My weird mic

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CanopuS

Amateur music since 1847
I have this odd Battery powered electret mic. It's "Videolink", presumable used for camcorders, and obviously not very good. That aside, I've actually got some pretty good sounding acoustic from it - except for one problem, hiss. My questions are,

a) Am I being ignorant and this tone actually sucks
b) Is there a good chance that through a proper preamp and soundcard (Yep, it's through the Mic port of AC97 - funny!) the hiss will dissapear, or is the mic doomed forever?

Here's the clip (only alteration is a bit of reverb - to sweeten it):



Incidently, this is using 5 tracks (insane I know, but I needed it for panning), so the hiss build up is partly due to that
 
Sounds decent. This hiss is probably the room and the preamp. That's probably a high impedance mic so it may be too hot for a regular mc preamp.
 
Canopus- I suspect the mic puts out -10dBu line level. Try sending it to the "tape in" on a mixer. Especially if the mic terminates in a 1/4" or 1/8" TRS conector, which means it's a stereo mic. In that case, use a splitter ("Y" connector) to send it to two "tape in" inputs. Let me know what kind of cable the mic uses, and what the plug on the end looks like.-Richie
 
Hi and thanks guys. Richard, it does indeed end with a 1/4" connector, but to me it looks only like Tip and Sleeve. Actually, about 3 months ago when fiddling around with it, I broke the original 1/8" connector, and got it redone at a local shop. Whether the original was TRS, I don't know, but I have a feeling it wasn't cause the guy knew his stuff. OK I just checked the other end, it connects (under a little screwy thing) via 1/8" NOT TRS connector. Unfortunately, I have no other means of recording or using a mixer right now.
 
OK, I think this tone is much pleasanter:



Please tell me what you think
 
Same thing again but with nylon string melody:

 
I think it sounds fine, personally. I don't have a bunch of technobabble to throw out here, but that's a perfectly valid guitar sound, and I don't hear a bunch of noise, at least at that bit rate.-Richie
 
Well I still think there is too much hiss, but I'm sure preamps etc could sort that out. Actually you'd know this, my mate also has some C4's, do you think they'd do a better job? Cheers
 
Well, that's an unanswerable question, based on the huge number of variables. Differences in guitars, rooms, preamps, playing style, and personal preference, as well as the bit rates of online sound transmission don't allow me to come up with an answer that isn't bullshit. Listen on your own monitors and make the call. Personally, on my guitar, with my style, in my room, through my preamp, I prefer a LD condenser on steel string. I use the C-4's more for nylon string, harp, as overheads, and for remote location stereo recording. I did an 88 piece symphony orchestra with the C-4's recently, and it came out quite well.-Richie
 
My rough guess is the C4's are a bit too bright to be used on steel string. There is already that "twangy" top end associated with steel strings, I don't really want to accentuate it. Again though, mic positioning could sort that out. Argh, why can't there be a simple answer to everything (except for Life and the Universe, otherwise life would suck).
 
If there was a simple answer, all music would sound the same, and that would *really* suck.-Richie
 
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