Embio Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 Hi, I have an NH900, and my mate has a 'tweaked' ATRAC CD player that can record via a mic in....what we would like is some advice on which mics are best for stealth recording within a budget of £50-75?thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A440 Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 Hi, I have an NH900, and my mate has a 'tweaked' ATRAC CD player that can record via a mic in....what we would like is some advice on which mics are best for stealth recording within a budget of £50-75?thanks in advance!←Take a look at www.soundprofessionals.comwww.microphonemadness.comwww.reactivesounds.com and get the best mini binaurals that are within your budget. Get a pair that you can separate and clip onto a shirt, hat, eyeglasses, etc. You'll get excellent recordings even with the Sound Professionals BMC-2 basic binaurals. You can hear various recordings and mics in the Gallery at the top of the page. How do you tweak a CD player to record????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmachine Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 (edited) Hi, I have an NH900, and my mate has a 'tweaked' ATRAC CD player that can record via a mic in....what we would like is some advice on which mics are best for stealth recording within a budget of £50-75?thanks in advance!←There are different microphones for different purposes, a 'do-it-all' has to be invented yet.It would be quite helpful if you could provide some details about for what purpose you want to use them, for rather loud or quiet sounds, outside or indoors, should they pick up the sound directional, and so on... Edited May 14, 2005 by greenmachine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kooterb Posted May 14, 2005 Report Share Posted May 14, 2005 There are different microphones for different purposes, a 'do-it-all' has to be invented yet.It would be quite helpful if you could provide some details about for what purpose you want to use them, for rather loud or quiet sounds, outside or indoors, should they pick up the sound directional, and so on...←Try Core Sound Low cost Cards' and Bi's. for $75 they will do the job.http://www.core-sound.com/Here is a sample of my recording usingCors Low Cost Bi's with the NH900 set to mic inAGC to loud and mic to sens.http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?act=m..._album&album=44I have some Core Low Cost Cards coming , and will beusing them next week at the PensacolaSpring Fest.Good luck,KooterB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadwing Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 Hi, I have an NH900, and my mate has a 'tweaked' ATRAC CD player that can record via a mic in....what we would like is some advice on which mics are best for stealth recording within a budget of £50-75?thanks in advance!←Hi mate, good to see another Brit surface on this list!The links you've been given are all well and good if you lived in the US, but they start to get inpractical from here. I looked at ordering a set of mics from Sound Professionals, and their postage charge was almost as much as the mics!! They would just about come inside your budget though.I'm using this set of micshttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5764315179i'd been recommended them by someone who records live music, and I'm suitably impressed with them (I'm only month or so into this myself). Combined with the Maplins volume attenuator i'm getting decent recordings with them. The guy who sells them makes them himself, and he's a very decent, approachable chap. A 'fault' developed with my mics, sent them back and had a replaement back within 48 hours. He mailed meto say that the fault was caused by 'someone' unscrewing the mic ends, which snaped the wiring. I hadn't done this, but after catching my kid about to do the same with the replacement, I now know how it happened!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embio Posted May 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 Take a look at www.soundprofessionals.comwww.microphonemadness.comwww.reactivesounds.com and get the best mini binaurals that are within your budget. Get a pair that you can separate and clip onto a shirt, hat, eyeglasses, etc. You'll get excellent recordings even with the Sound Professionals BMC-2 basic binaurals. You can hear various recordings and mics in the Gallery at the top of the page. How do you tweak a CD player to record?????←There are different microphones for different purposes, a 'do-it-all' has to be invented yet.It would be quite helpful if you could provide some details about for what purpose you want to use them, for rather loud or quiet sounds, outside or indoors, should they pick up the sound directional, and so on...←Hi mate, good to see another Brit surface on this list!The links you've been given are all well and good if you lived in the US, but they start to get inpractical from here. I looked at ordering a set of mics from Sound Professionals, and their postage charge was almost as much as the mics!! They would just about come inside your budget though.I'm using this set of micshttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5764315179i'd been recommended them by someone who records live music, and I'm suitably impressed with them (I'm only month or so into this myself). Combined with the Maplins volume attenuator i'm getting decent recordings with them. The guy who sells them makes them himself, and he's a very decent, approachable chap. A 'fault' developed with my mics, sent them back and had a replaement back within 48 hours. He mailed meto say that the fault was caused by 'someone' unscrewing the mic ends, which snaped the wiring. I hadn't done this, but after catching my kid about to do the same with the replacement, I now know how it happened!!!←A440 - thanks for the info there, am I right in thinking that binaural cant be played through speakers 'properly'?and I have'nt got a clue how he made it happen with the CD player, his mate did it. I was thinking maybe a hybrid of MD and a computer CD burner? Not sure, cost him £40 though.... and I want one!Greenmachine - what we're planning on doing is a stealth recording of a Zutons/Idlewild/Feeder/REM gig at Lancashire Cricket ground (dont know if that makes a difference compared to an indoor arena/stadium), then transfer the whole lot to CD for playback over loudspeaker. sorry, should of been more clear about that Deadwing - great! a fellow brit! I'm not entirely sure what a volume attenuator is, will I need one for good results? Those mics look fantastic, but unfortunately, personal circumstance means I cant order from eBay. Are Sony mics ok for the job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Low Volta Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 A440 - thanks for the info there, am I right in thinking that binaural cant be played through speakers 'properly'?←binaural mics (if pointed to the sides, with a seperator (like your head) in between 'em; as they are actually intended to be used! ) recreate the sound the way you heard it when played through headphones... but if you were to point the mics more foreward and just separating 'em a couple of centimeters (or inches ) without need for a fysical separator between them (for example on you shoulders or shirt collar), they will create a very nice stereo image that superbly suits playback through speakers...but I must agree with Deadwing... it's annoying that in Europe (or the UK) you can't buy any decently priced binaural stereo mics (like the BMC-2s, which actually double in price when imported )... though you could check out these german mic manufactorers 'cause I have heard they make some nice but quite expensive mics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A440 Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 Sony mics tend to cut out the bass--they only go down to 100 Hz, and there are another two octaves of musical bass below that. They're also not very stealthy, they have noticeable self-noise and they're overpriced. The only good thing about them is that they're easy to find at a retail store. If you're outdoors, you might be better off with cardioid microphones that are directional, so you point them at the PA speakers. But look at the frequency response spec. What you want is 20-20,000, like your ears and your MD. A lot of cardioids have the same limitation as the Sonys, cutting off at 100 Hz For all purpose recording, indoor and out, it's best to get a pair of omnis that you can separate--if not the Sound Professionals, then something like them. For one thing, they're smaller and easier to conceal, and for another, they sound fuller and rounder--cardioid recordings can seem strangely backless. Look at the specs, lots of people make mics from the same basic capsules. I know Europeans sell similar ones on Ebay--maybe you could get in touch with Deadwing's guy directly. I'm not particularly thrilled with the design Deadwing got for a few reasons. Plugging directly into the recorder picks up the noise of the unit and puts pressure on the mic jack--you definitely need an extension cable, which is one more connection that can go wrong. Having the two mics in that Y-connector looks cumbersome (and harder to stealth) and separating them further would give you a better stereo image. But the basic mic capsules are probably the same as Sound Pros'--maybe you could get him to make you a custom pair that are just two mics with clips on a wire. If you point them forward rather than sideways, as The Low Volta says, you'll get a perfectly good stereo image. And with the exchange rate what it is, you shouldn't be that concerned about postage.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadwing Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 Deadwing - great! a fellow brit! I'm not entirely sure what a volume attenuator is, will I need one for good results? Those mics look fantastic, but unfortunately, personal circumstance means I cant order from eBay. Are Sony mics ok for the job?I can give you Ray's address (He's the guy who makes the mics)if you wanted to order them by mail.The volume attenuator sits between your mic and the mic input-If you don't use one of these, then you are almost certainly going to get a lot of distortion on your recordings where loud live music is concerned. Maplins sell them for £2.99 each- they are essentially a headphone volume control or players that don't have a volume control, but if you plug it into the mic input, it will work 'in reverse' and stop the pre-amp forom overloading. Take a look at this thread from my own (recent) experiences with it http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=9558and also take a look at the pinned thread at the top of this forum marked 'Radio Shack Volume Attenuator' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadwing Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 For all purpose recording, indoor and out, it's best to get a pair of omnis that you can separate--if not the Sound Professionals, then something like them. For one thing, they're smaller and easier to conceal, and for another, they sound fuller and rounder--cardioid recordings can seem strangely backless. Look at the specs, lots of people make mics from the same basic capsules. I know Europeans sell similar ones on Ebay--maybe you could get in touch with Deadwing's guy directly. .There is absolutely nothing on ebay right now-took a look last nightI'm not particularly thrilled with the design Deadwing got for a few reasons. Plugging directly into the recorder picks up the noise of the unit and puts pressure on the mic jack--you definitely need an extension cable, which is one more connection that can go wrong. Having the two mics in that Y-connector looks cumbersome (and harder to stealth) and separating them further would give you a better stereo image. But the basic mic capsules are probably the same as Sound Pros'--maybe you could get him to make you a custom pair that are just two mics with clips on a wire. Thing is though, you aren't plugging the mic directly into the MD when you have the volume attenuator in place, so that isn't an issue at all. I've got a couple of extension cables which can give me 'separation' if it's needed (Having made some recordings with and without it, I'm still to be convinced!), or the Y connecter just sits in the attenuator socket and the tie-clip on the back of the attenuator makes it easy to clip it 'stealthily' (FWIW, the Maplins attenuator seems to iffer from the Radio Shack one in that the RS one has the attenuator part in the middle of the cable, the Maplin's one, it's right at the end of the cable.And with the exchange rate what it is, you shouldn't be that concerned about postage....$37 postage to send $39 microphones??-I think I should be VERY concerned!!! At least Dick Turpin wore a mask Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Low Volta Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 $37 postage to send $39 microphones??-I think I should be VERY concerned!!! At least Dick Turpin wore a mask ←and just for the heck of it ... I once tried to figure out what it would cost me to buy SP-BMC-2s and the SP-SPSB-6 battery box (with bass-rolloff) from Sound-Pros SP-BMC-2= $39.0SP-SPSB-6 = $69.0transport = $31.97Total = $139.97Import rights (2,5%) = $3.49925BTW (TAV) (=21% of total+import rights) = $30.1285425 so that would make in total = $173.5977925 ~ $173.60 (in stead of $108 originally)I don't know whether you guys think that this is normal? but I surely think it stuffs bigtimePS: Belgian customs is quite strict and SoundPros won't mark parcels as gifts or stuff, so no chance to get out of paying this extra cash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Low Volta Posted May 15, 2005 Report Share Posted May 15, 2005 (edited) you could check out these german mic manufactorers 'cause I have heard they make some nice but quite expensive mics←I've looked into these mics myself, as I was curious to what I had just recommended and I'm still looking for some decent mics myself...they seem prety good (20Hz-20kHz; S/N ratio 61 db; channel balance <1db; and can be bought with a battery box/-20db (attenuator ? ) w -300Hz bass cutoff-switch and batt-life indicator...)The normal or pop version (-6db sensitivity) cost about €219 (with the batt box and €149 without) and I can buy 'em within the EU so that should save on transport/taxes Seems they also have a special 'rock'-edition that comes only with the batt box-option for about €299 and are -20db less sensitive (for those extra loud tapers!)they are actually designed as in ear/binaural but also clip-on mics...with very nice finishing touches (r/l-coloured earplugs, cable cord coil,...)so they've got comparable specs as the $249 SP-CMC-8 premium mics (I guess) but with a batt-box and a few extras for about the same price... I'm going to search a bit for a dealer for these babies within my neighbourhood (of course no Belgian dealer, would have been way too easy! ) and think I will invest the little more (but as I've showed above... even the BMC-2s and a batt box would set me back almost $175 so not THAT much more...) and hope they're as good as they look......but all this will have to wait a little bit... as I really should be writing my masters thesis and not recording shows (or hanging around on MDCF all the time!) Edited May 15, 2005 by The Low Volta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A440 Posted May 16, 2005 Report Share Posted May 16, 2005 I've read good things about those Soundman mics, though I forget where. You should do a Google search. Those postage and import duties--ouch! That does seem extortionate. I just searched Ebay from the USA and found a few things. This guy's design has some of the same problems I mentioned--sorry, deadwing, I forgot about the attenuator fixing the plug-in problem--but you could also contact him and ask for a custom job. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...5774203374&rd=1Here's someone selling Sound Professionals' in-ear binaurals, which of course you could take out of your ears too...http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WD1VThis guy regularly sells basic binaurals that look pretty solid. You'll have to contact him about shipping from Canada, and get some way to clip them to your clothes for stealth miking. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...ssPageName=WD1V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
determined2bme2 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 What do you guys think about these http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5766518528??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A440 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 From the specs, it looks like those are made out of the same Panasonic capsules as other basic binaurals, so that's promising. Clips look a little shiny if you're planning to do stealth, but you could always paint them black. Nice price, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadwing Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 What do you guys think about these http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5766518528???←One small problem-the sale on them ended a month ago!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
determined2bme2 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 Thanks.I've followed the thread(s) but the only attenuator I could find available for France is HERE which is a bit steep...? Can anyone recommend it?LONG LIVE EBAY Except for the nh900 I ordered from sonystyle 3 weeks ago - I'm still waiting Hi, to deadwing - a fellow manc. This could become a help the Brits thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
determined2bme2 Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 One small problem-the sale on them ended a month ago!!←The guys back in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmachine Posted May 17, 2005 Report Share Posted May 17, 2005 (edited) What do you guys think about these http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=5766518528???←-44 dB +/- 5 dB sensitivity, that means in the worst case you have 10 dB volume difference between the channels...Maybe you could ask him for a closely matched pair... Edited May 17, 2005 by greenmachine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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