Mircophone Input Quality

[alex_jes]

hello,

i'd like to buy a portable md-recorder for stereo fieldrecording and recording quiet sounds.

i was wondering whether the new md-reocrder (like hi-md) have better quality than the old ones.

which md-recorder is the best for stereo-microphone recording?

i don't care about the other features of the recorder.

thank you, alex

[The Low Volta]

first of all...welcome to MDCF (these forums)

then: my opinions...with Hi-MD recorders you can record in PCM (i.e. cd-quality), and I think that with older MD-recorders real SP was the best quality you could get... so that would make Hi-MD better. They also allow digital uploading of those recordings, so if your recordings need to be on a computer (for editing/ pasting on images/ or whatever) this is VERY important as analog realtime recording affects soundquality... again Hi-MD wins.

between the different Hi-MD-models there is little or no diference in recording quality...only the other features (which could be usefull for recording ease!! like a backlit remote/lcd on the recorder, type of battery used,...) differ (search around in these forums, there's a lot of info on the different models and it's too much just to repeat it all here)

as for recording quiet sounds in stereo, the type of mic(s) used will be more important than the type of Hi-MD-recorder used. First of all...definitely make sure you don't buy a mic tht directly plugs in the recorder (without a lead) as it will record the machine's noises!! for better info on mics...check out the live recording subforums...again a lot of info on mics and on recording strategies and again way too much to simply rehash here

so good luck searching, and hope (Hi-)MD will please you as much as it pleases me!

[greenmachine]

hello,

i'd like to buy a portable md-recorder for stereo fieldrecording and recording quiet sounds.

i was wondering whether the new md-reocrder (like hi-md) have better quality than the old ones.

http://www.minidisc.org/hi-md_faq.html

which md-recorder is the best for stereo-microphone recording?

i don't care about the other features of the recorder.

thank you, alex

Any recorder with a built-in microphone preamplifier should be a good point to start.

[Reactive]

hello,

i'd like to buy a portable md-recorder for stereo fieldrecording and recording quiet sounds.

i was wondering whether the new md-reocrder (like hi-md) have better quality than the old ones.

which md-recorder is the best for stereo-microphone recording?

i don't care about the other features of the recorder.

thank you, alex

←

Mic noise accounts for some of the background noise. Pre-amp noise can be the biggest culprit. Just turn up the gain all the way and you will hear lots of hiss, that is electronic noise, and it's very difficult to get rid of. Most manufacturers strive to reach at least some level of acceptable noise without being too expensive. Minidisc pre-amps are not that good for recording in quiet locations.

We designed and built a super low noise pre-amp to address this problem. It was no easy task, however I do believe we created a pre-amp that is vastly quieter than the MD pre-amp and does not cost a fortune. Keep in mind that you can easily spend over $1000 for a pre-amp, at this point only small reductions in noise can be achieved.

My best minidisc recorder with the quietest pre-amp is a Sharp.

Good luck and let us know how you made out?

Gerry

www.reactivesounds.com

[alex_jes]

and which sharp md player wouöd you recommend?

alex

[The Low Volta]

My best minidisc recorder with the quietest pre-amp is a Sharp. 

←

but if you were to buy a separate preamp, you could also take advantage of the digital uploading to pc (and other) abilities of a Hi-MD... as you can then record through line in (in stead of mic in) which would bypass the noisy internal preamp from the recorder

you still have to ask yourself what he eventaul recording are needed for (do they have to be on a pc at any given time? do they have to be very high quality (read pcm)? etc...

[alex_jes]

thanks for the replies,

so as far as i see it there are three basic options:

1)electret microphone into mic-input

2)microphone preamp and a mic that doesnt neet phantom-poer

3)mic-preamp with phantom power and micro that needs ph.-power

i got option 3) already but am looking for an alternative, as the mic and the preamp are rather huge.

which preamp and microphone would you recommend (without phnatom power)?

thank you

alex

[A440]

Sharp hasn't made Hi-MD's yet, and there's no indication whether they will. Hi-MD is such an improvement in recording quality and uploading capability that good as NetMD recording was, Hi-MD is the better choice.

For the clearest recording of quietest sounds, option 2 beats option 1. And it really depends on your budget.

Places like www.soundprofessionals.com , www.microphonemadness.com, www.reactivesounds.com and www.core-sound.com have a variety of microphones and preamps, of various sizes, shapes and prices.

For you the crucial spec is S/N ratio or Signal/Noise ratio, which measures how much noise the mic or preamp adds. The higher it is--the more signal, the less noise--the better it is. You also want to look at the frequency range of the microphones--20-20000 Hz is optimum.

If you want a nice enveloping ambient recording, then get omni or binaural (used synonymously) mics that record all around you--not a one-point stereo mic but two separate mics on one lead. If you want directional mics, then get cardioids, but inexpensive cardioids skimp on frequency response and you have to be much more careful about where you place and point them; they also pick up more wind noise if that's a factor.

I'd say get the best binaurals you can afford, and a preamp like the Reactive Sounds Boost Box or one of the Sound Professionals preamps.