Topic: What is the quietest set of omni electret condensers?

[kingtut38]

I've been looking at numbers of various sets but they all seem relatively noisy.  I know the numbers can be skewed by a lot of different things to make whatever model look good.  I was just wondering if there was a EXTREMELY quiet set out there for nature and voice that everyone agreed on.

[DSatz]

Why do you want to limit yourself to electrets if you want high quality? I mean, there are some very good ones and even a few that are arguably first-rate, but most are decidedly inferior to the better traditionally-polarized condensers (or to good RF condensers, for that matter).

Do you really need (for example) microphones that run on plug-in powering rather than phantom powering? Or microphones that draw very little current, so that you don't have to carry lots of batteries or change batteries frequently? Electrets don't necessarily offer either of those features, nor are those features necessarily best served by electrets.

I'm just trying to imagine why anyone would willingly adopt the constraint of the electret polarization principle in a search for high-performance microphones. It's a seemingly irrelevant and counterproductive constraint, is all.

--best regards

[kingtut38]

I guess I should have been clearer in my first post.  I do homemade dummy head recording with small electrets.  That's why the small form factor.  Got a pair of church's right now that I like but I was just curious about others.

[soundpro]

Hello:

These are the quietest I have seen:

http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-20

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Best Regards,

Chris Carfagno
sales@soundprofessionals.com
www.soundprofessionals.com
The Sound Professionals, Inc.
3444 Sylon Blvd
Hainesport NJ, 08036
800-213-3021
609-267-4400
609-267-0054 fax

[John Willett]

I would certainly add the Neumann KM-D series to the list (KM-D + KK131, KK133 of KK183) as they take the analogue hash away.

The ADC is in the mic. right by the capsule, so no low-level RF pick-up on the cable, no mic. pre. analogue noise, no backing off the mic. pre. to allow headroom, no backing off the ADC to allow headroom.  As quiet as you get.

And I would add the Schoeps omnis with the CMD2 AES42 adaptor to the list as well.

Not electrets, of course.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

You mentioned nature recording..  That implies outdoor conditions with varying humidity.  You should check out the nature recordists list.

People are fond of the AT3032.  It frequently measures better than spec and is cheap.  But it is discontinued.

[John Willett]

You mentioned nature recording..  That implies outdoor conditions with varying humidity.  You should check out the nature recordists list.

People are fond of the AT3032.  It frequently measures better than spec and is cheap.  But it is discontinued.

For outdoor nature recording with omnis I would only use the MKH 20 or MKH 8020 and nothing else.

Only an RF condenser has that safety to work well in damp conditions.

In the damp and AF or electret mic. will go crackly and/or noisy as the charge leaks away on the moisture.

[it-goes-to-eleven]

For outdoor nature recording with omnis I would only use the MKH 20 or MKH 8020 and nothing else.

In the damp and AF or electret mic. will go crackly and/or noisy as the charge leaks away on the moisture.

I've never used them, I'm just passing on what I've read.

I'd love to have a pair of the MKH's for nature recording.. However, the $2300/pair price vs. $340 makes me wince.  Especially the thought of leaving them unattended in the bush for hours...

Of course with the dew points in the early morning and at dusk, it doesn't need to be "rainy" to create moisture problems for mics.

It's never been clear to me with electrets; when they lose their charge, are they toast?  I'd always thought the "permanently" charged bit sounded troubling..

[guysonic]

I've been looking at numbers of various sets but they all seem relatively noisy.  I know the numbers can be skewed by a lot of different things to make whatever model look good.  I was just wondering if there was a EXTREMELY quiet set out there for nature and voice that everyone agreed on.

My company's DSM-1S/H is considered by most quietest stereo-surround mic set around, and usually configured with WHB/N wind/rain resistant accessory.

Mic at: www.sonicstudios.com/dsm.htm#chart

WHB/N at: www.sonicstudios.com/access.htm#whb

Nature/voice recordings made with these at: www.sonicstudios.com/mp3.htm

[Roger Gustavsson]

Rob Danielson's homepage is filled with information on microphones suitable for nature recording, https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/type/www/audio-art-tech-gallery/


Roger

[John Willett]

For nature and wildlife recordings, you really should look at the website of the Wildlife Sound Recording Society - it's cheap to join too, if you wish.