That a very large percentage of microphones
used in digital recordings are valve microphones.

Oh dear :-((

Neumann 49, 50, 56, 64 and U87 are very
popular.

Don't believe me? of course you don't:-)
Check the AES Journal (of which I am sure you are
a member, as the A stands for Audio and the E for
Engineering)

Also read some of the excellent recent
articles in Studio Sound,
to which I am sure you subscribe.


Cordially,

Iain

"Iain M Churches" wrote in message
...
That a very large percentage of microphones
used in digital recordings are valve microphones.


PS. Just had an e-mail from an outside observer, of this NG
who reminds me that a large number of "state of the art"
compressors have a valve front end.

Producers of digital recordings like the sound.
I am pointing out a fact here, not offering an opinion or
a preference.

Iain

"Iain M Churches" wrote in message


That a very large percentage of microphones
used in digital recordings are valve microphones.

So what?

Microphones are often not chosen for accuracy, but because they provide a
certain coloration. Think of them as tone controls on a stick.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Iain M Churches" wrote in message


That a very large percentage of microphones
used in digital recordings are valve microphones.

So what?

Microphones are often not chosen for accuracy, but because they provide a
certain coloration. Think of them as tone controls on a stick.

Nice twist Arny:-)

BTW: I wanted to ask you if you had facilities to measure IMD.
I thought you were in the UK, but now get the impression you might
be somewhere else.

Iain

In article ,
Iain M Churches wrote:
That a very large percentage of microphones
used in digital recordings are valve microphones.

Iain, it would help if you provided a reference when quoting - it's the
convention, as well as the polite thing to do.

Oh dear :-((

Neumann 49, 50, 56, 64 and U87 are very
popular.

They indeed are. Although I've never seen a valve U87. And mine certainly
aren't.

Don't believe me? of course you don't:-)
Check the AES Journal (of which I am sure you are
a member, as the A stands for Audio and the E for
Engineering)

Also read some of the excellent recent
articles in Studio Sound,
to which I am sure you subscribe.

But very large percentage? You'd have to be rather more specific.

Perhaps a fair percentage of recordings might involve the use of some
valve microphone. As a percentage of mics used in all recordings, it would
be small.

--
*Two wrongs are only the beginning *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Kurt Hamster" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:26:25 +0300, Iain M Churches used
to say...

BTW: I wanted to ask you if you had facilities to measure IMD.
I thought you were in the UK, but now get the impression you might
be somewhere else.

Cuckoo land?


As in 'One Flew Over...' ??? :-)

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Iain, it would help if you provided a reference when quoting - it's the
convention, as well as the polite thing to do.

Sorry Dave. Not intentional.

Valve mics in digital recording

Perhaps a fair percentage of recordings might involve the use of some
valve microphone. As a percentage of mics used in all recordings, it would
be small.

Neither of us can really what is going on outside our own recording
spheres with accuracy.

I had a message yesterday from a former colleague working at this moment
in LA ( I think the location is Royce Hall)
All mics on the sessions are valve. 47, 49,50, 56, 64

So, that's 100% for that project:-)))

Iain

"Iain M Churches" wrote in message
...

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Iain, it would help if you provided a reference when quoting - it's the
convention, as well as the polite thing to do.

Sorry Dave. Not intentional.

Valve mics in digital recording

I forgot to mention that there is a small firm in Munich, who do
refits for Neumann mics. (I expect its a one man outfit. a former
Neumann employee:-)

Valve conversions of 87's are possible, I am told.
Back in the 70's, many of the Neumann 40 and 50 series were
converted to FET. Some are now being changed back again.

Have you ever worked with a valve mic, and tried to set the cardioid
response? It's a lot of fun, takes a very long time, and needs three
people. One at the console, one to twiddle the control on the
psu, and one to shout "On the front.1.2.3.4." and then whisper
"On the back 1.2.3.4."

Iain

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 15:50:06 +0300, "Iain M Churches"
wrote:


"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Iain, it would help if you provided a reference when quoting - it's the
convention, as well as the polite thing to do.

Sorry Dave. Not intentional.

Valve mics in digital recording

Perhaps a fair percentage of recordings might involve the use of some
valve microphone. As a percentage of mics used in all recordings, it would
be small.

Neither of us can really what is going on outside our own recording
spheres with accuracy.

I had a message yesterday from a former colleague working at this moment
in LA ( I think the location is Royce Hall)
All mics on the sessions are valve. 47, 49,50, 56, 64

So, that's 100% for that project:-)))

Iain


Do bear in mind though that the signal levels involved in mics are
minute - they don't come anywhere near the voltage swings that cause
all the problems later on in the amplification chain.

And also applying a subtle distortion to a single instrument doesn't
have anything like the same effect as applying that same distortion to
a multi-instrument mix.

d
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

"Iain M Churches" wrote in message

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Iain M Churches" wrote in message


That a very large percentage of microphones
used in digital recordings are valve microphones.

So what?

Microphones are often not chosen for accuracy, but because they
provide a certain coloration. Think of them as tone controls on a
stick.

Nice twist Arny:-)

BTW: I wanted to ask you if you had facilities to measure IMD.

But of course. Anybody can do it. All you need is a PC with a
halfways-decent audio interface and the freebie Audio Rightmark program.

I thought you were in the UK, but now get the impression you might
be somewhere else.

Just east of Detroit, Michigan and just north of Windsor, Ontario.