Topic: More mic questions

[divamum]

Hi -

Didn't want to hijack the other thread with Chris from SP, so am spinning off over here (hope that's ok!)

Am still trying to really come to terms with what I need in a mic and what I should be looking for (thank you SO much for answering all my questions so patiently - I really am starting to undrestand how it needs to work!).

One thing I saw while browsing at Sound Pros was the SP-PSM-1 http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?item=SP-PSM-1&type=store - which directly refers to its superiority over the Sony ECM907 (which is what i have now... and am not happy with;).    Would the high senstivity option of this possibly be a good low-cost mic for my needs?

(To recap for anybody who is kind enough to read this but missed my initial post in the other forum, I'm a (LOUD!) classical opera singer using an iRiver trying to find a mic that's high sensitive enough to catch me w/presence in middle/lower register but can handle my upper range which blows most mics right off the meter.  I record in a variety of rooms and theaters w and w/out orchestra.  Basically, I need it all

Many thanks again - really appreciate y'all walking me through this!

[divamum]

Thanks for the response.  I'm debating whether the stereo separation is an issue for me... have to think about that.

Does anybody have any experience with that actual mic (link above) and can comment on what it sounds like?  On paper it sounds pretty good for my (tapingwise) slightly unusual needs - I know the binaurals will be better for stealth recording from the house, but they don't have the  "plug and play" simplicity aspect of the single point mic (I'm not even sure how I'd set them up when just recording from a tabletop or - as sometimes happens - inside my bag.  Clip them to a piece of card? Gerryrig a ministand out of an old coathanger? Not  sure....). 

Oh...  another question - is there a difference between "volume" as such and "sound pressure"? Somebody once told me that I wasn't loud, but that I put out a very high spl.  Not sure I entirely understand the difference (if there is one).

Sorry - I realise I'm babbling.  Thanks again!

 

[divamum]

Well, 3rd time is clearly the charm:

1.  Sony 907 that I used with my MD. Hated it with the iRiver and it was entirely too quiet (even at highest gain setting, it was totally insufficient in anything bigger than a largeish room - entirely unacceptable in a theatre).
 
2.  Tried the SP "high spl" powered mic.  The gain was much better, but I didn't like the actual sound quality.  Finally (and as somebody else suggested in another thread here back in August (!), Chris at SP talked me into trying...

3. A twinned pair of AT831s.  FINALLY!  I'm very happy with them. They still clip a bit at the top when I have it set on a "nominal" level and walk away without monitoring, but it's far and away the best sound of the 3 setups I've tried; I'm very happy with them.

Many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, and special thanks to Chris at SP - what a great resource!!