Hi all! I though it might be useful to try to compile a list of mics that can be used with portable recorders that don't provide phantom power. Ie. electret condencer mics that operate on plug-in power, mics that have their own internal battery etc. I've tried to search for these mics through Google and through different forums, but it's fairly difficult to find about all the different options, hence this list. I posted this originally at the
Freesound forums, but the forums are fairly inactive, so I'd figure I could get more responses here. My idea was that once I've gotten a fairly comprehensive list with some basic info about each mic (mono/stereo, stereo technique, how they are powered, frequency response and maybe some guideline on which ones are recommended and which ones aren't) I'd edit this post and divide it into categories and order it nicely.
Here's what I have so far (I've only marked frequency response where it's not 20Hz-20kHz and I've used Amazon for price comparison):
Rode NT4X/Y Stereo Condenser Microphone with 9V internal battery (price at Amazon: $419.99)
Rode NTG-2Mono Condenser short shotgun microphone, P48 phantom power or 1.5V AA battery. (A: $249.95)
Rode VideoMicDirectional Video Condenser Microphone, short gun, powered by a 9V battery. FR: 40Hz-20kHz (A: $125)
Audio-technica AT822 X/Y Stereo condenser operated with internal battery only. FR: 30-20,000 Hz (A: $275.33)
Audio-technica AT825Similar to AT822 but can be operated with phantom power in addition to internal battery (A: $349.00)
Audio-technica AT8022 X/Y Stereo Condencer Microphone, battery operatable. FR: 20-15,000 Hz (A: $399.00)
Audio-technica ATR55Mono cardioid condenser shotgun, powered by a 1.5V AA battery. FR: 70-18,000 Hz (A: $43).
Audio-Technica ATR25Stereo dual-cardioid condenser, powered with a single AA battery. FR: 70 - 18,000 Hz (A: $31.88)
Audio-Technica AT897Mono short shotgun condencer, battery or phantom operation. (A: $257.37)
Audio-Technica AT8035Mono long shotgun condencer, battery or phantom operation. FR: 40-20,000 Hz. (A: $239)
Audio-Technica AT8015 Mono long shotgun condencer, battery or phantom operation. FR: 40-20,000 Hz. (A: $279.40)
Audio Technica PRO 24 X-Y Stereo Condenser Microphone, powered by plug-in power or a 1.5V LR44 battery. FR: 100-17,000 Hz (A: $60.16)
Panasonic WM61 DIY microphoneAn omni stereo condencer pair, using the WM61 capsule. Self-assembled, parts cost about 30-40$.
Sony ECM-MS907MS Stereo Electret Condenser Microphone with internal battery. FR: 100 - 15,000Hz. (A: $66.23)
Sennheiser K6 modular system, which consists of:
- the
K6 powering module that can be powered either by its internal ‘AA’ size 1.5 V battery or by 12 - 48 V phantom power. Price at Amazon.com: $250.
- A mono condencer mic head. Available are long gun
ME 67 ($634.39), short gun
ME 66 ($219.95), super-cardioid
ME 65 ($229), cardioid
ME 64 ($168.53) and omni
ME 62 ($170.77). FR: 40-20000 Hz except ME62 which is 20-20000 Hz
Sennheiser
MKE 300 and
MKE 400Mono supercardioid mics powered by an internal battery (LR 44 and AAA respectively). Intended for video camera use. FR:150-17,000Hz and 40Hz-20kHz respectively. Price at Amazon: $173.33 and $199 respectively.
Sennheiser MKE 44-PPermantly polarized condenser with two cardioid capsules in XY stereo. Phantom (12 - 48 V) or battery powered (1 x 1.5 V AA). FR: 40 - 20,000 Hz. Not sure about price.
Edirol CS-15 XY Stereo cardioid, plug-in or battery powered. FR: 200–17,000 Hz. (A: $119)
There must be much much more, so I'd be grateful if people helped me expand the list!