Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

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kukuk3
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Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

Dear all,

up to last week I was one of those unlucky guys with no chance to listen to sex sounds in my neighborhood. However... last week new neighbors moved in: a young couple in their twenties. Of course I kept the window open at night and actually I once was able to hear her moaning loudly and extremely sexy... wow... could hardly believe what I was hearing :mrgreen: .

The next day I immediately bought a digital recorder (exemplary, isn't it?). Since the forum was not online (btw: thanks yeppie for fixing the forum problem so quickly!) I was completely on my own. So, I bought an Olympus WS-110 ... and since I was not satisfied with the quality I also bought an Olympus WS 321M, which seems to deliver better quality recordings.

So far, I was not able to catch them again... unfortunately they closed their windows when going on it and opened it afterwards the last days :( . Nevertheless I want to be prepared for my next chance (and become an active member :mrgreen: ).

My Problem is the following: I am recording from window to window (over a road) over a distance of approximately 10 meters. I am not satisfied with the build in microphones of my recorders mentioned above. In my current recordings, there is a lot of hiss / noise, since I have to set the microphone sensitivity to high. This makes it also very hard to scan the nightly recordings for possible action. I did already try out an olympus ME 15, however this microphone is even worse than the internal microphones in my opinion.

I already searched the forum to find out more about good microphones (maybe directional)? However, I have no idea what to buy and I want to buy it as soon as possible so that I am prepared next time and get the best recording I can get.

The microphone should of course work with my olympus recorders (3.5mm jacket) and probably be powered by battery (I am not sure if the recorder has enough power). Furthermore, it shouldn't be too big and should not look too much like a spy microphone (otherwise my wife would wonder what I am doing ;) ) and should be available in germany. These are a lot of constraints - I know - but here comes the good news: Money doesn't matter too much as long as the microphone is worth the money!

Any recommondations? Are there any other guys around using Olympus equipment?

Please help me to become an active member!! And help yourself to get some new content!!

All the best,
kukuk
Last edited by kukuk3 on 06 Jul 2008 21:23, edited 1 time in total.
mjj9994
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by mjj9994 »

Hi Kukuk -

Sorry to hear about your 'missed opportunity'.... I wish the community had enough funds to issue out a 'standard' MP3 recorder to every member upon acceptance to the community : )

Your situation, however... is a bit unique I would say. I had a solid answer for your problem, right up until the 'able to hide from my wife' part. This presents a bit of a problem... most microphones look like, well, microphones.... fortunately, in this technological era, they do not have to be as bulky and cumbersome as from days past. Below is a list of possible solutions I can think of off the top of my head (pretty sure this has been discussed in the 'hardware' forum section before... but I havent posted for a while:

My choices in order of best for your application:

#1 - Shotgun Mircrophone (about 1"x8", 3.5mm connection; will fit inside paper towel tube, shoebox, shaving kit (large one), or other items of similar size. This will make EXCELLENT recordings under the conditions you described

#2 - omnii-directional electret microphone (similar to a lapel microphone). Very small, easy to disguise, but unfortunately the range is very limited... only directional to maybe 3-5 feet... then disperses to get sounds from everywhere.. will not be very effective for your application, but a better mic than the built-in one on your recorder

#3 - "Bionic-ear" type microphone. Impossible to disguise.. this thing is huge, but isolates distant sounds very good. Guess it could be conceled in an enormous teddy bear or something... but possibly roof-top solution (with a long cable) if that is an option.

#4 - Wireless microphone. I have lectured against using these in the past.. however, your situation may actually work... depending on the conditions in your neighborhood (not many power lines, neighbors, etc). The units are relatively cheap (about $10-20 each), and very small (powered by 1 AAA battery). However, quality will vary with these.

Anywho.. thats all I can think of at the moment... but please search the hardware section if you have time for more ideas. Another option would be to conceal your recorder and place it near the target window.. just remember to use fresh energizer lithium batteries (last about 3-5x regular batteries). Good luck with your recording adventures!

- Mark
kukuk3
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

Dear Mark,

thank you for responding so quickly. Actually it is ok if it looks like an more or less "ordinary" microphone... what I meant was that it should not look like this one for example: http://www.alarm.de/audioueberwachung/r ... order.html.

Can you recommend particular shotgun microphones providing excellent quality?

And maybe can you also suggest some good electret microphones?

It would be great if the mics are available via amazon.

Thanks,
kukuk
kukuk3
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

one more thing... I can not point the mic directly to their window. Is that a problem with directional mics? please see the following figure (hope it works in ascii art... "X" = windows, "-"= walls)


|
| couple
X
|
--------------------



Road


----X----------------
me
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yeppie
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by yeppie »

Hey kukuk3

I am not too much of an expert when it comes to microphones but I think directional sounds good for your task. What I did not fully understand from your ascii-art is why you cannot point it to the window.
I have bought a Sony ECM Z60 some time ago and use it for my mp3 recorder sometimes (battery powered, 10 cm, not too expensive) but there might be better ones. There is one recording in the archives that I have done during holidays 2 years ago where I was around 50m away from the later target when I suddenly heard some very sexy cries from across the hotel garden. In this recording, you can hear me walking towards the source of those sounds and hear the sexsounds becoming louder.
If you are interested in that sound as an example, let me know and I will upload it later - have to leave now.

cu
yeppie
Sexsounds are Poetry for Adults
kukuk3
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

Hi Yeppie,

the reason that I cannot point directly to the window is that from my window I can see the south side of their house, but their is window is on the west side of their house.

It looks like the ECM Z60 is no longer available (otherwise I would buy it tomorrow to the latest). I found only one comparable product: Sony ECM CZ10. Unfortunately that one can not be used with batteries.

By the way, which mp3 player do you use for your recordings? And of course I am interested in your sound example.

I am thankful fur any further suggestion which microphone to buy!
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yeppie
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by yeppie »

The information on my mp3 player(s) (actually there are two) won't help you much as I'm using one older and one very old device. The older one is a Creative Zen Micro, 5 gb, build-in mic, not too good for next room recordings. I mainly use it for travelling and listening to music (funny that you can do that with a mp3 player too) and recorded lots of our couple action with this one.

The second and really old one which I own for too many years to remember (since 2000 or so, before there was an iPod) is my jewel. Another Creative called Nomad Jukebox 3, one of the first if not the first players with a 20gb harddisk, microphone in cable remote control plus external mic (the Sony I mentioned before), lasting for more than 20 hours due to additional battery. It is big and old but I love it because of the good recording quality.

I have uploaded the file to the motel sex forum tonight.
see here -> http://www.yeppie.org/ssl-forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=985

You might some mics of different price and quality ranges at Amazon, mp3-player.de or at Giant-Squid-Audio-Lab and in various spy-shops (mostly overpriced and oversized).
Sexsounds are Poetry for Adults
mjj9994
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by mjj9994 »

http://www.amazon.com/Technica-ATR-55-C ... 335&sr=8-1

That is the shotgun mic I own... works very well... there are a bunch of them if you go to amazon and do a search for shotgun mic... quality will probably be about the same with most of the $40-100 units...

- Mark
kukuk3
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

Thank you yeppie for uploading the file.. I will have a look at it tonight!

And thank you Mark for suggesting the ATR-55 ... I think I will give it a try!

All the best and once again thanks for your prompt reaction,
kukuk
kukuk3
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

I bought an ATR-55 in the meantime. However, I am not too happy with the quality of the microphone. I would not say that it is that much better than the internal ones. Furthermore there is a lot of hiss when using the tele mode :roll:

Can anyone recommend another (higher quality) microphone?
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by mjj9994 »

Hi Kukuk -

Sorry for the delayed reply... work has been a bit stressful this week and some long hours. I have noticed a little hiss from the ATR, but only when aplifying to extreme levels, and normally the hiss is greatly reduced once it 'locks on' to a target sound. My best results with that unit have been achieved when using it with a computer as a 'mic-in', and adjusting the recording level to include '20db boost). Also, I have found that sometimes you will receive noise/interference if the microphone body is touching anything (possibly static or conduction through outside surfaces). Another benefit of running the microphone through the computer, is you can use the 'headphone' port to get real-time feedback to monitor the quality/direction of the recording you are making. Unfortunately.. the 'power' of this microphone is limited, as I tried to connect a 3.5mm extension to it and the sound level was reduced by about 50-60%, so for best recordings, I found using a laptop and the stock 3ft (1 meter) cord that is attached to the unit will achieve good results.

Again, the ATR is an entry-level shotgun mic... and I rarely have opportunities to use it, but did test it thoroughly in my apt complex and found that I could hear normal conversations over the tv from about 100-120 ft (30-40 meters). My apologies if you feel I provided bad advise... I should have been more clear with my review. If I remember correctly, I have tried the microphone connected directly to a MP3 recorder and the results were not as good (lower recording levels, hiss, and too much background noise in the recording). For the best 'set it and forget it' rig, I would connect the unit to a laptop, use the headphone port to monitor correct position/sound levels/direction, then record to MP3/.wav directly from the computer (RealPlayer has been my choice of software, can record to 193k MP3 at about 1mb/60 seconds of material). Anywho... again, sorry if my advise resulted in your purchase of a 'lemon' microphone... if you do find a better solution, please share with the community so we can all learn. Thanks.

- Mark
kukuk3
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

Hi Mark,

thanks for the detailed answer and please, there is really no reason to apologize... I am more than thankful for all your advises!!

I would probably be happy with this mic if I would have been able to get it for $40-$50 ... however, in germany I had to pay 79 euros :roll: . Currently I am using it directly connected to my olympus recorder. The good thing is that I am also able to get live feedback if I connect headphones to the recorder. I would like to try out using it together with a notebook, however my notebook has just "line in" and not "mic in" connection.

Some comments on the microphone:
- sound quality is ok... you can record all the things you are able to hear with just your ears, maybe a little bit more.
- there is constant background hiss when using it in tele mode... yet this is still acceptable
- I miss some feedback on the remaining battery life... an LED would have been nice
- If you hold the mic and the mic cable touches a wall or the floor, this will cause very loud noises. The mic then decreases the recording level and slowly increases when the noise disappeared

What I would like to have is a microphone like this one with less hiss and stronger amplification so that I can catch more sounds. If anyone knows of another microphone (up to 250€) meeting the described requirements, please let me know!
dad1
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by dad1 »

In the states you could get a used Sennheiser condenser shotgun mic for that price. They make more than one pickup pattern for their shotgun style capsules; the one you want is hyper-cardioid. I don't know about Germany's options for used stuff, but I'd imagine folks over there would be more liable, on average, to obsess over taking better care of this kind of thing than elsewhere.

If you want a setup that can be left on its own to record (You don't have to stand there holding the mic) you should add a shock mount (threaded on a stand) - otherwise you'll be dealing with all sorts of resonance problems transferring through the mounting. Bass rolloff or high-pass filtering is good for live monitoring and you won't have to ride down the input volume (gain) to avoid distortion. Traffic is very bad for low-end frequencies.

If your recording setup has a peak limiter, that can come in very handy when recording out on location. There are just so many things out of your control. The peak limiter is better than automatic gain control (AGC).

You could get into trouble if you try to conceal this type of microphone. The baffling running down the sides of the capsule (the screen) is needed for the best volume and directionality of the pickup pattern.

Hopefully you don't get much wind running by your window.

Overall, this might exceed what you're looking to spend.

I hope it helps you out... I do part-time location sound recording.
kukuk3
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by kukuk3 »

Hi dad1,

thanks a lot for your detailed informations! I had a look at the Sennheiser website, but I did not find too many microphone that can be powered by battery. In fact the only one was the MKE 400:

http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/ic ... oot/502047

Do you think this is a decent mic?

I am not sure if the K6 system can be powered by battery (and if it is suitable at all). Is it possible to name some products which fit my needs? (Sorry, I am really a noob when it comes to microphones)

All the best,
kukuk
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yeppie
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Re: Urgent: Excellent Microphone Needed

Post by yeppie »

From what I see on the Sennheiser Site, the MKH 70-1 seems to fit your needs http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/ic ... _mkh_03149#.
You will find a phantom power adaptor (Batteriespeiseadapter) at the recommended accessories (empfohlenes Zubehör).
No idea about the cost, sounds rather expensive.

Update: A Google search came up with 1566€ !! being the cheapest price for the MKH 70.
Sexsounds are Poetry for Adults
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