My 8 x EM272 rig (going via a 9v battery box) is lower noise than a normal EM272 pair but it is also quite a bit more sensitive (around 7.5dB). 

In a very dynamic situation like a thunderstorm, I like to record at the lowest possible level to avoid clipping. On the Sony PCM-A10 you can set the gain right down to level 3 without introducing any additional noise (with a normal EM272 stereo pair). Levels 1 and 2 add quite a bit of recorder self noise.

I wanted to test recording at level 1 with the 8 capsule rig, to see if the lower noise of that rig would mitigate the effects of the increased recorder noise.

In this clip you hear a standard EM272 pair recorded at level 15, followed by the 8 capsule rig at level 1. Recordings were made simultaneously to two separate Sony PCM-A10 recorders and subsequently normalised to the same level using a 1kHz test tone played from my phone.

The result was positive. The 8 capsule rig still has less noise, despite the added recorder noise due to the low gain level.

Sony PCM - A10 Low Gain With 8 X EM272 Capsules

Stereo soundscape recordings. Sometime nature, sometimes people, sometimes machinery. Sometimes quiet things like a single branch creaking in the wind on Dartmoor, sometimes odd moments in the city. Mostly local, but sometimes travelling. 

Sony PCM - A10 Low Gain With 8 X EM272 Capsules

Douglas Langley