A portable field recording rig gives you the freedom to capture high-quality sound in any environment without the need for bulky equipment or complicated setups. Whether you're in a busy city, out in nature, or on location at a construction site, a portable rig lets you record exactly what you need with minimal effort. The gear is lightweight and easy to carry, so you can move around and adjust quickly to different situations. You don’t have to worry about finding the perfect spot to set up—just grab your gear and go. This makes it easy to capture sounds as they happen, whether you’re chasing down an interesting sound or recording a specific moment before it fades away. A portable rig allows you to stay flexible and adaptable, getting the most out of whatever environment you’re working in.
In this post, we will look at my stealth field recording rig that compromises of waist pack, the Zoom F3 field recorder and a Clippy EM272Z1 stereo pair.
The Set Up
The setup for this portable field recording rig uses a waist pack, a Zoom F3 field recorder and a matched pair of Clippy EM272Z1 microphones. The idea of this rig is to be understated, very mobile and easy to use.
The Zoom F3 recorder fits securely inside the main compartment of the pack, offering a compact and accessible recording solution. The Zoom F3 recorder is perfect for this portable field recording rig due to its combination of high-quality audio performance, compact design, and ease of use. The F3 offers professional-grade features, including 32-bit float recording, which ensures that your recordings are not only clear but also highly forgiving when it comes to fluctuating audio levels. The nature of the rig make it difficult to make gain adjustments so this feature is especially useful for this field recording rig, where sudden changes in sound can occur.
The F3 also provides dual XLR/TRS inputs, which make it versatile for connecting a variety of microphones, including the Clippy EM272Z1 mics used in this setup. It’s powered by AA batteries or USB power. In my rig I use an Anker power bank which has lasted hours with plenty left in the tank after long sessions. Its simple interface allows for quick setup and easy control, especially when paired with the Bluetooth App which allows me to name files, start records and monitor the waveforms of the recordings.
On either side of the waist pack, two Clippy EM272Z1 microphones are attached, positioned to capture sound from both the left and right. The microphone cables are neatly routed through two inner pockets on each side of the bag, keeping them secure and preventing any cables spilling from the bag. The microphones are positioned roughly as a Spaced Pair/AB placement to capture stereo sound from the environment and provides a broad, balanced sound image.
This setup allows for hands-free recording, making it easy and discrete to quickly hit record via the bluetooth App while the microphones remain in place, capturing high-quality audio from the surroundings.
Wind and ambient noise are important factors when out and about field recording. Wind can overpower the intended sounds, so windshields are incredibly important for the microphones. After doing a tonne of research and almost spending a small fortune on some high end wind muffs, I picked up some cheap 1cm wind shields on Amazon and they have been perfect.
Capturing Audio in Various Environments
With this rig it feels easy to record in virtually any location. When out and about it is so easy to stop when you hear something interesting, take a seat somewhere or just stand to the side, hit record and just take in the soundscape. At first I intended this portable field recording set up to be used while standing still, static. However upon testing I found I could walk around with minimal interference/vibrational and handling noise. In quieter environments the rig can be more prone to picking up the sound of your own walking. However down busy highstreets or loud buildings the noise is masked completely. I then took things a step further and thought it was worth trying it out while riding a few rental vehicles we had whilst on holiday, one being a quadbike and the other a little 50cc scooter. I was incredibly surprised by the quality of the recordings and the lack of noise interference from wind and vibrations. So much so that two new libraries came as a result.
Get out there!
Using a spatially effective setup—with a waist pack for ease of movement, the Zoom F3 field recorder, and Clippy EM272Z1 microphones—enhance your ability to capture sound effects and environments on the move. This versatile rig opens up new avenues for recording, allowing sound effects recordists to engage deeply with their environments and focus on capturing natural moments and sounds without worrying too much about set up.
Grab your fanny pack, get out there and uncover a wave sounds waiting to be recorded!
