Dan, I've been coveting the AT 3032s for a while now. After hearing
your comparison clips, I'm thinking it might be time to take the
plunge. I'd be interested in seeing and hearing any Jecklin disk array
you come up with for them, plus any long-term thoughts you develop on
how tolerant they are of humidity.
Incidentally, I stepped up your audio clips and imported them to
ProTools for a quick mono-compatibility check. The hat-mounted 3032s
seemed very good, and much better than the vest-mounted 183 pair.
Curt Olson
Dan Dugan wrote:
> After Eric Benjamin told me how well the A-T 3032 omnis had measured
> in his lab, I ordered a pair to evaluate. The specs say that they have
> a self-noise level equivalent to 16 dB SPL. Eric said he measured the
> one he got at 8 dBA! I suspect a lot of the difference (being quieter
> than the spec) had to do with A-T quoting their noise level from a
> flat measurement, whereas most manufacturers will quote a weighted
> (dBA) measurement because it produces a better number.
>
> Even if the noise level of the 3032s was 16 dBA, they would be at
> least 6 dB quieter than the 183s, at about double the cost. Well worth
> looking into.
>
> The mics arrived Friday. My lab examination showed their hiss level to
> be 13 dB lower than the 183's. Sharon Perry and I had signed ourselves
> up to do attended soundscape monitoring and recording at Muir Woods
> Saturday night, a time slot that the younger volunteers tend to
> neglect. I had a 722 recorder on hand waiting for a customer to pay
> for it, so I took the opportunity to both field-test the mics and get
> some field experience with the 722. I used gaffers tape to improvise a
> rig for the occasion; I taped them to my cowboy hat:
>
> http://www.dandugan.com/downloads/Dan_testing_3032s_and_722.jpg
>
> We did the five Muir Woods soundscape monitoring locations twice, in
> the night (midnight--2:00 AM) and sunrise (half-hour before
> sunrise--two hours after) time slots. On each pass we each did three
> locations, doubling up on the Ben Johnson Trail location, then
> splitting up to do two more each.
>
> That spot is about five minutes uphill from the end of the main trail
> that goes along Redwood Creek. It takes half an hour to walk there
> from the entrance. We were about twenty feet apart on the trail, both
> facing downhill towards Bridge 4 and the creek (not visible through
> the trees). It was an inky dark night, overcast with no moon, and the
> park was very, very quiet. On the way in we heard nothing but the
> creek.
>
> Sharon recorded with my shoulder-mounted-183s vest, and I recorded
> with the 3032s on my hat. The samples below include one of the few
> sounds we heard, a ship's whistle from the ocean a few miles over
> ridges to the west. First is Sharon's (you can hear her breathing),
> then mine:
>
> http://www.dandugan.com/downloads/183_vs_3032_ship.mp3
>
> After a too-short three hours of sleep in the education building, we
> hiked back out to do the sunrise time slot. It was raining, a good
> test for the humidity tolerance of the new gear. We started recording
> at 6:15 AM as the sky began to lighten (sunrise was 6:40). Not much
> happened then either, but the rain sound was nice and ravens were
> active:
>
> http://www.dandugan.com/downloads/183_vs_3032_ravens.mp3
>
> I matched the levels for both samples approximately using the raven
> calls. The differences are dramatic; when the noise level goes away,
> subtle ambience is unveiled. This is why we talk about these numbers
> so much, folks.
>
> The 3032s aren't lavaliers; they're not really suitable for body
> mounting. I'm thinking I'll use them with a Jecklin disk. They list
> for $259 and are selling for around $169 each. They're medium sized,
> as mics go, and low-medium priced.
>
> Thanks, Eric, for a fabulous discovery.
>
> Dan Dugan
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