I finally gave in to the little devil inside my head and bought a minidisc recorder, a Sharp MT190. I like it very much, in fact. Of course it didn’t come with a microphone.
I’ve been using a sony single point stereo microphone that came with a Sony cassette walkman a friend boutght in Hong Kong about 15 years ago. It looks like what you’d expect, like 2 condenser microphones set butt to butt.
Problem is, the frequency response in the low range seems to be very limited. The stuff recorded barely touches the woofer here at home (woof!). I wonder if this thing was tailored for cassette recording.
Does anyone here have a small good single-point stereo microphone they could recommend?
There was a lot of discussion on the board about this about a year ago. I used those recommendations and ended up buying a Sony ECM-MS907 in the $80 range. I’m very happy with it. It uses one AA battery inside, has 2 settings: 90 and 120 degree stereo pickup. Gary Humphrey (raindog) sent me a clip done on a $30 radioshack mic that I thought had very nice sound.
Tony
Yes, i head about these RadioShack mics too, maybe i’ll try one. I’ve been looking at this Sony model too, good to know you like it. You can get these off eBay usually in the 70-ish dollar range (or $100 at minidisco). The only thing i don’t like about it is that it won’t fit in the hard case where i carry the MDR and assessories.
I’ve got the Sony in question, have had it for nearly two years. Excellent for sessions, it picks up quite a bit, and clearly. Sometimes you can get conversations on it that you didn’t notice during the session, that’s always interesting.
One thing I have noticed in my recordings is that performances that are already electrically amplified often have a slight muddiness to the sound, I don’t know how better to describe it. I’m not good at the electrical settings particulars in sound recording, so I don’t know what causes it. But it’s something to be aware of.
Bottom line, IMO:
Excellent battery life, but no indicator for when the battery might be getting low
Perfect for session recording - wear headphones for playback and you’ll find yourself turning around at sudden noises, thinking it’s something in the room
Could maybe find something better for recording amplified performances
Thanks, PT. That’s the one i have in my sights now. I’m pretty sure the Sony mentioned above is good, but i’m looking for something that will fit in the case. I’m going to check out Radio Shack and if they have one for less than $40 i’ll get it to try. If they don’t or if it doesn’t work, i’m thinking of getting the one you mention, and using a short extension to move it away from the recorder if i want to avoid the motor noise.
BTW, are you using it with a MD recorder? If so, have you tried plugging it directly into the unit, and what kind of noisiness do you get?
I think it depends on what you want to record… if you’re just recording yourself practicing, then something like a Sennheiser stereo mic (like those used by camcorder enthusiasts) are plenty good enough.
For live performances though you need a quality mic. Back in my old R&B days, we had a great blues harp player/vocalist…sticking his talent through a cheap mic made a mockery of his undoubted skills. We used to use Shure mics on stage. They’ve got a good knowledge-base here: http://www.shure.com/kbase/default.htm
You could also try a stereo Lavallier (tie-clip) mic (Sony make 'em as well). If you’re recording your own practice, it’d be an option. Just clip the mic on, plug it into the minidisk recorder in your pocket, and you can record your practice just about anywhere. No booms or stands or cables to trip over.
Most of the cheaper Lavallier mics I use are mono (I do a lot of corporate video interview work), but they have a pretty good high-end frequency response which should be great for whistles.
Incidentally, most electret (condenser) mics are powered by 1.5V cells. Sticking 9V through 'em won’t improve their characteristics any. If you’re not getting the signal level you’d expect, you’d be much better off sticking a pre-amp between the mic and the deck. A good soundman will also make sure that the mics, cables, decks and amps are of course impedance-matched throughout.
Which brings us to the ‘dirty’ sound issue… It really depends what your set-up is. If you’re pushing a high D whistle through something like a guitar practice amp/speaker combo, you’re highly likely to lose all those high frequency harmonics that make a whistle what it is. Also, you’re not very likely to get much out of your woofers (bass speakers) from a soprano whistle (or a soprano voice for that matter) in any case.
good points. I don’t need extremely high quality. I have a Sony lavalier stereo microphone, and it works, but it’s catching no low frequencies. I think i may have a bad microphone. It’s a 15-year-old microphone that came with a cassette recording walkman.
Thanks for the link to the other Sony mic. Maybe they’re more honest than the others about the frequency response.
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Quick update on the Radio Shack “T” stereo mike: it’s model # 333028, but it’s been discontinued. I called 6 stores before i found one in the counter display fof $14.97. I’ll pick it up later and i’ll let you know how it performs (for this price, even if it doesn’t work any better than the Sony, it won’t hurt me).
For the people out there in the civilized world: Radio Shack is a chain of electronics stores in the US, which started as a hobbyist place for buying resistors, etc. It’s still the only place you can get electronics parts if you need them. Radio Shack has a reputation for selling low price low quality stuff, and though the price is low, sometimes you get lucky with the quality.
I am using it with a MD recorder. I am extremely happy with it when used on an extension cord. However, the “motor noise” is pretty inconsequential on my MD and the direct plug-in is quite acceptable.
If you are not getting any bass, then your mic is likely far away from the thing you are recording. Another posibility is that the battery is dying. A third possibility is … that’s why they gave it away in Hong Kong for free. What model is it?
If you need something that “looks” like a mic, go with that $70-100 Sony. If you are OK with a stereo mic that has no body because it was designed to clip onto your lapel or tie, Radio Snack has a great one for $30 (on sale twice a year for $20). Just clip them on to some doodad or another.
Local group Luck Penny just recorded a CD for sale with that $75 Sony and a portable minidisc. Sounds real good, too! A lot depends on the acoustic quality of the room you are recording in.
If you are recording just to learn tunes, don’t bother with stereo – get a decent mono mic, record in mono and get 2 hours 40 minutes on one disc. Save money on the mic AND on the discs.
If you are OK with mono, any battery-operated condenser mic from $10-$200 will work fine. I use a $15 Superscope. Clear as a bell.
While Shure mics are rugged and sound great, you will have an impedence mis-match plugging one into a minidisc recorder and it will sound thin. Also, it will be 5x the weight of your set-up. If you “must” go with a pro mic, try the EV635A, which is omnidirectional, bulletproof (literally!) and new $75-90, used $30-50.
That Radio Shack T-mic really DOES have limited bass, but is certainly worth $15. I have one, but rarely use it.
Oh yeah, difference like day and night! I have BASS now, baby!
That old Sony microphone is probably busted. Pity Radio Shack discontinued that microphone. If you see one in a local store, it’s worth the money. I got mine for $14.95. It comes with a lapel clip and a useless cable that converts from one stereo plug to 2 mono, doubling as a power source (1 button battery) presumably for use in old tape recorders.
The Radio Shack mics are fun to play around with. I picked up a couple a while back for 9.95 on clearance. I popped the cases off the mic capsules housing and epoxyed them into a gutted set of headphones with the mics facing forward and a bit out from my head through a hole bored in the headphone body. The result is a very stealthy set of psuedo-binaural mics for doing ambient recordings. The other set I fixed into a brass tube to create a stereo mic that can be held in a standard mic stand.
The binaurals are great for recording a walk in the woods or sound “snapshots” I was just in New Orleans for a business trip and walked up and down bourbon street at midnight recording the sounds of the street. A bit of editing and I can give the wife and kids an idea of what it was like there. Got some great Jazz from buskers (after asking and tipping) Also recorded the riverfront for a while, nice to listen too when at work. Instant mental vacations.
Eventually I’ll pick up a set of “real” binaurals but the RS mics do a very decent job.
