--- In "lilyplants" <>
wrote:
> I ask about music because I haven't heard the 3032s and I have zero
tolerance for bright,
> harsh sounds and want to put my money into no more than two pairs of
mics.
I certainly wouldn't call the 3032s harsh or bright, and they don't
sound cheap (as some other mics in their price range do). In comparison
to an expensive omni such as DPA's 4006TL, I would describe the 3032's
sound as being slightly 'lightweight' and 'grainy'. But that's a very
unfair comparison considering the price difference is at least a factor
of 10x. Also, I doubt anyone would come to that conclusion unless they
were comparing the two directly, on the same recording (as I have done
with piano).
In my opinion the 3032s perform considerably above their price point. I
think much of that has to do with the DPA-style diffraction grid on the
front instead of the more typical wire mesh. That little grid probably
added $1 to the price, but pushed the off-axis performance up
considerably. (Off-axis response is one of the main differences between
expensive and cheap microphones.)
They're one of the few genuine 'saviour products' I can think of;
offering good value for money with few, if any, gotchas to beware of.
Forgive me for prattling on here but hopefully some of the following
will provide some perspectives you can relate to.
I took a pair of 3032s trekking through Nepal and India last December
and January, recording all sorts of things including ethnic music in
village huts, traditional dance music in mustard fields, rickshaw rides
down main roads and alley ways, and rowboat atmos on the Ganges.
Perhaps you could relate to some of those situations?
The pair I had were part of a collection of A-T mics on loan from their
Australian importer, in exchange for feedback and application
suggestions. I liked them so much that I bought a pair after hearing
they're being discontinued. Considering that I have access to a very
good collection of DPA snd Schoeps microphones, I'm still a bit
surprised at myself over that purchase. I specifically bought them for
nature recording, although there are some large scale forms of music
I'm keen to try them on (e.g. Tibetan monastic rituals and Newari
devotional singing). For those applications, a spaced pair of mics will
usually create a better sense of size than a coincident pair.
I hope some of that is helpful...
- Greg Simmons
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