Inexpensive battery powered MS field mic / pair

antilog · 14th July 2010

I enjoy recording using a M/S pair of mics, and am looking to travel with my Marantz PMD661. I've done some searching but can't seem to find any battery-powered Mid/Side mics w/xlr. Any recommendations? Even for a pair of battery powered mics that are compact and fit well together?

antilog · 14th July 2010

And I search a bit more and find this:

Sony ECM-957PRO - battery powered, XLR, M/S

Has anyone used this mic?

jnorman · 14th July 2010

why battery powered? the 661 has 48v phantom power. anyway, the shure vp88 sounds like a good choice for you.

antilog · 14th July 2010

I guess I don't trust the phantom power coming off the 661. Thanks for mentioning it - I'll do some testing to find out. The best results I get with the 661 are either the onboard mics or using an external digital preamp w/ mics - anything else seems to be suspect.

boojum · 15th July 2010

I have used this mic but only as a feed to an MD recorder. It worked fine. I dropped it and have to send it in for repairs. All I can tell you is that it work "alright." I am not sure I would rank it as pro, maybe "pro-sumer."

I should talk to SONY about getting it fixed. Thanks for reminding me.

panatrope · 15th July 2010

As I have already said in another post regarding the Shure VP-88, I would check out the Audio Technica mic AT8022 which can be operated on battery and provides balanced or unbalanced capability. The 'professional' version BP4025 which only works on phantom is even better and would be fine with the PMD661. Price is comparable to the Sony.

BTW I used the Sony consumer version ECM907 with a MiniDisc recorder and it was a very good combination. But these days I would head to Audio Technica for what you want ...

chris319 · 15th July 2010

The Audio Technicas are X/Y mics. The OP said he is looking for MS mics.

What about that Sony mic? It has a five-pin XLR connector at the mic end and a stereo mini-plug at the other end. Does anyone know if it is possible to make a connector which would give a balanced output at the recorder end? In addition, its 69 dB S/N ratio is not so great.

joeq · 20th July 2010

use whatever mics you want and get a battery operated phantom box

14th July 2010	#1
antilog Gear maniac Joined: Apr 2005 Location: Baltimore, MD, USA Posts: 172 Thread Starter	Inexpensive battery powered MS field mic / pair I enjoy recording using a M/S pair of mics, and am looking to travel with my Marantz PMD661. I've done some searching but can't seem to find any battery-powered Mid/Side mics w/xlr. Any recommendations? Even for a pair of battery powered mics that are compact and fit well together? __________________ "Artists to my mind are the real architects of change, and not the political legislators who implement change after the fact." William S Burroughs http://www.electronmedia.org http://www.antilog.org

14th July 2010	#3
jnorman Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,807 2 Reviews written	why battery powered? the 661 has 48v phantom power. anyway, the shure vp88 sounds like a good choice for you. __________________ jnorman sunridge studios salem, oregon

15th July 2010	#5
boojum Lives for gear Joined: May 2007 Location: Astoria, OR, US&A Posts: 2,311 1 Review written	I have used this mic but only as a feed to an MD recorder. It worked fine. I dropped it and have to send it in for repairs. All I can tell you is that it work "alright." I am not sure I would rank it as pro, maybe "pro-sumer." I should talk to SONY about getting it fixed. Thanks for reminding me. __________________ Nov schmoz ka pop.

15th July 2010	#6
panatrope Gear addict Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Blackburn, OZ Posts: 351	As I have already said in another post regarding the Shure VP-88, I would check out the Audio Technica mic AT8022 which can be operated on battery and provides balanced or unbalanced capability. The 'professional' version BP4025 which only works on phantom is even better and would be fine with the PMD661. Price is comparable to the Sony. BTW I used the Sony consumer version ECM907 with a MiniDisc recorder and it was a very good combination. But these days I would head to Audio Technica for what you want ... __________________ Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It is also a breach of copyright.

20th July 2010	#8
joeq Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2002 Location: New York Posts: 9,925	use whatever mics you want and get a battery operated phantom box Attached Thumbnails

15th July 2010	#7
chris319 Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2007 Location: West Hollywood, USA Posts: 1,492	The Audio Technicas are X/Y mics. The OP said he is looking for MS mics. What about that Sony mic? It has a five-pin XLR connector at the mic end and a stereo mini-plug at the other end. Does anyone know if it is possible to make a connector which would give a balanced output at the recorder end? In addition, its 69 dB S/N ratio is not so great.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Help - building a battery powered Mic Pre	fhunktion	Low End Theory	0	21st May 2010 03:04 PM
DIY Battery-Powered Portable Stereo Mic Pre	mlange	Geekslutz forum	11	2nd October 2009 08:24 PM
Good inexpensive Powered Monitors	Ollie	So much gear, so little time!	5	29th April 2007 05:25 PM
(Cheap) Powered Near-Field Monitors?	Saxman	Low End Theory	16	10th September 2005 01:09 AM