100.
I’m very interested in the unit and curious to see its retail price and early reviews. The Zoom F2 line had a pretty disastrous product launch so while I won’t preorder the F3, I’ll be very engaged with its release.
The only things I don’t like about the F3 on paper is no support for plug-in-powered microphones via a 3.5mm jack and it’s support for only microSD cards. I don’t have a many microSD cards in my kit and they’ve always felt fragile in my hands.
However, I’d still purchase one if it’s as quiet as advertised and at the right price.
It could be the motivation I need to convert one of my EM272 SASS microphones to XLR, which I’ve been thinking about doing anyways for better noise performance with the higher voltage.
@@acoustic_nature Thanks for taking the time to answer. I agree with you that PIP input would have been great for this unit. Being so compact it would have been a perfect replacement for anybody willing to use the small low-noise microphones (e.g., Uši , Clippy). Oh, well... We can't have everything I suppose :)
You’re welcome!
Clippy and Usi do make XLR versions of the beloved EM272 capsules and it’s not too hard to convert an existing 3.5mm version to XLR. Here’s a great resource for doing so: tombenedict.wordpress.com/2016/03/05/diy-microphone-em172-capsule-and-xlr-plug/
No. What I meant was the connecter thing. The 1 on the H8 will exept 4 channals. So what I meant was had they given the f8N Pro this plug for the snap off peaces you could use the EX H8 peace from the H8 and hook 12 mics to the recorder over all thus you could get 12 channals to make Atmos. Oh that would be cool. I should submit that to Zoom as an idea. Or if you wana. Just email them.
Oh okay I understand now. Yes I've seen that adapter. It's a monster!
sucks man. No more Olympus at BH
I agree. Best place to get them now is on eBay
Ah yeah the D100 was $800. The other big flaw with it is no XLRs. I mean that thing and you didn't mention it can even record in DSD. Which roomer has it is purer clearer and more real sounding then WAV. Ahim so say the DSD fans. Don't take that as gosple as I've not myself heard DSD. Did you ever make a DSD file with it? Is this true? Another good recorder would've been the Olympus LS-100.
Honestly, I’ve never experimented with DSD. However, from my research, WAV vs DSD recordings are nearly impossible to distinguish and WAV files are easily read by most audio players while DSD are not. Do you know differently?
@@acoustic_nature Yes it's cause of the coding. PS Audio explains it but not on that channal. Darn I can't remember his studio channal name at the moment. Paull is a total DSD nurd. He's 1 of those that sware it's pretty much reality. Again not judging as I've not heard a DSD file myself. Most of the DSDs on HD Tracks don't even interest me. But yes it's cause of the coppy right and also the process code if you will isn't the same as WAV. There are tricks you can do to get a PC to play it but yes you read that correctly. Some AVRs can decode DSD. Also and I don't get how this works but the creative sound blaster AE7 and AE9 cards can decode DSD. But how it works is beyond me. I mean I can't emagin it's as symple as you have 1 of those 2 cards and bam Windows Media Player can suddenly do DSD. Ah I think the 100 can also do Flac.
@@hamitcampos4989 Always something new to learn in this vast field! I really love that as it keeps interest high. The D100 can read FLAC but not record
@@acoustic_nature Ah it'll play Flac only then. Got ya.