At the time I enlisted myself at the audio course, I knew that would want to go in the direction of a sound designer. To start with the basics, I'd need to do some field recording - first with a minidisc recorder (Sony MZ RH-1 - the last of its kind :( ) but I also needed something professional - and found the Fostex FR-2.

But the recorder alone isn't enough and aside from a flash card (of which you first buy crappy ones) I also needed a microphone (duh) - and to make things complete, a boom as well. Today I got my first microphone - an Audio-Technics AT835b (long shotgun) - on recommendation of the seller (plus a 3meter boom).
Note: Only because you once heard, that microphone winding attachments are 'standard', it doesn't mean that they fit everywhere. I now will have to go to the shop again and get an adapter for the boom. But I want to go anyway, since I also want two omnidirectional mics for ambience recording.

Happy with my new toy, I immediately put everything together, waved the mic around my flat and was impressed by the differences in the sound of my PC fan from different directions. Veterans will surely smirk at this revelation and I also knew the basics of this behaviour, yet to have actual hands-on and experiment with it the first time is amazing :)

I then packed myself up and took my equipment out for a walk. To make things short, from the 30 minutes I roamed the vicinity of my house on the streets I collected (nearly) no valuable recordings, but quite valuable experience - For example:
- Use proper ('silent') clothing, or don't move at all.
- The Fostex FR-2 has some warning tone I yet have to disable - it was constantly beeping in my ear because the factory default level of -20 dB was surpassed. (I later found out, reading the manual.)
- Using a shotgun (microphone) can create some interesting effects; I had a child running first at, then past me while it talked, and by the time it passed me the recording sounded like the child had an ultra-drive and was lengths away. (Also clear by theory, but still interesting to hear.)

I'm eager to find out what I will be able to do with omnidirectional mics; What's furthermore missing is the proper bag for my Fostex FR-2 from PortaBrace that I ordered four weeks ago - I should give the shop a call if it doesn't arrive the upcoming week...

Quite some fun.