Guest Anonymous Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 The Radio Shack "Pocket Amplified Listener" http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?cata...ct%5Fid=33-1096 The device is essentially for amplifying quiet noises, such as to listen to a low -volume TV so as to not awaken someone around you, etc. The unit only costs about $25, contains a preamp and a stereo mic, and sounds incredible for the price. A friend of mine was given one randomly by his grandfather and decided to try it with his new Sony MZ-N510 A $25 unit that does the job of a $60 stereo mic and a $80 preamp... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 That gadget is made to amplify voices (and television sound) and it only picks up 150-15,000 hz. Here's why it's not ideal for music. The A in the middle of a piano keyboard is 440 hz. The one an octave below that is 220. The one an octave below that is 110, already out of range of this mic. And a piano goes down an octave below that at 55, with a few keys below that. Forget about hearing bass lines, much less the sub-bass sounds a lot of bands use for oomph. Most mics also go up to 20,000 hz, not 15,000, and while that's less than an octave it may make music seem a little dull up top, too. The $60 mic is going to sound a lot better, guaranteed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 30, 2004 Report Share Posted January 30, 2004 Yeah, but I'm a poor college student (with an MD that requires a preamp for recording) who needs the cheapest way possible to record band practices and such. To me and those like me, a $25 pre-amp/stereo mic combo that does the job of said $60 mic and a $70 preamp is worth it sounding a little bit worse. My friend who first had the unit tried this with recording the full orchestra he plays upright bass in...I've heard recordings on public radio that sound about the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJ Posted February 10, 2004 Report Share Posted February 10, 2004 I think it depends on your expectations as well. I've gotten some phenomenal concert recordings off the $5 homebrew binaural mic on Minidisc.Org's Construction Projects page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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