Microphone and set up for recording onboard a motorcycle

[Techno]

I am considering what type of microphone to use for this task. I will be recording using a Tascam Dr 100 Mkii. I intend to put it in a tank bag and run a cable to a microphone mounted near the exhausts. The sound will be recorded while the bike is moving.

I originally thought of mounting the Tascam near the exhaust and using the internal mics but canned that idea. I will need to concentrate on the road while riding so it will be a bit of trial and error to get the settings right. I need a set up I can set and forget and then review it when I stop.

I realise I will need a dead cat for wind protection and I will also need to make some form of mount with vibration damping to eliminate any sound from the mic moving.

Has anyone done this before and what was your set up? Any alternative suggestions for mounting positions?
Any help appreciated.

 

[AudioPostExpert]

I've done this before. It can take a fair bit of trial and error to minimise the wind noise and get good clean levels of bike noise. I tried simultaneously mic'ing the engine, exhaust and one underneath, pointed at the rear tyre/road. I ended up using a mixture mainly of the engine and exhaust mics, although I got alot more treble from the engine than I expected. Obviously, you need to tape the cables down well , fix the mics securely and avoid surfaces which are going to get hot. Fixing the mics was tricky but helped by a bike with a bolted on frame (designed for panniers), quite a few neoprene pads (to damp the vibration) and some slightly mod'ed clamps used for mounting mics on drums. It took us most of a day to really get the sound we were after.

Good luck

 

[Techno]

Thanks for your reply.

What sort of mics did you use?

 

[AudioPostExpert]

I used a Lav near the engine, because it was a Japanese fully faired bike so there wasn't much space to get anything bigger. And, a shotgun mic on the back, above the end of the exhaust pointing slightly backwards and downwards. Both mics took quite a lot of fine adjustment through trial and error to get a good sound.

G