PZM mics

[tonejunkee]

Just wondering if any of y'all use these - I've got a Realistic PZM and was thinking about getting another for stereo pairing -

I havent hooked it up to my PC yet cuz Im holding out for a RNC

I have recorded with it to a crappy little solid state recorder and the levels are really hot - but its noisy when used that way

 

[darrin_h2000]

There are many great uses and mods for this mic you can find here on this BBS. just put Pzm on the search funtion and surf from there.

I have a pair I lucked into for only 15.00 and Im contemplating some easy modifications to make them work with phantom power and putting them on plexiglass and mounting them in certain ways to use them as overheads and accoustic guitar mics. They also have a great reputation as a grand piano mic.

I think a transparent compressor like the RNC would be a nice chain for an input to your card. I have a dbx 118 compressor that has good transparent properties but I want the RNC.

 

[Wil Davis]

I use them a lot. For simplicity and ease of set-up they can't be beat. Here's a couple of tunes recorded at one of our live gigs, both numbers were recorded using a couple of PZMs taped to the wall behind the band.

Shadow of Your Smile

St Thomas

I'm recording a gig this weekend - I'll be using an MS pair in the middle, a couple of spaced-omnis, and (of course) two PZMs taped to the wall.

- Wil

 

[Havoc]

In the book "microphone techniques" by Bruce Bartlett there are some techniques with PZM mics explained.

 

[sponge bob]

Can anyone recommend some different models of PZM mics to look at? I've heard they can be reasonable priced, and I would love to find another piece to my mic puzzle.

Thanks,
SPonge Bob

 

[Mark H.]

Look for clean used 6D and 30D PZM mics from Crown.

I picked up an absolutely mint 6D before Christmas for about $85 on Ebay. The 6D is the tiny one; the 30D is about the size that was licensed to Radio Shack until a few years ago. Both terminate in XLR connections. Both sound a great deal better than the Radio Shack version.

Use PrePal.com to look up what they are currently selling for used on Ebay and elsewhere. Then be patient. ;-)

If you want low cost and you're in a hurry, several vendors sell Crown's lowest priced PZM mic, the Sound Grabber II, on Ebay and elsewhere for $60 (don't pay more than that). However, you should be aware that the Sound Grabber is intended for conference room and lecture recording and will not have the quality of the 6D or 30D when it comes to recording music.

As Darrin pointed out, you can mount the little 6D in the middle of a larger, clear piece of acrylic, drill holes in the corners of the acrylic, and hang it by wire or even heavy fishing line over a stage at an angle to the source (running the 10-foot wire from the 6D up one of the lines) for a relatively inobtrusive overhead installation. The 30 has been offered in colors other than black (I'm not sure whether the 6 has or not), so the 30 could also be used fairly inconspicuously in that way.

For long runs, I notice that David Riddle has been offering a well made ATI mic preamp / limiter on Ebay for months for around $215 plus shipping. I think he must have bought out the whole lot at a close-out price. This preamp (A/C powered) is designed to be put near the mic with levels set and left to send a line-level signal to your mixer at some distance. It also supplies the phantom power that the pro Crown PZM mics require. ATI has a good rep for their small portable preamps; I suspect this unit (though somewhat specialized) is a good value for such applications. Plus it looks like a tough little unit that would survive real-life use.

Generally, Crown doesn't let their dealers advertise their street prices, so count on calling Full Compass or another dealer to obtain the real price. Don't be discouraged by the list prices you see in catalogs.

Just to clarify, Crown owns the patent on PZM. There are other "boundary mics" available (most of them pretty sorry), but ONLY Crown makes and licenses PZM.

Best wishes,

Mark H.