stellar recordings with any Tinybox combination?

[Napo]

I have got mine (at least to my newbie's ears) with the following set up:

MK21's>CMR's>TinyBox>M-10
96/24 recording
M-10 level: 5 2/3; TinyBox gain: mid (I believe is 18)

Jazz recording at an auditorium venue (great acoustic); left of center (no great stereo seapration)
https://www.yousendit.com/download/cEd0TXRZeDNWRCt4dnc9PQ (DL expires in 7days)
(applied a +6 gain volume adjustment in post)

Greatful for your feedback and eventual comparison with other recordings.

Best from Rome,
Mauro

[su6oxone]

I think it sounds pretty good!  It's nice to know that the CMR/tinybox combo sounds good in quieter (e.g. non-loud rock shows) situations.  I've been thinking about going this route for stealth purposes.

[Napo]

I think it sounds pretty good!  It's nice to know that the CMR/tinybox combo sounds good in quieter (e.g. non-loud rock shows) situations.  I've been thinking about going this route for stealth purposes.

su6oxone,

Thank you for the positive feedback. Your rig is the way I would like to eventually go (Euro crisis permitting  ).
Now, the theory goes that there are diminishing returns with expensive gears. I am not quite convinced about it, also listening to your LMA recordings.
What's our take on this?

One more question: do you suggest me to purchase a PMD661 to connect my CMR's, for a change of sound?

Best from Rome

[fmaderjr]

One more question: do you suggest me to purchase a PMD661 to connect my CMR's, for a change of sound?

I have and like the PMD-661, but I wouldn't do that if I were you unless you have a chance to download some recordings made with your mics > PMD-661 and decide that you like the sound of that better than the sound of your combo. Your recording sounds great and the tinybox + M10 is a really good system. Also, you are almost surely getting a better signal to noise ratio with the littlebox/M10 than you would with an unmodded 661 w/o a preamp. Others will correct me if I'm mistaken about that...

[Napo]

Thanks for the advice, fmaderjr.
I was thinking to go for a PMD661 with a OADE SuperMod.

Now before upgrading to the 'final stage', a SD702, I was thinking to try something in between. Hence the choice of PMD661, which is also compact and stealthable (Italian joints have no open-taping policy    ). Any other suggestion?

[fmaderjr]

An Oade supermod PMD661 would be a good choice for Jazz. I have a 661 Oade Ambient mod, which I think is very similar but I haven't had a chance to use it in the field yet. Still I don't know that it would sound better or be more stealthable than what you already have. Try to download some recordings made with the rigs you're interested in and see what you think.

I wouldn't want to stealth with a 661 or 702, but that's just me. I like something really small for stealth like the M10 you already have. I lose a lot of enjoyment at the show if I'm worried about getting caught.

[Napo]

Yeah, right! taping a show is always a different experience than just enjoying it

I do not have problems to introduce bags at the auditorium where I normally go listening concert but the set-up always makes me nervous.

Two days ago I also experienced puzzled looks of the two guys sitting next two me.

My wife says that one day I will be arrested on suspicious of being a suicide bomber 

[yug du nord]

^I don't think that you'd get arrested.......  but you sure will get some suspicious looks.  Comes with the territory unless your mics/rig are completely invisible for the entire performance.  But yeah....  when people see wires and batteries and flashing lights, they often wonder what's goin on.  I'm glad that some music in Italy is getting captured.....  very cool!!!

[su6oxone]

Thank you for the positive feedback. Your rig is the way I would like to eventually go (Euro crisis permitting  ).
Now, the theory goes that there are diminishing returns with expensive gears. I am not quite convinced about it, also listening to your LMA recordings.
What's our take on this?

One more question: do you suggest me to purchase a PMD661 to connect my CMR's, for a change of sound?

Best from Rome

Thanks Napo, although actually your rig is the way I may go eventually (at least partly)!

I think having high quality equipment will always yield a better recording, although the improvement may be incremental rather than substantial.  I think that the diminishing returns concept applies to most tapers, for whom probably really expensive gear won't yield significantly better results than moderately expensive gear (but better quality in general than cheap gear) given that we are recording loud 'electrified' music being blasted from a PA system.  But for people recording unamplified classical, acoustic, or jazz, the quality of the gear probably makes more of a difference.  That said, I think your rig is excellent and don't think upgrading the M10 to a 661 would make much of a difference, except that the 661 has lower noise, but in your recording it didn't sound like noise was an issue at all.

Good luck and keep those tapes rolling in Italy. 

[PeteJE]

Sounded pretty good - pretty ambiant room.  I hear some square fuzz on the peaks of the trumpet, don't know if that is the acoustic space saturating, or gain structure (mics, pres, recorder, post?).  Very nice overall.

[Napo]

PeteJE,

thank you for the positive feedback.

On the trumpet sound I believe it was a combination of the player using a mute and effects through a secondary mike.