Topic: Want to upgrade from CA CAFS mics

[ace5gt]

My current setup: Church Audio CAFS > SPSB-12 battery box > Sony PCM-M10.

My rig can sound pretty good (when I get the settings right), but I'm wondering if I can get even better with CA-11, CA-14's, or something else?  My budget is around $300.

[pillowman]

hey !
I don't know exactly if you want to go on with some omni mics like the CAFS you already have ?
If cards are an option I would vouch for a pair of Sennheiser ME104 mics .. very small, can handly high SP preasure and really good sounding.
Those are my "go to" mics ..
pillowman

btw I have a second pair for sale 

[nulldogmas]

What kind of music do you typically record, in what kinds of venues? Where do you typically mount your mics? And, finally, what are you dissatisfied with about the CAFS that you're hoping to improve?

[ace5gt]

What kind of music do you typically record, in what kinds of venues? Where do you typically mount your mics? And, finally, what are you dissatisfied with about the CAFS that you're hoping to improve?

Mostly rock-oriented / metal shows in all different types of venues.

I usually loop my mics through one of the button holes in my shirt.  The thing that concerns me about cardioid mics is I have no clue how people mount them?

It's not that I'm really dissatisfied with the CAFS, it's just that I've heard better recordings. Hence, there's room for improvement.  I always have to EQ the bass down a bit, and boost the high end to get it more to my liking.

[nulldogmas]

If you're getting too much bass, cardioid mics would certainly help with that, and would also cut down on crowd noise and room echo. Or you could try a battery box with bass rolloff.

I haven't used CAFS, but when I record with omnis, I usually clip one to each label/side of my collar so my head acts as a baffle. I know some people will do the same with 4061s, which are similar in size to the CAFS, or will thread them through the holes in a baseball cap so they stick out (a tiny bit) like antennas.

[jefflester]

What kind of music do you typically record, in what kinds of venues? Where do you typically mount your mics? And, finally, what are you dissatisfied with about the CAFS that you're hoping to improve?

Mostly rock-oriented / metal shows in all different types of venues.

I usually loop my mics through one of the button holes in my shirt.  The thing that concerns me about cardioid mics is I have no clue how people mount them?

It's not that I'm really dissatisfied with the CAFS, it's just that I've heard better recordings. Hence, there's room for improvement.  I always have to EQ the bass down a bit, and boost the high end to get it more to my liking.

You should really try getting them up higher, somewhere on head if possible. Since they are so small you don't need to worry too much about visibility. Getting them up will help with better high end.

[robgronotte]

hey !
I don't know exactly if you want to go on with some omni mics like the CAFS you already have ?
If cards are an option I would vouch for a pair of Sennheiser ME104 mics .. very small, can handly high SP preasure and really good sounding.
Those are my "go to" mics ..
pillowman

btw I have a second pair for sale 

I got one of pillowman's sets of these mics which he matched and put together, very happy with them and they were less expensive than some comparable sets.  I usually use them with a SP battery box, but I have used them with the plug in power from my A10 and that worked fine as well.

[Niels]

The thing that concerns me about cardioid mics is I have no clue how people mount them?

I guess you need to fixate the cardioid mics for best results. You'd probably have to consider what is a realistic setup for you - it isn't a one-size-fits all.
I rarely use directional microphones unless I can record openly. (I do use my MV88 when I can put the phone on something but not as my primary source).

[pillowman]

hey !
I don't know exactly if you want to go on with some omni mics like the CAFS you already have ?
If cards are an option I would vouch for a pair of Sennheiser ME104 mics .. very small, can handly high SP preasure and really good sounding.
Those are my "go to" mics ..
pillowman

btw I have a second pair for sale 

I got one of pillowman's sets of these mics which he matched and put together, very happy with them and they were less expensive than some comparable sets.  I usually use them with a SP battery box, but I have used them with the plug in power from my A10 and that worked fine as well.

thanks for your positive feedback, those Sennheisers are not that well known around which is a shame 
also they are easy to mount if you're a bit creative and they never disapoint 
CU !
pillowman