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Ribbon for Alto?
Posted in the spirit of a *no fees will be paid*/*no invitation to to tender
for a consultancy contract exists or is being offered*, amateur/hobbyist enquiry* only does anybody disagree the ribbon mic beats the Oktava for the alto sax** in these 'near identical' (simultaneously recorded and edited, but not level matched) clips? (Please note the backing track is not properly *mixed* - merely being played in the background over speakers for practice purposes!) http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipOktava.wav http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipRibbon.wav Only my recently acquired favourite 'Choob Mic' has succumbed (temporarily, I hope) to the 'Gadget Pox' *pandemic* that we are currently experiencing and is humming along with the tunes, so I gotta mess with one of these two mics 'til I get it sorted!! Responses appreciated; all calls and texts returned, your photo gets mine, &c.... *(Also summat of a progress report for Iain! :-) **Very recently arrived; Swim Bo's earliest efforts....!! |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message . .. Not heard it, Hah! but the polar diagram and responses of ribbon mikes always make things sound different. Very fragile mics too. Yes, I know but I think I'm looking for someone to give me a 'by a country mile' verdict! I like them both and (as usual) can never decide - the 'early days' raggedy-arsed playing doesn't help, I know.... |
Ribbon for Alto?
In article ,
Keith G wrote: Posted in the spirit of a *no fees will be paid*/*no invitation to to tender for a consultancy contract exists or is being offered*, amateur/hobbyist enquiry* only does anybody disagree the ribbon mic beats the Oktava for the alto sax** in these 'near identical' (simultaneously recorded and edited, but not level matched) clips? The STC 4038 ribbon - probably *the* classic mic of all time - is excellent on sax. Of course they have to be in good condition. And it's much more expensive to make a good ribbon mike than a condenser. -- *Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups * Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Keith G" wrote in message ... "Brian Gaff" wrote in message . .. Not heard it, Hah! but the polar diagram and responses of ribbon mikes always make things sound different. Very fragile mics too. Yes, I know but I think I'm looking for someone to give me a 'by a country mile' verdict! I like them both and (as usual) can never decide - the 'early days' raggedy-arsed playing doesn't help, I know.... OK, OK, I get it - 'neither one, go and fix the valve mic', eh? Replaced this (probably perfectly OK) JAN Philips with a nice little 'Chelmer' badged short plate (for, er, low microphony) Sovtek 12AX7 and thought I had at least significantly reduced the hum for a while, but it's back now!! http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/AKG-1.jpg (Guess I now know why the mic was on eBay!! :-) Here is a shot of the orange LED that makes the valve 'light up': http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/AKG-2.jpg I tell ya, the most common cause of death will soon be 'Bull**** Overload'.... |
Ribbon for Alto?
Keith G wrote:
Here is a shot of the orange LED that makes the valve 'light up': http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/AKG-2.jpg I tell ya, the most common cause of death will soon be 'Bull**** Overload'.... LMAO...it's good to see tube technology moving forward. -- Bill Coombes |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
Not heard it, but the polar diagram and responses of ribbon mikes always make things sound different. Very fragile mics too. Remember the naive audiophile's mantra: "If it sounds different, it must sound better". ;-) |
Ribbon for Alto?
Keith G wrote:
OK, OK, I get it - 'neither one, go and fix the valve mic', eh? Replaced this (probably perfectly OK) JAN Philips with a nice little 'Chelmer' badged short plate (for, er, low microphony) Sovtek 12AX7 and thought I had at least significantly reduced the hum for a while, but it's back now!! http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/AKG-1.jpg (Guess I now know why the mic was on eBay!! :-) Here is a shot of the orange LED that makes the valve 'light up': Hum? Power supply should supply regulated DC for heaters and HT. Does yours have a "ground lift" switch? AKG mics seem to be well supported with info such as he http://www.akg.com/mediendatenbank2/...5d251a2cd0.pdf Ian |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Ian Iveson" wrote in message ... Keith G wrote: OK, OK, I get it - 'neither one, go and fix the valve mic', eh? Replaced this (probably perfectly OK) JAN Philips with a nice little 'Chelmer' badged short plate (for, er, low microphony) Sovtek 12AX7 and thought I had at least significantly reduced the hum for a while, but it's back now!! http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/AKG-1.jpg (Guess I now know why the mic was on eBay!! :-) Here is a shot of the orange LED that makes the valve 'light up': Hum? Power supply should supply regulated DC for heaters and HT. Does yours have a "ground lift" switch? Yes and I'm sure I've tried it both ways, but I'll have a more careful look at it in the week. I don't think it is the valve, but if it was, there's always the chance I've swapped one noisy valve for another! AKG mics seem to be well supported with info such as he http://www.akg.com/mediendatenbank2/...5d251a2cd0.pdf Thanks for that - I have already got that somewhere but I don't think I'll be stripping it down that far myself. If it comes to it, I'll send it off to have it serviced by someone who knows what he is doing! Reading some of the information about these mics on the Net I'm seeing a lot of people have swapped the valve for the *exact same* Mullard I gave/loaned to a friend for use in his Croft preamp which the *****ing idiot* suddenly/surprisingly sold, letting the Mullard go with it! Worth about 40 quid at the time, IIRC - I had forgotten that; now I am reminded.... |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Keith G" wrote in message ... Posted in the spirit of a *no fees will be paid*/*no invitation to to tender for a consultancy contract exists or is being offered*, amateur/hobbyist enquiry* only does anybody disagree the ribbon mic beats the Oktava for the alto sax** in these 'near identical' (simultaneously recorded and edited, but not level matched) clips? (Please note the backing track is not properly *mixed* - merely being played in the background over speakers for practice purposes!) http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipOktava.wav http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipRibbon.wav Only my recently acquired favourite 'Choob Mic' has succumbed (temporarily, I hope) to the 'Gadget Pox' *pandemic* that we are currently experiencing and is humming along with the tunes, so I gotta mess with one of these two mics 'til I get it sorted!! After only one listen, I would pick the ribbon. But bear in mind that the results you ultimately achieve are the combination of the mic you choose and careful positioning in a given acoustic People tend to avoid ribbons as they are fragile, but with a little TLC they can last a lifetime. Most people of our age in the UK remember Reslo as the best-known ribbon mic manufacturer (the SR1 was often supplied with Ferrograph and Vortexion tape recorders) but there was another British manufacturer that made a good and very affordable ribbon mic, The Film Industries M8. In the 1960s they cost the grand sum of £8.15s or £10.7.6 with on/off switch. One sees them occasionally on e.Bay. Something to look out for. http://www.kolumbus.fi/iain.churches...dustriesM8.jpg *(Also summat of a progress report for Iain! :-) Appreciated:-) Microphone placing for a saxophone is not as straightforward as it is for a trumpet, trombone, French horn where all the sound comes out of one 'ole, the bell. But it is much easier than for example the clarinet where you have to contend with the three different sounding registers. One often sees a mic just placed above the bell of the saxophone. This may not prove to be the optimum position. If you take a careful look at the instrument, it will become clear that only the lowest three notes, C, B, and Bb (written, not concert) come out of the bell or near to it. The other notes emerge from tone holes further up. You seem to have chosen to set the mic well back from the alto, Keith You might care to try a more intimate, immediate sound. In which case try a position which forms an equilateral triangle with the bell and the top F key (that's the very first LH pearl key, which it normally covered by any finger) Keeping the two lower angles the same, zoom in and out at right-angles to the body of the saxophone, a few cms until you get what you want. Iain PS. Pity Santa has been and gone, this might have been nice. I have seen them go for a lot more money. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ... In article , Keith G wrote: Posted in the spirit of a *no fees will be paid*/*no invitation to to tender for a consultancy contract exists or is being offered*, amateur/hobbyist enquiry* only does anybody disagree the ribbon mic beats the Oktava for the alto sax** in these 'near identical' (simultaneously recorded and edited, but not level matched) clips? The STC 4038 ribbon - probably *the* classic mic of all time - is excellent on sax. Of course they have to be in good condition. And it's much more expensive to make a good ribbon mike than a condenser. The STC 4033 also was an interesting idea with both a moving coil and a ribbon element. STC made a condenser too, the 4108. The STC 4038 ribbon was indeed a fine mic, but is rarer than hen's teeth these days. Also it was not one of the two microphones which we were asked to compare. |
Ribbon for Alto?
Iain Churches wrote:
"Keith G" wrote in message ... Posted in the spirit of a *no fees will be paid*/*no invitation to to tender for a consultancy contract exists or is being offered*, amateur/hobbyist enquiry* only does anybody disagree the ribbon mic beats the Oktava for the alto sax** in these 'near identical' (simultaneously recorded and edited, but not level matched) clips? (Please note the backing track is not properly *mixed* - merely being played in the background over speakers for practice purposes!) http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipOktava.wav http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipRibbon.wav Only my recently acquired favourite 'Choob Mic' has succumbed (temporarily, I hope) to the 'Gadget Pox' *pandemic* that we are currently experiencing and is humming along with the tunes, so I gotta mess with one of these two mics 'til I get it sorted!! After only one listen, I would pick the ribbon. But bear in mind that the results you ultimately achieve are the combination of the mic you choose and careful positioning in a given acoustic People tend to avoid ribbons as they are fragile, but with a little TLC they can last a lifetime. Most people of our age in the UK remember Reslo as the best-known ribbon mic manufacturer (the SR1 was often supplied with Ferrograph and Vortexion tape recorders) but there was another British manufacturer that made a good and very affordable ribbon mic, The Film Industries M8. In the 1960s they cost the grand sum of £8.15s or £10.7.6 with on/off switch. One sees them occasionally on e.Bay. Something to look out for. http://www.kolumbus.fi/iain.churches...dustriesM8.jpg *(Also summat of a progress report for Iain! :-) Appreciated:-) Microphone placing for a saxophone is not as straightforward as it is for a trumpet, trombone, French horn where all the sound comes out of one 'ole, the bell. But it is much easier than for example the clarinet where you have to contend with the three different sounding registers. One often sees a mic just placed above the bell of the saxophone. This may not prove to be the optimum position. If you take a careful look at the instrument, it will become clear that only the lowest three notes, C, B, and Bb (written, not concert) come out of the bell or near to it. The other notes emerge from tone holes further up. You seem to have chosen to set the mic well back from the alto, Keith You might care to try a more intimate, immediate sound. In which case try a position which forms an equilateral triangle with the bell and the top F key (that's the very first LH pearl key, which it normally covered by any finger) Keeping the two lower angles the same, zoom in and out at right-angles to the body of the saxophone, a few cms until you get what you want. Iain PS. Pity Santa has been and gone, this might have been nice. I have seen them go for a lot more money. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) -- Bill Coombes |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Iain Churches" wrote After only one listen, I would pick the ribbon. But bear in mind that the results you ultimately achieve are the combination of the mic you choose and careful positioning in a given acoustic Not shove the mic out a ways into the room and jiggle about with the sound levels a bit, then? :-) People tend to avoid ribbons as they are fragile, but with a little TLC they can last a lifetime. Mine gets handled right and stored right - bound to get buggered up, eventually.... Most people of our age in the UK remember Reslo as the best-known ribbon mic manufacturer (the SR1 was often supplied with Ferrograph and Vortexion tape recorders) but there was another British manufacturer that made a good and very affordable ribbon mic, The Film Industries M8. In the 1960s they cost the grand sum of £8.15s or £10.7.6 with on/off switch. One sees them occasionally on e.Bay. Something to look out for. http://www.kolumbus.fi/iain.churches...dustriesM8.jpg That's a very nice looking mic!! *(Also summat of a progress report for Iain! :-) Appreciated:-) OK, here's another one from about half an hour or so ago: http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...he%20Child.wav Recorded with my Samson USB multipattern mic! One often sees a mic just placed above the bell of the saxophone. Or even clipped on to it!!! You seem to have chosen to set the mic well back from the alto, Keith You might care to try a more intimate, immediate sound. In which case try a position which forms an equilateral triangle with the bell and the top F key (that's the very first LH pearl key, which it normally covered by any finger) Keeping the two lower angles the same, zoom in and out at right-angles to the body of the saxophone, a few cms until you get what you want. OK, I've got a lot closer to that with the above recording but I was at full stretch on the USB cable! Early days yet - almost 'any noise' for now and refine it gradually as the 'performer' gets going!! Iain PS. Pity Santa has been and gone, this might have been nice. I have seen them go for a lot more money. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 Oooh! Just like mine! :-) |
Ribbon for Alto?
"bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message o.uk... Iain Churches wrote: PS. Pity Santa has been and gone, this might have been nice. I have seen them go for a lot more money. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) I've got one, but it's gone missing atm - I'll have to check down the back of the sofa.... :-) |
Ribbon for Alto?
Keith G wrote:
"bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message o.uk... Iain Churches wrote: PS. Pity Santa has been and gone, this might have been nice. I have seen them go for a lot more money. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) I've got one, but it's gone missing atm - I'll have to check down the back of the sofa.... Worth a look, you could find the Berlin Philharmonic down there maybe. -- Bill Coombes |
Ribbon for Alto?
In article ,
Iain Churches wrote: The STC 4038 ribbon - probably *the* classic mic of all time - is excellent on sax. Of course they have to be in good condition. And it's much more expensive to make a good ribbon mike than a condenser. The STC 4033 also was an interesting idea with both a moving coil and a ribbon element. Standard BBC TV studio boom mic for many a year - but not worth bothering with now as they never sounded particularly good. Quality was traded for robustness. And a mixture of elements with very different characteristics to make a cardiod was really just a bodge - although interesting from the historical point of view. But a 4038 still has its uses today. STC made a condenser too, the 4108. Not well regarded. The STC 4038 ribbon was indeed a fine mic, but is rarer than hen's teeth these days. Also it was not one of the two microphones which we were asked to compare. Dunno what happened to them all - the BBC had thousands. IIRC, TV Centre Tech Op Stores had an inventory of some 300 when I worked there. I *think* you can still buy them new - or certainly could a few years ago. Made by Coles. -- *A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking * Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
Ribbon for Alto?
"bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message o.uk... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) Naah! It's one of those tatty old valve mics that no one wants these days:-) I was at an auction a couple of years ago in which two of these, with adjacent serial number were sold for 180k DKr (the equivalent of £20k for the pair) Iain |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ... In article , The STC 4038 ribbon - probably *the* classic mic of all time - is excellent on sax. Of course they have to be in good condition. And it's much more expensive to make a good ribbon mike than a condenser. Dunno what happened to them all - the BBC had thousands. IIRC, TV Centre Tech Op Stores had an inventory of some 300 when I worked there. I *think* you can still buy them new - or certainly could a few years ago. Made by Coles. Yes. still available, about UKP 700 each, or sold in boxed pairs. http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/micstudio.shtml |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Iain Churches" wrote in message ... "Keith G" wrote (Please note the backing track is not properly *mixed* - merely being played in the background over speakers for practice purposes!) http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipOktava.wav http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ClipRibbon.wav You seem to have chosen to set the mic well back from the alto, Keith You might care to try a more intimate, immediate sound. In which case try a position which forms an equilateral triangle with the bell and the top F key (that's the very first LH pearl key, which it normally covered by any finger) Keeping the two lower angles the same, zoom in and out at right-angles to the body of the saxophone, a few cms until you get what you want. This little snatch was recorded in the same session as the above tracks (Oktava): http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/SoloSax1.wav The postioning is/was very close to what you describe but at about a metre away and off to one side of the instrument. The reason for the distance is to reduce the amount of key noises being picked up whilst hopefully being close enough to sound 'intimate' - I don't like too much key/string/pedal noise in music if it can be avoided! |
Ribbon for Alto?
In article ,
Iain Churches wrote: "Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ... In article , The STC 4038 ribbon - probably *the* classic mic of all time - is excellent on sax. Of course they have to be in good condition. And it's much more expensive to make a good ribbon mike than a condenser. Dunno what happened to them all - the BBC had thousands. IIRC, TV Centre Tech Op Stores had an inventory of some 300 when I worked there. I *think* you can still buy them new - or certainly could a few years ago. Made by Coles. Yes. still available, about UKP 700 each, or sold in boxed pairs. http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com/micstudio.shtml As I said a good ribbon costs a great deal to make. ;-) Remember years ago being involved in a live versus recorded demo at the BBC. The speaker being used was a modified LSU 10 which started out having a Parmeko 15" dual concentric but had been modified by BBC designs department (and tested in their anechoic chamber) to take a Tannoy. Driven by a Quad II valve amp. We had a selection of instruments and a couple of jobbing musicians that could make a fair fist of playing them. And an example of all the mics the BBC used. Things like U77, C12, C414, C28, KM54, etc. As well as the entire STC range. The most natural combination that fooled everyone (blind test) - ie 50% got it right - was an alto sax miked up with a 4038. On every other combination of mic and instrument at least three quarters of the company knew which was which. -- *Preserve wildlife - Go pickle a squirrel* Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
Ribbon for Alto?
Iain Churches wrote:
"bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message o.uk... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) Naah! It's one of those tatty old valve mics that no one wants these days:-) I was at an auction a couple of years ago in which two of these, with adjacent serial number were sold for 180k DKr (the equivalent of £20k for the pair) Hmm, Iain, I don't know if you know this but if you were to take one of these mics and hitch it up to really good electrostatic [say] speaker [via suitable amplification] and then speak into it how would the sound coming out of the speaker compare with the original voice? And also say a modern decent quality mic? -- Bill Coombes |
Ribbon for Alto?
"bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message ... Iain Churches wrote: "bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message o.uk... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) Naah! It's one of those tatty old valve mics that no one wants these days:-) I was at an auction a couple of years ago in which two of these, with adjacent serial number were sold for 180k DKr (the equivalent of £20k for the pair) Hmm, Iain, I don't know if you know this but if you were to take one of these mics and hitch it up to really good electrostatic [say] speaker [via suitable amplification] and then speak into it how would the sound coming out of the speaker compare with the original voice? And also say a modern decent quality mic? Bill. The Neumann u87 (priced at a little under UKP2k) can be regarded as the modern bench-mark by which other large capsule condenser mics are judged. For "pencil mics" the KM184 (about UKP600) is the modern standard. The sound of the original M49 is so much sought after that Neumann (and other manufacturers too) have tried to emulate it in their current models. The TLM 49 (priced at around UKP1200) is a good example. I have done the experiment you describe above, (but not with ELS) by "parallel rigging" of pairs. The M49 (for example with strings), is astonishingly good, a big, warm, open sound, especially if you use a Baroque-style layout with the celli in the centre, and violins and violas either side. But old mics do need copious TLC. In an effort to make them virtually maintenance free, many vintage mics 47s, 49s, 50s were converted to FET in the 1970s. They were quieter, and phantom powered straight from the desk, so the separate PSU was no longer required. Some ten to fifteen years later, people began to change these same mics back to valve again. Most of the old PSUs were long gone, either to landfill or broken for parts. There are specialists in the UK and Germany who restore these fine old mics. They also offer new power supplies. They are not particularly rare, most broadcasting facilities and larger studios had them in good numbers, but the fact that they very seldom come up for sale pushes up the price. Cheers Iain |
Ribbon for Alto?
In article ,
bcoombes bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote: Iain Churches wrote: "bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message o.uk... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) Naah! It's one of those tatty old valve mics that no one wants these days:-) I was at an auction a couple of years ago in which two of these, with adjacent serial number were sold for 180k DKr (the equivalent of £20k for the pair) Hmm, Iain, I don't know if you know this but if you were to take one of these mics and hitch it up to really good electrostatic [say] speaker [via suitable amplification] and then speak into it how would the sound coming out of the speaker compare with the original voice? And also say a modern decent quality mic? One difficulty is that many even studio quality mics have a rising frequency response curve at the upper end. Won't go into the reasons here. So you'll likely need to have a high quality equaliser in chain too to get the best results. Mic positioning is critical too. Too close sounds unnatural - after all most don't speak an inch or so from your ear. Too far away and it will pick up too much room acoustic which the speaker then doubles up. I've done this ages ago using the original Quad ESL 57 - and a U77 mic via a Neve console for the EQ. The results were pretty good. But this was in a recording studio with a fairly dead acoustic. It's a bit more difficult in an ordinary hall - you do need somewhere quite large to be able to hide the speaker, etc, if doing blind tests. It also needs to be very quiet as any extraneous sounds on the recording/speaker will be an instant giveaway. -- *I am a nobody, and nobody is perfect; therefore I am perfect* Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Keith G" wrote in message ... This little snatch was recorded in the same session as the above tracks (Oktava): http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/SoloSax1.wav The postioning is/was very close to what you describe but at about a metre away and off to one side of the instrument. The reason for the distance is to reduce the amount of key noises being picked up whilst hopefully being close enough to sound 'intimate' - I don't like too much key/string/pedal noise in music if it can be avoided! Well, both key noise and breathing are part of the sound, and it is good for the player, any player, to realise how well these are picked up, so that he/she can reduce them as required. Clattery fingerwork is common even in intermediate players - there are so many other things that demand your attention. One of the amazing things about watching clips of Ben Webster for example, is that although he is playing very fast indeed, he moves his fingers just enough to press the key - no more! Much can be achieved by careful (low) key action and choice of alternative fingerings (adding is quieter than substitution) But the alto is a sweeter sounding saxophone than the tenor, and is not expected to provide a honky sound, so perhaps a little distance lends enchantment:-) It's fun to experiment. Iain |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ... In article , bcoombes bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote: Hmm, Iain, I don't know if you know this but if you were to take one of these mics and hitch it up to really good electrostatic [say] speaker [via suitable amplification] and then speak into it how would the sound coming out of the speaker compare with the original voice? And also say a modern decent quality mic? I've done this ages ago using the original Quad ESL 57 - and a U77 mic via a Neve console for the EQ. The results were pretty good. But this was in a recording studio with a fairly dead acoustic. It's a bit more difficult in an ordinary hall - you do need somewhere quite large to be able to hide the speaker, etc, if doing blind tests. It also needs to be very quiet as any extraneous sounds on the recording/speaker will be an instant giveaway. If memory serves the u77 was the first FET mic from Neumann. It sounded dull and dry compared with its famous predecessor the u67. Decca didn't buy any even under the "new lamps for old" scheme. Neither did it compare favourably with its successor the venerable u87. I wonder if anyone still uses them? Iain |
Ribbon for Alto?
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message ... In article , bcoombes bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote: Iain Churches wrote: "bcoombes" bcoombes@orangedotnet wrote in message o.uk... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEUMANN-M49-M-...item4ced1c1b56 £7195.....!!! Ah I see, it comes with a recording studio as well. :) Naah! It's one of those tatty old valve mics that no one wants these days:-) I was at an auction a couple of years ago in which two of these, with adjacent serial number were sold for 180k DKr (the equivalent of £20k for the pair) Hmm, Iain, I don't know if you know this but if you were to take one of these mics and hitch it up to really good electrostatic [say] speaker [via suitable amplification] and then speak into it how would the sound coming out of the speaker compare with the original voice? And also say a modern decent quality mic? One difficulty is that many even studio quality mics have a rising frequency response curve at the upper end. Won't go into the reasons here. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why so many like the sound of the original U47 and M49. Their response is tapering off at the upper end. Iain |
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