Topic: CA-11 --> CA-9100 --> Edirol R-09HR (mostly *stealth*)

[guitard]

Folks,

I just got my Church gear in (BTW - thanks Chris!).  I've got the CA-11s with both omni and card caps (haven't figured out which is which yet though).

I'm guessing what I've listed in the subj line is a fairly common setup these days.

First off - I'll be doing mostly stealth mode - mostly in smaller venues, but occasionally in arenas.  So, of course, any stealth related responses, please send via PM.

I also got the croakies.  I'm curious...usually with croakies, you connect them to the end of the temples (arms on the glasses).  So do you usually have the mics flush with the ends of the croakies?  Maybe sticking out a fraction of an inch?  Or maybe seated down in the croakies a fraction of an inch?  Would they then ride somewhere just in front of your ears?

I've got short hair...so I'm kind of worried that they'll look rather obvious.

What about windshields?  Do you use them when these mics are in croakies?  Do the croakies act as a windshield (if the mics are seated a little ways down inside)?

As a very general rule, when do I go with omnis vs cards?

I've used my Edirol around tens times or so (with varying degrees of success) using Coresound Stealthy Cardiods (someone here at TTS said these are actually omnis) and a Coresound BB.  So I know the settings for the Edirol using that setup.  But how will things change now that I'm introducing a CA-9100 into the mix?

TIA!

Edit to add:  I am actually a videotaper by nature.  I record audio to enhance the video productions.  So I am often located somewhere in the venue that is less than optimal for audio recording.  But with a decent audio recording rig, I can always get better audio than what I otherwise would have gotten just by relying on the videocam's mic - so it's very much worth it to me to also record audio, even if it is less than stellar sounding in comparison to audio recorded from the venue's sweet spot.  So please take this into consideration with regard to which set of caps I should opt to use.

[stevetoney]

My thoughts...

Omni's would work good if you're closer in and if you're using your head as the baffle to separate the right and left channel.  Think of the J-Disc, except that it's your head instead of the foam between the mics.  As long as you face the stage, your head provides the delay that helps to create the channel separation between left and right stacks.

Cards...if you're filming from farther back, I'd use cardioids because they're directional and you'd likely get a better sound with the directional pattern pointed at the speakers or in some sort of DIN/DINa config.  Since you're back farther, omni's would pick up more room reverberation which the farther back you are, tends to muffle the overall sound a little more.  Of course, this might not be true if you're outdoors since reverb isn't an issue when you're outside.  Even so, I'd tend towards directionality the farther I get back.

[printguy]

Cards have the holes on the sides of the caps. Omnis don't. I had to ask TS when I got mine as well....

[guitard]

Quick question ~

If you are wearing croakies, is it OK to have the end of the mics (CA-11s in this case) flush with the opening of the croakies?  And to take it a step further - how about if the end of the mic is seated a 1/4 or 1/2 inch inside the opening of the croakies?

Thanks!

[Church-Audio]

Quick question ~

If you are wearing croakies, is it OK to have the end of the mics (CA-11s in this case) flush with the opening of the croakies?  And to take it a step further - how about if the end of the mic is seated a 1/4 or 1/2 inch inside the opening of the croakies?

Thanks!

The croakies are designed to be fairly transparent. So you should be able to have them fully inside the croakies. You can also run them so they are flush with the ends.

Chris

[guitard]

Quick question ~

If you are wearing croakies, is it OK to have the end of the mics (CA-11s in this case) flush with the opening of the croakies?  And to take it a step further - how about if the end of the mic is seated a 1/4 or 1/2 inch inside the opening of the croakies?

Thanks!

The croakies are designed to be fairly transparent. So you should be able to have them fully inside the croakies. You can also run them so they are flush with the ends.

Chris

Revisiting an old thread I started a few years ago.

What I've found with the croakies ~ is that even if the caps are flush with the end of the croaky opening ~ someone (security) can be right up in your face and still not be aware that you have mics in the croakies.  It's happened to me many times.  So many times, in fact, that I'm pretty much convinced - unless someone really knows what they're looking for - they're not going to guess that you're taping if you keep the caps flush with the ends of the croakies.

I probably just jinxed myself...but I'll take that chance!

[Church-Audio]

Quick question ~

If you are wearing croakies, is it OK to have the end of the mics (CA-11s in this case) flush with the opening of the croakies?  And to take it a step further - how about if the end of the mic is seated a 1/4 or 1/2 inch inside the opening of the croakies?

Thanks!

The croakies are designed to be fairly transparent. So you should be able to have them fully inside the croakies. You can also run them so they are flush with the ends.

Chris

Revisiting an old thread I started a few years ago.

What I've found with the croakies ~ is that even if the caps are flush with the end of the croaky opening ~ someone (security) can be right up in your face and still not be aware that you have mics in the croakies.  It's happened to me many times.  So many times, in fact, that I'm pretty much convinced - unless someone really knows what they're looking for - they're not going to guess that you're taping if you keep the caps flush with the ends of the croakies.

I probably just jinxed myself...but I'll take that chance!

LOL well there you go. Now you are Jinxed!

[adrianf74]

LOL well there you go. Now you are Jinxed!

LOL.  +1.   I've worn the CA-14's not far from security and had the CAFS omnis on me standing in front of one; no issues here, either.  Heck, for one show I was at recently, I wore the deck on my belt with the mics in the front pouch.  The girl at sercurity was like, "Oh... I know what that's about... go ahead."  The band was taper-indifferent or no-see, no-enforce.  Most of them don't really care as long as you're not acting a fool; others won't bug you, either, because they haven't been instructed to look for tapers.  Glad they're working for ya. 

[guitard]

On a couple of occasions I've been busted for shooting video - got escorted out to the end of the isle or to a back area - was told to delete the files on my videocam's SD card - and the whole time I was wearing glasses with CA-11 caps in the croakies.

[tapeheadtoo]

I have more than one recording of me getting busted for video... all captured on the audio that was running throughout...     

On a couple of occasions I've been busted for shooting video - got escorted out to the end of the isle or to a back area - was told to delete the files on my videocam's SD card - and the whole time I was wearing glasses with CA-11 caps in the croakies.

[guitard]

Using the setup in the title of this thread - I just got my third or fourth bad recording in a row.  I chalked the first one or two bad recordings up to bad sound at the venue (even though it didn't seem bad during the show itself).  I went to a jazz show tonight and there is no way I should have gotten any distortion in my recording.  The music wasn't too loud, and I was in a good spot.

I have all buttons on the back of the R-09HR pushed to the left, I go line in to the R-09HR, I record in 24bit wav at a sample rate of 44.1 KHz, and I (am still) using version 1.04.  I don't upgrade the firmware, because I believe in "if it ain't broke - don't fix it."

I almost always record with omnis - and that's what I used tonight.

One other thing I've noticed lately:  when I set my levels at the usual 45 or so, the peaks are only going around half way.  I bumped it up to something like 53 tonight - and the peaks still weren't going up very high.

I have gotten stellar recording results with this same setup and settings.

Lately, however, I am getting distortion.

Please take a listen to this (very short - 10 second) clip and take a guess at what it might be:

http://www.wikiupload.com/K1EM0AHZLD1JI5B

Thanks!

[Church-Audio]

Using the setup in the title of this thread - I just got my third or fourth bad recording in a row.  I chalked the first one or two bad recordings up to bad sound at the venue (even though it didn't seem bad during the show itself).  I went to a jazz show tonight and there is no way I should have gotten any distortion in my recording.  The music wasn't too loud, and I was in a good spot.

I have all buttons on the back of the R-09HR pushed to the left, I go line in to the R-09HR, I record in 24bit wav at a sample rate of 44.1 KHz, and I (am still) using version 1.04.  I don't upgrade the firmware, because I believe in "if it ain't broke - don't fix it."

I almost always record with omnis - and that's what I used tonight.

One other thing I've noticed lately:  when I set my levels at the usual 45 or so, the peaks are only going around half way.  I bumped it up to something like 53 tonight - and the peaks still weren't going up very high.

I have gotten stellar recording results with this same setup and settings.

Lately, however, I am getting distortion.

Please take a listen to this (very short - 10 second) clip and take a guess at what it might be:

http://www.wikiupload.com/K1EM0AHZLD1JI5B

Thanks!

When is the last time you changed the battery inside the preamp? And what type of battery are you using?

[guitard]

Using the setup in the title of this thread - I just got my third or fourth bad recording in a row.  I chalked the first one or two bad recordings up to bad sound at the venue (even though it didn't seem bad during the show itself).  I went to a jazz show tonight and there is no way I should have gotten any distortion in my recording.  The music wasn't too loud, and I was in a good spot.

I have all buttons on the back of the R-09HR pushed to the left, I go line in to the R-09HR, I record in 24bit wav at a sample rate of 44.1 KHz, and I (am still) using version 1.04.  I don't upgrade the firmware, because I believe in "if it ain't broke - don't fix it."

I almost always record with omnis - and that's what I used tonight.

One other thing I've noticed lately:  when I set my levels at the usual 45 or so, the peaks are only going around half way.  I bumped it up to something like 53 tonight - and the peaks still weren't going up very high.

I have gotten stellar recording results with this same setup and settings.

Lately, however, I am getting distortion.

Please take a listen to this (very short - 10 second) clip and take a guess at what it might be:

http://www.wikiupload.com/K1EM0AHZLD1JI5B

Thanks!

When is the last time you changed the battery inside the preamp? And what type of battery are you using?

I usually change the pre-amp battery after 25-30 hours of use.  But for the show last night, I put a fresh one in the pre-amp (and I also put brand new batteries in the R-09HR (but I do that for almost every show).

I'm not sure of the brand of the 9 volt battery.  I did the tongue test on it before I put it in and it gave my tongue a good buzz.

I have never cleaned anything on my rig.  Should I take a q-tip with alcohol on it and clean some of the contact points and the input jacks?

[Church-Audio]

Using the setup in the title of this thread - I just got my third or fourth bad recording in a row.  I chalked the first one or two bad recordings up to bad sound at the venue (even though it didn't seem bad during the show itself).  I went to a jazz show tonight and there is no way I should have gotten any distortion in my recording.  The music wasn't too loud, and I was in a good spot.

I have all buttons on the back of the R-09HR pushed to the left, I go line in to the R-09HR, I record in 24bit wav at a sample rate of 44.1 KHz, and I (am still) using version 1.04.  I don't upgrade the firmware, because I believe in "if it ain't broke - don't fix it."

I almost always record with omnis - and that's what I used tonight.

One other thing I've noticed lately:  when I set my levels at the usual 45 or so, the peaks are only going around half way.  I bumped it up to something like 53 tonight - and the peaks still weren't going up very high.

I have gotten stellar recording results with this same setup and settings.

Lately, however, I am getting distortion.

Please take a listen to this (very short - 10 second) clip and take a guess at what it might be:

http://www.wikiupload.com/K1EM0AHZLD1JI5B

Thanks!

When is the last time you changed the battery inside the preamp? And what type of battery are you using?

I usually change the pre-amp battery after 25-30 hours of use.  But for the show last night, I put a fresh one in the pre-amp (and I also put brand new batteries in the R-09HR (but I do that for almost every show).

I'm not sure of the brand of the 9 volt battery.  I did the tongue test on it before I put it in and it gave my tongue a good buzz.

I have never cleaned anything on my rig.  Should I take a q-tip with alcohol on it and clean some of the contact points and the input jacks?

The three batteries I recommend are Duracell Energizer or Maha Power ex. Nothing else. I would say you have a bad preamp or a bad battery. Or you have a bad connection between the capsule and the base of the mic. So make sure the brass tab is bent up all the way and making good contact with the center pin of the capsule. So lets start with that. Then we can work on seeing if its the preamp. I doubt its the preamp to be honest.