Bob

Hi Daniel:  If you look at the directivity graphs for the ME-66 and 67, you'll find the graphs are quite similar so you likely won't lose much angular focus when using the ME-66. I have a 66 plus a parabola, using them for different environments and subjects. You also asked about recorders. Cornell folks have tested several and occasionally put our a list of their favorites. For a few years, the Sound Designs MixPre-3 was their top choice; I bought one prior to doing Cornell's Sound Recording Workshop. Version II has 32 bit recording and is quite pricey. A recent Cornell webinar suggested the Zoom F3 is a great choice; smaller & much cheaper. Has an XLR input. I bought one after the webinar and am pleased; found one in nearly new condition on eBay for about $250. There are 3 in very good shape on eBay right now under $300 plus lots of new ones for full retail. Bob

Hi David:  I like to have a reasonably normalized sound level coming into my earbuds or headphones. I assess the amplitude levels of the desired birds before recording then adjust the x1 to x1024 gain to have desired level to my ears and have reasonable levels on the F3 spectrogram. Yep, shotguns are great for recording the birds in their ambient environment; does capture lots of background sounds. For a reasonable price, you could get the small Wildtronics parabola. I use the regular sized one. Bob