Stereo mic with low noise ...

[perik]

Hi!

Im about upgrading my stereomic as well since it´s seems to be the cause of my noise problems. at the moment Im using audio technica AT825. Im using the audio technica mainly for recording for sounddesign and field recording.

It has the following specs:

Signal-to-noise ratio: 70 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa
Open circuit sensitivity: -47 db (4.4 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa

One of the reason I bought the AT825 is the possibility for use it with battery since some of my fieldrecording-gear havnt got any phantompower-supply.

I also like that its a stereo mic since I dont have so much gear to carry around.

My criterias for a new mic is:

* Stereo
* batterypowered
* low-noise
* high sensitivity (have just got +45dB in gain of my preamp for fieldrecording so good if it´s have low sensitivity)
* pricerange maximum 550 dollars (rather less)

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Per

 

[perik]

been looking on these two mikes trying to compare. how do these compare according to my criterias?

RÖDE nt-4:
· Sensitivity -38 dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (12 mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz
· Output impedance 200Ω per side
· Signal noise ratio 78 dB SPL (A - weighted per IEC651)
· Equivalent noise <16 dB SPL (A - weighted per IEC651)
· Maximum SPL 143dB SPL (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load)
· Maximum output voltage +13.9dBu (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load

AT825
· Open Circuit Sensitivity: -47 dB (4.4 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa
· Impedance: 200 ohms balanced
· Signal to Noise Ratio: 70 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa

any other suggestions?

 

[darrin_h2000]

You might factor in things like the Zoom H2 or something else you can use as an independant recording device...and as a stereo mic...for right arround the same price.

 

[Shadow_7]

You might look at a Crown Sass-P MK II. It has a battery option, or you could run with phantom power. New with extras runs $850, but used or eBay can be had for $300-ish. While technically less gear, it aint no small fry.

I've got Avenson STO-2's, but they require phantom power. $550 new-ish. $400-ish used. And I think that they can be noisy. Unless you go for the gusto and run the gain a little hot. Proximity helps too.

And various other options depending on your uses. You could always get a beachtek or juicedlink camcorder type preamp that has phantom power or other alternatives to use phantom powered mics. Although technically more gear.

 

[pohaku]

You might look at a Crown Sass-P MK II. It has a battery option, or you could run with phantom power. New with extras runs $850, but used or eBay can be had for $300-ish. While technically less gear, it aint no small fry.

I've got Avenson STO-2's, but they require phantom power. $550 new-ish. $400-ish used. And I think that they can be noisy. Unless you go for the gusto and run the gain a little hot. Proximity helps too.

And various other options depending on your uses. You could always get a beachtek or juicedlink camcorder type preamp that has phantom power or other alternatives to use phantom powered mics. Although technically more gear.

+1 on the SASS. I've been looking at picking up one for field recording and recordings I've heard using it sound great.

 

[darrin_h2000]

Just how much beter is that than the Zoom and Tascam options?...if it is a mic only than at that price he could have two of the top field recorders with onboard mics.

 

[Shadow_7]

Well for $500-ish it is possible to get a used Sass and used H4. Perhaps not likely once you factor in shipping + tax + handling + ???, but possible. Best of both worlds. Not that the details were provided, but there's no indication that his current option isn't better than the H2/H4. There's a number of quality field recorders out there without phantom power. Some of which are better. If you're syncing your audio to a video device, the H4 is known to run a bit fast for many video recorders. My Korg MR-1000 is only about 1/10th of a second per hour slower than my video device (Sanyo FH1).

 

[darrin_h2000]

Im using an H2 and going straight out the stereo output into the mic in on the HD camcorder...Ive never noticed and syncing issues.

 

[Shadow_7]

My camcorder doesn't have a mic input, so I've got to extract rough guestimations, then adjust until my tollerances are close enough. From an external source, which is my field recorder. I wanted one with a mic in, but I didn't want to wait the extra month for it's bigger cousin to get released in this country, and that extra $100 for that feature buys a lot of beer. Besides the camcorder doesn't record in 24 bit, much less DSD. Not to mention that a lot of them record mono audio. Even if you feed it a stereo signal.

Even if my camcorder did have a mic in, I'd probably keep it external, just in case one or the other dies, I've got something. I've already been saved by that approach at least once. If your field recorder dies and it's feeding the camcorder, you get no audio until you fix the field recorder, or switch to camcorder audio by removing the plug. Meanwhile you probably missed something. And if you're recording audience perspective with the lights out, you might not catch that your gear is taking a power break for a few minutes. Depending on how closely you're watching the show versus the gear.

Plus with the external audio, I can do some EQ, normalization, speed up / slow down to compensate for the difference in clocks. Then downsample that to something more CD-ish. And then bother with finding the right sync point(s). Audio is cheap relative to video, in terms of edit times in post.

I only bring it up because for all we know, the field recorder in question could be a Korg MR-1, or that Sony ???-50, or marantz, or edirol, or many of the other options that are on par with the zooms/samsons. How much is that new Nagra in the window?

 

[darrin_h2000]

I do have to admit that I had to wait for a HD camcorder to come out with a stereo mic input...Finally the new Kodak is the one that is also small enough to conseal in a shirt pocket and it has an input for the Zoom recorder...the Zoom is great for loud shows that overload the mics in the camcorders...it had an adjustable limiter.