[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Jinx) wrote:
> I do some loud recording and sometimes it sounds distorted due to extreme
> bass levels (for example, recording thunder) or big sound changes from loud
> to soft and vice versa. If don't know if its because of my mic or if its
> because of my player. Heres my gear...
>
> Sony MZR900DPC
> Sound Professionals Cardioid Single Point Stereo Microphone (SPSPSM4)
> Sony Minidiscs
>
> Does anyone recommend getting that battery pack from minidisco or does it
> not make much of a difference?
I'm assuming that you're already using the MZ-R900's low sensitivity
setting for its mic pre-amp input.
The distortion could be coming from two different sources: the
microphones overloading or the MZ-R900's mic pre-amp overloading.
If it's the microphones, a battery pack providing higher voltage than
the recorder's "plug-in power" might help the problem, but it might make
it worse too. The higher voltage will allow the mics to provide a
higher output before distorting, but that higher output might then end
up overloading the mic pre-amp. If so, you could then use an attenuator
cable between the battery box and the recorder to reduce the mic's
voltage level.
Keep in mind that the battery pack's higher voltage, while increasing
microphone headroom, will often increase harmonic distortion. So you
may reduce one kind of distortion and increase another (albeit usually
less offensive).
If it's the MD recorder's mic pre-amp overloading, an attenuator cable
between the mics and the recorder will likely solve that problem. But
the mics will have to be self-powered to accept an attenuator cable. If
the mic are powered from the recorder, you can't use an attenuator cable
between the mics and the recorder.
A third possibility: the microphones are overloading and a higher
voltage may not relieve the problem. In this case it's time for new
mics.
A fourth possibility: as you're listening during the concert you note
that instead of being in balance, the bass is way louder than everything
else. Since the bass has the lion's share of the energy in music, it's
the bass that causes the overload distortion in your recording. In this
situation (and likely in this situation only), you might want to add a
bass roll-off filter to your mics. (The filter will change the frequency
balance of the recording, and should be used only when there is too much
bass. When you want to reduce the overall level of every frequency, use
an attenuator cable instead.)
Note that other current Sony MD recorders (MZ-R700, MZ-R70, MZ-R90,
MZ-R37) lack a low sensitivity setting on their mic pre-amp and almost
always need either a low sensitivity set of microphones or an attenuator
cable to avoid overloading the mic pre-amp when recording loud sound
sources.
I hope this helps!
Len Moskowitz Binaural and StealthMics (tm), Cables, Interfaces
Core Sound http://www.stealthmicrophones.com
Teaneck, New Jersey http://www.core-sound.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Tel: 201-801-0812, FAX: 201-801-0912
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