Topic: what is the next step up?

[nicegrin]

Hi!

I´ve tried the mm hlso (sennheiser mk2es omnis), mm hlsc-1 (sennheiser mk40s cards), SP CMC-8 (AT 943 hypers) and the Chris Church ST CA-11 (omnis). They are all good mics I guess. My favourite of the bunch seem to be the SP CMC-8 hypers who seem to produce a nice result in most situations.

But I´m kind of looking to take the next step up... What is the logical next step up? What mics should I concider if I want something better then I have and still small ($tealthable)?

I know alot of you guys will say dpa 4061s but those havn´t really convinced me so other suggestions are very welcome...

Secondly I just have to say I was a bit surprised to see that I have recieved atleast 4 -Ts... And that from only asking simple questions with a humble attitude I hope. Tapers are a hostile bunch? 

Nicegrin

[run_run_run]

Does it have to be stealth?  DPA 4061s are great

[jkbyram]

nevaton mce 400


a member here is a dealer

http://www.bigpurpledog.com/BPDP/home.html

[Krispy D]

open use and still very stealthable:

[nicegrin]

$tealthable or atleast easy to wear on your chest or collars with clips kind of mics is what I´m looking for... I guess that narrows the field a bit...

Thanks!

[run_run_run]

Some type of active set up would be a big step up

[anechoic]

Aevox Classic M MkII stereo omni's
very nice sounding mics
http://www.aevox.be/#M2

[MattD]

Audix 1290

John Kelly used them for a while and I liked what he got with those.

[su6oxone]

$tealthable or atleast easy to wear on your chest or collars with clips kind of mics is what I´m looking for... I guess that narrows the field a bit...

Thanks!

Agree with above poster re: schoeps ccm4/41/21.  Nice and stealthy if you can afford them.  Audix m1280/1290 are small and reportedly nice as well, but known to be a bit power hungry. 

[nameloc01]

The only thing that would argueably be better than any of those other mics would be Schoeps.

[Krispy D]

The only thing that would argueably be better than any of those other mics would be Schoeps.

That is precisely what I said.

[kskreider]

How about the SKM140 kit or the 8040st with extension cables?  MBHO?  There are several more affordable options without resulting to Schoeps.

[schoff]

In a previous topic:Audix M1290 (or M1280) a true upgrade? (http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,105713.0.html)

the Audex came up as a pretty good mic however when looking for the best price there seemed to be some confusion as to whether the mics are still being manufactured. Can anybody confirm or deny this?

Secondly, would the Schoeps ccm4, 41 or 21. work with an Aerco MP-2 which, with dimensions 1.5" x 3" x 4" seems great for stealthing and what cables would be needed to join the two together IE anything special?

Looking forward to your replies

Schoff

[edtyre]

schoeps actives with Nbox+
would be my #1 choice for high quality in smallest package
(see pic attached)

MK-4 caps=1550
Nbox+=1600

or

CCM-4=4100
Aerco MP2=750 (3 to 4 month wait)

[schoff]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

thanks for the pics edtyre

one question £ or $

either way might be a while before I can afford a setup like that   

[su6oxone]

the Audex came up as a pretty good mic however when looking for the best price there seemed to be some confusion as to whether the mics are still being manufactured. Can anybody confirm or deny this?

B&H still sells the m1280:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/522767-REG/Audix_M1280_M1280_Miniature_Condenser_Microphone.html

And per the audix website, the m1280 (replacement for the m1290) is still a production mic.

http://www.audixusa.com/docs/products/M1280.shtml

[nicegrin]

thanks for all replies!

A little sum up from what people have been suggesting.

Nevaton MCE 400
DPA 4061
Aevox classic M MK II
Audix 1280 (as the 1290 model is out of production, right?)
Schoeps CCM4/41/21
Schoeps MK 4

Anyone more we can add to this list?

Which of these mics are possible to get with a miniplug? i.e. terminating in a 3.5 mm plug.

Are all these options really stealthable/small enough to be worn on your collars, shirt etc.?

Thanks!

 

[John Willett]

I would add the MKH 8000 to your list.

But none of these mics terminate with a mini-jack plug - they are all professional mics.

Why do you need such a horrible plug?

If it's for a laptop, you need a proper soundcard with XLRs and 48V phantom power to run all these mics.

[Q-W-Y]

Why do you need such a horrible plug?

Why do u think that it is so horrible?

[Q-W-Y]

Which of these mics are possible to get with a miniplug? i.e. terminating in a 3.5 mm plug.

Aevox
If u need stealthable... look for IE MkII  (in ear)

[TNJazz]

Which of these mics are possible to get with a miniplug? i.e. terminating in a 3.5 mm plug.

DPA and Aevox.

Are all these options really stealthable/small enough to be worn on your collars, shirt etc.?

DPA, Aevox and Nevaton.  Possibly the Audix, although they are a bit larger.  Not as big as the Schoeps though.  Those would not be as low profile, for sure.

[John Willett]

Why do you need such a horrible plug?

Why do u think that it is so horrible?

The 3.5mm mini-jack is nasty - awkward to solder, no proper cable grip (except for the Neutrik), only takes thin and nasty cable, poor connection, shorts out when inserted, subject to crackles and interrupts if you pull on the plug,, etc., etc........

Never used on professional equipment (except for headphones, and then only on cameras).

[nicegrin]

concidering price and stealthability I guess the most interesting ones seem to be

Nevaton MCE 400 and the Aevox MK II.

Q1: Will the Aevox MK II really be an upgrade to my sennheiser MK2e or the sp cmc-8s?

Q2: What power supply would you guys reccomend to the Newaton MCE 400 if I want to run them with an edirol r09?
       The Denecke PS-2 mini (terminating in a 3.5") seems to be an option. Is there other phantom powers to concider aswell?
       Size is imortant so a suggestion for a small 48v phantompower with double 3-pin in and a 3.5" out is important!

Q3: What about the countryman b3? A good option to the Aevox or the Nevaton?

Thanks!

[Q-W-Y]

The 3.5mm mini-jack is nasty - awkward to solder, no proper cable grip (except for the Neutrik), only takes thin and nasty cable, poor connection, shorts out when inserted, subject to crackles and interrupts if you pull on the plug,, etc., etc........

Never used on professional equipment (except for headphones, and then only on cameras).

Yes, but looking on this http://www.russian-mics.com/ebay/mke400_63_1.jpg  makes me think whether the XLR is always the right choice ....    maybe XLR Mini, but I haven't seen any mic with it yet.

[Sunday Driver]

Why do you need such a horrible plug?

Why do u think that it is so horrible?

Because it is noisy and the power is unbalanced. Also, the connector does not interlock.

[Sunday Driver]

The only thing that would argueably be better than any of those other mics would be Schoeps.

I have to disagree with you there as I have heard some excellent DPA 402x, Neumann "actives", and AKG blue line "actives" tapes that sound a lot better than the mics named in the first post of this thread.

[nicegrin]

hm... I think we are getting a bit off topic now... anyone who has a good answer to these questions?

Q1: Will the Aevox MK II really be an upgrade to my sennheiser MK2e or the sp cmc-8s?

Q2: What power supply would you guys reccomend to the Newaton MCE 400 if I want to run them with an edirol r09?
       The Denecke PS-2 mini (terminating in a 3.5") seems to be an option. Is there other phantom powers to concider aswell?
       Size is imortant so a suggestion for a small 48v phantompower with double 3-pin in and a 3.5" out is important!

Q3: What about the countryman b3? A good option to the Aevox or the Nevaton?

Thanks!

[nameloc01]

I meant in general overall. There will always be exceptions,but the mics he stated he had already used typically pull great recordings if used correctly. DPAs..they are great mics,..but substantially better overall..nah. They are about equal-except sizewise. (generally speaking)

[setboy]

what about the countryman b3/b6?

[indietaperwloo]

what about the countryman b3/b6?

Yes! Definitely!  While the Nevatons are definitely better sounding, the quality control and matching is somewhat sketchy.  Go to illconditioned's website and listen to some samples with the B3's.  The B3's are better for high SPL environments as the B6's tend to overload at higher SPL.
Right now, I personally use the Sennheiser KE4-211-2s on semi-permanent loan from illconditioned.  Only problem is I'm without a reliable recorder right now but that may change in the next little while.

[su6oxone]

hm... I think we are getting a bit off topic now... anyone who has a good answer to these questions?

Q2: What power supply would you guys reccomend to the Newaton MCE 400 if I want to run them with an edirol r09?
       The Denecke PS-2 mini (terminating in a 3.5") seems to be an option. Is there other phantom powers to concider aswell?
       Size is imortant so a suggestion for a small 48v phantompower with double 3-pin in and a 3.5" out is important!

The PS-2 mini is probably the most popular portable dual channel 48v phantom power source.  I've been using for several months now and I like it a lot, relatively small, no problems, easy to insert a 9v battery on the fly and hot swappable as well.  It can be tough to s****th when metal detectors are used, however, as it is somewhat bulky and has an entirely metal case. 

[nicegrin]

hm... I think we are getting a bit off topic now... anyone who has a good answer to these questions?

Q2: What power supply would you guys reccomend to the Newaton MCE 400 if I want to run them with an edirol r09?
       The Denecke PS-2 mini (terminating in a 3.5") seems to be an option. Is there other phantom powers to concider aswell?
       Size is imortant so a suggestion for a small 48v phantompower with double 3-pin in and a 3.5" out is important!

The PS-2 mini is probably the most popular portable dual channel 48v phantom power source.  I've been using for several months now and I like it a lot, relatively small, no problems, easy to insert a 9v battery on the fly and hot swappable as well.  It can be tough to s****th when metal detectors are used, however, as it is somewhat bulky and has an entirely metal case. 

So is there another smaller option to concider aswell?

[Krispy D]

The Art Phantom II will work as well.  small cheap plastic. I had one for a while and it worked just fine!  Not sure who I sold it to...  Bean maybe.  That team pittsburgh is full of sluts.

[Sunday Driver]

hm... I think we are getting a bit off topic now... anyone who has a good answer to these questions?

Q2: What power supply would you guys reccomend to the Newaton MCE 400 if I want to run them with an edirol r09?
       The Denecke PS-2 mini (terminating in a 3.5") seems to be an option. Is there other phantom powers to concider aswell?
       Size is imortant so a suggestion for a small 48v phantompower with double 3-pin in and a 3.5" out is important!

The PS-2 mini is probably the most popular portable dual channel 48v phantom power source.  I've been using for several months now and I like it a lot, relatively small, no problems, easy to insert a 9v battery on the fly and hot swappable as well.  It can be tough to s****th when metal detectors are used, however, as it is somewhat bulky and has an entirely metal case. 

I own a PS-2 with the miniplug output mod, and I like it. However, I would only recommend this if you are recording very loud music. If you taping quieter sources, I would suggest a preamp that supplies phantom power; such as a Sound Devices Mix Pre or Aerco MP-2. If you just run the PS-2 into your recorder's line input, you will be using a lot of gain from the recorder, or in quieter situations you may not even get enough to produce levels near 0db.

[ScotK]

This is a good discussion and I suspect I'm not the only lurker here, interested in this topic!

thanks.

scot

[TNJazz]

While the Nevatons are definitely better sounding, the quality control and matching is somewhat sketchy.

Not an issue if you buy them from the right dealer.  (that would be ME, in case you were wondering)

[bugg100]

Coming late to the party here.  Reading your original post, you list off a nice enough round of mics that you feel only so so about and state that you have been most happy with hypers.

Playing devils advocate here, not trying to be an ass.... Two questions come to mind.

1) What kind of pre-amp have you run behind all of these mics (whether it is a stand alone pre or is built into your recorder)?       And most importantly: 2) What sort of mic PLACEMENT have you practiced?

Any of the above mics CAN make stellar tapes with proper placement and the BEST of the suggestions given will not really help poor placement.

Joe

 

Hi!

I´ve tried the mm hlso (sennheiser mk2es omnis), mm hlsc-1 (sennheiser mk40s cards), SP CMC-8 (AT 943 hypers) and the Chris Church ST CA-11 (omnis). They are all good mics I guess. My favourite of the bunch seem to be the SP CMC-8 hypers who seem to produce a nice result in most situations.

But I´m kind of looking to take the next step up... What is the logical next step up? What mics should I concider if I want something better then I have and still small ($tealthable)?

I know alot of you guys will say dpa 4061s but those havn´t really convinced me so other suggestions are very welcome...

Secondly I just have to say I was a bit surprised to see that I have recieved atleast 4 -Ts... And that from only asking simple questions with a humble attitude I hope. Tapers are a hostile bunch? 

Nicegrin

[bugg100]

Oh yeah, plus T for asking for advice!

[jerryfreak]

schoeps actives with Nbox+
would be my #1 choice for high quality in smallest package
(see pic attached)

MK-4 caps=1550
Nbox+=1600

or

CCM-4=4100
Aerco MP2=750 (3 to 4 month wait)

or mk4 caps=1550 (1000-1200 used)
cmr mic bodies+battery box = 1050
preamp of your choice

[nicegrin]

answers...

Q1: in most cases only a 9v bb as I mostly record loud stuff. For the MM HLSC-1 I do need a preamp to make it work at it´s full potential. I have the CA ST 9100 pre.

Q2: As I´ve mainly been using them in crowds and not on any stand I´m not sure you can really say I´m able to use a specific config. I try to have them about 17-25 cm apart with a 120 degree angle.

N

Coming late to the party here.  Reading your original post, you list off a nice enough round of mics that you feel only so so about and state that you have been most happy with hypers.

Playing devils advocate here, not trying to be an ass.... Two questions come to mind.

1) What kind of pre-amp have you run behind all of these mics (whether it is a stand alone pre or is built into your recorder)?       And most importantly: 2) What sort of mic PLACEMENT have you practiced?

Any of the above mics CAN make stellar tapes with proper placement and the BEST of the suggestions given will not really help poor placement.

Joe

 

Hi!

I´ve tried the mm hlso (sennheiser mk2es omnis), mm hlsc-1 (sennheiser mk40s cards), SP CMC-8 (AT 943 hypers) and the Chris Church ST CA-11 (omnis). They are all good mics I guess. My favourite of the bunch seem to be the SP CMC-8 hypers who seem to produce a nice result in most situations.

But I´m kind of looking to take the next step up... What is the logical next step up? What mics should I concider if I want something better then I have and still small ($tealthable)?

I know alot of you guys will say dpa 4061s but those havn´t really convinced me so other suggestions are very welcome...

Secondly I just have to say I was a bit surprised to see that I have recieved atleast 4 -Ts... And that from only asking simple questions with a humble attitude I hope. Tapers are a hostile bunch? 

Nicegrin

[bugg100]

What recorder?

PM sent regarding other questions...

[nicegrin]

edirol r09

[su6oxone]

So is there another smaller option to concider aswell?

ART phantom 2 is a good, cheaper option, but the PS-2 mini is probably the smallest and easiest portable phantom power source you can use with the R-09.  It's a bit bigger than the R-09, but it's easy to use and easy to change the 9V on the fly.  Definitely recommend getting one if you want to upgrade to phantom powered mics and use them with the R-09.  Otherwise, you can consider changing recorders to an all-in-one type (that can provide 48V phantom) like the 16-bit Marantz PMD-660 or the 24-bit Fostex FR2LE (rather large) or Sound Devices 702/722.  But these are much more expensive options (and still bulky).

[nicegrin]

finding good portable stuff is not really an easy thing it seems like... The nevatons seem very nice though... tricky...

[muj]

While the Nevatons are definitely better sounding, the quality control and matching is somewhat sketchy.

It used to be worse...trust me.They are on the right track now.