Needing new gear..

[ReverbReverse]

I have been recording (stealth) live concerts for the past year or so and now my mics are dying. I'm going to have them fixed (they're a pair of CoreSound binaurals ) I've been using them together with a mz rh1 by sony, and I'll be sticking with it for as long as it lives, because i'm fully satisfied with it (as long as sonicstage doesn't fall into the equation, that is :-s) but I have noticed that even if I almost always record from the front row, I still get way too much audience noise and chatter.

So I guess what i'm looking for here is a pair of cardioids.

I've seen coresounds sells some, also I've been having a look at the soundprofessionals site - but i'm open to any suggestions and would want to know what you guys would suggest as the best cardioid mics to buy ? From what i've seen, I am quite convinced with the SP-CMC-4U, so i was wondering if there were any opinions against it ? Also, how solid are the contacts there ? The one problem I had with the CSB was at the level of the contacts between the microphone capsule and its cable; admittedly, they got submitted to very heavy duty, but after maybe a hundred gigs or so, each of them started crackling and/or cutting out and becoming altogether more and more unreliable.. so i know it's one of the details I really have to keep my eyes on.

Also, I was wondering, if price was not an obstacle whatsoever, what would be the best stealth microphones money could buy, in matters of sound quality and fidelity ? And would you advice buying them, or do you get the idea that the gain in quality is not worth the additional investment ?

Thanks a bunch in advance

[A440]

From the specs, those look good. I have what I think was an earlier version of the same thing--the elements are AT and they are interchangeable--and they are my best small microphones, adding the least noise and providing the richest sound. (But I have omni elements). They will probably be heavier than what you're using now, which may make clipping them a bit more awkward, and because they're cardioids you're going to have to be more careful with the way they face. Who knows, maybe you'll end up getting the interchangeable omni elements too.

Here are some fancy mics recommended by the guy at www.quietamerican.org , a serious field recordist.

http://www.sonicstudios.com/

Note that he's using them for quieter things than concerts.

Other people with lots of money like DPA.

http://www.dpamicrophones.com/

For really high-end stuff, you might want to check out the fanatics at http://www.taperssection.com

I've never had those high-end goodies to try, and maybe that's a good thing so I don't somehow get spoiled. But my perspective is that live concerts are noisy, imperfect events and not ultra-quiet recording studios, and that a mic that gets the full frequency range with fairly flat response is good enough. I don't know that I would want to be carrying $500 mics into some rowdy show.

[Arni]

I have been recording (stealth) live concerts for the past year or so and now my mics are dying. I'm going to have them fixed (they're a pair of CoreSound binaurals ) I've been using them together with a mz rh1 by sony, and I'll be sticking with it for as long as it lives, because i'm fully satisfied with it (as long as sonicstage doesn't fall into the equation, that is :-s) but I have noticed that even if I almost always record from the front row, I still get way too much audience noise and chatter.

So I guess what i'm looking for here is a pair of cardioids.

I've seen coresounds sells some, also I've been having a look at the soundprofessionals site - but i'm open to any suggestions and would want to know what you guys would suggest as the best cardioid mics to buy ? From what i've seen, I am quite convinced with the SP-CMC-4U, so i was wondering if there were any opinions against it ? Also, how solid are the contacts there ? The one problem I had with the CSB was at the level of the contacts between the microphone capsule and its cable; admittedly, they got submitted to very heavy duty, but after maybe a hundred gigs or so, each of them started crackling and/or cutting out and becoming altogether more and more unreliable.. so i know it's one of the details I really have to keep my eyes on.

Also, I was wondering, if price was not an obstacle whatsoever, what would be the best stealth microphones money could buy, in matters of sound quality and fidelity ? And would you advice buying them, or do you get the idea that the gain in quality is not worth the additional investment ?

Thanks a bunch in advance

for loud amplified shows the sp-cmc-4u should have the "low-sensitivity-mod" by soundprofessionals(+25$).

a 4.7k resisitor is soldered into the 3.5mm stereo plug, thus sensitivity is decreased by 10-15dB which avoids distortion at high SPL.

lots of non-modded mic users got distorted recordings.

[Arni]

here a 8min mp3 sample of my "DPA 4061" recording: outdoor show standing 20meters in front of right stack

these mics were pretty "worn" and used when I got them for 420$ and out of DPA-specification...very insensitive.

I sold them and purchased a new pair, after I sold all my former mics .

For me their invisibility and sound are unbeaten. Perfect for stealthing especially at daylight.

source/lineage:

mics: "DPA 4061" omnidirectional mics

battery-box: "SP-SPSB-9" (12 Volt)

recorder: "Edirol R-09" on MIC-IN at recording level 20/AGC:OFF/MIC-SENS:LOW/LOW CUT:OFF

recording medium: SANDISK 4GB SD-HC card

http://www.file-upload.net/download-461296/track-10.mp3.html

[ReverbReverse]

From the specs, those look good. I have what I think was an earlier version of the same thing--the elements are AT and they are interchangeable--and they are my best small microphones, adding the least noise and providing the richest sound. (But I have omni elements). They will probably be heavier than what you're using now, which may make clipping them a bit more awkward, and because they're cardioids you're going to have to be more careful with the way they face. Who knows, maybe you'll end up getting the interchangeable omni elements too.

Thanks for the advice Still pondering (but I'm pestering the hell outta the sweet folks at taperssection in the meantime, too ) How do you think these mics react, in matters of frequencies ? I know my CSB are way too bass-heavy to my taste, so I'd be looking for something with a LOT of definition in the middle to high range of the spectrum..

And aren't the DSM mics omnis anyway ? it's really cardioids I'd need (that's pretty much the *one* thing I'm sure of at that point in time..)

for loud amplified shows the sp-cmc-4u should have the "low-sensitivity-mod" by soundprofessionals(+25$).

a 4.7k resisitor is soldered into the 3.5mm stereo plug, thus sensitivity is decreased by 10-15dB which avoids distortion at high SPL.

lots of non-modded mic users got distorted recordings.

Thx for that one, and for the sample too.. but I think I really need cardioids, and don't seem to find any on the DPA site (save for the lavalier one..) ?

[Arni]

Thx for that one, and for the sample too.. but I think I really need cardioids, and don't seem to find any on the DPA site (save for the lavalier one..) ?

The DPA 4080 miniature cardioid was released a few weeks ago, BUT it´s frequency response is optimized for speech with the boost at 5kHz and it´s strong bass-roll-off.

Further DPA miniature cardioids with a flatter response should be available in the 1st quarter of 2008 according to rumors at www.taperssection.com.

[A440]

Here are some binaural DPAs on Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Core-Sound-High-End-Bi...1QQcmdZViewItem

[teejay]

Hi all ...

Being new to this board I hope that this message reaches you.

I need to get a 'reporter/interviewer' mic for my Sony minidisc.

I have heard that a good dynamic will be just fine but I have also been told that I should have a condenser mic ...... Now, I do not know who is right.

So, I would appreciate any advice from you guys to help me gather news/chat for my local radio station.

What sort of hand-held mic is best?

Do you have any suggestions for choice of make/model.

Many thanks - TeeJay

[A440]

Condenser with a 1/8" minijack. Probably a mono cardioid wired to a stereo jack so that one channel goes into both stereo channels of the MD.

Check http://www.soundprofessionals.com