oryoki2000 wrote:
> The common element in these iterations is the MD. I'd try to borrow
> someone else's MD (perhaps at the dealer where you bought yours) to
> see if the hiss problem continues with the mics. The Analog Line-In
> port will let you record from a pre-recorded source like a CD player
> so you can confirm that the MD mechanism can record without hiss.
This will not test the mic preamp. Which is the most likely part to
produce hiss.
> The noise floor of the mic and the MD pre-amp will show up on the
> recording as hiss, especially when recording manually with high pre-
> amp gain. Humidity can also be an issue with these mics.
>
> I believe the Sony mic has a impedance of 600 ohms, so recording with
> the Shure accessory should raise the recording level. The Sound
> Professionals mics were designed to be used with minidisc recorders,
> so I think they will have a higher impedance, and won't work as well
> with the Shure gadget. Does this match your experience?
The Sony mic was designed for recording with minidisc, by the same
people who made the minidisc. It should be used plugged direct into the
mic input of the minidisc with no attenuation or transformers or
anything in between. You do have to use it powered by a internal AA
battery, the minidisc cannot power it. Verify the battery is good.
I have gotten good, hiss free recordings with a Sony MZ-R30 and the
ECM-MS957. Of frogs out to maybe 30'. I use one as a bailout mic for
particularly nasty conditions. It's easier to protect from the pouring
rain than larger setups. And if drowned will make me cry less than my
more expensive setups. (I've never ruined one) If it's sensitive to
humidity, I've never experienced that, and I've used it under 100%
humidity conditions lots.
I would tend to also suspect something wrong with the MD. It's self
noise should be similar to or less than the ECM-MS957. If this is a new
MD, try exchanging it for another if it's found to be bad.
On the question of getting the MD into manual record mode, try holding
down the pause while you hit record, and continuing to hold pause for a
few seconds. For many Sony MDs that put's it directly into paused manual
record mode ready for setting the gain. You don't want to use the auto
mode. For nature recording it hunts too much, and will run the gain all
the way up during the quieter parts, making hiss almost certain. It's a
slow responding AGC, suitable for fairly steady sounds, not variable sounds=
.
Walt
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