Walter,
I really appreciate your input to my recent post. I have considered
getting the Sound Devices MP2 but I should probably focus on
analysing where the noise really resides in my system. Here's what I
have:
Tasam DA-P1
Crown SASS
(2) 3' Monster Cables
A simple and mobile unit. I need to start seriously troubleshooting
the recorder and mic. Maybe the preamps on the Tascam are not good
enough?
Is there such a thing as "low noise" PZM capsules? What are some
good recomendations for the Sennheiser MKH & ME lines? I've spent
quite a bit of money already but probably nothing compared to
everybody else so I'm trying to go as cheap as possible.
Remember "ambience recording" is what I love to do best.
boB
--- In Walter Knapp <>
wrote:
> bobbaub wrote:
> > Ah, yes...that is more like a block diagram. Also...that diagram
> > comes with the SASS when you buy it. I was looking for something
> > with component values. Thanks anyway. I'm wondering if Crown(or
> > someone) ever made a "low noise" PZM capsule, doubtful though
eh?
> >
> > My idea of recording nature is recording outdoor ambience. I
really
> > love to do this but I guess I was asking for trouble when I
decided
> > to buy the SASS. I know many of you are saying "check-out Lang's
> > mod". I have but i'ts really not what I have in mind.(though it
must
> > sound great)!
> >
> > I am also open to any suggestions concerning buying a stereo
> > microphone setup for this type of application. When I record
with my
> > SASS I am forced to crack up the gain and proportionally the
noise
> > floor. I then have to spend hours de-noising the whole program.
> > This of course is senseless. I LOVE stereo recording and love
the
> > PZM principal as well, so I didn't want to give up on the mic and
> > avoid destroying it.
>
> I'm of the opinion if you like the sort of soundfield you are
getting
> with the SASS, except for the unwanted noise, then the best bet is
the
> mod. Not much else will give you that wide expansive soundfield.
>
> What crown used to do for a low noise version was supply the
housing all
> set up to fit a pair of DPA 4006 omni's, which you supplied. Lang
tried
> that, but did not like the sound of the noise floor for those. He
then
> modified one of the SASS-B's to mount MKH-20's in it and has been
using
> that successfully for a while now. Meantime, crown has discontinued
the
> SASS-B. So the low noise version has become a do it yourself sort
of thing.
>
> The solution is to buy the housing as a part from their parts
department
> and make your own modifications. I've done exactly that, making one
> that's using a pair of MKH-110 omni's, and a second one using the
> MKH-20's. In case you were unaware, there are photos and samples:
> http://frogrecordist.home.mindspring.com/docs/sass_mkh110.html
> http://frogrecordist.home.mindspring.com/docs/sass_mkh-20.html
>
> Also see my recent post of a set of samples recorded at a couple
sites
> that include these two mics with others.
>
> I have one of the Crown SASS-P MKII's. I agree, for ambient nature
> recording it suffers from too much noise, both from handling and
from
> the electret capsules it uses. I don't think this can be fixed
fiddling
> with the internal electronics. It's a good mic if recording from
loud
> enough soundfields to cover the noise floor.
>
> You don't have to cut up your SASS. You would only have to buy the
> housing which is something like $25 and do the mod on that part,
making
> a few custom pieces. Everything else from your unmodified SASS
would be
> the same. (except the mod SASS won't fit in the case cutout because
of
> the mics sticking out the back.) Of course you do have to come up
with
> some low noise mics, which is the hard part.
>
> Other choices all involve finding low noise mics that work well in
field
> recording. That's the key. If you don't want to go with a mod SASS,
then
> study the other stereo options, then find the mics to do them. This
> usually comes down to the same relatively small set of mics. In
other
> words if I was choosing, for instance, some stereo setup that
needed two
> omni's, the mic choice would be the same as for the mod SASS, the
> MKH-20's or, in my case because I have them, the MKH-110's. There
are a
> number of other mics with low noise that could be investigated, but
for
> the most part have no track record for nature recording. Depending
on
> just how much you want to cut noise levels, ME mics are a less
costly
> option, and those do have a track record for nature recording.
>
> For relatively easy portability while set up, M/S stereo setups are
> interesting. I put up some samples from those as well. I'm not sure
you
> can get as wide a soundfield out of them as the SASS. Need to do
more
> experimenting. The unfortunate thing about M/S is that the
essential
> figure 8 mic is usually only found in a manufacturer's top line.
There
> are also some pretty low noise all in one M/S mics, at pretty high
> prices for the good ones.
>
> You might can get a slightly better recording off the SASS original
by
> running it through something like the Sound Devices MP2 and
carefully
> balancing the gain of the MP2 with that of your recorder. I somehow
> don't think that would be worth it unless you already had a MP2.
You are
> primarily trying to avoid recorder self noise when you do this.
>
> Quiet ambiance is one of the most demanding recording situations at
the
> mic end. You can do so little filtering without destroying what you
were
> recording.
>
> You did not say, but if you are heading for the low noise end of
things
> be sure your recorder is not part of the problem. Most portable
> recorders are somewhat noisy if the gain is pegged out. Using
something
> like the MP2 pre can help to avoid this. And, of course, moving up
to a
> higher spec recorder helps. You have to keep balancing mic and
recorder
> quality for highest quality results.
>
> Walt
>
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