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Started November 21st, 2006 · 4 replies · Latest reply by zeroline 18 years ago
I have a really nice hard disc player that records high-quality uncompressed sounds (ihp 120), it has 3 mm jacks mic/line in/Digital and I would like a really nice microphone somewhere around $200/$300 that is one of the best all-rounders.
Choosing a microphone is really tough, I am looking for something that sounds best in between 1500 kHz and 7/8000 kHz , that can pick up small sounds.
Please help me with recommendations and resources
I've also got something called a gain brain microphone preamplifier although I'm not sure how best to make use of it http://www.mtraudio.com/user_guides_current_gb-2.htm
Does it/you have preamp? I'm guessing no on the recorder itself. This could be a limiting factor however, there are plenty of battery/self powered mics around. The availability of a preamp/mixer is quite a definging matter, I definately wouldn't want to go field recording without one and just wouldn't record on location (recording dialogue and etc) without one, even if I was carrying self powered mics.
Sennheiser K6 or K6P (K6P requires phantom power ie no battery power) powering modules and ME66 mic would be a fairly solid choice if you've no preamp. Quite a standardised mic in budget filmaking however, I've heard they can disagree with indoor reflections. Never used them personally and I think I'd look elsewhere at their asking price, but second hand would be a different matter. Of course a windshield would be a good idea if you were going for a rifle/shotgun type mic, a good idea with any mic really for outdoor usage.
On my list currently in this price/usage range, the Rode NT4, 'cos I love Rode mics, bargains & stereo. Battery powered, stereo and I've no doubt a great quality field mic, like all of Rode's mics. Rode is a valuable star in the pricey location recording market, providing great mics at great prices. If you don't have a preamp/mixer and wanted to get a Rode, you'd do yourself no injustice combining one with a Rode NT3, a great value general purpose mic. I can vouch for the Rode NTG1/2 (NTG 2 can be self powered) shotgun mics for excellent quality vs value. Rode = Great! (for poorer ppl)
I'd recommend seeing if you can get a demo on some mics if you can before you buy.
Rode Mic referance - http://www.rodemic.com/
Every mic referance - http://www.microphone-data.com/
Both Dobroide and I use the iRiver H120 (with the free alternative RockBox software). The H120 definitely needs a microphone pre-amp ... the digital gain of the H120 above the +12dB setting, is not useful, and adds no detail. I use a Sony MZ-N10 minidisc recorder as pre-amp (cost me £50 from eBay).
I should think your Gain-Brain would be OK, but I don't see from the spec whether it supplies plug-in-power, which some mics need.
For a good all-round quality stereo microphone, I recommend the Sony ECM-MS907, available from Amazon for £60 (£20 less than I paid).
Browse some of my recordings to see what the combo sounds like.
Mike
all right, those ones sound decent I am trying to gather information from them right now. for the moment I am trying a Panasonic electret capsule used for measuring speakers, I think that the ihp 120 can actually send current through an external microphone. The gain brain has microphone and line inputs, I think it probably can amplify an electret and I used it a few years ago with an NT3 bought especially but I was disappointed that the NT3 sounded a bit dull in the midrange, a bit like it was through a wall when the main thing I am interested in is getting all the really shiny metallic sounds out of everything
UPDATE-I've got a Panasonic electret capsule which is the best you can buy in the form of an electret capsule(used by Speaker constructors-$1!)and I've tried it out straight in the iriver and it sounds amazingly good -with anything loud it sounds shiny and professional, I have a bunch of really good places to get samples including a giant 5 foot a wide gong which I will try and get lots of samples in different styles and all kinds of things, results in a couple of days.
I'm not sure what happens with the iriver recorder, I think that only in the original firmware you can use the optical input to amplify the electret signal anyway the sound is very clean. it's a shame because I really want to see the record level like with the rockbox.
It's made me think that it might be really good to modify the built-in electret capsule with a Panasonic top-quality one-although you would still get the sound of the hard drive -anyway time to play.