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Re: Re: Sharp minidisc MD DR7

Subject: Re: Re: Sharp minidisc MD DR7
From: Klas Strandberg <>
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 14:52:53 +0100
Usually, when using a telinga with a Sony D10 or Tascam DAP1, at a short
distance, you need to switch on the -20db attenuation. Otherwise you
overload the DAT mic input amp.

But when I use my Sharp MD's this seems to happen automatically. When I
press the record level button it goes from "low" to "high" and that's it.
There is no switch. The signal from the telinga doesn't overload the Sharp
mic amp.

The transformer question:

General rule: There is no signal to noise ratio improvement!

Signal to noise ratio is improved by a transformer, ONLY when the output
from the microphone is so low that what you hear is mic amp noise, not mic
noise. 

Using ME62 and whatever modern mics, means that what you hear is the noise
of the impedance converter built into the microphone body. When using a
transformer, you amplify this noise. 
For years now, I have not seen any DAT or MD with such a noisy mic input
amp, that it dominates over the noise from modern electrets, such as ME62 etc.

Klas.

    At 15:23 2003-11-25 +1100, you wrote:
>on 25/11/03 2:12 AM, oryoki2000 at  wrote:
>
>> Martyn Stewart wrote:
>>> ...the DR-7 has manual record levels
>>> and an attenuator built in...
>
>
>Martyn,
>
>As Oryoki says, wildlife sound recordists would not normally require an
>attenuator on their recorder.  I assume the attenuator on the MD DR7 can be
>switched off?
>
>I should mention here that my enquiries re the MD DR7, and ways of
>connecting such a machine to a pro-mic, is all part of some research that
>Bill Rankin and I are doing, so that we can come up with some
>recommendations for the members of our Australian Wildlife Sound Recording
>Group, as regards equipment suitable for beginners, and/or backup equipment,
>lightweight bushwalking equipment etc.  The critical thing is that the
>equipment needs to be available in Australia.  We have found a single
>distributor for the MD DR7, there are plenty of outlets for Sennheiser mics,
>Shure adapters should be available here too, I'm pretty certain they are.
>
>Rich Peet wrote:
>
>> Let me guess, you shorted pins 2 and 3 because of the effect of being
>> down under and things work different there like the water going down
>> the drain the opposite direction?
>
>No Rich, wiring it wrong was just pure blind ignorance on my part!  Thanks
>for enlightening me and I'm pleased that the K6 was forgiving.
>
>So far as this transformer business is concerned though (high impedance to
>low impedance), can anyone else give a definitive answer on whether a proper
>transformer (e.g. Shure) really would improve the signal-to-noise ratio, or
>does it only 'make the sound louder'?  I understand the FEL pre-amps
>(available in UK) would improve the signal-to-noise levels, but this would
>be an "extra" for enthusiasts, depending on what they were wanting to
>record. 
>
>
>Vicki Powys
>Sound Editor
>Australian Wildlife Sound Recording Group
>
>
>
>> 
>> Seriously. Your cable worked just because it is a k6 series mic. You
>> are recording "- to ground" rather than "+ to ground". Not all mics
>> will be so forgiving and therefore the standard of wiring "+ to
>> ground" for an unbalanced configuration.  Just so that you don't have
>> to worry in trying out other mics I would recommend that you correct
>> it back to the standard.
>> 
>> As far as the transformer, glad it worked. You should see a higher
>> output when you match the impediance better but it probably wont
>> translate to any more signal to noise when it comes down to the edit
>> of actual sounds with this particular mic.
>> 
>> Rich Peet
>> 
>
>
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>
Telinga Microphones, Botarbo,
S-748 96 Tobo, Sweden.
Phone & fax int + 295 310 01
email: 
       




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