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Re: Starving P48 mics

Subject: Re: Starving P48 mics
From: "Keith" keithahsmith
Date: Sat Nov 17, 2012 2:56 pm ((PST))
Hi David,

Actually I took that lesson from you a while ago and have noise signatures =
for several mic at half-step gains for both recorders.

It's worked out pretty well.

The thing that provoked me to start this thread was an attempt to get some =
'spruce & hemlock' forest for another thread. In retrospect I realize that =
that forest, on a fairly quiet day, with a fair bit of snow on the ground i=
s just too much of a challenge for these mics. And what natural noise there=
 is (a small river in the distant background) gets very hard to separate fr=
om mic hiss. I should have realized this immediately when a single squirrel=
's calls pinned the meters near the end of the recording. Duh?

I will get better. I will get better...
k

--- In  "Avocet" <> wrote:
>
> > Can anyone advise me on the risks I'm running by using the Cad's
> > again? Both recorders spec 10ma max phantom current. Will a 16ma
> > load just reduce mic performance or toast the power supply?
>
> Keith,
>
> I would be surprised of pulling too much phantom current fried
> anything as it would be current limited in case anyone shorted the
> inputs. It will reduce the voltage and the running time of the
> battery. A solution would be to use an external phantom power
> supply.
>
> > I've been experimenting with a pair of PCC160's (22mV/Pa 22DB-A)
> > ORTF fashion, and I like the imaging, but I'm finding them just too
> > noisy.
>
> With nature recording, noise is a more important parameter than
> frequency response. I use crossed gunmics and in spite of their high
> quality and high cost, the off-axis frequency response would be all
> over the place if you measured it. Mic noise is low but I still hear
> mic hiss in low wind conditions.
>
> With your PCC160's, try using a hiss reduction. I use Audacity, taking
> a sample from the mic under bedclothes or from the quietist second in
> the recording. The trick is to bass cut the sample and limit the
> reduction to -9db. This does produce some artifacts, but they are all
> in the higher frequencies and get lost in the natural noise.
>
> David
>
> David Brinicombe
> North Devon, UK
> Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
>








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