hydrophone tests - Lake from jetty by JezrileyFrench

I began selling my own make of hydrophones because, quite simply, I felt the range of products out there wasn’t that good considering the prices being charged. I don’t ‘compete’ with other manufacturers as my hydrophones are custom built by a field recordist for other folks interested in this area of sound exploration & my prices are designed to make this technology accessible to as many folks as possible. Over the years lots of people have asked me for advice when deciding which make of hydrophone to buy & i’ve always give un-biased advice based on whats available at the time. Since I launched the c-series hydrophones i’ve had lots of requests for comparison tests & my reason for doing this now is that, simply, people want to get the best value for their spend & I believe in the products I offer. So, here is the same lake, recorded on the same day with 3 different types of hydrophone - the recorder (Sound Devices 702) settings were identical on all sections.

(4 seconds silence between each sample)

first 2 minutes recorded with JrF c-series hydrophones (£60 per unit with 5metre cable - longer cables currently at £1 per metre extra)

second 2 minutes recorded with Aquarian audio hydrophones ($169 per unit with 3 metre cable)

third 2 minutes recorded with Dolphin Ear Pro hydrophones ($399 per unit with 10 metre cable)

Chris on BBC's Springwatch xmas special 2011 - with one of my c-series contact mics

CHRIS WATSON using some of my contact mics to explore the hidden inner sounds of trees on BBC's The One Show (originally shown in march & just repeated this week - july 2011). In the same series of films he also uses some of my units to explore rock pools & ponds.

also you can hear results possible by using c-series contact mics in this way on this great recording of beetles in an oak tree by Peter Toll:

click here to listen

field recording badges

set of 3 designs

price / postage options

uk £3.00 rest of world £3.50

C-SERIES pro hydrophones

new addition to the JrF range of hydrophones

*re-designed June 2011*

a step up from the basic JrF hydrophones - features:

. high spec, low noise, flexible cable

. large diameter element, housed in an injection moulded capsule - providing, in conjunction with the JrF exclusive 'acoustic-transfer' coating, an even stronger & wider range signal.

. available with 1/4 inch connector only.

(for a range of adaptors to connect to XLR inputs & 3.5mm inputs see the accessories page by clicking here)

. available as single mono hydrophone or in stereo pairs.

. come with 5metre cables as standard.

extra cable (per metre) can be purchased on the accessories page

(cable colour & width is subject to change depending on supply - but only high spec cable with the same characteristics will be used)

recent comment received: these hydrophones provide a better sound / signal than dolphin ear pro's costing over $400 ! I tested both over the course of a field trip in europe & was stunned by how much better the JrF ones are. Considering the price it's amazing what JrF offers. Fantastic !

prices / options below
NB. standard hydrophones are of course still available - click here

price / postage options

one C-series hp 5m cable (uk) £60.00 stereo pair C-series hp's 5m cables (uk) £120.00 one C-series hp 5m cables (rest of world) £65.00 stereo pair C-series hp's 5m cables (rest of world) £130.00

C-series hydrophone - Hozugawa river, japan - june 2011 by JezrileyFrench

C-SERIES pro contact microphones

new addition to the JrF range

sound sample here

a step up from the basic JrF contact microphone - features:

. high spec, low noise, flexible specially designed cable as used by film sound crews all over the world.

. large diameter element providing, in conjunction with the JrF exclusive 'acoustic-transfer' coating, an even stronger signal.

. strengthened top of element for increased placement & handling durability.

. available with 1/4 inch jacks only.

(for a range of adaptors to connect to XLR & 3.5mm inputs please see the accessories page by clicking here)

. available as single mono contact microphone or in stereo pairs.

. come with 3metre cables as standard.

extra cable (per metre) can be purchased on the accessories page

(cable colour is now black)

prices / options below
NB. standard contact microphones are of course still available - click here

price / postage options

one C-series contact microphone 3m cable (uk postage) £30.00 GBP stereo pair C-series contact microphone 3m cable (uk postage) £60.00 GBP one C-series contact microphones 3m cable (rest of world) £33.00 GBP stereo pair C-series contact microphone 3m cables (rest of world £66.00 GBP

new addition to the specialist range of field recording equipment available from JrF

parabolic reflector / dish

£50 inc p&p (uk only)

(the size of these means posting abroad would be costly - do contact me for a quote)

Designed & built by a highly respected maker, now retired - LIMITED NUMBER of his remaining stock left - grab one now !

an example of bird song captured with one of these reflectors fitted with a simple MM omni mic (as in the pictures below) is available now in the player at the top of this page

parabolic reflectors are an essential addition to the kit for any serious field / sound recordist. In essence the act as a natural 'zoom' for sound - noise-free amplification enabling the listener / recordist to isolate the sound of distant sound sources. Developed with the wildlife recordist in mind these dishes have been used for years to record the sounds of birds for example & are used all over the world by film, tv & radio crews.

The 'parabolic curve' is a specially designed shape, scientifically formulated to provide natural amplification.

I use one to not only capture natural sounds but to achieve interesting creative effects in all kinds of environments - such as locating small sounds in busy locations.

These particular reflectors are supplied ready for you to adapt for your own microphone option & without pre-cut holes. They have a focal point of 4 inches (this is the point where the beams of sound hit the microphone capsule) & are 23inches diameter, 7 inch depth. They were built by a respected sound recordist who has recently retired.

Constructed from vacuum-formed ABS thermoplastic.

For more information on the use of parabolic reflectors there is an article on the website for the Wildlife Sound Recording Society - click here to read.

please note: these come as just the disc itself & one has to create / attach ones own mic system (hence the lower cost). However a chap on one the recent courses I teach on came up with a really handy way to do this: basically it's an industry wide standard fitting for (wait for it) a toilet flush handle & when you mount one of those (complete with its handy collection of washers & twist caps) as a handle on the dish the 'bolt' of the handle protrudes into the dish to a height of 4inch - which is the focal point of the curve ! Then one can mount small microphones either onto that bolt or use it as a point at which to structure a further mic holder. I'm not sure if toilet handles are the same size in the rest of the world though ! (but I could always get one & supply it with the dish if not).

below are some photos of one of these dishes being set up with the above handle / mount solution:

reflectors will be sent in double-walled card boxes by standard parcel service.

& here's another microphone mounting solution sent to me by Gisle Tveito (norway) - the picture shows field recordist Fredric Vogle (norway) using one of these parabolics with an AKG480.

induction coil pick-up *now available*

for picking up electronic signals / sounds ie. the internal sounds of a laptop, lightbulbs, recorders, household gadgets etc etc.

A fascinating & rewarding method used by myself in performance, installation & on several releases. Also used by sound artists & field recordists around the world.

you can hear some of the sounds these can pick up on an exclusive MP3 track I created for THE WIRE magazine by clicking here on this piece you will hear field recordings of the general wire office ambience along with the inner sounds of their computer systems, alarm boxes & light fittings.

I've managed to buy up some stock of these prior to the changes made by the EU that will restrict the sale of certain induction coil units.

They come fitted with a 3.5mm jack plug. Myself I use a decent mini-to-1/4inch jack adaptor.

Please note: the signal from these is strong & has been boosted in comparison with the other UK ones i've been using.

postage options

UK inc p&p £15.00 GBP rest of world £16.00 GBP

hydrophones by JrF

after a few years making my own hydrophones, this design is the one I still find produces the best results in a variety of situations.

As an experienced field recordist / artist / composer I have used this design to make recordings, in gallery installations & when performing live.

They come pre-dipped & sealed (including unique marine & acoustic transfer coatings), internally coated to provide a totally waterproof finish & are weighted.

You can hear recordings made with these hydrophones by clicking:

here

here

here

&

here

Any questions please email me at: tempjez@hotmail.com

They are available with either a standard jack or a mini-jack (please specify which you require at the time of purchase).

adaptors for connection to XLR imputs & from a stereo pair to a single mini jack input can be found on the accessories page by clicking here

They come with 5m of cable as standard

extra cable (per metre) can be purchased on the accessories page

They are piezo based hydrophones, with the piezo's sealed into plastic capsules (chosen for their particular qualities) with multiple layers of waterproof coatings.

Pairs (for true stereo) are also available.

prices / cable options are:

options

one hydrophone with 5m cable (UK) £35.00 stereo pair hydrophones with 5m cables (UK) £70.00 one hydrophone with 5m cables (rest of world) £38.00 stereo pair hydrophones with 5m cables (rest of world) £76.00 one hydrophone with 10m cable (UK) £40.00 stereo pair hydrophones with 10m cables (UK) £80.00 one hydrophone with 10m cable (rest of world) £43.00 stereo pair hydrophones with 10m cables (rest of world) £86.00

(if you require different cable lengths do please email me at tempjez@hotmail.com)

some recent comments from fellow artists / recordists using these hp's:

From renowned recordist John Grzinich: 'The hydrophone is made by the avid field recordist Jez riley French who spent a few weeks in the MoKS residency. I can reccomend these hydrophones for those who want to try out under water recordings and are on a budget (yes, this is a small but honest advertisement for Jez’s product which he sells to help fund concet events he organizes)'

- to read the full post & listen to an mp3 of John's recording with my hydrophones click here

‘the best hydrophone on the market for the price without doubt’ (January 2009)

‘quality sound, design and construction. A+’ (January 2009)

‘better than the dolphinear hydrophones I have & they cost me over $350 !’ (Nov 2008)

'amazing ! couldn't believe the results I got' (August 2008)

'great value' (Sept 2008)

'thanks Jez, i'm finding some amazing sounds with these' (Nov 2008)

'just been to a workshop led by Chris Watson & loads of people thought these were great' (Nov 2008)

a+

The Hydrophone works great, fast delivery. Thanks!

Fantastic item - I've bought 2 now. Thoroughly recommend. A+++++++++++++++++++++

Excellent Item. If you need one of these BUY ONE HERE. Bravo.

Wonderful product and seller, thank you very much.

fast and perfect. Very good seller and excellent communication!

excellent product!!!

Excellent in every way! Great product!

Excellent product - highly recommended. Thanks for your help with the item also.

also a 3inch cd I released in 2008 ( recorded with these hp's) was recently given a great review in 'The Wire' magazine:

review from 'The Wire' (December 2008 issue):

'two pieces comprising untreated field recordings of Yorkshire waterways, recorded with the composer's self built hydrophones. He insists that it's not the technical perfection of a location recording that he's after, but a sense of emotional interaction with the landscape. That's not to say that he's slapdash with his methods - both tracks have a fabulously evocative tactile quality that clearly demonstrates the composer's attention to, and delight in the most minute details of sound. The result of such open-hearted diligence is a brief, captivating mini-cd, beautifully packaged (Richard Skelton's work comes to mind), and which reminds us that listening is the most important part of composition' - Keith Moline

my hydrophones are used by public aquariums (such as The Deep in Hull), whale watching tours all over the world, scientists, artists, film & tv crews & film makers.

Hydrophones (for recording in water / liquids)

by

Jez riley French

UPDATE MARCH 2011: NEW AUDIO SAMPLES ADDED TO BLOG. my blogspot for all the specialist mics I sell now features a soundcloud players packed with samples of some of the amazing sounds you can capture with these units. do take a look / listen at:http://hydrophones.blogspot.com/

Custom built for recording in liquids / water

Unlike other hydrophones anywhere near this price range on the market these are built by a highly respected artist working with contemporary sound / music & composition, who has been at the forefront of creative developments in field recording for many years & are used by many established musicians, sound artists & field recordists.

‘after a few years making my own hydrophones, this design is the one I still find produces the best results in a variety of situations. As an experienced field recordist / artist / composer I have used this design to make recordings, in gallery installations & when performing live.

I also teach field recording on the regular WILDEYE sound recording courses alongside Chris Watson

They come pre-dipped & sealed (including a unique marine coating), internally coated to provide a totally waterproof finish & are weighted’

IMPORTANT: PLEASE REMEMBER TO LET ME KNOW WHETHER YOU REQUIRE 1/4INCH OR 3.5MM JACK !

You can hear recordings made with these hydrophones by visiting:

http://hydrophones.blogspot.com/

. piezo element housed in capsules chosen for their particular ability to enhance the signal.

. elements are internally sealed with a unique acoustic transfer coating that boosts the signal (on average my hp’s deliver a signal 20% stronger than anything else on the market anywhere near this price range)

. triple dipped in a unique waterproof coating (now using a black coating)

. weighted

. available with either a standard jack or a mini-jack (please specify which you require at the time of purchase) - if your recording device uses xlr inputs the best option is to use these hp's with a jack-to-xlr adaptor - I use these HP's with my sound devices recorder & have always found the adaptor option better than hot-wiring them to xlr jacks direct.

. they come with 5m of cable as standard - longer lengths are available upon request & are charged at £1 per metre. Further options such as higher spec cable are also possible.

. high-impedance, passive hp's that work either with a pre-amp or without one - just plug it into the mic-in socket of minidisc, compact flash, dat or hard drive recorders, laptops & other devices & away you go.

. Frequency response range for the element is approx. 80-20,000Hz

NB. I have recently changed the colour of the waterproof coating to black - this is due to carrying out some extended research with tropical fish.

buy it now price includes p&p for UK customers.

I have tested (for my ‘in place’ blog) all other hydrophones on the market & I can honestly say that this design beats all others out there until you start spending a lot more (& even then they compete well with some of the high-cost pro models on the market). Even hp’s with built in pre-amps don’t deliver the strength & quality of signal these do. You can trust my word as I am not just a salesman – I’m a professional artist working with field recording myself.

contact microphones by JrF

I’ve been recording sounds via contact mics for years – from self-made piezo ones to high cost pro models & I always come back to this design.

I’m well known for my work with this method of field recording & sound capture so you can trust that these mics are able to deliver !

Just like the hydrophones I sell (& which have a 100% satisfied customer result) these products are made to not only deliver great results at a reasonable cost but also to be durable.

. 27mm quality piezo element.

. triple dipped in a unique semi-flexible rubber coating.

. 2 metres of screened high quality cable

extra cable (per metre) can be purchased on the accessories page

. can be supplied with standard ¼ inch jacks or 3.5mm mini-jacks (please specify at time of purchase)

adaptors to connect to XLR inputs & from two mics to a single 3.5mm input please see the accessories page by clicking here.

Ideal for use on instruments and in field recording.

click here to listen / download an extract from a recording made using one of my contact mics

Email me by clicking here for any further info & mp3 examples.

options

one contact microphone with 2m cables (UK) £20.00 stereo pair contact microphones with 2m cables (UK) £40.00 sone contact microphone with 2m cable (rest of world) £22.00 stereo pair contact microphones with 2m cables (rest of world) £44.00 extra cable (per metre) £1.00

as seen being used by Chris Watson on BBC's 'The One Show' (march 25th 2011)

Jez riley French (that's me !) teaches alongside Chris Watson on the 'wildeye' sound recording courses.

my contact microphones & hydrophones (see my other listings) are the only ones listed on ebay that are used by many leading sound artists, musicians, composers & field recordists all over the world. They have a spotless reputation built on extensive knowledge of their creative use & because their signal strength / dynamic range / durability is so good. Amongst those using them are: Chris Watson, John Grzinich, Tarab, Patrick Farmer, Murmur, quay brothers etc etc. - hundreds of field recordists, musicians & artists all over the world - as well as universities, art galleries & various BBC departments.

For use in various conventional & extended field recording techniques, with instruments & indeed as an instrument itself.

Unlike other contact mics on the market these are built by a highly respected artist working with contemporary sound / music & composition, who has been at the forefront of creative developments in field recording for many years.

‘I’ve been recording sounds via contact mics for years – from self-made piezo ones to high cost pro models & I always come back to this design. I’m well known for my work with this method of field recording & sound capture so you can trust that these mics are able to deliver !

Just like the hydrophones I sell (& which have a 100% satisfied customer result) these products are made to not only deliver great results at a reasonable cost but also to be durable.

. specially imported, high quality piezo element (better than the ones sold in the UK or used in other designs - the ones I use are not available to individuals but are made especially for the scientific electronics industry)

. multi-dipped in a special formula of semi-flexible rubber coating + a unique acoustic transfer coating that boosts & improves the signal

. 2 metre cable - other lengths are available on request & are charged at £1 per extra metre.

. can be supplied with standard ¼ inch jacks or 3.5mm mini-jacks (please specify at time of purchase) - if your recording device uses xlr inputs the best option is to use these with a jack-to-xlr adaptor - I use these with my sound devices recorder & have always found the adaptor option better than hot-wiring them to xlr jacks direct.

. high-impedance, passive mics that work either with a pre-amp or without one - just plug it into your recorder or amplifier etc & away you go.

. Frequency reponse range for the element is approx. 80-20,000Hz

Email me for any further info & mp3 examples.

You can hear samples of recordings made with these contact microphones by visiting:

http://hydrophones.blogspot.com/

Pairs – for true stereo are also available (these are two separate contact mics – allowing for placement experimentation and a wider field of sound capture)

I have tested (for my ‘in place’ blog) all other contact microphones on the market & I can honestly say that this design beats all others out there until you start spending a lot more (& even then they compete well with some of the high-cost pro models on the market). You can trust my word as I am not just a salesman – I’m a professional artist working with field recording myself + the profits from these items goes to help fund the label & festival I run here in the UK.

If all that isn't enough then let me also mention that I sell these on a not for profit basis with proceeds going towards funding events to help emerging & established artists further their work & experience of field recording & creative music.

I also sell hydrophones (for recording in water / liquids) - see my other items for more details.

some recent comments from fellow artists / recordists using my microphones & hydrophones:

stunning results

a zillion times better than any of the others i've tried

Jez supplied, without doubt, some of the best & most reasonably priced specialist mics around. His expertise in the use of these items means that one gets mics that not only do the job but are used by major artists around the world. On top of all that he can give all kinds of advice & spends much of his time trying to spread the good word about field recording. Top class, top chap.

great item, great comms. thanks

amazing !

a+

Fantastic item - I've bought 2 now. Thoroughly recommend. A+++++++++++++++++++++

Excellent Item. If you need one of these BUY ONE HERE. Bravo.

Wonderful product and seller, thank you very much.

fast and perfect. Very good seller and excellent communication!

AMAZING seller arrived well before expected and was completely as described.

Microphone works great! Good communication, well packed.

Well made, great contact mic.

Excellent product.

AMAZING seller arrived well before expected and was completely as described.

excellent service-quality of sound from mic is second to none-great value too.

product will be of great value - highly recommended.

Totally Brilliant.Thanks.

Excellent in every way! Great product!

Excellent product - highly recommended. Thanks for your help with the item also.

Well made mic, good response. Promptly delivered, good comms. 5 stars *****

Great item and very helpful seller, thanks!.

Fast delivery, excellent item as described! Highly recommended seller AAA+++

first class service

Fast delivery, excellent item.

Best I've ever delt with - Thank you - Brillant!

‘quality sound, design and construction. A+’ (January 2009)

'amazing ! couldn't believe the results I got' (August 2008)

'great value' (Sept 2008)

'thanks Jez, i'm finding some amazing sounds with these' (Nov 2008)

'just been to a workshop led by Chris Watson & loads of people thought these were great' (Nov 2008)

I also make hydrophones - see my other items for more details.

renowned recordist / artist John Grzinich has just posted the following about my hydrophones on his website:

'The hydrophone is made by the avid field recordist Jez riley French who spent a few weeks in the MoKS residency. I can recommend these hydrophones for those who want to try out under water recordings and are on a budget (yes, this is a small but honest advertisement for Jez’s product).

you can read the full post & listen to an mp3 of a recording John made by viewing his website: http://maaheli.ee/main/archives/792