OK thanks Glen and both Toms and, Tom V, we spoke before--nice to know there is someone in the "neighborhood.")
My situation is that I'm trying to make a quality recording operating on the research I've done online the past four months, feedback from the forum, AND operating within my limitations given the complexity of recording, the time I have available, what I can't figure out on my own, budget constraints etc. etc. ect. I'm not trying to shove off work on anyone or looking for a crutch---although I'm pretty sure I need one LOL--
I'm recording piano solos (classical) on
a Steinway B in my living room. The piano (and the player) are top notch
I've sold my Microtrack 11 to a student of mine and have moved on to
a Tascam HD P2 with Oade HD upgrade. I'm using a field recorder because it simplifies the process for me and I need to travel with it to record my student recitals and potential to possibly record on a Steinway D.
So Glen you are saying that the noise from the Pulsars may indicate not the right pramps. There is a list of microphones that Oade Bros. suggests for the Tascam and the Nt1A is on the list as well as SP C4'--and many others. I guess these particular mics work well with the preamps on the unit so it could be that is why the Rodes are so quiet compared to the Pulsars, as opposed to 8db noise vs. 16db noise.
I did download audacity and ran a file through it and tried noise reduction but it distorts the trac,k unless I'm not doing it correctly. It was suggested to me by several engineers whom I talked to online a while back, to record with the peaks between -3 and -6 db, no limiter, and basically no alterations of sound on my part, just send the raw data basically which seems sensible to me since I don't know that much. I'm just trying to get a clean sound with clarity and a certian depth to the tone of the piano which so far I seem to be getting close to with this new recorder and the NT1A's although I still have a lot of experimenting to do with mic postion and I want to try some omni mics (and possibly ribbons) before the verdict is in on which mics I will finally use to make the final recordings.