Hi All, I just picked up a used PCM-M1 to record the acoustic trio I play with. I've got a pair of AKG CS 1000's to plug into it. Would a preamp/ad converter such as the Denecke unit make a noticeable difference in the quality of our recodings? I may also record some club shows and the occaisional ampitheatre show. Also just curious if this rig is going to be superior to the Sony d5/Nak 300 I used in the early 80's.....thanks.
I'm sure you are going to like the PCM-M1 better than the old d5. The only downside is that dats are getting harder/more expensive to maintain. If the M1 fails you may want to think about upgrading to a hard drive or compact flash solution. I had a friend recently try to have a D8 fixed/cleaned and he was almost able to buy an R-9 or MT for the cost of the work that needed to be done. Could have bought a JB3 or iRiver for at least $100 less than repair costs.
As for the mics you are going to have to listen for yourself. Quite a few people love the specific Nak sound. I ran Nak 100, 300s for several years before I upgraded and pulled some sweet tapes. I've also borrowed C1000s from a friend a few times to check out and the results were good. I would put the mics on the same level unless as a listener you are one that really likes the Nak sound. They do have a different frequencey spec for sure.
I've not used the Denecke unit but my general feeling (up until recently getting my R-4) is that throwing a decent quality pre in the mix can make a very noticable difference in the sound. Almost always posititve. Until recently getting my R-4 I had never run a rig without having a seperate pre/ad in between the deck and the mics. You could probably find a UA-5 for a $200-$500 depending on the mods done in yard sale. Sometimes I will still run my UA-5 in front of the R-4 but 90% of the time I run the mics straight in now.
Not sure if that helps much....
Stay Kind,
Dana
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