Topic: Recommendations for stealth mics near stage

[meursault]

Hi
I am a wheelchair user, so i usually sit in front of the stage to have visual contact with the artists. Usually I go to rock concerts.
Until now i am using in-ear mics microphone madness MM-BSM-8   http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmtrunathook.htm
a simple battery module microphone madness MM-CBM-Mini http://microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm
I plug them in line-in of my minidiscs MZ-RH10 or RH1 and I was satisfied with the results, or shouldnt I be. If you want, please check out my recording of Grails here in Athens some days ago http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YUX8QN4N.
I have decided to buy a new recorder (pcm-m10 or dr-07 I am not sure) and upgrade to better mics as some suggested. Due to my condition and the fact I am sitting in front of the stage I think that omnis are better, correct? Church Audio are a little above my budget but I trying to reach it. CA-11, 14 or Cafs ? The difference between them is audible? And finally do I need a preamp like ca-9100 or am I fine with a battery box?
Thank you

[fmaderjr]

If you are usually recording stuff that is quite loud, you should be OK for a while with just a battery box. You can add a preamp later if you feel the need.

I usually prefer cardioids even if up close because they reduce the crowd chatter behind me. I'm unusually sensitive to crowd chatter though. I'd at least want the option of using cards when it seems appropriate.

The CA-14's are great mics, but i don't know if I'd always be able to tell the difference between them & CA-11's, which are fine mics as well. If you decided you wanted the option of having cards or omnis, you could get the CA-11's with both sets of caps. i think the 2nd set of caps is only $40 or so extra.

[acidjack]

From what you are saying it sounds like you are VERY close - perhaps even closer than might be ideal for recording.  When I am that close I think the only choice is omnis.  Ideally you'd be better off near the stacks, but I realize that you may not be given a choice of exactly where you want to be, which makes your situation a little bit different.

Church has a new omni, the CA-1, that's $80 - well within your budget, I'd think. 

You don't need a preamp.  The M10 has a perfectly good preamp.  Frankly, though, I'd spend money on mics and get the cheaper deck.  The M10 is my deck of choice in that size range, but there are cheaper options (like the DR-07/08).

DR-07 is being discontinued, so Sound Professionals has some really good deals on them (and I'm sure, other retailers as well). 

The biggest issue for you in recording, as I'm sure you realize, is height - you still want the mics up as high as you can to avoid phasing if someone walks in front of you, plus muffling caused by people around you.  I'm not sure what is a good solution there, but if your chair has anything vertical on it that is above your head and not massively obvious, I would try and mount the mics on that if they can be reasonably concealed. 

Also, you mentioned Grails - bands like that are probably going to allow taping, so you don't really need to stealth.  Smaller bands, even if they're not "jam bands" will generally allow you to tape if you're just nice enough to ask.  Once you have permission, you have a lot more options. 

[stevetoney]

Yup, spaced omni's.  Up close, you'll want the full soundfield in order to pick up all the instruments and vocals that are on-stage.  It's tough enough getting all of the sounds when you're close to stage (since vocals are likely routed through the PA) but then limiting yourself even more by limiting the soundfield would be counterproductive to your goals for up-close recording, especially when you can't choose exactly where to put the mics at stage front.  It's the same reason and concept that people say that the closer to stage you get, the more apt they are to use subcards and a wider spacing.  I understand about cardioids and cutting out crowd noise, but in MHO there's a more basic need than that with stage front recording, which is why wider pickup patterns are of greater and greater importance the closer in you get.

[Church-Audio]

Hi
I am a wheelchair user, so i usually sit in front of the stage to have visual contact with the artists. Usually I go to rock concerts.
Until now i am using in-ear mics microphone madness MM-BSM-8   http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmtrunathook.htm
a simple battery module microphone madness MM-CBM-Mini http://microphonemadness.com/products/mmcbmminminc.htm
I plug them in line-in of my minidiscs MZ-RH10 or RH1 and I was satisfied with the results, or shouldnt I be. If you want, please check out my recording of Grails here in Athens some days ago http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YUX8QN4N.
I have decided to buy a new recorder (pcm-m10 or dr-07 I am not sure) and upgrade to better mics as some suggested. Due to my condition and the fact I am sitting in front of the stage I think that omnis are better, correct? Church Audio are a little above my budget but I trying to reach it. CA-11, 14 or Cafs ? The difference between them is audible? And finally do I need a preamp like ca-9100 or am I fine with a battery box?
Thank you

For your application like I said before the cafs mics because they are omni and will work best close up in this application. The ca-14 omni would be also great but they're bigger.  If your looking for mics that can't be in plain sight the cafs are the best mics for that application.. you could look right at them and not be able to tell what they are.

Chris

[meursault]

I pulled the trigger and bought the cafs with a 9100. I hope they prove to be a serious upgrade from my previous set.

[ehren]

I pulled the trigger and bought the cafs with a 9100. I hope they prove to be a serious upgrade from my previous set.

You're going to hear a huge difference in your recordings. The Church gear makes top notch tapes.

[meursault]

I want to thank Church Audio for all the excellent recordings I got all this time from his equipment. I am sitting right in front of stages all the time and I have stellar results.
What I cant find is some decent clips for the cafs to attach them to my shirt collar. Also tiny windscreens would be excellent if you have any recommendations.