Post
by Ongelegen » Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:38 pm
Recording ambiences with a dynamic mics is a no go, as they only pick up sound in close proximity. Cardioid, omni would work too, condensers are what you need, setup in XY. This means you'll need 2 as ambience should be recorded in stereo. Good wind protection should not affect the frequency response drastically. If there is any hi-end roll off it can be compensated for in post with a gentle boost.
I'd say the mic is equally important as the pre, although you can get good recordings with a noisier mic into some hi-end pre. This will allow you to turn the gain up without increasing the noise significantly. Putting a compressor in the chain won't help you, it will probably make the problem even worse as it will make the difference in dynamic range between your peaks and the noisefloor smaller. If by recording hotter you mean turning up the gain, mixer or pre, then this won't help you as you'll be also turning up the noise along with the signal. Unless, here we go again, it is a quality pre.
Having said this I think the c3 into the 1800 is your best bet. You'll get only mono, but mono is better than nothing imo. I also think you'll be getting better recordings with something like the Zoom H2 or a similar portable recorder than your current setup. A portable recorder with build in mics would also be the cheaper option compared to getting a nice pre and mics.