Binaural microphones
Microphones worn in the ears (or in a dummy head) that capture sound as a listener hears it – best experienced on headphones.
Sound Devices recorders
Professional location recorders (702, 722, MixPre series) with very quiet preamps.
Zoom H4n
One of the most widely used field recorders of the 2010s, with X/Y mics and two XLR inputs.
Zoom H2n
A compact recorder with five capsules offering X/Y, mid-side and surround modes.
Zoom H5
A modular handheld recorder with interchangeable microphone capsules.
Tascam DR-100
A rugged recorder with both directional and omni microphone pairs.
Zoom F3
A tiny two-input 32-bit float recorder – no gain setting needed.
Zoom H6
A six-track recorder with interchangeable capsules and four XLR inputs.
LOM microphones (Uši)
Small omni microphones from the Slovak LOM collective, popular for quiet nature recording.
Primo EM172 capsules
Tiny, very low-noise electret capsules at the heart of many DIY and boutique nature-recording mics.
Tascam DR-05
A budget handheld with omnidirectional stereo microphones.
Contact microphones
Piezo pickups that record vibrations in solid materials instead of airborne sound.
Sennheiser MKH microphones
RF-condenser microphones (MKH 416, 8040, 8020, 30/40) – robust in humid conditions and very quiet.
Røde microphones
Australian microphones such as the NT4 stereo mic and NTG shotguns.
Olympus LS series
Olympus's LS line (LS-10, LS-11, LS-14, LS-100, LS-P4) – small recorders with good built-in mics.
Audio-Technica microphones
Including the AT8022 and BP4025 X/Y stereo microphones.
DPA microphones
Danish miniature and measurement-grade microphones.
Schoeps microphones
High-end German condensers (CMC 6 with MK 2/4/41 capsules).
Roland / Edirol R-05 & R-09
Compact Roland/Edirol recorders that were popular for early sound-map contributions.
Zoom H1 / H1n
An entry-level stereo handheld recorder with fixed X/Y microphones – many people's first field recorder.
Tascam DR-40
A four-track handheld with adjustable X/Y–A/B microphones and XLR inputs.
Hydrophones
Underwater microphones used for whales, fish, ice and the hidden sounds of rivers and ponds.
Smartphones
Phones have become surprisingly capable field recorders – many sound-map recordings were made on one.
Parabolic reflectors
Dish reflectors that focus distant sounds – the classic tool for recording individual birds.
Zoom F6
A six-input 32-bit float field recorder popular with sound designers.
Ambisonic microphones
Four-capsule microphones that capture a full 360° sound field for spatial audio and VR.
Sony PCM-D100
A high-end handheld with DSD recording and very quiet preamps, loved by nature recordists.
Roland R-26
A six-channel recorder with both directional and omni microphones.
Sony PCM-M10
A pocket recorder famous for its low self-noise and long battery life.
Sennheiser ME66 / K6
Modular shotgun and omni capsules for the K6 powering module.
Sony PCM-A10
A slim, modern successor to the PCM-M10.
Sony PCM-D50
A respected low-noise handheld with adjustable stereo microphones.