Many of you reading this will have found yourself in the same predicament as I find myself in regularly. That being you’re in need of a new piece of recording gear (maybe a microphone, recorder, headphones or software) and you want to read as many reviews, comparisons and get suggestions as possible from others who’ve used the equipment before parting with your hard-earned cash. Even for those looking to spend just a couple of hundred dollars on a portable recorder, finding expert advice that is non-biased and addresses the concerns you may have is essential.
So where do you look? You only have to enter a couple of keywords on YouTube and you’ll no doubt find a few videos for a particular piece of gear. As an example, I recently wanted to buy some new headphones and rather than just go out and buy the industry standard Sony MDR-7506, I wanted to get as much info as possible. A quick search on YouTube found me a great and in-depth review that really helped me make my decision. However, there is a resource that you should all check out…
Introducing Creative Field Recording (.com)
There is one website that is my ‘go-to’ resource for information and one that has never yet let me down. Creative Field Recording is a resource set up by Paul Virostek, who anyone working in the sound design industry would have likely heard of, if not know. Paul has been traveling the world recording sound effects since 1996, is the owner of www.airbornesound.com and a general expert in all things field recording.
Creative Field Recording is a vast resource than features over 300 articles as of this writing, reviews, resources, free sound effects, links to other blogs, sub-reddits and so much more. However there is one area of the website that I visit on a regular bases and that’s the in-depth equipment reviews.
Audio recorder comparisons and reviews
This fantastic article stems from interviews with audio pros from around the world and the audio recorders they use. The information has then been analysed and presented in a well researched and laid out breakdown of popularity. I read this article with interest when looking to purchase a new portable audio recorder. The obvious choice for me was a Sony PCM D100 (which I eventually bought), but I was able to see that among the pros interviewed, the unit received most votes for unit owned and the reasons for these choices (portability, quality of microphone pre-amps etc) also helped me make my decision.
Field recording gear buyers guide
But for those of you who are starting out, or even maybe seasoned pros looking for a new mic combo etc, the Field Recording Buyers Guide is a must-read. This article reviews everything from portable recorders (standalone and mic combos) pre-amps, microphones and more. The reviews are in-depth, offer price, links as to where to buy them and Paul’s opinions on what they are best suited for, what the pros and cons of each are etc which will really help you make a decision as to what equipment you should opt for.
Summary
I simply wanted to tell you about this fantastic resource and I encourage you to head over and take a look. I’ve not even skimmed the surface on the trove of information available on his website but simply highlighted a couple of articles that have massively helped me out over the last few months. Paul offers expert advice you can trust coupled with opinions and detailed data to back up his words.
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