Polar pattern mysteries...
 

I'm tempted (that is to say planning) to add a 'multi-pattern tube mic'
to my collection and, until just now, was mystified as to how a mic like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005


....could provide the various patterns (with in-between settings, it
appears) simply by fiddling with the power supply?? Anyway, a bit of
Googling has cleared this up (to a point) with information like this...

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0071/t.433.html

http://www.tonmeister.ca/main/textbook/node469.html


Now the questions a Is there any downside? Are there any reasons to
avoid these 'dual/variable capsule' arrangements? (Especially at the the
lower price point of these cheerfully cheep chinky chappies, or is it
like everything else from the Land Of The Noodle - if the basic
principle is sound, one takes one's chances, sucks it and sees...??)

The alternative is to stick to a straightforward cardioid design like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005


Suggestions/caveats welcome....

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

In article , Keith G
scribeth thus

I'm tempted (that is to say planning) to add a 'multi-pattern tube mic'
to my collection and, until just now, was mystified as to how a mic like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...81&ssPa geNam
e=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=005


...could provide the various patterns (with in-between settings, it
appears) simply by fiddling with the power supply?? Anyway, a bit of
Googling has cleared this up (to a point) with information like this...

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0071/t.433.html

http://www.tonmeister.ca/main/textbook/node469.html


Now the questions a Is there any downside? Are there any reasons to
avoid these 'dual/variable capsule' arrangements? (Especially at the the
lower price point of these cheerfully cheep chinky chappies, or is it
like everything else from the Land Of The Noodle - if the basic
principle is sound, one takes one's chances, sucks it and sees...??)

The alternative is to stick to a straightforward cardioid design like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...14&ssPa geNam
e=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=005


Suggestions/caveats welcome....



Ermm.. All this recording gear.. When's our Keith going to have his
mobile recording wagon on the road?..

Perhaps it could go on the side of the motahbike;)...
--
Tony Sayer

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

In article ,
Keith G wrote:

I'm tempted (that is to say planning) to add a 'multi-pattern tube mic'
to my collection and, until just now, was mystified as to how a mic like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005


...could provide the various patterns (with in-between settings, it
appears) simply by fiddling with the power supply?? Anyway, a bit of
Googling has cleared this up (to a point) with information like this...

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0071/t.433.html

http://www.tonmeister.ca/main/textbook/node469.html

If you plot out the x and y axis of both an omni and figure of eight then
add them together you'll see where a cardiod comes from. Indeed one of the
first basic such types was the STC 4033 (guiness bottle) which was an
'apple and biscuit' moving coil omni (STC 4021) combined with a ribbon
(STC 4038) - the latter being a production version of the BBC PGS.


Now the questions a Is there any downside? Are there any reasons to
avoid these 'dual/variable capsule' arrangements? (Especially at the the
lower price point of these cheerfully cheep chinky chappies, or is it
like everything else from the Land Of The Noodle - if the basic
principle is sound, one takes one's chances, sucks it and sees...??)

The alternative is to stick to a straightforward cardioid design like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005


Suggestions/caveats welcome....

Do you actually need a cardiod? All else being equal it's easier to make a
decent omni. They also give less problems in usage. Of course if you need
the separation in a multi mic setup or want to reduce room acoustics a
cardiod could well be the only way.

The capsule(s) is really what makes a condenser mic - the electronics
should be no problem in this day and age.
Oh - I forgot you like valves. ;-)

--
*OK, so what's the speed of dark? *

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

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:

I'm tempted (that is to say planning) to add a 'multi-pattern tube
mic'
to my collection and, until just now, was mystified as to how a mic
like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005


...could provide the various patterns (with in-between settings, it
appears) simply by fiddling with the power supply?? Anyway, a bit of
Googling has cleared this up (to a point) with information like
this...

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0071/t.433.html

http://www.tonmeister.ca/main/textbook/node469.html

If you plot out the x and y axis of both an omni and figure of eight
then
add them together you'll see where a cardiod comes from. Indeed one of
the
first basic such types was the STC 4033 (guiness bottle) which was an
'apple and biscuit' moving coil omni (STC 4021) combined with a ribbon
(STC 4038) - the latter being a production version of the BBC PGS.


Now the questions a Is there any downside? Are there any reasons
to
avoid these 'dual/variable capsule' arrangements? (Especially at the
the
lower price point of these cheerfully cheep chinky chappies, or is it
like everything else from the Land Of The Noodle - if the basic
principle is sound, one takes one's chances, sucks it and sees...??)

The alternative is to stick to a straightforward cardioid design like
this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005


Suggestions/caveats welcome....

Do you actually need a cardiod? All else being equal it's easier to
make a
decent omni. They also give less problems in usage. Of course if you
need
the separation in a multi mic setup or want to reduce room acoustics a
cardiod could well be the only way.

The capsule(s) is really what makes a condenser mic - the electronics
should be no problem in this day and age.
Oh - I forgot you like valves. ;-)



Well that was all very interesting Plowie, but I'm not sure what the
point of it was - my questions were specifically in respect of a
'multi-pattern tube mic' (as above)...??

Anyway, FWIW, I have made a grab for this one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN:IT&ih=011

- as it seemed to offer the features I want to try out and was (believe
it or not) a more appealing shape than some of the others!! :-)

(Far too many cheap valve mics to choose from on eBay atm!!)

At the price it won't be too much of a disaster if it turms out to be
poop (which I suspect it won't) - my concern has been/was that the
switching on the power supply to invoke the various patterns might be
shoddy and could only introduce noise &c. into the foodchain. We shall
see - I can only say that I have been very pleased with the Chinese mics
so far, so here's hoping!

Looking forward to some comparisons now (Chinese, Russian, valve, FET,
ribbon, various patterns &c.) - I'd post the results if I thought there
was a single soul here who could GAS...

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

In article ,
Keith G wrote:

[snip]

Well that was all very interesting Plowie, but I'm not sure what the
point of it was - my questions were specifically in respect of a
'multi-pattern tube mic' (as above)...??

Sigh. That's what I was trying to explain. The various patterns are a
combination of omni and figure of eight capsules outputs added in
different amounts. Which can be done by 'a' switch on the capsule or
elsewhere. With a valve mic you need a power supply with multi-core cable
so it makes sense to have the DP switch on that - handy if the mic is
slung out of reach. Early valve mics like the AKG C12 had the same sort of
arrangement.

A solid state mic would be phantom powered off the mixer etc - only a
normal (twin and screen) mic cable - so the DP switch is normally on the
mic itself.

But on second thoughts I should have saved my typing fingers.

--
*Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mom?

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

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:

[snip]

Well that was all very interesting Plowie, but I'm not sure what the
point of it was - my questions were specifically in respect of a
'multi-pattern tube mic' (as above)...??

Sigh. That's what I was trying to explain. The various patterns are a
combination of omni and figure of eight capsules outputs added in
different amounts. Which can be done by 'a' switch on the capsule or
elsewhere.


If you had bothered to follow my links you would have seen that I had
already discovered that...??


With a valve mic you need a power supply with multi-core cable
so it makes sense to have the DP switch on that - handy if the mic is
slung out of reach.


Hadn't thought of that, though....


Early valve mics like the AKG C12 had the same sort of
arrangement.

A solid state mic would be phantom powered off the mixer etc - only a
normal (twin and screen) mic cable - so the DP switch is normally on
the
mic itself.

But on second thoughts I should have saved my typing fingers.


Cheer up - I enjoyed following the model numbers of the mics you
mentioned and found a couple of very interesting sites! Here's one you
might like, if you don't already know it:

http://www.btinternet.com/~roger.bec...csmenu.htm#top

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Keith G" wrote in message
...

I'm tempted (that is to say planning) to add a 'multi-pattern tube mic' to
my collection and, until just now, was mystified as to how a mic like this
one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005

...could provide the various patterns (with in-between settings, it
appears) simply by fiddling with the power supply??

Without looking I'll guess that this is a condenser mic with a number of
capsules.

By varying the polarizing voltage to the various capsules, their output can
be varied. The different patterns result from how their outputs sum up.


Anyway, a bit of Googling has cleared this up (to a point) with
information like this...

http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0071/t.433.html

http://www.tonmeister.ca/main/textbook/node469.html


Now the questions a Is there any downside?

There are two common ways to make mics with different pickup patterns.

One is to use a single capsule that has the desired pickup pattern because
of its acoustical properties.

The other is to use multiple capsules, and add the outputs of the capsules
in different ways.

The results of using these two different approaches are not always
identically the same.

Are there any reasons to avoid these 'dual/variable capsule' arrangements?
(Especially at the the lower price point of these cheerfully cheep chinky
chappies, or is it like everything else from the Land Of The Noodle - if
the basic principle is sound, one takes one's chances, sucks it and
sees...??)

Now we compare and contrast using two half-priced parts or one full-price
part. All other things being equal, the one full-price part will perform
better. However the better may be too subtle to appreciate.

The alternative is to stick to a straightforward cardioid design like this
one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=005


Suggestions/caveats welcome....

Bag the tubes.

If you don't know what you are doing, stick with known quantities. That
means there is something to be said for a known brand with a track record of
sorts like Studio Projects, versus a relatively unknown brand like "Golden
Age Project".

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
. ..


snip


Suggestions/caveats welcome....

Bag the tubes.


I suspect that means exactly the opposite in the US to what it does in
the UK...



If you don't know what you are doing, stick with known quantities.
That means there is something to be said for a known brand with a
track record of sorts like Studio Projects, versus a relatively
unknown brand like "Golden Age Project".



Too late, I already plumped for another unknown! (Alctron??) Asitappens,
I already have a 'Golden Age Project' mic - the 'active' ribbon in these
pix:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Mics01.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Mics02.JPG *


....and I hafta say it sounds fine to me.

Build (heft) and appearance is good, but the thread in the yoke for the
mic stand is very shallow and it is easily tightened 'over centre'! The
flight case and padded pouch, along with the captive/removable lead was
a very nice surprise at the price, but the whole point with this cheap
Chinese kit (whatever it is) is that it means one can experiment without
risking too much. Atm, prices for just about anything are at about
10-20% of the *real deal* and performance (hopefully) not so far behind
it won't give you at least good idea whilst on the learning curve - I
say grab it while you can!!


*Yes, I know about not storing ribbons on their side (or banging them
down hard)..!!

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Keith G" wrote


Too late, I already plumped for another unknown! (Alctron??)
Asitappens, I already have a 'Golden Age Project' mic - the 'active'
ribbon in these pix:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Mics01.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Mics02.JPG *


...and I hafta say it sounds fine to me.



OK, *it* doesn't sound at all - you know what I mean. Actually, I'm
fairly certain it was used for this track:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/reco...%20Prelude.mp3

and it was good enough for Swim to say she didn't like the sound of the
clart/her playing - too *sour*...??

(No worries - the 'recording season' will soon be with us and we'll be
working on it! :-)

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

In article ,
Keith G wrote:
*Yes, I know about not storing ribbons on their side (or banging them
down hard)..!!

When I worked for BBC TV, ribbons - mainly the 4038 - were still very much
in use and were always stored on their side. And used near horizontal as
audience reaction mics.

--
*If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

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

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:
*Yes, I know about not storing ribbons on their side (or banging them
down hard)..!!

When I worked for BBC TV, ribbons - mainly the 4038 - were still very
much
in use and were always stored on their side. And used near horizontal
as
audience reaction mics.


The instructions with the mic were quite explicit and the 'flight case'
is upright to prevent long-term storage of the mic on its side - it's
maybe a 'then and now' thing or possibly to do with the 52mm ribbon
length in my mic...??

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

In article ,
Keith G wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:
*Yes, I know about not storing ribbons on their side (or banging them
down hard)..!!

When I worked for BBC TV, ribbons - mainly the 4038 - were still very
much in use and were always stored on their side. And used near
horizontal as audience reaction mics.


The instructions with the mic were quite explicit and the 'flight case'
is upright to prevent long-term storage of the mic on its side - it's
maybe a 'then and now' thing or possibly to do with the 52mm ribbon
length in my mic...??

The BBC box for the 4038 was a wondrous wood affair - quite as high
quality as the mic. Sort of cigar box shaped. With feet on the bottom
suggesting the normal position for storage was mic 'front' down. But to
save storage space they were always stored vertically so with the mic on
its side. Indeed the carrying handle meant it would be like this when
moved.

I'd be a bit worried about the life of the ribbon if gravity could effect
it in this way.

The predecessor to the 4038 was the lovely AXBT - picture in the website
you gave. Not sure how they were stored - most were permanently rigged in
radio studios, and before my time in TV. I've got a working one. Stored
face down. ;-) The ribbon on that is pretty long.

--
*Remember not to forget that which you do not need to know.*

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

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:
*Yes, I know about not storing ribbons on their side (or banging
them
down hard)..!!

When I worked for BBC TV, ribbons - mainly the 4038 - were still
very
much in use and were always stored on their side. And used near
horizontal as audience reaction mics.


The instructions with the mic were quite explicit and the 'flight
case'
is upright to prevent long-term storage of the mic on its side - it's
maybe a 'then and now' thing or possibly to do with the 52mm ribbon
length in my mic...??

The BBC box for the 4038 was a wondrous wood affair - quite as high
quality as the mic. Sort of cigar box shaped. With feet on the bottom
suggesting the normal position for storage was mic 'front' down. But
to
save storage space they were always stored vertically so with the mic
on
its side. Indeed the carrying handle meant it would be like this when
moved.

I'd be a bit worried about the life of the ribbon if gravity could
effect
it in this way.

The predecessor to the 4038 was the lovely AXBT - picture in the
website
you gave.


Hah! Did you make this connection:

http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/microphones.shtml

They are still making the buggers (4038) it seems! (I wonder how the
prices would compare to the Chinkie equivalents??)


Not sure how they were stored - most were permanently rigged in
radio studios, and before my time in TV. I've got a working one.
Stored
face down. ;-) The ribbon on that is pretty long.


Instructions to *amateurs* on what are, essentially, toy mics and which
typically err on the right side (to cater for the LCD, presumably) are
always going to be eschewed by those in the *professional environment*
are they not?

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Keith G" wrote


Hah! Did you make this connection:

http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/microphones.shtml

They are still making the buggers (4038) it seems! (I wonder how the
prices would compare to the Chinkie equivalents??)



Bit of a clue he

http://www.soundpure.com/showManufacturer.do?id=38


But it looks like they are willing to *deal*...!! :-)

Or there's a bargain here for someone with a) the need and b) more
bloody money to throw at the situation than I have!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Coles-4038-Mat...QQcmdZViewItem


(Check out the Seller's other listings also and figure why I buy Chinky
stuff at about 1/10th the price!! :-)

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

In article ,
Keith G wrote:
The predecessor to the 4038 was the lovely AXBT - picture in the
website
you gave.


Hah! Did you make this connection:

http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/microphones.shtml

They are still making the buggers (4038) it seems! (I wonder how the
prices would compare to the Chinkie equivalents??)

ISTR it's pretty expensive. And most probably go straight into a display
or museum. The lip ribbon shown alongside is still a useful mic - not much
can touch it for commentary in a noisy environment. (That's not to say the
4038 isn't still a good mic - but there are cheaper more versatile and
robust alternatives)


Not sure how they were stored - most were permanently rigged in
radio studios, and before my time in TV. I've got a working one.
Stored
face down. ;-) The ribbon on that is pretty long.


Instructions to *amateurs* on what are, essentially, toy mics and which
typically err on the right side (to cater for the LCD, presumably) are
always going to be eschewed by those in the *professional environment*
are they not?

It probably depends. When I worked for the BBC there were always plenty
of spares. As a freelance my own mics cost money to fix. So I take care of
them. It would also depend on application - recording or radio studio mics
may sometimes be left rigged or kept in a nearby cupboard whereas those in
a TV studio or location are de-rigged after use and stored elsewhere, so
need to be easily transportable.

Some of these Chinese and Russian mics are not bad value for money. But
as regards pro use, good mics have a very long life if spares and service
are available, so the initial cost isn't quite as important as those. And
if they are anything like most Chinese products there will be zero backup
- just replacement if faulty within the warranty period.

--
*I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public

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

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

In article ,
Keith G wrote:

"Keith G" wrote


Hah! Did you make this connection:

http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/microphones.shtml

They are still making the buggers (4038) it seems! (I wonder how the
prices would compare to the Chinkie equivalents??)



Bit of a clue he

http://www.soundpure.com/showManufacturer.do?id=38


But it looks like they are willing to *deal*...!! :-)

I was going to guess at the thick end of a grand - the same as most decent
mics.

Or there's a bargain here for someone with a) the need and b) more
bloody money to throw at the situation than I have!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Coles-4038-Mat...QQcmdZViewItem

Plenty of hype in the text. I've not seen them used that much recently.
But Iain will be along shortly to say 'everyone uses them'. The same as
everyone uses valves and analogue tape recorders. ;-)


(Check out the Seller's other listings also and figure why I buy Chinky
stuff at about 1/10th the price!! :-)

See my previous post about spares and service.

--
*Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

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

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:53:26 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Keith G wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:
*Yes, I know about not storing ribbons on their side (or banging them
down hard)..!!

When I worked for BBC TV, ribbons - mainly the 4038 - were still very
much in use and were always stored on their side. And used near
horizontal as audience reaction mics.


The instructions with the mic were quite explicit and the 'flight case'
is upright to prevent long-term storage of the mic on its side - it's
maybe a 'then and now' thing or possibly to do with the 52mm ribbon
length in my mic...??

The BBC box for the 4038 was a wondrous wood affair - quite as high
quality as the mic. Sort of cigar box shaped. With feet on the bottom
suggesting the normal position for storage was mic 'front' down. But to
save storage space they were always stored vertically so with the mic on
its side. Indeed the carrying handle meant it would be like this when
moved.

I'd be a bit worried about the life of the ribbon if gravity could effect
it in this way.

The predecessor to the 4038 was the lovely AXBT - picture in the website
you gave. Not sure how they were stored - most were permanently rigged in
radio studios, and before my time in TV. I've got a working one. Stored
face down. ;-) The ribbon on that is pretty long.

My Grampian ribbon is now over forty years old, and has been stored
face down all that time (when not in use, of course), and as far as I
can see, the ribbon is still centred exactly in the gap.

d

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

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:

"Keith G" wrote


Hah! Did you make this connection:

http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/microphones.shtml

They are still making the buggers (4038) it seems! (I wonder how
the
prices would compare to the Chinkie equivalents??)



Bit of a clue he

http://www.soundpure.com/showManufacturer.do?id=38


But it looks like they are willing to *deal*...!! :-)

I was going to guess at the thick end of a grand - the same as most
decent
mics.

Or there's a bargain here for someone with a) the need and b) more
bloody money to throw at the situation than I have!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Coles-4038-Mat...QQcmdZViewItem

Plenty of hype in the text. I've not seen them used that much
recently.
But Iain will be along shortly to say 'everyone uses them'. The same
as
everyone uses valves and analogue tape recorders. ;-)


(Check out the Seller's other listings also and figure why I buy
Chinky
stuff at about 1/10th the price!! :-)

See my previous post about spares and service.


The downside of ultra-cheap kit is that it simply isn't worth servicing
or getting repaired. It's cheaper/quicker to bin it - which is not
satisfactory I know and wouldn't suit a 'pro' who knows the sound from
his mics (presumably) and relies on it, but not a problem to me with the
relatively little use they will get.

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Keith G wrote:
The predecessor to the 4038 was the lovely AXBT - picture in the
website
you gave.


Hah! Did you make this connection:

http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/microphones.shtml

They are still making the buggers (4038) it seems! (I wonder how the
prices would compare to the Chinkie equivalents??)

ISTR it's pretty expensive. And most probably go straight into a
display
or museum. The lip ribbon shown alongside is still a useful mic - not
much
can touch it for commentary in a noisy environment. (That's not to say
the
4038 isn't still a good mic - but there are cheaper more versatile and
robust alternatives)


Not sure how they were stored - most were permanently rigged in
radio studios, and before my time in TV. I've got a working one.
Stored
face down. ;-) The ribbon on that is pretty long.


Instructions to *amateurs* on what are, essentially, toy mics and
which
typically err on the right side (to cater for the LCD, presumably)
are
always going to be eschewed by those in the *professional
environment*
are they not?

It probably depends. When I worked for the BBC there were always
plenty
of spares. As a freelance my own mics cost money to fix. So I take
care of
them. It would also depend on application - recording or radio studio
mics
may sometimes be left rigged or kept in a nearby cupboard whereas
those in
a TV studio or location are de-rigged after use and stored elsewhere,
so
need to be easily transportable.

Some of these Chinese and Russian mics are not bad value for money.
But
as regards pro use, good mics have a very long life if spares and
service
are available, so the initial cost isn't quite as important as those.
And
if they are anything like most Chinese products there will be zero
backup
- just replacement if faulty within the warranty period.


Maybe the manufacturers of my ribbon are overly-paranoid or perhaps the
ribbons are ****e and not as tough as they used to be - the tone of the
'instructions' is pretty scary throughout, in this respect:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/R1Page1.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/R1Page2.JPG

See para 8 in particular:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/R1Close%20Up.JPG

??

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Keith G" wrote in message
...

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
. ..


snip


Suggestions/caveats welcome....

Bag the tubes.


I suspect that means exactly the opposite in the US to what it does in the
UK...



If you don't know what you are doing, stick with known quantities. That
means there is something to be said for a known brand with a track record
of sorts like Studio Projects, versus a relatively unknown brand like
"Golden Age Project".



Too late, I already plumped for another unknown! (Alctron??) Asitappens, I
already have a 'Golden Age Project' mic - the 'active' ribbon in these
pix:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Mics01.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Mics02.JPG *


...and I hafta say it sounds fine to me.

Your recordings seem to be fine enough, at least sonically. I won't comment
on their musical content.

However, the instruments used are not exactly the kind that reveals critical
differnces among mics. In a phrase - no real high end due to the choice of
instruments.

Polar pattern mysteries...
 

"Arny Krueger" wrote


Your recordings seem to be fine enough, at least sonically. I won't
comment on their musical content.


Well, I'll take that as a nod to 'my side of the mic' if nothing else!

Our problem is Swim is lapsed on the piano by well over 20 years and on
the clart by over 10 years (other than the odd 'recording session' we
did, but even those were *months* ago now) and I have virtually no
experience of recording/mixing - we both need to get into a bit of
regular practice. (Neither of us are under any illusions of how good/not
good the trax recorded so far might be! :-)

Of course, it'll be another bloody *From Square One* start again.....


However, the instruments used are not exactly the kind that reveals
critical differnces among mics. In a phrase - no real high end due to
the choice of instruments.


Sure but I was amazed to hear *only recently* Swim could probably play
the sax as well - who knows where it'll end up!!