Anyone else using sahiaman's little blondie mic?

[Tennis]

I have a pair of the original blondies (non black) up for sale. If you're interested PM me.

[dysenterygary]

So what is the difference between the original blondies, and the new ones besides looks?

[GPM3]

It's been awhile since I received my pair of mics. I ended up with the more expensive pair.

Short story...when I first got them some months back, I was having an issue with hum and buzzing. This was with the 2nd pair Aman had sent me, having sent back the first pair. After talking with Aman, we figured it was the overhead power lines right next to my house that was causing the problem. So, Aman had agreed to take them back for a full refund! As luck would have it, a professional classical/Jazz guitarist friend is in town this week for a few concerts. We met over another friend's house and I thought why not give the mics another try, away from my power lines. It was the right thing to do. For comparison, I brought along my Avenson's as well.

I was not prepared, nor was the guitarist, for what came next. Playing it back through my Stax headphones, it was so real and clear sounding, and beautiful. It sounded exactly like the guitar if it were live, like listening through a clear window to the guitar. All the sounds of the fingers on the strings etc came through so clearly. The Avenson's were ok, but had a veil over the sound.

Here are both mics. So, long story short, I am NOT sending the mics back!! I also recorded my 7ft grand piano, with the piano cover in place and just the front lid open....incredible sound...just stuck the mics in front of the piano. Oddly enough, the buzzing/hum was gone when I recorded my piano.

These are incredible mics, especially considering what they cost. I would have to spend a LOT more money to get this kind of quality. The mics were fed into a Korg MR-1000 DSD digital recorder, no processing of any kind was added other than a normalization into an mp3.


Classcial Guitar Avenson Mics Classical Guitar-Avenson Mics.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

Classical Guitar Sahi Mics Short Classical Piece--- Aman Sahi Mics.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

Classical Piano Rachmaninoff Short Classical Piano-- Rachmaninoff.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

[Karloff70]

Thanks for posting that!! Got me right excited as I'm waiting for a set of new black ones swapped for my old ones......can't wait to get recording my nylon string with them.......sounds sweeeet. Very "I'm there". Pair of these with an RCA 77dx should make for a pukka nylon tone ......can't wait.

[GPM3]

I think you will be very happy with the results.

Here are a few pics of the mics. They are longer than the little blondies.

I understand Aman is changing the body of the mic.

In any case, the sounds from these mics are fantastic!

From that same session as the sound files above, here is a short piece with soprano voice. I was going to edit out the coughing, but thought it would be interesting to hear it. This was recorded late at night with no practice ahead of time, so please forgive the singer's pitch etc. When I said these mics record reality, they do, in spades....the singer/guitar sound exactly like the do live! These mics can also handle high spl's. The singer clipped the Korg in the beginning, but there is no noticeable distortion upon playback. Again, there is no signal processing of any kind on these recordings.....straight 44/24bit from the Korg into Audactiy and then into an MP3. There is some creaking in the background....it's from an old wooden chair.

Classical Guitar and Soprano Voice--Aman Sahi Mics.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

[Karloff70]

WTF....I thought you were talking about blondies!! Is the last file those as well? They look awesome!!!!! What are they called? Must ask him about price.....

[binarymilton]

Yeah, I'm a bit confused now. What mics are those in the picture?

@Karloff70: once you've got your Blondies, could you let me know how much they cost in total i.e. what shipping, customs, handling all came to in total? I'd appreciate it.

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by binarymilton

Yeah, I'm a bit confused now. What mics are those in the picture?

@Karloff70: once you've got your Blondies, could you let me know how much they cost in total i.e. what shipping, customs, handling all came to in total? I'd appreciate it.

I can't remember I'm afraid. I had a pair of original ones and sent them to Aman for an upgrade/swap, so I now only know what the upgrade cost, but have forgotten the original price I paid. I don't remember customs touching them. They're small and inconspicuous, and so is his labelling, they slip through right to the door. Sling him a pm and ask about price.

[GPM3]

Hey guys...I should have made it clear..sorry about that......these mics are a higher-end mic that Aman makes. I wanted a mic that would record a grand piano well.

I originally asked him for the 4 capsule version, similar to what Taloway posted here:

Anyone else using sahiaman's little blondie mic?

but they went back to Aman due to an issue of hum, which turns out was not the mic's fault, but due to power lines above my house. Aman sent the pair in the pics, different than the 4 capsule version. Looks like 1 capsule to me. All 4 recordings are with the mics in the pics, not the black little blondies.

I don't know what they are called. Aman tells me they are omni's, but quite directional as omni's go. He also said he is changing the look of the mics, opting for a more durable body. I am sure he you can fill you in with more info.

He has been great through all this!! Offered a FULL refund no questions asked on both pairs. As you can hear in the clips, these mics are awesome, this is with no processing, EQ, etc...and these are mp3's...They were originally recorded in the WAV format, and the WAV files sound even better! ...there is NO way I am parting with them.

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by GPM3

Hey guys...I should have made it clear..sorry about that......these mics are a higher-end mic that Aman makes. I wanted a mic that would record a grand piano well.

I originally asked him for the 4 capsule version, similar to what Taloway posted here:

Anyone else using sahiaman's little blondie mic?

but they went back to Aman due to an issue of hum, which turns out was not the mic's fault, but due to power lines above my house. Aman sent the pair in the pics, different than the 4 capsule version. Looks like 1 capsule to me. All 4 recordings are with the mics in the pics, not the black little blondies.

I don't know what they called. Aman tells me they are omni's, but quite directional as omni's go. He also said he is changing the look of the mics, opting for a more durable body. I am sure he you can fill you in with more info.

He has been great through all this!! Offered a FULL refund no questions asked on both pairs. As you can hear in the clips, these mics are awesome, and this is with no processing, EQ, etc! ...there is NO way I am parting with them.

Feck, feck ,feck....and I thought your recording was the black blondies......to good to be true I guess. Must ask him about these!

[GPM3]

Here is one more recording of my Grand piano......the dog was walking around jingling his collar..lol...so you will hear me taking to him.

Next time I record for real, will take the cloth cover off the piano and open the main lid, and no dog collar jingles. What you are hearing now is with the main lid closed, a heavy material piano cover over most of the piano, with only the front lid open and exposed..this is a 7ft grand, and the piece is very loud, lots of frequencies low and high going on, yet the mics shine, and have no trouble with the complex sounds etc. At the beginning, I was adjusting the gain on one channel.


Classical Grand Piano Rachmaninoff--Aman Sahiaman Mics.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

[binarymilton]

Originally Posted by GPM3

Here is one more recording of my Grand piano......the dog was walking around jingling his collar..lol...so you will hear me taking to him.

Next time I record for real, will take the cloth cover off the piano and open the main lid, and no dog collar jingles. What you are hearing now is with the main lid closed, a heavy material piano cover over most of the piano, with only the front lid open and exposed..this is a 7ft grand, and the piece is very loud, lots of frequencies low and high going on, yet the mics shine, and have no trouble with the complex sounds etc. At the beginning, I was adjusting the gain on one channel.


Classical Grand Piano Rachmaninoff--Aman Sahiaman Mics.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

Definitely open that piano lid! Because the first thing I thought was, while it's a good recording, it didn't have the same impressive ambience and space as your classical guitar recording. You've got the body of the piano there, but it doesn't quite nail the crash and attack of the top notes. It's ever so slightly cloudy-sounding. That might be a mic positioning question. But, yes, keep that lid open!

Incidentally, does your friend's room, where you recorded the guitar and vocal, have a nice acoustic? It sounds like it (even if it's just an untreated lounge). How far back did you place the mics?

[GPM3]

I agree!....I usually do open up the whole piano, but wanted to record something quick.

The room that I recorded the guitar in is just a normal size room, although the floor is completely covered in saltillo tile. That may have helped. In contrast, my grand piano sits in a totally carpeted room.

Here, the cover is off and the lid on full stick. My Korg conked out on me, so I used a different digital recorder...has a different sound, not quite in the same league as the Korg, never the less, the mics still shine.

These were recorded at 96/24bit, no processing, no EQ etc added. The mics are great on the piano...the WAV files sound even better. The Avensons in comparison sound slightly veiled.


Here you can hear how well Aman's mics pick up the tremendous bass this piano has.

New Age/Jazz 1 New Age-Jazz Aman Sahiaman Mics-- STE-0281.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

Jazz Grand Piano 3--Aman Sahiaman Mics-- Jazz Grand Piano 3 Aman Sahiaman Mics--STE-0271.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

Jazz Grand Piano 4--Aman Sahiaman Mics--(this one's busy) Jazz Grand Piano 4 Aman Sahiaman Mics--STE-0251.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net


Easy Jazz

Jazz 1 Jazz Grand Piano--Aman Sahiaman Mics --STE-0331.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

Jazz 2 Jazz 2 --Aman Sahiaman Mics--STE-0291.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net

[binarymilton]

Lovely playing.

Do you know the Mapleshade label? There is some real jazz-piano-player's jazz-piano-playing in their catalogue. All recorded live, no EQ, no compression, straight to tape, on audiophile no-frills equipment. The piano's like the altarpiece in their studio...

[f8andbthere]

OK, I'm smitten. I want to get a pair. Primary use would be for acoustic guitar, fingerstyle, solo.

For those that have both the wooden and metal blondies, which one would you choose?

Thanks!

[binarymilton]

In a recent email exchange with Aman, he said the wooden ones are the same capsule, just a higher output and different body.

Now I would have thought that having an Omni capsule exposed on all sides in that "side-address" way, as it is with the wooden ones, would make a difference to the frequency response, no?

So I pressed him on whether there really is any difference in sound between the two, and he was adamant that the difference is just volume and physical appearance.

[f8andbthere]

Higher output is always good, since this sounds like a low output design. I doubt the wood ones would hold up to be driven over by a car, by I have no plans of testing that out.

I agree that it seems like the exposed capsule would definitely have some frequency differences than the metal one.

So, I'll toss it out again to those who have recorded acoustic, go metal or wood for acoustic, fingerstyle, for largely solo mixes?

Thanks!!!!

[Blackdawg]

Got my Little Blondies on Tuesday! LOVE THEM!! My friend and i spent almost an hour just noodling around with mic pres and compressors and these mics.

Here are my samples, including the use of API gear :D please excuse any werid sayings that happen Ryan was just noodling around lol

Little Blondies, Soundcraft MH2 pres
Little Blondie mic test Soundcraft MH2 mic pre by Blackdawg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Little Blondies, API 512c pres
Little Blondie Mic test API 512c pre amps by Blackdawg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Little Blondies, API 512c pres, API 525s comp
Little Blondie Mic Test API 512c pre amp API 525 compressor by Blackdawg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

listening to these uploaded files, doesn't even do them justice. They sound soooo much better in the studio.

[midoban]

Originally Posted by Blackdawg

Got my Little Blondies on Tuesday! LOVE THEM!! My friend and i spent almost an hour just noodling around with mic pres and compressors and these mics.

Here are my samples, including the use of API gear :D please excuse any werid sayings that happen Ryan was just noodling around lol

Little Blondies, Soundcraft MH2 pres
Little Blondie mic test Soundcraft MH2 mic pre by Blackdawg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Little Blondies, API 512c pres
Little Blondie Mic test API 512c pre amps by Blackdawg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

Little Blondies, API 512c pres, API 525s comp
Little Blondie Mic Test API 512c pre amp API 525 compressor by Blackdawg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

listening to these uploaded files, doesn't even do them justice. They sound soooo much better in the studio.

Thanks for the samples. What about the distance from the guitar?

[Blackdawg]

Originally Posted by midoban

Thanks for the samples. What about the distance from the guitar?

pretty close. Like 3'' or so.

[kerouac]

Originally Posted by Bcsteene

Hey guys,

I got one with the low output, sent them back to Aman and he sent me a fixed pair. Wow!!! I can't believe the sound. To show you I recorded a little demo. The setup is a little woodie sitting on my computer desk attached to a Presonus FP10, recorded with Nuendo. The vocals and rythm (sp.. - sorry I've had 2 hot toddies by now) guitar were recorded at the same time, about 1 ft. away from the mic. (thats me singin) The other guitar was added in afterward also on the little woodie with the same setup, and then for the drums I used the pen holder which is full of pens, only about 1 ft. away from the little woodie... I can't believe the sounds I'm getting without any eq... holy crap. this is the best mic ever. pardon me I am a little tipsy and excited! The few cutouts you hear at the end was due to my comp. messing up a bit (stupid itunes was re-installing at the same time I was recording and messing things up a bit).

Awesome sound, plus I love hearing a bit of Tom Waits on here.

[SalTones]

I have two, they don't get much use due to the fact that I recently got some really high end condensers that I really really love now. I'd probably be down to sell one little blondie if anyone is interested. It is the older version, not the black one. PM me if anyone is interested.

And those wooden ones look amazing!

[kerouac]

PM sent.

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by SalTones

I have two, they don't get much use due to the fact that I recently got some really high end condensers that I really really love now. I'd probably be down to sell one little blondie if anyone is interested. It is the older version, not the black one. PM me if anyone is interested.

And those wooden ones look amazing!

You may really love your new mics, but I have some high end condesers too, and none of them replaxce what the Blondie's do......hope you won't have that day where you play something old back and go "feck, that _____ sounds amazing, what did I record that with?" ....and realise it was the Blondies.....certainly never selling mine.

[claend]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

You may really love your new mics, but I have some high end condesers too, and none of them replaxce what the Blondie's do......hope you won't have that day where you play something old back and go "feck, that _____ sounds amazing, what did I record that with?" ....and realise it was the Blondies.....certainly never selling mine.

Karloff, what are your favourite aplications? And what exact incarnation are you refering to?

I have a pair of the original and the wooden blondies, never liked them that much, should probably give them another chance.

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by claend

Karloff, what are your favourite aplications? And what exact incarnation are you refering to?

I have a pair of the original and the wooden blondies, never liked them that much, should probably give them another chance.

Got the new black metal ones. Sound very sweet for acoustic guitar (and nylon!!) and were also very nice on drum room the other day. I just really like the tilted sound they make. The shape of sound is unusual and to my taste. They sort of tilt the top end away from you but keep great intelligibility in the hi mids with a certain musical zing. but unlike other mics the zing therefore is painless, as it's lower down, sort of like a U87 zing but obviously different. In fact the very style of tilted away top end and a zing just underneath is very 87. Not saying they sound like a U87, but the principal is the same.

I had problems with my original pair of metal ones. Never could make them do it properly without too much hiss, but these black ones (although supposedly the same inside) are sweeeeet. Maybe get a pair of black ones. Not like you'd have trouble selling them if you don't like em. I'm sticking with not ever selling mine now.

[f8andbthere]

OK, my wooden pair of blondies showed up Friday. They sound great. As mentioned, they do require quite a bit of gain, but my preamp is up to the task.

However, they totally expose my non-soundproof recording space in the worst way. I can get away with quite a bit with my sdc's, but the LBs are merciless. They pick up every sound. I haven't been able to get a clean recording yet.

Without going into a major sound isolation side-bend, what have you all run into as far as dealing with the omni pickup sensitivity? Do I need to build a soundbooth or what?

Funny aside, was recording a acoustic guitar track and the vocalist cleared her throat off to the side. On playback, I turned to see who was in the room and there was nobody there. The realism and placement in the stereo channel was uncanny.

[ysmgj]

with omnis you have to work with gain and placement to get a clean recording,...

- to cut out the room you want to place the mic 50% closer to the source than you normally would,.... there's no proximity effect so dont worry about it being too bassy.

- cut back on the gain,... since you're placing the mic really close to the source, you can cut back on the gain by alot. doing this decreases what the mic picks up,.... to a certain extent,... of course a nice room never hurt no one

have a look at this:

DPA Microphones :: Directional vs. Omnidirectional Microphones

also there are a load of other useful pages about recording with omnis on that site.

[f8andbthere]

Thanks ysmgj,

My omni education has begun.

Some of the key things I picked up:
• no proximity effect
• off-axis sounds aren't as colored as dynamics
• feedback is not as sudden and in lower frequencies
• minimal wind and pop noise
• durability

For me, this explains why in TV and radio news gathering, we use shotguns on the boom and the camera, but when push comes to shove, the bread and butter mic for tough audio situations is an omni stick mic stuck up close to the subject. Now i understand why the omni stick mic is the way to go for those situations.

Looks like it could also be true for recording pristine audio as well.

Here's what is killing me right now for home recording; the sound of my laptop fan, the sound of the fan on a DVR unit in the room. Never was an issue before.

I really don't want to spin my laptop fan down slower. The thing that seems to go on Macbook Pros is the graphics card, killed by heat. I know a Mac repair guy who gets them redone. Costs big bucks. I actually use smcfancontrol to spin my fans up faster to control the heat issue. It's far cheaper and easier to replace laptop fans than the graphics card.

[ysmgj]

no worries, glad i could help.

it would be cheaper to get a loooong ass cable to somewhere quiet than to ge that fan mod

there are these round ball doodads that DPA and other omnispecialists use,.. they reduce off axis sound a bit. never used one though.

but lets see,... if i had to record right infront of my pc,... say my own vocals,...

i might try the mic right up to my lips and gain all the way down, and speak/sing a bit louder than normal.

the main idea is that the closer your source the hotter the signal, the further down the background noise will be. that way in DAW you only have to bring it up a bit,... so the background noise is inaudible.

watch out for the subs that cars and busses produce though, if you felt it, chances are the mic picked it up and you'll hear a rumble. but you could always get rid of that inDAW if you dont have an HP filter on your micpre.

so yeah, leave the gain really low, and move the mic closer to increase gain.

some double basses for example are mic-ed by placing an omni right on the bridge thingy, so dont be afraid of it being too close.