Quick test of the various mic input options on the Tascam DR-100mkIII portable digital recorder. So far the new low noise XLR mic preamps and the 1/8" plug-in powered input coupled with the new higher S/N ratio D/A converters seems to deliver good results. This is just a preliminary test though. This track is compiled from 6 different recordings. No post-processing was done except to trim, cut&paste the files together. You can download the original 24bit 48k file for higher quality listening.

1) DR-100mkIII XLR mic preamps at full gain (+56.5) in a quiet room (24dB) with clocks ticking 2 meters from the mics (Audio-Technica AT4021 in ORTF)

Empty barn, walking and ringing bell at 10 meters from the mics:

2) Audio-Technica AT4021 in ORTF >> DR-100mkIII XLR mic preamps at full gain (+56.5)
3) Audio-Technica AT4021 in ORTF >> Sound Devices MixPre at full gain, ’tape out’ >> DR-100mkIII 1/8” external line input set at +7
4) Audio-Technica AT4021 in ORTF >> Sound Devices MixPre at full gain, ’balanced out’ >> DR-100mkIII 1/8” external line input set at +0
5) DPA 4060 A-B spaced omni >> DR-100mkIII XLR mic preamps at high gain (+42)
6) Primo EM172 A-B spaced omni >> DR-100mkIII 1/8” external (plug-in powered) input set at full gain (+44)

note: it was a fairly windy day, so its a little hard to tell what is preamp noise or outside wind noise. Some additional recordings and comments can be found on my site: http://maaheli.ee/main/tascam-dr-100mkiii-quick-review/

Tascam DR-100mkIII - Mic Input Test

Its not the act but the space in between... segment from a longer recording made in a snow covered forest in southeastern Estonia with a group of visiting students from the Estonian Academy of Music (CoPeCo - Contemporary Performance and Composition program www.copeco.net). Everyone was distributed about the forest roughly 40-60 meters from the microphones. Recorded on my Tascam DR-100mkIII using two Primo EM172 omni microphones that were placed 2 meters off the ground.

Wintery Forest Acoustics Session

Three spring recordings made in southeast Estonia at different nature reserve areas, May 2011. All are about 3 minute excerpts of much longer recordings. Locations and times are as follows:

- May 15th, 3:00am - Emajõgi Suursoo (river delta reserve)
- May 21st, 3:00 am - Meelva järv (lake, pictured)
- May 29th, 2:00am - Räpina polder (reclaimed lakeside preserve)

As you can hear, there is a wide variety of wildlife, primarily birds but also frogs and insects.

Longer recordings available now on Bandcamp! http://engravedglass.bandcamp.com/album/madal-shallow-night

three spring choruses, nature reserves in southeast Estonia

Early morning bird chorus with a woodpecker providing percussion section.

Rayles Cottage Birds

Greater Spotted Woodpecker and other dawn birds UK

Gaet'ale Pond is the saltiest body of water on Earth. It is situated in Ethiopia's Danakil Depression, arguably the hottest and driest place on the planet. Bubbles of odorless but toxic gas  are continuously emitted from the lake surface, but also from holes in the ground next to it. The area is littered with bird and insect corpses.

Recorded with Sony PCM D100.

Ethiopia - Danakil Depression - Gaet'ale Pond Boiling

Random found sound... two plastic tubes left over from some construction work provide a form for a resonant filter effect of passing traffic. Recorded with two Primo EM172 capsules and an Olympus LS-10 recorder.

Roadside Found Tubes

This is a composition made with soundscapes I recorded in the Amazon rainforest, Ethiopia and Romania.

Unquestion - Eerie Equinox

It's a sunny morning in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The sounds of daily mass from a nearby Orthodox church can be heard above distant traffic and birdsong. Read more about my trip to Ethiopia at https://mindful-audio.com/blog/2018/10/24/field-recording-expedition-to-ethiopia

Addis Ababa - Skyline  - Chanting

The hottest place on Earth is surprisingly not that quiet. The only existing camp is pretty lively even when temperatures go above 50C/120F. The hot wind was blowing constantly while I was there making it difficult to record anything. More sounds and stories at https://mindful-audio.com

Ethiopia - Danakil Depression - Camp Atmosphere

It's a misty day at Strathcanaird deep in the Scottish Higlands. The low wind speed and lack of man-made noise made this a perfect stop-and-record location. The soundscape wasn't very diverse but rather subtle and soothing. More sounds and stories at https://mindful-audio.com

Scottish Highlands - Heather - Soft Rain And Distant Bird Calls

Crowned Eagles give this distinctive undulating call as they wheel in the thermals above the forests of Africa.  When they go silent is when they start to hunt for their favourite prey, monkeys.

Crowned eagle, calling above the Mavuji River, Tanzania

Andrew Perkin

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