Topic: cheap and cheerful stealth microphones

[aaronji]

I have also seen the 3V figure.  I think from one of the recorder comparison charts and also from guysonic...

EDIT:  Sweetwater says 3V on their chart (http://www.sweetwater.com/feature/recorders/chart.php) and guysonic says 2.9V on his site (http://www.sonicstudios.com/r09hrrev.htm).  Couldn't really tell if they measured it or got it from specs somewhere...

[fmaderjr]

I have also seen the 3V figure.  I think from one of the recorder comparison charts and also from guysonic...

Yes-Guysonic tested the plug in power of the R-09HR and his site reports that it is 2.9 volts. This is odd because the R-09 provides the 5 volts needed by the CA-14's, DPA 4060 series, etc. It's odd that they cut back.

[carpa]

I find it is odd, too.   Unless the unit which has been tested being sort of defective on this sibe (but I strongly doubt...).
At this 3v point I don't think there is plenty of mics to use without a BB.

c

[GirthCoquer]

I've come out of the woodwork for this one... I couldn't be happier with my Church mics and pre. You can hear some of my recordings with my CA-11's ->CA-9100 on my blog http://invisiblesound.wordpress.com/  No Norwegian jazz on there yet, but a few Norwegian bands  Putting aside all the voltage issues, placement is absolutely essential to the recording.

[nassau73]

My budget really was very low to start recording shows here on Maui. While I would love to have a pair of Schoeps, reality (and my wife) dictated that the price needed to be kept down.

I found the Audio Reality Binaural mics and have had pretty good luck with them and a SONY MZ-RH1.
http://www.audioreality.com/

They come with a battery box.

John Ramsey is the guy who  makes these and seems to be kinda like Chris in that he's willing to discuss various aspects with you. He's a radio/audio engineer as his full time gig.

Anyway, I usually wear them attached to my eyeglass frames towards the very front of my face. The recordings are more "stereo" and better suited for speaker playback since I very rarely listen with headphones.

There are a number of shows up on LMA where you can hear samples.

Aloha

[fmaderjr]

Yes-Guysonic tested the plug in power of the R-09HR and his site reports that it is 2.9 volts. This is odd because the R-09 provides the 5 volts needed by the CA-14's, DPA 4060 series, etc. It's odd that they cut back.

I was wrong about the R-09 providing 5 volts. Chris Church later posted that it provides only 3.8 volts-not enough to reliably power DPA 4060 series or standard Church mics (that have a 4.7 ohm resistor).

[illconditioned]

My budget really was very low to start recording shows here on Maui. While I would love to have a pair of Schoeps, reality (and my wife) dictated that the price needed to be kept down.

I found the Audio Reality Binaural mics and have had pretty good luck with them and a SONY MZ-RH1.
http://www.audioreality.com/

They come with a battery box.

John Ramsey is the guy who  makes these and seems to be kinda like Chris in that he's willing to discuss various aspects with you. He's a radio/audio engineer as his full time gig.

Anyway, I usually wear them attached to my eyeglass frames towards the very front of my face. The recordings are more "stereo" and better suited for speaker playback since I very rarely listen with headphones.

There are a number of shows up on LMA where you can hear samples.

Aloha

Those are standard mics everyone is making.

I would put Chris Church (as well as Soundproffesionals and Core Sound) mics well above those in quality.  There are several factors, including both capsule quality and design/packaging (mounting, wiring, etc).

I'm not saying you can't build your own... I have.  But I would look at other options before spending hard cold cash on these.

  Richard

[MJ]

I should probably clarify the word 'muffled'.  Its a massive over-emphasis on bass and low-mid frequencies that I feel swamps vocals.  They don't distort or anything like that (although, as I said most of my gigs aren't that loud).  So I end up in post production heavily reducing bass frequencies and upping vocal type frequencies, in fact a hell of a lot of messing about..... 

Hi
Your response to Chris sounds interesting.  I guess that your ears have your own favorite sound.  Generally speaking many people like the FULLER and MORE DETAILED low-mid, which can be also translated as MUFFLED to others.  So if you want to have less low-end and clear mid-high, then I should recommend that you should go for AT943s (also known as SP-CMC-8).  If you really want go cheaper BUT more cheerful, then I recommend you should make your own mics using Panasonic WM-61As.
I believe Sound Pro or Audio Reality use Panasonic WM-61A or different model of the same product line for their own mics like SP-SPSB1 or Audio Reality Binaural mics. Believe me.  It costs you only $2~3 a piece.

One more, I would say I like Church Audio mics more than AT943s because my ears have my own favorite sound.
 
Koichi

[nassau73]

My budget really was very low to start recording shows here on Maui. While I would love to have a pair of Schoeps, reality (and my wife) dictated that the price needed to be kept down.

I found the Audio Reality Binaural mics and have had pretty good luck with them and a SONY MZ-RH1.
http://www.audioreality.com/

They come with a battery box.

John Ramsey is the guy who  makes these and seems to be kinda like Chris in that he's willing to discuss various aspects with you. He's a radio/audio engineer as his full time gig.

Anyway, I usually wear them attached to my eyeglass frames towards the very front of my face. The recordings are more "stereo" and better suited for speaker playback since I very rarely listen with headphones.

There are a number of shows up on LMA where you can hear samples.

Aloha

Those are standard mics everyone is making.

I would put Chris Church (as well as Soundproffesionals and Core Sound) mics well above those in quality.  There are several factors, including both capsule quality and design/packaging (mounting, wiring, etc).

I'm not saying you can't build your own... I have.  But I would look at other options before spending hard cold cash on these.

  Richard

Aloha:
Please keep in mind that this is still from a relative newbie.

As the original poster spoke about budget, this too was my concern.

I've listened to a few of the links I found at various places to hear the Church Audio mic results. When I listened, they sounded good. But they didn't sound so good as to disparage Audio Reality and discount them as summarily as has been done.

I haven't done spectral analysis, etc. I rely on my ears and based on your earlier posts, so do you. I also base my judgements on performance vs. price. Yes, I know certain mics will perform better but are they worth X number of dollars more?

As an example, compare Audio Reality with Neumann KM184's > Edirol R4 at
http://www.archive.org/details/dnb2009-01-23.flac16
http://www.archive.org/details/DNB2009-01-23

The difference is that the Audio Reality mics were stage right and the Neumann's were stage left. To my ears, the Neumann's had more of a higher end but they also had more of a mid-range sound that I always found somewhat annoying about audience recordings.

If time permits I will have a comparison of Eddie Vedder at Maui Arts & Cultural Center comparing Schoeps mk5's with Audio Reality. The Schoeps mics were in row E and the Audio Reality were in row X. I will admit that the Schoeps sound great (that's why I lust after them!).

However, if you compare the price points for someone at my rudimentary level of recording and wanting to hear shows I've attended, I am extremely satisfied with Audio Reality.

To take it a step further, there are a number of shows I've seeded using Audio Reality and these are some of the responses (copied & pasted) received from downloaders at bt.etree.org and dime:

About a Sheryl Crow outdoor show from a downloader on the island of Malta:
as always great sound from nassau73.
thnak youuuu

About this year's slack key guitar festival:
BIG HEAD'S UP, fellow Dimers...if this year's edition is anywhere near the quality of last year's offering, GRAB THIS!  This guy knows how to tape, and the feeling really IS like lounging in Maui, soaking in this wonderful music and vibe.  To the taper and uploader, many, many thanks!!!

About the Maui Bela Fleck show last December at bt.etree.org:
Nassau73, I just want to thank you for a truly masterful recording of this AWESOME music! I* am making 50 copies for my best friende as Xmas presentd. Thank you for a true masterpiece recording. It is being spread to many people who dont know Bela Fleck. Conciousness is rising!!! Again, many thanks!!!!!

Anyway, trust your ears.

Aloha from Maui

[WiFiJeff]

I was wrong about the R-09 providing 5 volts. Chris Church later posted that it provides only 3.8 volts-not enough to reliably power DPA 4060 series or standard Church mics (that have a 4.7 ohm resistor).

The 4060 series includes the 4063, which will work with 3V (as will the 4073).  I am using it with the Sonosax MiniR82, which can't power the 4060s I often use, but handles the 4063s nicely.  They sound pretty much like the 4060s but have lower sensitivity. 

Jeff

[Church-Audio]

I was wrong about the R-09 providing 5 volts. Chris Church later posted that it provides only 3.8 volts-not enough to reliably power DPA 4060 series or standard Church mics (that have a 4.7 ohm resistor).

The 4060 series includes the 4063, which will work with 3V (as will the 4073).  I am using it with the Sonosax MiniR82, which can't power the 4060s I often use, but handles the 4063s nicely.  They sound pretty much like the 4060s but have lower sensitivity. 

Jeff

No the dpa 4060 will not work properly on 3v.

Chris