[linux-audio-user] OT: Microphone info

[Joe Hartley]

On Wed, 4 Aug 2004 13:39:20 +0100
tim hall <tech at glastonburymusic.org.uk> wrote:

> Last Tuesday 03 August 2004 21:13, Mark Knecht was like:
> > On the low-end, but dodgy 
> > reliability, are these Octavia mics you see so much of these days.

I have a pair of the Oktava MK-319's and I have to say that I'm very
happy with them, within limits.  What limits?  Well, the bodies can be
rather resonant, adding a ringing tone to the recording if they're 
mounted with no consideration for shock absorption, and I absolutely
cannot use them in conjunction with my Behringer T1953 tube preamp - the
sound is far to brittle when I use the 2 of them together.

I like the 319's for some vocals, some acoustic instruments, as drum
overheads, and for live stereo recording, which I do a fair amount of.

> Also worth having a pair of PZMs around if you can still get hold of them ;)
> Great for cheap drum overheads.

PZMs are certainly still available; Crown sells them for a relatively
low amount of money.  I like them for drum overheads, but one trick I
found is that if I'm recording drums in my basement, which is relatively
small, I'll set up the kit to face a wall and be 4-5 feet back from it, and
I'll hang a PZM on that wall.  While there's no stereo separation to it,
it gives me a good signal to mix in for a different kind of ambience that
isn't given by the overheads - it's got more of the kick drum than the
overheads will pick up, which can be a Good Thing sometimes.

-- 
======================================================================
       Joe Hartley - UNIX/network Consultant - jh at brainiac.com
Without deviation from the norm, "progress" is not possible. - FZappa