The man who recorded, tamed, and sold nature sounds to America
atlasobscura.com
atlasobscura.com
I am using a Shure MV88 stereo microphone attached to an iPod, relatively cheap compared to the expense Mr. Teibel probably went through.
It's a great way to relax, just sit quiet with headphones and monitor your audio levels. Then, edit around noise pollution, such as loud motorcycles and airplanes using Audacity.
A relaxing hobby!