Thanks Raimund. That's just the kind of info I needed. Also, thanks for a=
nswering the question about the testing reference. I usually stay on the l=
owest sensitivity setting with my recorders because of the way a higher set=
ting alters the tonality of the recording. I remember an instance of doing=
a recording with the PCM-M10 and thinking that it lacked energy and life c=
ompared to the others I had done. I then looked down and saw that I had th=
e mic sensitivity set to high. Switched it back and all was well.
I'm looking at a few different recorders (Olympus LS-100 and the Oade Super=
Mod PMD661). I'm also in the process of digging back through the message a=
rchive to see what people think of these two.
If only Sony would do a reasonably priced ($700 to $1000) XLR Portable reco=
rder with an EIN of -129 to -130 and good ergonomics. Judging from the qual=
ity of my PCM-M10 I'd say that would be a game changer.
It just seems like these portable recorders should be getting better but it=
seems like we're mostly still sticking with 5 to 7 year old technology.
Jon
--- In "Raimund" <> wrot=
e:
>
> Hi Jon,
>
> Except noted otherwise, all the noise measurements at http://www.avisoft.=
com/recordertests.htm where taken at the maximum gain setting available on =
each recorder. So, the -125 dBu(A) value for the LS-100 also applies to its=
maximum gain setting (which is quantified by the -48 dBu clipping level on=
the table).
>
> The LS-100 provides a slightly higher sensitivity (gain) than the Fostex =
FR-2LE (-48 dBu vs.-45 dBu).
>
> The 1 dB difference between the noise floors of the two recorders in comb=
ination with the KU-81 should be inaudible because the overall (comboned) n=
oise floor difference will be only 0.13 dB (the two noise voltages add geom=
etrically). So, there is no reason to care about that tiny difference.
>
> Regards,
> Raimund
>
> --- In "Jon M." <tanyet@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I've been trying to learn as much as I can about nature recording the p=
ast couple of years and I'm on the verge of a new purchase that I wanted to=
ask you guys about.
> >
> > I was able to purchase a Neumann KU-81 dummy head at a reasonable price=
awhile ago and I paired it with the Fostex FR2LE because my budget went mo=
stly to the KU-81 and I couldn't afford the sound devices gear. I've been=
fairly happy with the Fostex but I have a few issues with it that is makin=
g it difficult to keep. The main issue is that I don't think it really has=
enough gain for my tastes. I don't like the preamp section (the trim knob=
s and the recording level) and the overall workflow is starting to get on m=
y nerves. It is extremely quiet for the price though.
> >
> > I tried in vain to find a used sound devices 702 for a decent price but=
I haven't been able to do so. This led me to take another look at the low=
er end recorders. The olympus ls-100 seems to be the one I keep going back=
to. Here is my question.
> >
> > The ku-81's mics have a self noise rating of 16 db and a sensitivity of=
10 mv/pa. This means I would need a preamp with at least an EIN of -126dB=
u for it to not introduce added noise. According to Raimund, the preamps =
in ls-100 have an EIN of -125dBu a-weighted. I'm not sure at what sensitiv=
ity level that measurement was taken at though.
> >
> > With my current setup I realize I would gain 1 db of added noise at max=
gain but I was wondering if this was a real world concern or just numbers.=
Would I really notice that much of a difference with mics with a self noi=
se of 12 to 16 db? Also, what are the gain numbers with the ls-100?
> >
> > Any replies would be greatly appreciated. I've learned a lot from grou=
p and hope to continue to do so.
> >
> > Jon
> >
>
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