PZM's as overheads?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Neil Ogilvie
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Neil Ogilvie

Still Learning.......
Has anyone ever used PZM mic's as overheads before?

I was wondering because (by my understanding) PZM capsules are Condensor capsules, but mounted in a particular way to create the pressure zone.

If not Oerheads, are there any other applications where they might be useful?

Neil
 
PZM's can work really well as OH's. Sometimes I've taken two black music stands and put them up as high as they'll go and then position them in a "V" shape - with the point towards the set. Then tape on a PZM mic to each stand.

PZM's also make good hat and room mics. You can also tape them to the inside of the lid of a grand piano. Also just great for stereo recordings. Excellent imagery.

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
 
Dot,

Would you care to elaborate on "PZM for hat" technique please.

:cool:
 
Hey Dot, that's a good PZM link... thanks for posting it here. :)

ausrock, I've never try it... but, I'm guessing you'd mount a PZM on something like a music stand and place it near the Hi-Hat. Anyway, I'd like to hear more about this from Dot (or anyone here) also.
 
Hey DJL, how's it hangin' :D .

I was just thinking............you could always superglue a PZM to each side of a drummers head and have binaural micing from the drummers perspective..................actually, there's a couple of drummers I know who may benefit greatly from having the mics nailed instead of glued :D :D .

:cool:
 
I've read somewhere about an engineer who taped a PZM to the drummer's chest.
 
ausrock, I about died LOL when I read that... lol. Yeah, I know a drummer who should have one super glued in their mouth or up their... naw, I'm not going to say it... lol. Did you get the mic's from Tudedude yet?
 
No, they haven't arrived yet.

If he had been specific about despatch details I would have a better idea of roughly when they should arrive. Anyway, it's mid morning Sunday here, so I wouldn't see anything until tomorrow at the earliest, and we are still hopeful they will arrive before we have finished this current lot of acoustic based demos.......that way I can do an immediate comparison to the LD/SD micing I am currently using, then worry about borrowing the Oktavas later.



:cool:
 
Ive got a radio shack pzm which I tried to use to record acoustic guitar but the thing picks up lots of background noise. You can hear your fingers hit the fretboard and if your on a chair which has the slightest squeek, it sounds like a very loud crack instead of something which would/should be inaudible. The ability to pick up lows and bass tone also is poor. I have not modified it yet but I should . Ive still got the metal plate on it!
 
ausrock, I hope you get them Monday... dam, it seems like it's been taking forever. I'll check back with you about it tomorrow... or wait, isn't already Monday down there?

PS, it's Sunday at 9:04 AM PST here in CA USA right now. :D
 
ausrock said:
Dot,

Would you care to elaborate on "PZM for hat" technique please.

:cool:
Click to expand...

Uh, you don't tape it down in this case. You actually place it with the smooth side of the PZM face down over the top high-hat [ parallel to the hat ] and up about 6". I usually place a hat mic directly opposite on the hat from where the drummer strikes it. [ actually, I don't mic hats anymore ]

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I saw an interesting program on TV a few years ago about a guy who was a former NASA physicist who had an in-demand recording studio. All he used was an older analog 2-track deck and a pair of PZM's that were taped to this plexiglass pyramid he'd made [ about the size of someone's head ]. So, the PZM's were positioned similar to ears on a human head. Anyway, jazz and classical musicians came from all over to record at his place. Wish I could dig up some info on it. That's where I got the idea for using the music stands.

---------------------------------

Actually, there's some info here referring to the idea of the PZM Pyramid
http://www.vectorbd.com/bfd/broadcas/boundry.txt

Good info here in this PDF file
www.crownaudio.com/pdf/mics/127089.pdf
HTML here
http://216.239.37.104/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q="pzm+pyramid"

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
 
Last edited:
Wow - quite a few replies. Thanks to everyone.

Does anyone know where it is possible to buy PZM's in the UK? The only place I've seen them are on ebay, and I think they may have already gone.

Thanks again to everyone.

Neil
 
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