Topic: New Mini Stealth Rig

[saltyheaven]

Giving a little back here for a change. It's usually me doing masses of reading and I have learned so much from this site, thank you all.

  I had been aiming for a pair of 4060's but just couldn't scrape the money together and had heard some secondhand reports that the Rode Lav was in the same ballpark. I can't say whether this is true or not as I've not been able to compare them. However I have done some comparisons between my OM1's into a 702 and this little rig - Rode Lavaliers directly into an M10.  For recording moderately loud shows I'm going to offer that this little baby rig suits me just fine and the quality is such that I'd only bother carrying the larger stuff for a more critical or quiet recording.  I'll definitely be cleaning up those huge connectors though. Rode calls their connectors Mi-con, I'll be hunting down a superlight 2 x micon to mini stereo adaptor, I figure I'll have to make this or get it made.

  Here's a tune I recorded last night.  Sax, Banjo and Double Bass coming through the PA. The two mics were just placed on the top of a Fender Rhodes that was just off stage. Mics about 60cm apart. No processing, I just brought the level up a little.

https://soundcloud.com/salty-heaven/if-you-see-my-mother-tell-her-i-love-her

[ArchivalAudio]

looks nice, but just cut the ends off of those and reterminate to a TRS  3.5mm right angle plug. or have another TS cabler do it for you

[saltyheaven]

Woohoo!   a reply!   I was getting a bit worried there.

   I still use the lavs as Lavs as well so want to be able to screw on the xlr adaptor.   I could buy two new cables (they detach from the mic as well) and do as you suggest, It's probably the best way to go.

   cheers!

[opsopcopolis]

If the cables detach then definitely grab one terminating in a mini TRS. Will make your life much easier!

[2manyrocks]

One of the selling points for the Rode lavs is that the cable is easily replaceable and detachable from the head.  Rode is appealing to users who have seen actors yank a cable on a 4061. 

Haven't seen any other posts on ts about the Rodes.  Obvious question is how they compare to B3 and 4061? 

[Fried Chicken Boy]

Haven't seen any other posts on ts about the Rodes.  Obvious question is how they compare to B3 and 4061?

Took a look at the Rodes' specs and they're rolled off considerably below 100 Hz and above 10 kHz (their frequency range is listed as 60 Hz - 18 kHz).  They're also only rated up to 110 dB SPL so stack-taping your favorite metal band is probably out of the question.   That said, the sample sounds nice and it's good to see something that's a little different than the typical mini-mics a lot of us use.  Thanks for sharing, saltyheaven! 

[bombdiggity]

They seem to be voice mics but at the right show might deliver much of what one wants.  I thought the bass was pretty light in the sample but that's often an issue with tiny mics and without knowing what being there sounded like it seemed alright. 

[2manyrocks]

$250 per mic retail, if I understand correctly.  That would more than buy new B3s or snag some good used 4061s. 

The user replaceable cable would be a better benefit to folks who actually use these as lavs on people who aren't careful with the cables.     

[saltyheaven]

Thanks for the replies.

  I guess I posted this because it's a very slick and lightweight rig, ideally suited to stealth recording. The sound to my ears seems perfectly acceptable.    Cost wise, here in Australia, I got the Lavs for $210 aus each - compared to $500 each for 4060's. I'd been waiting patiently for used 4060's and just never came across any.

   I've heard a few 4060/Line audio OM1 comparisons on gearslutz - I've done my own Om1/Rode Lav comparisons.  Maybe I have cloth for eardrums but I think the differences are subtle, I did double blind tests and could always pick the differences but it wasn't always easy. I would love to do a well controlled 4060/Rode lav comp.  The Rode lav definitely has much more self noise than the OM1 (the quoted spec being just 1db greater than the 4060) but in the context of PA recording I can't see that it makes any difference.

  I think the bass in this recording is quite accurate to reality. How these little guys would fare in a more typically bass heavy gig is yet to be seen.

  I e.mailed Rode yesterday asking if they could supply female micon connectors or if they had any other suggestions regarding making a low profile connection of a pair of lavs to the 3.5mm mini.  This morning I got a reply offering to send me two micon cables free of charge for me to re-terminate myself!

  Oh yeah, this is clearly not a setup for superloud gigs! That's not my thing anyway so I'm cool with that.


 

[2manyrocks]

More samples of other music would be welcome.  I don't know of anyone else using these mics like you're using them we could turn to for comparisons.

[saltyheaven]

Will do.    Might take me a little while...

[spybo]

Hey which state are you in....get in touch...Adelaide here.

[saltyheaven]

Hi Spybo,   I'm in Sydney.