Topic: SoundField SPS200

[J.T.L]

I asked Richard about the caps being MBHO and he told me he was pretty sure the similarity ends with the casing and that soundfield likes to make their own capsules.

[boojum]

F - OK, pulling in DC now.  I am expecting a real rsuh, ya know.     

OK, I will be interested to hear it and learn what SF sound slike.

Thanks.   

[F.O.Bean]

Thanks for the explanation Brian, you RAWK +T And thanks to FOCKER(I think or maybe JTL) whom posted the wikipedia links. I read up the short written piece of the SF on wikipedia and it is AMAZING to say the last. It has (4) Subcardioid capsules, and in post, you can make them an omni/subcard/card/hyper/fig8 on ANY of the capsules Thats just MINDBLOWING IMO

So, after reading Brians example, and the wikipedia link, I am STARTING TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT Like most ALL THINGS IMO, it can never be FULLY CONCEIVED by me unless I were to actually use it and do the post work and I dont see THAT happening anytime soon

Its just SIMPLY AMAZING what you can do in post with it. I also think its TRULY MIND BLOWING that you can just PLOP that sucka onto a stand on a side-address and just hit record, and then go back and alter it to your liking/standards and BAM, DONE!

The ONLY DOWNSIDE I can see to that AMAZING MIC is that the thing is SOOOO COMPLEX, and I have OCD< and I would NEVER get done w/ a recording, let alone in time to record my next show :p I would be on a recording FOREVER to get it JUST RIGHT ya know? Also, how does one TRULY make a PERFECT SOUNDING SURROUND MIX On headphones? Or a COMPLEX 5.1 or 7.1 TOP OF THE LINE HIGHEND speaker component system How would the final mix be mixed

IM SORRY for ALL of the questions, but this thing REALLY INTRIGUES ME TO TEH FULLEST I have only been recording for around 10+ years, and this concept just NEVER HIT ME until seeing this mic. Its just AMAZING how far recording technologies and capabilities have come THIS FAR in just the 10 or more years Ive been recording I mean, hell, back in 1997 when I bought my trusty ole Sony D-8 Dat deck, it was either buy a DAT deck or a MD, and the DAT was the CLEAR WINNER, As far as mics went, it was a HQ PAIR of condenser mics in your TYPICAL mic configs and THAT WAS IT. But NOW, nowadays we have mics like the SF surround SD mic How frickin CRAZY IS THAT Its MINDBLOWING TO ME and I know there are a few brands that make a head-like sphere thats also a surround mic. I think Hydrosphere or someone like that makes them. Theyre in teh Full Compass mag I get(I think thats what mag it is) and theyre TINY and come in 5.1 and 7.1 models I think And they are TINY IMO!!!

Thanks alot for the info guys!!!

Bean

[Kewl]

I asked Richard about the caps being MBHO and he told me he was pretty sure the similarity ends with the casing and that soundfield likes to make their own capsules.

SoundField made their own capsules way back when it was Calrec. SoundField doesn't have the in-house expertise to make their caps anymore (Calrec is now Hebden Sound). The caps in the ST350 and the SPS200 are made by MBHO.

As for the SPS200 SurroundZone, they will update it soon so it can output B-Format: for now, it can "only" output mono, stereo and various surround formats. Having access to the B-Format stream will open up the post-production software choices.

- Daniel

[Kyle]

Brian - thanks from me as well for the explanation. It is coming together much more clearly now.This microphone is a fantastic concept. Someday...

[F.O.Bean]

I asked Richard about the caps being MBHO and he told me he was pretty sure the similarity ends with the casing and that soundfield likes to make their own capsules.

SoundField made their own capsules way back when it was Calrec. SoundField doesn't have the in-house expertise to make their caps anymore (Calrec is now Hebden Sound). The caps in the ST350 and the SPS200 are made by MBHO.

- Daniel

WOW, thats actually kind of surprising to me I mean, I KNOW they look ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL but WOW. Maybe KNOW FINALLY MBHO will get the recognition they DESERVE for being a FINE GERMAN MICROPHONE COMPANY I mean, theyre mics are like 99% handmade, and have a LIFETIME WARRANTY

So, since the SF under wikipedia states that the SF SPS200 has (4) Subcardioid capsules, so that would DEFINITELY make sense w/ them being made by MBHO, since MBHO MAKES the KA300 NB Subcardioid capsules So its really just (4) of those in a tetramic-esque array w/ some CRAZYASS SOFTWARE that can do ANYTHING w/ those 4 signals, including making any 4 of those subcards into omni/subs/cards/hypers/fig8's all in the software in post FUCKING CRAZY MANG!!!!

[J.T.L]

I asked Richard about the caps being MBHO and he told me he was pretty sure the similarity ends with the casing and that soundfield likes to make their own capsules.

SoundField made their own capsules way back when it was Calrec. SoundField doesn't have the in-house expertise to make their caps anymore (Calrec is now Hebden Sound). The caps in the ST350 and the SPS200 are made by MBHO.

As for the SPS200 SurroundZone, they will update it soon so it can output B-Format: for now, it can "only" output mono, stereo and various surround formats. Having access to the B-Format stream will open up the post-production software choices.

- Daniel

+T

[Kewl]

So, since the SF under wikipedia states that the SF SPS200 has (4) Subcardioid capsules, so that would DEFINITELY make sense w/ them being made by MBHO, since MBHO MAKES the KA300 NB Subcardioid capsules

The SoundField Wikipedia entry doesn't explicitly talk about the SPS200: the "classic" SF models employ subcardioids because of the technical limitations in getting a cardiod pattern with a cap with such a small back chamber. The SPS200 employs MBHO KA 200 caps. Having cardioids caps on a tetrahedron assembly (TetraMic, SPS200 and, back in the 90s, the AGM-MR1) produces better S/N ratio in the XYZ channels.

The choice of subcardioid (cap with small back chamber) or cardioid (cap with usually bigger back chamber) for assembling a tetrahedron comes down to a balance between physical coincidence (which will impact the B-Format accuracy at high frequencies) and S/N ratio in the XYZ channels (because less directional caps will have less directional difference between them).

- Daniel

[live2496]

Thanks Daniel. Good stuff.

I noticed that Oktava has a 4 capsule mic. But their capsules are much farther apart.
http://www.oktavausa.com/ProductsPages/Ambient4DMic.html

I was thinking that higher frequencies would be out of phase as the capsules are not as coincident. However this is interesting because the capsules are quite common and relatively cheap. I guess the top could be modified for B-format recording.

[J.T.L]

These samples are from a small club with a horrid PA system. The mic was onstage/dfc/~3' high. The drums were behind the guitar amps and the vocal monitor was hanging against the wall, stage right. The bass has no bass but yet can still be heard, this is not from the mic but how the bass player had his rig set. The band requested that I not circulate their show due to all the songs are on an up coming album but I am allowed to post one track to this forum only. It was the last song of their set and I have it zipped below...

http://the-home-team.org/other/SPS200.zip

Out of the three tracks, one is Blumlein, one is cardioids at 110º and the last is mid-side with a hyper setting as the mid...decoded 50/50. In my opinion, not the best test for this mic but is useful to the tapers here who frequent odd clubs more than theaters, coliseums and amphitheatres.

[mmedley.]

Nice work. First impression after a quick 30 sec listen to each config. I liked the blumlein the best, then mid-side, then cards.


Can't wait to hear this badboy at some indoor Panic.


Edit: On second thought, I think I like the cards more than the mid-side after another listen.


Alright, enough procrastinating, back to my hole to do schoolwork.

[boojum]

Nice work. First impression after a quick 30 sec listen to each config. I liked the blumlein the best, then mid-side, then cards.


Can't wait to hear this badboy at some indoor Panic.


Edit: On second thought, I think I like the cards more than the mid-side after another listen.


Alright, enough procrastinating, back to my hole to do schoolwork.

As a state certified MS fluffer I have to say the the M-S ratio can be varied in MS.  So you may not have had the best ratio.  I generally record at 50/50 and later dial more M into the mix, especially with a noisy crowd.  Then again, you may have done all that, and the XY is better.   

I am also interested in seeing how the Core Sound Ambisonc mics work.  His comes in at about half the SF setup.  If it is any kind of close to the SF it would be a viable alternative.  I see Ambisonic really nice, but I would also run a pair of omnis and/or cards just so I could sort out what is best of the lot.  In a certain situation even Ambisonic XY may not sound as good as regular XY because of the difference in the mics "signature."

If, however, the Ambisonic has a good signature in its various configurations it would be the "go to" mic for all seasons.  This is an interesting, and developing, story.

Oktava is larger.  Russians like big, bolshoi, in Russian.  Big like house, strong like ox.  Oh, the stereotypes.  I can't wait until someone on the board springs for the Oktavas.

Cheers

PS - I listened to F0CKER's Dead Confederate recording.  It has a very nice sense of space to it, ambiance.  The downside of live recording is that too often you get a good recording of a bad PA system.

[jimmyrow]

The downside of live recording is that too often you get a good recording of a bad PA system.

QFT

[live2496]

Oktava is larger.  Russians like big, bolshoi, in Russian.  Big like house, strong like ox.  Oh, the stereotypes.  I can't wait until someone on the board springs for the Oktavas.

In Saskatchewan (where I was born) I have known the Russian's to say "is strong like bull".  :-)
So I guess Oktava is strong like bull.

I liked the blumlein recording the best too. Though it seems more guitar amp and less drums.

[F.O.Bean]

thats CRAZY that you have the ability and control to MAKE all 3 configs IN FUCKING POST This mic is starting to open up to me and im understanding it more and more so you can TOTALLY just make a STEREO recording instead of the surround end result right? you can basically do whatever the fu&* you want to