Topic: Intro and some questions

[dougp]

Hi all. Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm new to this forum, but I've been recording for decades. I'm an electronic musician and I record and produce my own music as well as that of others. I enjoy using "found sounds" and nature sounds that I've recorded in the field in my music. For the past few years, I've been using the Olympus LS-1o for my field recordings. I've become pretty familiar with it's positives and negatives, but I generally like the machine. Unfortuneately, as some of you have noted, one of its weaknesses is the wimpy preamp. I have an Audio Technica AT822, which I used to use with a portable DAT recorder. I've tried using it with the LS-10 with mixed results: the recording sound quality was noticeably better but the signal was just too weak. I really want to be able to use this mic with my LS-10. It seems like a portable battery powered stereo mic preamp would solve my problem. My quest for one of these has led me to this forum.

I've read many different posts here and have visited the Church Audio and Naiant sites, but I still need some guidance on which product would best meet my needs. I do have budget constraints ($200. max and I'd like to keep it less).  I don't care too much about size as stealth is not important (I will use this setup primarily for recording wildlife sounds, ambient soundscapes, environmental noises, etc.) Chris (I think that's his name) from Church audio referred me to this forum. Jon from Naiant suggested the LittleBox, but it has PIP which is not defeatable and the AT822 is self powered by its own internal battery. It's not clear to me if this PIP would damage the mic or the recording quality. Jon also suggested a prototype of a "TinyHead" which has a power switch that selects between mic (powered input) and line (unpowered input) modes and it has a gain pot with max 30 db of gain. I've looked at the Church preamps, but couldn't find much in the way of specs or details on them.

So, here are my questions :1) How much gain do you think I need in a preamp for this combination? If 30db is enough, I lean toward the TinyHead because it's cheaper and sounds like it could accomodate other mics which need PIP 2)Am I right in assuming that I can't run PIP thru my AT822? 3)Can I run the preamp into the LS-10's line in to bypass its HP filter? 4) Do any of you have recommendations on which mic pre would be a good choice for me? Thanks so much for any advice/suggestions.      dougp

[rjp]

From the AT822 datasheet:

Do not attempt to use when phantom power is present. Possible damage to the microphone may result. (Please note, however, that the presence of a bias voltage – from a DAT recorder, for example – is acceptable and will not harm the microphone.)

In other words, PIP voltage isn't a problem, but phantom power will fry it. However, (correct me if I'm wrong) most recorders have PIP around 1.5-5V or so, rather than the 9-12V from a battery box or preamp (note that a battery box would be of no benefit in this case, anyway). I'm not sure how well an 822 would tolerate the higher voltage.

3)Can I run the preamp into the LS-10's line in to bypass its HP filter?

Absolutely. That's how I use my Littlebox -> LS-10 rig, but I use P48 mics rather than an AT822. In fact, the LS-10 is drop-dead simple to use in this configuration, since it doesn't provide gain on the line-in. Set the recording level to 10 on the Olympus, and use the gain pots on the preamp to set your levels.

[dougp]

 Thanks a lot! Your info really helped, especially since you use the LS-10. I ordered the Tiny Head and got it today. I'll be taking it out tomorrow for a test drive and will try out the line input. By the way, what brand is the P48 you use? How do you like your binaural mics? I looked at their website yesterday and they didn't show specs but they seemed to be good quality.

[rjp]

My P48 mics: AKG Perception 170. They can be had for pretty cheap nowadays, and I like their sound.

The SP-TFB-2 set has made some nice pulls, but I realize now that I could use something with a bit less noise (I usually record classical). I'm thinking about upgrading them to the MS-TFB-2 (different capsules in the same housings). DPA 4060 or even Nevaton MCE 400 are hopelessly out of my budget right now...