Stonker or stinker?
 

"Phil Allison"


** The Beyer M260 was one example - the old model with Tuchel connector.

Make that the M160 - the dual ribbon.

Must be 30 years since I last examined one.





....... Phil

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Keith G" wrote in message

"Keith G" wrote


Sorry to say, it's looking like *stinker* atm:

What the MP3 is a recording of, is not self-evident.

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Noisy%20Mic.mp3

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/SelfNoise.wmv

If the left channel is the preamp, terminated with a
low-value resistor, then the right channel may not be
all that bad.

The left channel is switched off....

Switched off, where and how?

Switched off at the mic?

Switched off by shorting the mic leads?

Switched off by opening up one of the mic leads?

Switched off at the output of the preamp?

Switched off in the audio interface?

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote in message

"Keith G" wrote


Sorry to say, it's looking like *stinker* atm:

What the MP3 is a recording of, is not self-evident.

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Noisy%20Mic.mp3

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/SelfNoise.wmv

If the left channel is the preamp, terminated with a
low-value resistor, then the right channel may not be
all that bad.

The left channel is switched off....

Switched off, where and how?



Forget all that, the file's been changed - go with this one:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show/Mic%20Noise.mp3


As earlier, the left channel is switched off - ie. the mic preamp
*isn't* switched on, ie. the mic isn't powered up and there's no signal
either to the mic preamp or from it....

Stonker or stinker?
 

In article ,
Phil Allison wrote:

"Dave Plowman"


A belltree is a good one for those who think analogue tape recorders
perfect. ;-)


** One of these ?

http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdiction.../Belltree.html

Yup. Although the ones I've seen tend to be horizontal - probably just
more convenient for a percussionist to play.

Why is it specially revealing

Out of all the instruments I've tried it sounds totally different when
recorded at 'normal' levels - all the transients disappear. Far more so
than any other I can think of.

A piano played slowly, one note at a time, with a silent background
reveals tape modulation noise very well.

Oh indeed. But a belltree sounds spectacularly bad compared to the 'live'
as heard through the chain before recording.

--
*Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

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

Stonker or stinker?
 

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article ,
Don Pearce wrote:
It can be important when there is a wiring fault in the mic,
particularly with a ribbon mic, where it is possible to put phantom
across the ribbon and blast it out of the gap. If everything is OK,
though, there is never a problem putting phantom on a mic that doesn't
need it.

How do you get DC past its transformer?

With a ribbon the inrush current in the transformer is enough to do
the job. I've heard of permanently bent ribbons that way, although I
haven't seen it for myself.

The inrush current will surely be tiny given the correct standoff
resistors for phantom and the resistance of the primary winding? And the
ratio of the transformer would reduce it even more?

I can't think off hand of any mics that have the centre tap earthed
seems in a way to overcome the advantages of "floating balanced"
operation

I think it was at least an option on some early mics. Could be wrong,
though.

--
*Work is for people who don't know how to fish.

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

Stonker or stinker?
 

In article ,
Phil Allison wrote:

"Phil Allison"


** The Beyer M260 was one example - the old model with Tuchel
connector.

Make that the M160 - the dual ribbon.

Must be 30 years since I last examined one.

Now that was one delicate mic. Not robust enough for jobbing TV studio
work so kept for the music recording studio only. Sounded good, though.

--
*It's not hard to meet expenses... they're everywhere.

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

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Dave Plowman (News)"
Phil Allison


** The Beyer M260 was one example - the old model with Tuchel
connector.

Make that the M160 - the dual ribbon.

Must be 30 years since I last examined one.

Now that was one delicate mic. Not robust enough for jobbing TV studio
work so kept for the music recording studio only. Sounded good, though.


** Well, the one I recall seeing was being used for vocals by a club
singer.

The M160 has exceptional proximity effect when used close up to the lips -
which made this guy's Aussie voice sound like Neil Diamond.

So he decided to do a full impersonation job ( clothes , guitar mannerisms
etc) and made good money out of it for two decades.

The mic seemed to survive OK.



....... Phil

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Dave Plowman (News)"
Phil Allison

** One of these ?

http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdiction.../Belltree.html

Yup. Although the ones I've seen tend to be horizontal - probably just
more convenient for a percussionist to play.

Why is it specially revealing ?

Out of all the instruments I've tried it sounds totally different when
recorded at 'normal' levels - all the transients disappear. Far more so
than any other I can think of.


** Hmmm - must have an extreme peak to average ratio in the sound.

Fools even the peak VUs.

Everything fools a standard VU.


A piano played slowly, one note at a time, with a silent background
reveals tape modulation noise very well.

Oh indeed. But a belltree sounds spectacularly bad compared to the 'live'
as heard through the chain before recording.


** Must be a hard one for the congenital "tape heads" to explain away.




........ Phil

Stonker or stinker?
 

In article ,
Phil Allison wrote:
Out of all the instruments I've tried it sounds totally different when
recorded at 'normal' levels - all the transients disappear. Far more so
than any other I can think of.


** Hmmm - must have an extreme peak to average ratio in the sound.

Fools even the peak VUs.

Everything fools a standard VU.

I'm in the UK. PPMs rule. But at the end of the day it has to be part of
the mix, so although you could allow for the problem if multi-tracking,
the master tape will still show up the effect.

A piano played slowly, one note at a time, with a silent background
reveals tape modulation noise very well.

Oh indeed. But a belltree sounds spectacularly bad compared to the
'live' as heard through the chain before recording.

** Must be a hard one for the congenital "tape heads" to explain away.

Part of the rich tapestry that was analogue recording. What is so sad is
now that these 'artifacts' don't apply the mastering boys have found
plenty even more nasty ones.

--
*It is wrong to ever split an infinitive *

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

Stonker or stinker?
 

In article ,
Phil Allison wrote:
Now that was one delicate mic. Not robust enough for jobbing TV studio
work so kept for the music recording studio only. Sounded good, though.

** Well, the one I recall seeing was being used for vocals by a club
singer.

The M160 has exceptional proximity effect when used close up to the lips
which made this guy's Aussie voice sound like Neil Diamond.

Yes. Of course the most famous singer/ribbon combination was Bing Crosby.

So he decided to do a full impersonation job ( clothes , guitar
mannerisms etc) and made good money out of it for two decades.

The mic seemed to survive OK.

I'd guess he took exceptional care of it. Treat it like a '58 and it's
dead.

--
*If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? *

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