PZM mics

H

HI-Z

New member
I just got a book about home recording. In it it mentions Pressure Zone Mics(PZM). I was wondering how many of you use them and whether or not they're worth buying one. Thanx.
 
I quite often use a couple PZMs taped to the wall, either in from of or behind the band. They're really easy to set up, and do a great job of picking up exactly what is happening in the room, so if you have a great sounding room, using PZMs can be a very simple, easy micing solution as they're unobtrusive, don't get in the way of the performers, and don't spoil sight-lines. I've also used them to mic a grand piano in the case where either the room has been wrong, or there are other instruments which bleed into the mics being used for the piano; in this case I tape a couple of PZMs to the inside of the lid of the piano - one over the treble and the other over the bass strings. Some people hate PZMs but I've found them to be very useful - YMMV

- Wil

Here a link to one of my bands:

JK X-tet

- there are a couple of links to MP3s at the bottom - both pieces were recorded with 2 PZMs taped to the wall behind the band...
 
the Pzm's are unforgiving of a room with bad accoustics as the ECM8000s (they use the same Element). I have a couple that I picked up in a pawn shop for 30.00 for the pair. since I have done a modification that enables them to be used with Phantom Power and they are also mounted on 12"x12" Plexiglass. And they can be mounted a 90 degree angles for use with accoustic guitars. they if used right are exellent, but that room has to be dead or good sounding.
 
I have a couple and love them on the piano or for vocals of like a choir or something of that sort. They are good mics, but they do have a specific purpose. If I had to only keep 1 or 2 mics, my PZM would go to the pawn shop.

MIKE
 
I have one. A CAD ST-100. Pretty good PZM mike I suppose. The signal from it is VERY hot. PZM's are good room mics, if you have a nice sounding room. Put a couple as over-head's on a chior or small ensamble, and you have a nice sound with an easy set-up.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
Only Crown made the PZMs,Boundry mics are not the same thing.
Click to expand...

You're correct in that PZMs are made by Crown - however, er, um - I always thought a boundary mic to be one which eliminates phase cancellation by measuring the air pressure changes between a small condenser diaphragm and a large boundary plate. So how is this different to a PZM? All references I've seen, regard PZMs and boundary mics as being the same thing - please explain - I'm eager to learn... how are they different?

- Wil
 
Yeah, i've got a realistic PZM (the older model) and I love it......................I plan on getting another for stereo, these things are extremely accurate and dont have to be moved much AT ALL.
Pink Floyd used them as drum overheads!
 
Alan Parsons used them as drum overheads. Im not sure about Ezrin though. Crown made the realistic ones too.

The elements are different from the Boundry mics.
 
"PZM" and "Pressure Zone Microphone" are registered trademarks of Crown. Crown licensed one of their designs to Radio Shack for about a decade.

Crown does not publish their "street" prices for mics, so you need to call a dealer such as Full Compass to find out how much they actually sell for (you'll find they are significantly discounted from list).

The two PZMs of interest to musicians (that are currently in production) are the Crown 30D PZM mic, which is phantom powered and about the size of the old Radio Shack version, and the smaller Crown 6D miniature PZM, which also requires phantom power.

I've got the 6D (and two of the older Radio Shack PZM's), and the Crown quality is vastly superior to the Radio Shack mics. I also have one of the later "boundary mics" carried by Radio Shack, and it is harsh-sounding and generally dreadful.

There may be other good boundary mics out there other than the Crown PZMs, but Crown does seem to get it right.

Best wishes,

Mark H.
 
Ah! So it's one of those situations like "Near Field Monitors" and "Aural Exciters" which are actually trademarked by a manufacturer, but have come to be used as a generic term.

I suspected that might be the case. Thanks Mark!
 
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