Topic: External mic recommendations for PCM-M10 rehearsal room recording?

[dazed]

Like to keep the project under/around $5-600 (not including M10 of course LOL).  Obviously looking for an upgrade over just using the internal mics (which I will be buying today so I don't even know what that means).  We are a loud rock band--not metal, but not quiet.  The room is a smaller one, so we are facing each other a bit.  It's our rehearsal room, so stealth not an issue. 

Sorry--I'm a newbie (obviously) so I really don't even know where to start.  Thanks in advance for the help!

[biker]

I have a similar situation. Got a couple of AKG C1000s' that I'm trying out in a corner. More critical than mic choice is going to be placement. Have someone walk around in the room while you are all playing and identify the place where it sounds the most balanced. Place the mics there and see what happens. I'm trying a basic XY @90deg first, then maybe something else. Experiment with the built in mics first, you might get what you need and can spend the money on other gear 

[Todd R]

Ok, another shameless plug:

Get my pair of ADK SC-T mics:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=131347.0

Pair those with a cheap phantom power box if you really want to save money.  Or best yet, get a littlebox preamp from naiant.com.

Shameless plug aside, I think a pair of lower cost condensor mics like my ADK's, the Studio Projects C4's, or the Avantone CK1 mics paired with a littlebox preamp is a great answer to your quest.  All of these mics come with at least cardioid and omni mic capsules which provide a lot of flexibility in recording, and all sound very good for the price.  The littlebox preamp which starts at just over $200 provides phantom power for condensors and sound very good.  Both myself and Chuck here at ts.com have run comps of the littlebox against expensive preamps like the Grace Lunatec V3 and EAA PSP-2, and the littlebox has faired very well, with more people preferring it in blind comps.

A littlebox preamp and a pair of any one of the mics I've listed should put you in your $500-600 range, and should be a noticeable step up from the m10 internals.

[ubxf]

i would say try the internal mic first you might like the result and save some money.

[guysonic]

I'd agree you should try the M10's internal mics first.  This model of Sony has uncommonly good sounding mics, but suggest always using the "Low" mic input in full manual setting, and 24bit depth 44.1K for CD archival purposes.

If desiring much better sound useful for CD commercial release of live performances suggest my Sonic Studios DSM-6S/L model being powered directly by M10's mic powering feature giving full audio performance in a most compact package. 

While DSM mics can be headworn or LiteGUY HRTF baffled for virtual reality stereo-surround sound recordings, you can make an excellent HRTF 'type' baffle with a wrapped around a wooden closet pole twine-bound cotton bath towel pinning the mics to opposite sides and place this mic array anywhere you hear good balance of the band's sound.   If desired, you can dress up your bound towel with a dark colored cotton 'pillow case' covering.

Photo of the M10 + DSM mic is below for reference


Visit retail section thread for additional information: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=83254.0

Recordings of performances recorded with DSM mics at: www.sonicstudios.com/mp3_2slp.htm