Topic: Need External Mic ASAP

[rockphantom]

Howdy,

I've ordered a set of Church Audio CA-14 mics and pre-amp to compliment my new Sony PCM M10. Unfortunately, they will not arrive in time for a show I want to record (Judas Priest May 14).

I need suggestions on a reasonably priced commercially available microphone that will produce excellent results with the Sony PCM M10. I'm not looking to break the bank as this external mic will only be used until my Church Audio gear arrives.

I need to order the external mic ASAP in hopes that it will arrive in time for the Priest show on May 14th.

Thank You!

Milan
Austin, TX

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Quite a bit depends on how loud the show will be at your seats.

One thing is certain, you should practice before you record this important gig.  Go record any band in a bar using your m10.  If you cannot find a band, go record a PA.  Do it in a way that mirrors the process you would follow for recording the band of your desire.  What levels will you run?  How will you check them during the show?  How will you adjust them?  What can you do if it is completely dark?  Etc.

This is to not only get you more experienced with the process of actually recording, but to get you more experienced with getting ready to go record before you get to the venue. Talking about it is not the same as doing it.

I have recorded a lot of shows, but I find if I haven't done it in a while I get out of practice. That can add greatly to my prep time, my stress, etc.  Practice really helps lower the stress and increase your odds of getting something that you'll want to listen to.

[beatkilla]

Thats cutting it pretty close.The internals will be completely distorted if you try to just use those ,i tried once.

I have used a Sony ECM 719 mic which will run off of plug in power succesfully at Judas Priest,Staind,Motley Crue with no distortion.Seems to be discontinued but you may find one on amazon or somewhere.

[rockphantom]

Thank you both for the quick feedback!

What are your thoughts on the Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone?

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECM-DS70P-Electret-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00006HOLL/ref=pd_cp_MI_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1HGNY943BJ9ZWE9YR9R2

[beatkilla]

Specs look about same as ecm 719 but id buy it from BH as youll have it tommorrow or next day guaranteed and free shipping.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/225510-REG/Sony_ECMDS70P_ECM_DS70P_Mic_for.html

[rockphantom]

I've ordered the ECM DS70P mics from B&H.

I hope the Church Audio Mics are worth the wait and expense.
For the record, I've been waiting for my order since early March...
 

[Fried Chicken Boy]

I have used a Sony ECM 719 mic which will run off of plug in power succesfully at Judas Priest,Staind,Motley Crue with no distortion.

That's probably due to both the ECM-719 and -DS70P having a frequency response that only goes down to 100 Hz.  There a lot of sound energy capable of distorting mics below that point.  With that in mind, and its SPL rating of 110 dB, the OP will likely be fine for taping Judas Priest.  But as a caveat, if you're looking for big, thumping bass, these Sony mics won't bring it.

From my experience, the Church mics are worth the wait and expense.  It's well known around here that Chris is a one-man shop and it can take a long time to get gear from him.  But for the price and quality, his products are pretty hard to beat. 

[darktrain]

I've ordered the ECM DS70P mics from B&H.

I hope the Church Audio Mics are worth the wait and expense.
For the record, I've been waiting for my order since early March...
 

You will not be happy with that mic, it will distort, i used one on my very first outing 9 years ago to record overkill and its basically unlistenable. I should add that I was up close for that, if you are farther back you may get a undistorted pull but as mentioned above it will not be a "full" sounding recording.

[rockphantom]

Ugh!

Thanks for the information darktrain.

My seats are very close to the stage.

My order has already shipped.
Looks like I am stuck with the ECM DS70P.

Oh well, I'll give it a shot. 

[bombdiggity]

I hope the Church Audio Mics are worth the wait and expense.
For the record, I've been waiting for my order since early March...
 

Mine came fast when I got in on the group order special.  I thought that was a better model but maybe the second group didn't fill up fast enough.  Haven't actually used them yet though (they were a backup for me). 

Not really sure what is good and dirt cheap (sort of an oxymoron when it comes to mics) that is still made.  There are a few old ones that were good and cheap... 

Some of the lower end Sound Professionals are suitable and those do arrive very fast but I think they're still over your budget.   

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Is there another Austin/Team TX taper you could hook up and maybe borrow some equipment???

Terry

[rockphantom]

Unfortunately, I don't have any connections in the local taping scene.
If anyone in the Austin area is willing to lend me a mic, please be in touch.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Unfortunately, I don't have any connections in the local taping scene.
If anyone in the Austin area is willing to lend me a mic, please be in touch.

Too bad for now...

But for the future, join Team TX (if there is one - I assume there is), and go out and tape with other members even if it means taping bands you don't like...  At least you get the practice (try different levels, mic configs, etc.).  And if you mess up, who cares!?!  At least now you know not to set your rig up that way for the shows you really want...

And you get to network with other tapers... 

Terry

[bombdiggity]

But for the future, join Team TX (if there is one - I assume there is),

There is.  I've seen it on the list though they don't seem as chatty as some of the others. 

[hoppedup]

Wondering how this came out.

[rockphantom]

I was able to record last night's JP show at the Cedar Park Center using my PCM M10 and ECM DS70P mic.

I haven't had time to listen to the recording yet.
Had to go straight to bed to get enough rest for today.

I made sure to keep the Recording Level at 4 and set the mic sensitivity to low to be on the safe side.
I hope these settings paid off. I'll find out tonight and report my findings.
If the Judas Priest recording is listenable, it will make the rounds on the live music  torrent scene. 

[rockphantom]

Update 1: Chris sent me an email this evening informing me that my order Church Audio gear has shipped!
I hope the gear arrives in time for the Slash show next week!

Update 2: I'm listening to the 24 Bit/48KHZ recording of the Judas Priest Cedar Park (Austin) show and I've been pleasantly surprised.
I was expecting a wall of distortion. However, everything sounds clear. Rob's vocals and Scott Travis' drums are up front in the mix.
Thankfully, the recording doesn't sound like the muddy mix my ears heard last night.
I should mention that I was wearing Hearos Hi-Fi earplugs.

Here are the details of my capture: PCM-M10 -> Sony ECM DS70P. 
M10 was in my shirt pocket and the mic was clipped to pocket. I stood for the entire Priest performance.
My seat was on the side of the venue about 50 feet from the stage (SEC 108 Row D seat 9).
A speaker stack was almost directly above me and about 35 feet off the ground

M10 levels: Recording Level 4 & low mic sensitivity (to prevent distortion), DPC OFF, manual recording level.
Judas Priest recording length 105:39 including intro music.

Now to find some freeware WAVE editing software that a newbie like me can easily use.
Any suggestions? I'd like to torrent the 24 Bit capture ASAP.

Thank You!

Milan

[jefflester]

Audacity

http://web.audacityteam.org/

[OMA]

Update 2: I'm listening to the 24 Bit/48KHZ recording of the Judas Priest Cedar Park (Austin) show and I've been pleasantly surprised.
I was expecting a wall of distortion. However, everything sounds clear. Rob's vocals and Scott Travis' drums are up front in the mix.

I've been using a Sony ECM-DS70P for a full 15 years straight and it's never failed me. It's not the best mic by any means but it's good enough to record loud shows with more than decent quality.

Now to find some freeware WAVE editing software that a newbie like me can easily use.
Any suggestions? I'd like to torrent the 24 Bit capture ASAP.

For track splitting (not actual audio retouching), CD Wave is the best software.

[OhioHead]

Update 2: I'm listening to the 24 Bit/48KHZ recording of the Judas Priest Cedar Park (Austin) show and I've been pleasantly surprised.
I was expecting a wall of distortion. However, everything sounds clear. Rob's vocals and Scott Travis' drums are up front in the mix.

I've been using a Sony ECM-DS70P for a full 15 years straight and it's never failed me. It's not the best mic by any means but it's good enough to record loud shows with more than decent quality.

Now to find some freeware WAVE editing software that a newbie like me can easily use.
Any suggestions? I'd like to torrent the 24 Bit capture ASAP.

For track splitting (not actual audio retouching), CD Wave is the best software.

What about "retouching" the audio?

[fsulloway]

As posted above, Audacity is pretty good and free.

[OMA]

What about "retouching" the audio?

Adobe Audition is pretty good for this and easy enough to use. Otherwise, get Audacity, as you've been suggested.
Either way, use CD Wave for track splitting. It will save you a lot of time compared with using any other editor.