Jon Sullivan

My wife got me a Zoom F3 field recorder so I can get higher quality recordings of birds (which was nice). I plugged in my microphone and nothing happened. I handed it back to her and she set it to 24-bit Phantom Power and now it works.

Yes, 24-bit Phantom Power!

Why turn it off and on again when instead you can set it to 24-bit Phantom Power!

(This is probably amusing me more than it should.)

[Edit: @downbeatdan corrected me (thanks). It's 24-volt Phantom Power, not 24-bit Phantom Power. Both seem pretty awesome.]

#AudioRecorder

Aug 9, 2025 at 2:57amWeb
Show threadJoshua LeungAug 9, 2025

@joncounts
Ooh... fancy!

I still remember a few years ago, Dad wanted to find an audio recorder to record lectures on (back when the Uni didn't have a full automated system, with zoom-like video recording too). IIRC, he wanted one as the microphones in the lecture theatres would randomly not be working on any given morning (and then students would complain later of not hearing the lecture), and/or students would be lining up to put their own audio recorders at the front of the room.

Anyway, if such a device existed then, AND we knew where to look (i.e. "Rockshop" of all places seems to stock most of these types of things - and it's where I went for my current mic) then that would've been handy back then LOL

Show threadJon SullivanAug 9, 2025

@aligorith It will take me a while to figure out how best to use it. I sense I'm at the top of a dangerously slippery slope towards getting a better microphone.

Here's my first recording. The Zoom seems better than my iPhone at accentuating the bird songs relative to the background noise. (This morning was blustery windy.)

https://inaturalist.nz/observations/304882256

Regarding university lecture recording, I don't have students recording me with their devices anymore, as they rely on the university system. Instead, I get complaints when the Panopto software intermittently fails to upload a lecture recording to Moodle and I have to find time to go back to the lecture room and rescue it from the PC in the room.

#birds #nz #BirdSong

Mainland New Zealand Bellbird (Subspecies Anthornis melanura melanura)

Mainland New Zealand Bellbird from Cashmere, Christchurch 8022, New Zealand on August 9, 2025 at 11:02 AM by Jon Sullivan. Male korimako singing around our sugar water feeder, with lots of tauhou.

iNaturalist NZ
Show threadIsaac FreemanAug 10, 2025
@joncounts Try not to anger the Phantom.