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I Need A Microphone

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Ponga

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Hi!

I'm a classical singer and I'm going to buy a MD (probably SONY mz nh700) for recording live performances. I need to choose a proper microphone. First, I was interested in sony ECM-MS907 but I read on this forum that there is something better. I had a look on ebay and I found two models with a good price:

http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...5745746266&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...5745476409&rd=1

what do you think about them? I'd like to pay no more than 50$. Do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks

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Ponga, I'm pretty new here............but from what I've read it is all about the microphone!!

You can have the best recorder money can buy, but with a cheap mic. you'll have low quality recordings.

You'll also want to stay away from the mics that plug straight into the recorder, they will pick up the mechanical noise from the recorder.

I am pretty happy with my 907. I also record singing (no instruments)

Read this thread for more info, there is also a link on this thread for a Sound Pro mic. either one of these mics will work great.

http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=7874

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There are microphones that cost roughly the same as the MS907 but reportedly perform better. The Sound Professionals "copy" of the 907 is one such example.

Take a look on http://www.soundprofessionals.com as well as http://www.reactivesounds.com for more ideas.

In all honesty, the MS907, while not being a truly full-range mic, performs admirably well. The only real issue I have with it is that you can do better without actually paying more.

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Single-point stereo mics are much easier to deal with in terms of setup and general use. They are also totally consistent in how they sound [as with anything that is permanently mounted or housed, T-mics included].

A pair of stereo mics is generally more versatile, but I believe that for most applications a single-point system is just easier to deal with.

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Of course it is, as long as the connector follows a form that the preamp input can use. Many powered computer mics use a form of balanced connection, but I have even used these with MD recorders to no ill effect.

The quality is usually poor, but you might be surprised with how clear even a cheap computer microphone can be.

Incidentally, I have two that I keep around just for this purpose; one is an old Compaq mic that can be easily removed from its casig to be used as a short-cable "bug", heh.

The other is one of those "wand" computer mics; I love this one, because it's so adept at picking up EM fields that it can easily be used as a cable or EM source sniffer.

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It's probably not wired the way the MD expects a mic to be wired, then. *shrugs*

This is also a problem related to using certain kinds of mono mics with MDs. The MD recorder has a powered unbalanced stereo connection; the mic might have a power-required balanced mono connection.

It might work with a cheap sound card input, but not with an MD, basically.

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I've got a Sony ECM-DS70P that came bundled with my MZ-NH1.

I was sitting out on my back porch the other day and recording a few tunes on the guitar, just for reference. In the background the little birdies were twittering, the dogs were barking and the neighbours coming and going.

Honestly, when I played it back through headphones I kept turning my head towards these ambient noises as they appeared in the stero image. Quite amazing the degree of stereo separation from this cheap little mic.

It's got me quite excited about recording more seriously. This little mic is a bit mid-rangey and lacks bass overall.

I've just ordered an Audio Technica Pro24 from Sound Professionals, and I'm waiting for it to arrive. The specs look good though and the price is quite remarkable.

I'll write a review when it turns up.

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Hi guys, looking at SoundProfessionals web site I'm wondering if I need to use a powered stereo mic to record classical concerts. Can it be useful to place the mic anywhere?

Classicalgas, I was looking at the specifications of Sony ECM-DS70P and Audio Technica Pro24.. don't you think a frequency response 20 - 20,000 Hz would be better?

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Classicalgas, I was looking at the specifications of Sony ECM-DS70P and Audio Technica Pro24.. don't you think a frequency response 20 - 20,000 Hz would be better?

Yep, I do think 20kHz is better.

But most people struggle to hear up into that frequency range anyway.

First, looking at the ECMMS907 Sony mic, (the Audio Technica's closest match in the Sony line) it only goes to 15kHz. The Pro24 hits 17kHz and is 150.00 Australian roubles cheaper.

So I gained 2,000 cycles, plus the 907 is a mid-side, not a an x-y combo (which suits me, for recording guitar).

Again, looking at another mic- Sound Professionals own single point stereo mike - it hits 20kHz but costs more, is not specifically x-y and seems to really want a battery pack to get the most out of it. It has a lower max SPL, dynamic range and higher S/N ratio. And it costs more.

Still reckon the Pro24 looks a bargain on paper. Apparently a big hit at NAMM this year.

'Course, may still sound like garbage..... I'll let you know.

Edited by Classicalgas
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I received my Audio Technica Pro24 mic this week.

I'm pretty happy with it.

For USD69.00, it's a bargain.

Here is a sample recording I made.

Just me and my guitar out on my back deck(you can hear that it's pretty windy here today in Melbourne, Australia!)

I've used some compression and added some reverb to give an indication of what this might be like in a proper production environment. I'll write a full review when I get a chance.

Recommended.

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