A singer needs help on Mic, AT822& sony ECM-MS907, which one is better?

[charlotte]

Hi, I am a classical singer studying in the University. I just bought MZ-NH700 Recorder, now I am looking for a very good QUALITY mic. mY friend haS been using sony ECM-MS907, She said it is very good. But she's a pianist, I am a singer.( Classical singers voice carry more and have more vibrations.) I used hers one time in a recital Hall, it didn't record my voice perfectly,(it got popping noise) especially on the high pitch. Maybe because I didn't know how to use it.

1)I also heard that AT822 is a good one, but the price is over $200. ECM-MS907 is $70-80. Does it mean that AT 822 is better? If there is no much difference, I would rather pay less for ECM-MS 907. Anyone can compare two of them?

2) Are there any other good mics that I don't know? I mean the quality is good as AT822, price is about the same. I can't afford if it's too expensive.

3)Oh, my friend gave me AT801 for free. I couldn't find it on the internet because it's the old model. I need to buy an adapter to fit into my HI-MD. But if AT801 can't record my voice as it is, I need to buy another one, it's unnecessary to pay $5 for it. Anyone can give me some suggestions on that? It's worth trying or not?

Thanks so much for your help!

Charlotte

Edited February 21, 2006 by charlotte

[A440]

For the price of an adapter it is definitely worth trying the AT801. Audio Technica makes good mics, and the replacement mic, the AT803, has a suggested price of $200, so your friend may have given you a very nice gift.

If you don't like them, send them to me! java script:emoticon('', 'smid_16')

Since you are not concerned with the size of the microphone, you should go to a professional musician's store. There are many more choices than the two you have mentioned, and a well-stocked store should have someone who can give you some advice.

What country are you in, Charlotte? If you are in the United States, you could look at www.soundprofessionals.com (their BMC-6 used to use AT801, now uses AT803) or musicians' stores like www.samash.com and www.guitarcenter.com.

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/...=specifications

Edited February 23, 2006 by A440

[bjsilva]

1)I also heard that AT822 is a good one, but the price is over $200. ECM-MS907 is $70-80. Does it mean that AT 822 is better? If there is no much difference, I would rather pay less for ECM-MS 907. Anyone can compare two of them?

Thanks so much for your help!

Charlotte

When I first got an MD I was using the MS907. It was fine, surprisingly good for the price. A year or so later I got the AT822, which was a definite upgrade over the MS907. Now I use a Rode NT4.

If you're not happy with the MS907, chances are that it is firstly because you haven't found the right location to get a good sound with your voice. Placement is extremely important, and you need to play around until you learn to access a decent mic location based on room acoustics, especially with classical music. I've recorded a (lyric) soprano with piano using the AT822, and the quality was good.

If you're able to borrow the MS907, once you've gotten a reasonable quality recording with it then you can assess whether you need a better microphone. Dynamic range, frequency response, etc., will be things to listen for.

An excellent microphone can sound poor if placement is not chosen well.

[akoster]

The 'popping' you heard was probably a case of overdriving the input of the MD recorder. If the MZ-NH700 allows you to manually set the recording level, you may need to turn it down. Also, don't use the automatic gain settings on the recorder.

I agree with bjsilva's comments about placement. Bad placement can make a good mic sound bad. For classical singing, don't use a close mic placement like pop singers use. The voice needs room to expand before reaching the microphone, and you'll typically want some of the room acoustics as well.

I've recorded dozens of band and choir concerts using the AT822, and it is an excellent microphone, but save your money and buy the adapter for the AT801. The AT801 should work very well for what you need.

The one advantage of the 822 over the 801 is that the 822 is a stereo mic. Get some experience recording with the 801. If you decide later that you want to record in stereo, then buy the 822 or the Rode NT4.

I'm also a classical singer, and just bought an MZ-M100 recorder. So far I've just been using it with the ECM-DS70P microphone that came with it. Eventually I'll get either the AT822 or the Rode NT4.