Topic: Philips SBC ME570: how to determine the SPL value?

[moozooh]

Hello everybody, here's a question.

I'm going to do some casual recording with my Rockboxed iriver H320 (the record format is PCM 16-bit/44.1 KHz/stereo; the gain value can be set arbitrarily in a wide range), but its default mic just… Well, let's say: it sucks. I've been choosing the mics available to purchase in the city I live in (precisely Moscow, Russia) without messing with the international orders, and stopped on ME570. I chose it mainly because it is the only self-powered stereo mic available in under $50. Unfortunately, there were no other choices in that type of category, the rest is either not stereo, not powered, or just too big to carry around.

You know how most of the cheap mics like to "cough" when exposed to loud sounds, especially if you try recording something that has some high amplitude bass (basically, every live concert), no matter how low the gain is. That annoying sound of a cloth being torn really pisses me off. As far as I understand, it happens because the mic's own membrane can't handle the sound pressure coming from the loudspeakers, so simply setting a low gain value won't help in this case. However, I couldn't manage to find more detailed specs on this mic even on Philips' official site. :\

So, the question is: how to find the maximum SPL value for this mic? How to know if it won't cough on the bassy events? Is there anyone who has used it at all?

The other specs of this microphone, as stated in the most informative source I've managed to found:

Philips SBC ME570, electret stereo microphone
• Frequency range: 50—18000 Hz (pretty nice a range, I should say);
• Sensitivity: –45 dB;
• Impedance: 600 Ohm;
• Power supply: 1x AA battery.

Any help or useful information is appreciated. If this is a wrong place to ask, I'm sorry.
Thanks in advance.

[moozooh]

Umm, hello?..

[Javier Cinakowski]

Umm, well.....




A quick search of google and I found out your mic will not handle anything above 120dB max SPL.  one source mentioned that he expereinced distortion recording a duet of sopranos. 

[moozooh]

Hmm, strange, even now that you mentioned the value, google didn't show anything like that…

Thanks for the info, though. I searched a little more and became convinced that given the aforementioned criteria, ME570 was my only choice, so I went and bought it an hour ago. Let's hope I'll have recording quality decent enough not to have the overwhelming distortions I usually get with iriver's mic.