If You Could Have Only 1 Radio Shack Mic...

[Buck62]

 

[tdukex]

Well...then the question would be, which five of mine would I have to part with?

 

[jitteringjim]

... I'd hang myself with the cable...

 

[Sennheiser]

... I'd hang myself with the cable...

LMAO!

 

[musac]

mine as well record tape player to tape player

 

[musac]

dont act like yall dont remember that

 

[musac]

i guess u had to grow up on pork&beans and eggs&rice to know about that

 

[t_chance]

LUCKY YOU

To get pork with your beans

 

[darrin_h2000]

When I was your age, the pigs ate the beans, and we had to follow them with a sandwich bag and eat the pig shit. Top That.

I have a few of thier mics, 2 PZMs (the crown designed ones they used to sell) and the drum mics that Harvey Reccomended.

 

[Treeline]

What's the problem? Sheesh, you guys. I mean, everyone needs a hammer now and then.

 

[scottboyher]

?

I started out with a radio shack mic and a 1981 Panasonic tape recorder.

 

[Rossi]

Well, about 8-9 years back, I was actually using no more than two Radio Shack PZMs. The only other microphone I owned, an EV BK-1, pretty much sucked. So I used the PZMs on practically everything, even vocals. Tell you what: you could do worse.

 

[Treeline]

Hey, Rossi - We all have fun bashing RS but you're absolutely right.

I set up a sound stage for a bluegrass concert a couple of months ago, using the band's equipment. They've been together about 25 years or so and can do a show in their sleep. These guys are pros. They had a setup with 8 mics and stands, crusty old PA, monitors and so forth.

Mics: One AT and 7 Radio Shacks. It sounded great.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Have you modded those PZMs?

 

[Rossi]

Mine are unmodded except for the plug. I converted one of the two to symmetrical TRS, but I'm thinking about changing both to symmetrical XLR as that would make it easier to pug it into a micpre. I'm using two 6 volts batteries to power them with 12 volts instead of 1.5 V. I still love them on acoustic guitar; the resulting signal sits *very* well in the mix.

 

[M.Brane]

Man, that would suck too have to get rid of one of my 33-1070D's and my old shotgun condensor.

I could still make a decent recording with one 33-1070D though. They worked great for overheads with my 4-track cassette. They also work good on guitar cabs. Similar to a 57 without the proximity effect.

 

[Richard Monroe]

I'd just plug in my Taylor, crank up the gain, sing into the soundhole, and hope for bleed. A more useless piece of crap than the 33-3032 I have not used. I have heard good things done with their boundary mics, though. So I guess if I had to pick one, it would be a PZM.-Richie

 

[junplugged]

rethink

I have a pair of the pzm that I haven't used for years, I thought they were crap. But I was also using a Foxtex x-15 4 tk. I'll have to dig em out, see if they're still useful.

Rossi - 12 v in place of 1.5? That's a big diff, what does it do for them?

 

[zenda]

I'd go for another PZM. The one I've got has lived for the last 10 years attatched to my Sony Pro Walkman and had done fantastic service for rehearsals and conferences that I have taken part in.

Stereo'd be good.


... er what are the mods that people do to PZM's? XLR connectors ... yes, that makes sense. Upping the power .. yes ... I tend to use an AA, but that was a choice along with the other wich was to use two of those small 6v batteries. What other mods can be done?

 

[Rossi]

Higher voltage -> less distortion. It might also increase the output and/or reduce the noise level, but I haven't checked on that. Those small 6V batteries last for many years, but you have to take them out when you're not using the mic. At least that's what the manual says, if I remember correctly. My batteries are about 9 years old and still have like 5.8 volts apiece. So it's a good investment.

I think there is a collection of possible mods on Harvey's page, but I don't have a direct link. Apparently those PZMs aren't all exactly the same; they might have used different capsules. Someone told me that the capsules that Crown uses aren't exactly the best available.

I'm currently thinking of building a PZM myself using those Panasonic capsules that Behringer and others use for measurement microphones. At least theoretically a PZM produces a 6 db higher output because the direct sound and the reflected sound are added at the pressure zone. The capsule has to be at a very short distance *above* the plate for that. So in a PZM the capsule should produce a better S/N ratio. I think it would make a cool project. I'm not sure I'll find the time to carry it out, though.