dan-
Impressive detail with the 3032s, and thanks for helping put a new
mic on the map. I take it you were recording to the 722 with those,
and to Minidisc with the 183s? I wonder how much of the hiss on the
183s is due to preamp.
I wonder how the noise spec of the 3032s stacks up against the MKH
series, or other high-end mics.
-jeremiah
>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
>
>
>
>"Microphones are not ears,
>Loudspeakers are not birds,
>A listening room is not nature."
>Klas Strandberg
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
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jeremiah lyman moore | SOUND |
http://jeremiahmoore.com/ professional site and reel
http://babyjane.com/timeweb/ personal site
http://northstation.net/ downtempo acid jazz project
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