Jan Larsson wrote:
> I am not sure what your point is (more than some discussion why you
> are satisfied what you have but at the same time would buy more=20
> expensive gear if you could afford it).
Sorry to be unclear, Jan, and thank you for letting me know. My note
yesterday was not ultimately intended to be about me or my equipment.
It was intended mostly to encourage the one or two folks here who might
be tempted to feel that their less-than-megabuck recording setup
necessarily dooms them to poor results and everlasting beginner status.
My own experience tells me that is not so.
> While I have not measured the Sony MD model Rob is discussing I did at
> one time put my old HP Audio Analyzer and some other tools to good use
> measuring a few other consumer MD:s in hope I could use them instead
> of some heavier recorder. And there is a big difference. Not so much
> noise level as in various forms of distortion that is
> especially apparent when you feed in short stereo bursts (probably the
> powersupply lines in a consumer MD is not stiff enough - or its a
> multo-op-amp chip sharing a single supply-source) and I also looked at
> the noise characteristic of some key components in the circuits (which
> usually end up matching the actual sonic character og the
> preamp pretty well).
>
> Now this may not be important at all when you want to record a
> specific object with a highly directional mic. Noise matters more than
> anything and you are not listening to the end result in a way (and on
> replay equipment) that you would notice most of the shortcomings.
>
> But in other types of recording capturing as much as possible of the
> beauty and impact of a natural soundscape makes a real diff. And here
> you probably need any help good quality equipment may give you.
You're absolutely right. Part of my point, however, is that much of
today's modest-priced mid-range equipment is so darn good that it can
get most of us 80-90% of the way. It's the quest to squeeze out that
last 10-20% of ultimate performance that gets really expensive. That's
the zone where the most megabuck "primo" high-end gear lives, and in
the right hands it can be absolutely fantastic. However, I'll mention
the obvious counterpoint here that megabuck "primo" high-end gear does
not -- by itself -- impute credibility to its user or guarantee good
results.
> The internet is always so full of opinions and "advice".
> Fieldrecordings are made for different purposes and with different
> scope and one simply cannot generalize equipment advice like often
> done ... there is no perfect (or "best") mic, pre or recorder on the
> market - you simply have to balance your choice to your own personal
> preferences, budget and demand. You cannot always rely on the
> equipment choice of others - I have heard some really fascinating
> fieldrecordings made on portable analog audio cassette recorders, but
> that does not make me rush out looking to buy one.
Good point. Well stated.
Curt Olson
> 27 jul 2005 kl. 17.25 skrev Curt Olson:
>
>> Rob Danielson wrote:
>>
>>
>>> No doubt people who can afford 722's and Lunatecs will tend to hear
>>> the improvement in quality they're dollars are paying for.
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>> The common belief is that "premiere," low noise, high gain, good
>>> sound mic preamplification comes only at a cost either in a great
>>> recorder or a great outboard pre.
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>> Klas Strandberg insisted for years that the chips used in the
>>> consumer
>>> grade pres shouldn't be the source of this low performance--that
>>> indeed they are high quality in themselves and that the the noise and
>>> output performance of th mics _should_ be the limiting factor.
>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>
>>
>> Klas Stromberg clarified:
>>
>>
>>> Just like to add and remind:
>>>
>>> A costly preamp is needed when you want low noise, low distortion and
>>> good headroom!
>>> All three.
>>>
>>
>> Prior to last week I would have kept quiet on this to avoid a
>> firestorm
>> of controversy. But the atmosphere has improved, so I'll toss out an
>> overall perspective I've arrived at over the course of 30 years as an
>> audio engineer/producer.
>>
>> In my career, I've made thousands upon thousands of nationally
>> syndicated network radio broadcasts, engineered hundreds of live
>> concert broadcasts for network radio (most of them very large and
>> complex), recorded & mixed scores of studio albums and jingle packages
>> for local, regional and national clients. On only three or four
>> occasions have I ever gotten my hands on the most serious high-end
>> gear
>> that's available. I say this not to pump myself up, but rather to make
>> the point that it is absolutely possible to achieve excellent results
>> with lower-to-mid-level equipment. I've had little choice in the
>> matter, and it has forced me to understand the whole process inside
>> and
>> out and to develop good working practices and techniques. By contrast,
>> a studio owner I know rather well proudly promotes his collection of
>> exotic microphones (including a number of rare ancient Telefunken and
>> Neumann models) and preamps, but routinely puts out poor
>> recordings. Go
>> figure.
>>
>> Again, I say this is only to offer a perspective. If you don't think
>> you can afford a Sound Devices 722 or a Lunatec mic pre or a set of
>> Sennheiser MKH mics right now, don't despair. As Klas has insisted and
>> Rob has confirmed, the Sony MD mic pres are not the weak link in the
>> chain that many have thought them to be. Dan Dugan, who is very
>> familiar with high-end audio gear, called our attention to the
>> inexpensive Shure 183 as a fine mic for nature recordists. I totally
>> agree. (But I've discovered that *HOW* you deploy them makes all the
>> difference in the world. Again, it comes down to working practices and
>> techniques.)
>>
>> I don't despise anyone who has made a commitment to top-line gear.
>> Believe me, I have a long wish list of my own. But for now, I've
>> decided to do the best I can with stuff I could afford to replace
>> if it
>> ever gets lost, stolen or damaged in the field. There. Now you have my
>> $.02.
>>
>> I'm anxious to see if the new M-Audio recorder lives up to its
>> promise.
>> If so, it'll definitely shoot to the top of my short list.
>>
>> Curt Olson
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