Re: [microsound] Archos 402 + SP-PREAMP-4 -- initial impressions

[Rob Danielson <type@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 3:32 PM -0800 4/1/06, Kim Cascone wrote:
re:
>  what do you think of the Rolls MX422 - 4 Channel Professional Field 
>Audio Mixer
>http://tinyurl.com/zvndv as compared to either Wendt or Sound Devices?

For small, phantom powered four channel at that price point, the RME 
quad mic would be my choice 
http://www.rme-audio.com/english/micpreamps/quadmic.htm Looking at 
spec's, the RME is much quieter than the Rolls 442 and on par with 
the Wendt. I've no experience with the Wendt and SD and, ouch, the SD 
is so pricey.

>  in terms of quality of audio, battery usage, UI and features?
>would love to see a Otter 2000 case mixer for film/video!
>
>>   Definitely larger than the
>>SP-PREAMP-4  at 6.3"w x 3.7"d x 1.4" h  but maybe small enough for
>>the other pocket,   Rob D.
>yes, for those who have a 'station' they can set up on then being an 
>all-in-one package becomes less of a necessity...

Even if one feels that "portable" includes hands-free, body-worn 
mics, I don't know of any body wearable electret mics that have self 
noise performance low enough to render the Rolls MX34's -110 dBu 
noise floor a problem (if it performs as advertised). The MX34 is 
made for condenser mics so running an electret pair on its 18 volt 
phantom inputs would require some research and a mod.

>
>also, microsounder Phil Hendricks fwd'd me this link:
>http://tinyurl.com/rlbvq
>a simple stereo mic pre-amp WITH a switchable 100Hz roll-off

30dB gain is adequate for recording concerts and other loud sources. 
The Rolls MX34 and RME Quadmic's  60dB gain is more typical for field 
recording. Its fairly unlikely that any of the cheaper outboard mic 
preamps one comes across will match the noise and gain performance of 
the mic preamp in the HiMD recorders.

>
>has anyone used the CHURCH-AUDIO stereo mics? comments?

Seems to be a line of electret grade products. The top of the line, 
$250 mics http://tinyurl.com/pcmst claim a self noise of "27dBA." 
That's about 5 dBA less noise than Panasonic WM61A's which you can 
build yourself for $15-30 a pair and about 5dBA noisier than the 
WL-183 Shures which run $190 a pair. 
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/WL183/  No sensitivity specs 
are provided for the Church mics and given the mention of "concert 
recording" the antennas might go up here too. Rob D.