What microphones would you recommend for classical music?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Gorlomi
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Gorlomi

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Hi everyone.


I am a professional violinist and I am looking for some advice regarding my yet-to-be decided equipment.

I´ve decided to take the plunge and get myself a portable digital recorder, since I am quite fed up with my MiniDisc. Unfortunately, I bought it at a time when I didn´t know left from right as far as gadgets went and when I was also on a students budget which means, I have a not too bad MD which, unfortunately, lacks digital output. That kind of defies the purpose of having a digital-recording-capable device, if I can´t copy it to my computer... I also don´t have a proper mic, I got one as a present from my brother, a Sennheiser e835. Recently, when I started recording myself for an audition, I discovered that my brother also didn´t know left from right since, as I later found out, that´s definitely not a mic for recording.....


Anyway. I will be recording mostly myself practising, with or without a piano accompanying me, and - probably - me and my pianist whenever we have a recital.

I am pretty much decided on the Sony PCM-M10 as the main piece of gear. I´ve read tons of reviews and I´ve also checked on another forum and it is a very much liked piece of equipment. It´s also well within my budget, I can get it for around 250 USD here in Spain.

That doesn´t mean that I´m not open for suggestions. I´d say my budget for the recorder is around 350 USD so, if you feel I could go for a better recorder, or that I could get a better one for the price I would be paying for the Sony, please don´t hesitate to say.


Now, what I really don´t know what to do about is the mic. What make would you recommend for this situation? Which ones would go better with the Sony - or its alternatives -? I´d say that I could spend around 150 USD for the mic. If it´s slightly pricier, it won´t be a problem, but I´d try to keep expenses on a short leash, for the moment.


Thank you very much, looking forward to your replies and advice. :)
 
since you've decided on your sony recorder
heres the specifations
PCM-M10 (PCMM10) : Specifications : Sony Professional
you need a mic that will suit this. google is your friend. search compatable mics
i notice it has a line in. So you could also run a separate mic to a preamp to the line in
or even just try using the onboard mic before you buy anything else.
good luck
 
Greetings Gorlomi! Welcome to the board. You may not be clear on the concept. The SONY unit you have selected has no mic inputs, other than a 3.5mm stereo jack for stereo mics such as are used with camcorders. For what it's worth, I use SONY ECMMS-957 for that, and it rocks. But- On your budget, you are unlikely to get a better stereo mic than the ones already built into the SONY. I would strongly recommend a recorder that allows you to plug in real mics with XLR connectors, and which provides phantom power for condenser mics.

Consider Zoom H4N and Tascam DR-40. 4 tracks, instead of two. Built in mics, a 3.5mm stereo jack, and 2 XLR ins with phantom power. Are they *better* units? SONY's are well built, and don't break, but the Zoom and the Tascam have the real features you need to start recording. As far as mics- That Sennheiser *is* a mic for the stage, but has numerous uses in recording. I would not recommend strings as one of them. It's not too bad on vocals, and excels on percussion and guitar amplifiers. For an all purpose mic to start, try to find a used AKG C2000B. But first, you need a recorder you can plug mics into, or worrying about what mic it will be is pointless. Good luck. We'll be there for you.
 
Richard, thank you so much for your detailed answer. I am reviewing my choice of the recorder based on your advice. Will come back for more soon....

Thanks!!!
 
I would certainly also put the Olympus LS-100 way up at the top of the list - about the best around at the price, I think.
 
Hi, sorry for the late reply, been busy lately.

John, thank you very much, but the LS-100 goes for more than double the price of the PCM-M10 and, for what I need, the M10 will do the trick.

Richard, again thanks for your advice. After analizing what both the models you suggested have to offer against the Sony, I´ve decided to stick with the latter. At the moment, I need something simple that would offer decent recording quality. I now very little about recording, I don´t think I´d make the most of what the Tascam or the Zoom would have to offer.

However, I do know that a stereo mic like the one you suggested will do a much better job than the built-in ones. What other models you consider I´d have to look into?

Thank you very much!
 
OK, Gorlomi. A 3.5mm mic input is often used on small stereo recorders and camcorders, so some of your best bets are mics intended for video. These are often called "one point" mics, because they are really 2 mics very close together. In my opinion, everything in that category that I've heard below $250 (in the U.S.A.) has sucked. Do not be sucked in by cheapies such as SONY ECMMS907, Audio-Technica AT Pro24 CM or Nady CM-25. Note that the discontinued, but still out there, SONY ECMMS957 was a $250 mic, and I like it a lot. It would be my first choice. If you can't find one, some comparable alternatives include Audio-Technica AT2022 ($250), AT8022 (better-$400), and you should seriously consider the more camera-dedicated mics- Rode Stereo VideoMic ($250) and VideoMic Pro ($300). I wish I could afford Shure VP88 ($759)- I can't. Just be damned careful that the connector on whatever mic you get terminates in 3.5mm/1/8" stereo TRS jack, AKA minijack, not XLR (also called XLRM- same thing, but "male" is specified.). The AT8022 is one of the few that has the capability to do either. Note- it's not just the connector. An adapter will not make an XLR mic sound good plugged into a micro-recorder, so if you're going to use that piece of equipment, use a mic that was meant for it.
 
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