Topic: Looking for new mics... recommendations?

[jmz93]

I have a pair of Sound Professionals CMC-4U's I'd be willing to sell.  Cardioid, clips attached, but no windscreens. 

[WiFiJeff]

Just to clarify, by "small" I mean as in the size of DPA 406x series, Church Audio, etc. - so maybe I meant "miniature".  Obviously the Schoeps MK41 active setup is "small", but not nearly as small as those mentioned, for example.  As far as I am aware, even the miniature DPA hypercardiod is not suitable for recording live music in the fashion the OP intends.  But, I could be mistaken.

I have been using the DPA 4099s (cut out of their instrument clips) for almost a year now, and I find that they are surprisingly good for opera (D Satz take note) and piano.  They are decent alone, and absolute dynamite when reinforced in the bass with a set of 4060s (or 4063s in my case, which can be powered by my Sonosax mini multitrack recorder).  I tried and rejected pretty much everything else in the miniature cardioid realm, from Core Sound to Sound Professionals, to AT, to Microphone Madness, including also the DPA 4080s.  I always found that what I got with these cardioids was not as pleasing to my ears as what the DPA 4060s recorded, even when location was not ideal for using omnis.  But the 4099s are amazing.

And very low profile.

Jeff

[raymonda]

raymonda, 1,200+ was my rough estimate of the number of concerts that I've recorded with that particular microphone configuration--not my total number of live recordings, which I believe is well over 2,000 by now. And actually I don't use that configuration so often any more, because I'm mostly recording stuff that sounds better with other methods. I went through years of being averse to cardioids, but now I like them just fine, for example. Things change, is my point.

I've been doing this since 1972, and for many years recorded three or four concerts a week on average--a mixture of paid, professional work and volunteer work. I was a staff engineer at RCA Studios in NYC for about 14 months and received a Grammy Award for a small part in one project there. But after that I retired from the business, actually gave up all recording for a while and did several other things, and when I returned it was exclusively as a volunteer. Most recently I've gotten the opera "bug," and that's what I seem to specialize in these days--which is ironic because I never liked or understood that music until about ten years ago.

I don't have any connection with the Brookyn School of Music but have recorded concerts there and have used their hall for audition recordings--it's a lovely old space. As long as the heating system isn't making noises, it's one of the nicest nearby places to record in. Why do you ask? Do you have something to do with them? Everyone I've ever met there has been very nice to work with.

--best regards

I'm impressed with the volume of your work and experience. You would be a great reference for future projects and would like to discuss some of them with you when the opportunity arises.

[leddy]

Dsatz,

Would you list a couple of your personal picks for good hypers (or supers)?

Is there any good bang-for-the-buck hyper (like maybe Oktava)?

Do you like the Sennheiser MKH8050?

Thanks!

[cybergaloot]

Good reasonable hypers - Studio Project C4's