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Re: (Tech Talk) The most sensitive small mics

Subject: Re: (Tech Talk) The most sensitive small mics
From: Rob Danielson <>
Date: Thu, 19 Jan 2006 12:52:27 -0600
At 3:54 PM +0000 1/19/06, streakyskies wrote:
>I got member of the Nature recordists mailing list a couple of months
>ago becouse of the tech talk, but not everybody is happy with tech
>talk.. So I find it a good idea to follow the example(s) and put "tech
>talk" in front of the subject.
>
>As I am fond of recording very quiet sounds, I am looking for a very
>sensitive set of (mini) stereo microphones. This way I don't have to
>worry much about the hiss of the recorder (which I don't have anymore
>but I'm still doubting between Hi-MD and CF, but that's another story).
>
>The most sensitive I've seen so far is the following (quite large)
>microphone with a sensitivity of -35 dB. I want to try them out first
>(nosie, sound). Problem is that they require phantom power. Also, I
>asked for a date sheet and it shows totally differend numders. Link:
>http://www.skytronic.co.uk/product/product.php?s=3D173.844

These look interesting (size wise), but lack the also important "self
noise" rating that would normally give one a clue as to what could be
expected.  Based on the range of items they manufacture, I'd gamble
they're packaging capsules. Contacting tech support to see if they
know the self noise specification.

>Of course I wonder if there are other, smaller or better mics that are
>even more sensitive. And where can I ask this better than here :-)
>

Welcome to the endless quest for small, low noise, high sensitivity
mic. ;-)  I know of no clear winner  to suggest. Here's a link to a
xls chart I cobbled together:
http://www.uwm.edu/~type/Mic%20Preamps/MicSpecCharts/MicNoiseSensv01.xls

and in htm:
http://www.uwm.edu/~type/Mic%20Preamps/MicSpecCharts/MicNoiseSensv01.htm

Rob D.

--
Rob Danielson
Film Department
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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