>Hi,
>I have a set up with a Sony ECM MS 957 to a Sony MZ R-55 and
>am wondering about a decent, yet inexpensive, pre amp to use
>with this system. I recently bought the 957 as my other rig was
>less portable (Sony ECM 999 to a Tascam DA-P1). I like to
>record birds, thunder, moving water, rain, and other natural
>sounds. I am wanting to take this gear with me to the field
>recording workshop in June. Any suggestions?
>Thank you,
>Raven
>
Hi Raven--
You hit the bugaboo, there are no good, cheap pre's I know of. More
portability without losing quality,..? Well, the 957 may have too
much self noise to benefit from a good preamp. That mic's self noise
is ~25dBA as I recall-- a good match for the MD's mic in really. The
999 may be slightly less noisy than the 957, not sure. Too much
system hiss with the 957? Is that why you want a pre, to use the 999
with the MD and line in? If the 999 is under ~20dBA noise, you could
possibly look into a Edirol UA-5 ~$400. Oade sells it with a mod for
$550. For $150 more you can get an MP-2,.. for $1300 more you can get
Sound Devices new stereo pre/recorder and really be portable. But if
quality is a priority, none of the cheap pre's are gonna make you
happy. A single point stereo mic with <16dBA noise and a Sonic
Devices MP-2 would noticeably surpass the 999/DA-P1, but you'd lose a
bit of the portability you gained. If you get a good noise spec on
the 999, let me know. I need it for our mic spreadsheet I'm building.
Rob D.
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