Gear / Technical Help > Ask The Tapers
Can anyone suggest an upgrade from Church CA-14 cards?
jb63:
--- Quote from: johnmuge on August 22, 2020, 10:41:30 AM ---I agree the AT 853 w/ 4.7k mod is a great stealth setup for the price. I was pulling really nice recordings going straight into a Marantz PMD-620 with no battery box. Very stealthy and super easy to run. I think the Nevaton MCE 400's sound better but they require phantom power and have full size XLR's but the mics are tiny. All we need now is live music to record.
--- End quote ---
I'd say this. Plus if you mod you PMD620, then you get a lower noise floor running mic in. I think I was running AT943 cards when I left this setup. I miss it, but not as much as I miss concerts.
nulldogmas:
I went from CA-14 cards to AT-853 w/4.7 mod as well, and have been very happy with the switch. I will say, though, that the difference in sound quality is negligible — I did side-by-side tests, in fact, and couldn't tell the two apart. The main advantage is build quality: I was having to replace my CA-14s every couple of years when the flimsy cable connections broke, whereas the AT-853s are rock solid.
Scooter123:
The microphone is the single biggest factor in the quality of your recording. If you seriously want to upgrade, go big or go home.
This is what I did, I went from Church to AT Mikes to DPA to Schoeps.
I listened to 100 of my favorite dowloads and made a note of the microphone used for each. Surprisingly, Church mikes occupied a couple of those favorites, but what I found was about 30% of the best recordings were Neuman KM 184s or 84s or other varients; about 30% were Schoeps. The Schoeps were easier to stealth, and there was an established group of Schoeps tapers with NBoxes in my area.
I ultimately picked Schoeps and have 2 pair.
But do the process yourself and judge with your own ears. No one can tell you that a single microphone is best for you.
jj69:
Thanks everyone. AT853 is a great suggestion, and it reminded me of something... I actually have a pair of AT853 card caps and adapters that I bought years ago! I bought them to mount the caps on my AT943 bodies in hopes of solving the complete lack of bass in the 943. Unfortunately, the 853 caps and adapters proved far too heavy for collar mounting.
However, I now realize that I CAN use the 853 caps by mounting them in the little canvas case I use at venues with table seating. I put the little case on the table and stealth record that way. Frankly, they should be the perfect solution for table mount recordings!
That still leaves me with no viable alternative for standing room only shows. Although a bit large, I loved that the CA-14's are featherweights that could be clipped to the starched collar of a black shirt, making them invisible in dimly lit rooms. I still need something for that scenario.
If I were open to investing more money, what about the little DPA mics? Do they make a card, or just omnis? Can they be powered by a 12V battery box, or do they require a dedicated preamp?
jj69:
--- Quote from: Scooter123 on August 22, 2020, 02:32:41 PM ---If you seriously want to upgrade, go big or go home.
--- End quote ---
While I'm sure your advice is sound, I think you may be forgetting the stealth aspect. Aren't Neuman and Schoeps mics pretty large, certainly larger than CA14? Remember, I like to mount on a shirt collar, so weight is a big factor.
I should clarify that my goal is not just stealth, but also convenience. I'm just done with having multiple boxes and wires everywhere. I like using the tiny PCM-A10 with Bluetooth remote, with a tiny SPSB-4 battery box (12V) plugged directly into the side (no wires). The only wire is from the mics to the battery box. Tiny, low profile, low aggravation.
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