You could do a quick test using add-on mics (EM172s), simply by
comparing pairs of recorders. Whichever one performs best of a pair,
retain that one for the next test, and so on, until you come up with
an overall winner. I am curious because I think I have heard it said
that the Sony D50 had better pre-amps than the M10. For the test you
would only need two sets of stereo electret mics (rather than 5 sets).
Of course there are other things that come into it, such as ease of
use in the field and battery use. And also that quirk of the Olympus
LS10 (not in your test) whereby using it at maximum gain on low
sensitivity setting gives a lower-noise result than when using a
lower gain at high sensitivity setting.
It is easy for me to suggest tests you could do, but another thing
for you to have to do them :-)
Vicki Powys
Australia
On 18/06/2012, at 8:34 PM, wrote:
> Hi Vicki,
> for a quick and practical test, the easiest thing to obtain a
> simultaneous comparison was to test the performance of the internal
> microphones. Furthermore, I believe that with the advent of digital
> recorders with solid state memory, lacking any mechanical moving
> parts that still had a negative point with the first digital
> recorders (such as DAT, MiniDisc, DCC), the use of internal
> microphones may be of some importance, not only in emergency
> situations such as "point and shoot".
> To test external electret microphone simultaneously with all 5
> recorders, I should have as many microphone capsules. Over the next
> weeks I might try connecting to each recorder a single electret
> microphone capsule, such as the discussed here in list Primo EM172
> which, as reported in previous posts, seems to be contained within
> the Sony M10.
>
> About the rating list that you did, I have more or less your
> opinion about the order, though I have some doubt for the last two
> positions, if Zoom H1 or Roland R05, although the latter has a
> background noise near the limit of acceptability. I own two R05
> units (I bought one as new for very little money on Ebay, 50 US
> dollars!), and both behave the same background noise.
> BTW, currently the recorder that I use with greater frequency and
> satisfaction in conjunction with external electret microphones is
> Roland R05!
>
> Marco Pesente
> Italy
>
>
> --- In vickipowys
> <> wrote:
>>
>> Marco,
>>
>> That was a very interesting test, but with little or no response from
>> this group, what a shame.
>>
>> It is one thing to read the noise figures for recorders and mics, but
>> to have a hands-on demo is very worthwhile. I also downloaded the
>> sound clip and had a good look in the spectrogram feature of
>> Izotope RX.
>>
>> Your demo only compares the built-in microphones, but if anyone is
>> wanting to use only this feature then my order of preference is:
>>
>> 1. Sony M10
>> 2. Sony D50
>> 3. Olympus LS7 (the LS10 may be better than the LS7?)
>> 4. Zoom H1
>> 5. Roland R05
>>
>> I would be very interested to hear a comparison of the same recorders
>> when using external electret mics and plug-in-power (PIP).
>>
>> Vicki Powys
>> Australia
>>
>>
>>
>> On 14/06/2012, at 7:02 AM, wrote:
>>
>>> I performed a test of some of my recorders (Sony M10, D50, Olympus
>>> LS7, Roland R05 Zoom H1) to compare their internal mics on a
>>> passerine bird singer, the Blackcap, very widespread here in Europe.
>>> A simultaneous recording was obtained with all five recorders; the
>>> levels were set to have almost the same level on all recorders;
>>> fine tuning of levels in post production was required only for the
>>> Roland R05 (+3db) and the Zoom H1 (+6db).
>>> The Olympus Ls 7 was enabled for all its three microphones (the two
>>> side cardioids and the central one omnidirectional).
>>> Here the youtube link to the Movie file
>>> http://youtu.be/o3HCdmTujAU
>>> and here the Soundcloud link to the WAV file http://soundcloud.com/
>>> marco-pesente/blackcap-m10-d50-ls7-r05-h1
>>>
>>> Marco Pesente
>>>
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