Building the Perfect Field Recording Rig on the Road
A introduction to our latest portable field recording kit to record in 5.1 atmos. Find all links at the bottom of the post!
We’re Libby and Marcel — field recordists traveling the world recording environmental and nature sounds. We’ve been on the road for almost 11 years now, and recording sounds isn’t just something we do… it’s what we do.
One thing we’ve learned over time:
there is no single “perfect” piece of gear.
When you’re constantly traveling, adapting to new environments, and recording in unpredictable conditions, you naturally start evolving your setups. You simplify, rethink, rebuild and sometimes, something just clicks.
This is one of those moments.
The Idea
Being on the road allows us to fully focus on what we love. Ideas come and go all the time. Most of them disappear just as quickly as they arrive. But every now and then, one sticks.
And this setup… stuck.
We recently bought the Schoeps ORTF-3D system, which sounds absolutely incredible. It’s one of the most immersive and detailed recording experiences we’ve ever had. But there was one issue:
👉 It’s not heavy — but it’s a little bulky.
So we started asking ourselves:
How can we get a similar level of quality in a much smaller, more flexible setup?
Building a Smaller 5.1 Setup with ORTF
A quick look at Cinela’s website, and one product immediately stood out:
Cinela OSIX ORTF
Since we already own Schoeps microphones from our DMS kit, the idea was simple:
use the same high-end capsules in a much more compact ORTF configuration.
What we ended up with is:
Lightweight
Compact
Easy to mount
Travel-friendly
A setup you can literally fit into almost any gear bag.
But Then We Took It Further
We also use the DPA 5100, which is fantastic for recording spatial environments in a completely different way.
And that’s when the idea came:
Why not record both at the same time?
Two perspectives. One location.
ORTF → focused stereo image
DPA 5100 → full spatial environment
This gives us incredible flexibility later on.
Mounting Everything
To make this work, we needed a clean and stable mounting solution.
Using a K&F clamp, we can attach both setups to:
a light stand
or a tripod
Simple, fast, and solid.
The Recorder Solution
Now comes the tricky part:
DPA 5100 → needs 6 channels
ORTF → needs 2 channels
Total: 8 channels
The solution?
Zoom F8n Pro
An affordable, reliable recorder that allows us to run all 8 channels simultaneously in one compact unit.
Power Setup
Power is just as important as audio.
We keep it simple:
SmallRig V-Mount battery
D-Tap to Hirose connection
Plug it in → and that’s it.
No complicated setup. No stress.
A small, powerful, and flexible field recording rig
Two recording perspectives at once
Lightweight and travel-ready
Fast to set up anywhere
Professional-grade sound
And most importantly:
It works in the real world.
Final Thoughts
After almost 11 years on the road, we’ve learned that the best setups are not the most complicated ones.
They’re the ones that:
adapt to your environment
fit your workflow
and let you focus on recording
This setup does exactly that.
