Hi there,

I am sure that some experts can help with an issue.

From time to time I record loud live music with an M-Audio Microtrack 24/96.
The setting is: PCM (wav), 16 Bit Stereo at 44.1 Khz.
Recorded over line-in (stereo)

This worked not perfect but ok with the standard microphones. Level had to be set to very low but still some cliping.

Now I have bought new microphones OKMII Klassic and OKMII Rock with a preamp A3.

I've testet the OKMII Klassic with the pre-amp with the following setting:
Pre-Amp - flat input, -20 db signal. I was able to keep the level within a middle range up to 9 of 10. No clipping could be seen while recording.

The result was not satisfactory: The sound was much to low and not as clear as with the cheap standard mics. If I adjust the sound with 2-3 db with software, I hear cliping.


Now the question:
What could be a perfect seting to get better results with those microphones?
What Microphone is better - the OKMII Klassic or the Rock version (don't tell me about other mics, because I will not invest more)

Why not return these two to the store? You don't like them, and then you will have a budget to buy another one.

OKMII? Bought in Stuttgart, right? You better get rid of them.

@rknuth

No did not buy it in Stuttgart - Bought one in Potsdam and one in Berlin.

Why did you ask this?


@koen
actually, I asked if someone could tell me, how to set such a microphone to get good results and would like to know if other people made some expercience with that equipment.

You need to push the recording volume to where it doesn't clip.

if it's set to low it gets grainy and flat.
to avoid clipping you could add a compressor/limiter inbetween if the dynamic range of the music your're recording is too big.

switching fromm 44.1kHz to 48kHz will also give you a greater dynamic range.

also you should analyse your previous recordings to see what pushes it to saturation.
you say: Pre-amp - flat, so you might have a low-cut filter there too. try that.

Get some coresound mics they are awesome get the most expensive ones with bass roll off box. heard some boots made with these and absolutely no clipping and natural sound.

pesa Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @koen
> actually, I asked if someone could tell me, how to
> set such a microphone to get good results and
> would like to know if other people made some
> expercience with that equipment.


I don't have experience with mikes, so cannot help you. However, my experience with expensive (audio) equipment is that it is really important to do some research and try it out first. If you don't like the sound and then try to 'fix' it with all kind of tricks, to me that sounds like a bad investment. Which is why I wrote to bring them back, and get a mike that you really like.

Just a suggestion :-)

The DSM microphones from sonic studios are from my experience with
countryman,dpa,coresound and okm microphones by far the best, but not cheap.
But more important is the sound at the concert and where you place the microphones.

You are asking in the wrong place as you will notice few people here record concerts
most people just like to collect and listen to them .............which is ok as IORR ;-)

remember Google is your friend ...... search for OKM111 and when see a forum link search the forums for your model number
as someone may have already found the solution or just join and ask what you asked here.


Soundman Forum, Soundman.de

[www.soundman.de]



The Freesound Project

[freesound.iua.upf.edu]

[freesound.iua.upf.edu]


Now you have nice mic's I would like you to get the best out of them :-)

mm

pesa Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> @rknuth
>
> No did not buy it in Stuttgart - Bought one in
> Potsdam and one in Berlin.
>
> Why did you ask this?
>
>
> @koen
> actually, I asked if someone could tell me, how to
> set such a microphone to get good results and
> would like to know if other people made some
> expercience with that equipment.

When I tried mine you only could buy them in Stuttgart.
What you need is a preamp to provide some headroom or your
recorder has to be modified (mine was modified by Oade Brothers)
and of course the mics need to stand some SPL.

The last thing you need is compressor and limiter -> shit in shit out!
So try to find better mics.

rknuth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The last thing you need is compressor and limiter
> -> shit in shit out!
> So try to find better mics.




When I said that, I was thinking of hard compressing/limiting, keeping the recording level high, but out of overload and resulting harsh digital distortion.
A peak stop, to protect from large transients and other short term overloads, so to say.

The way you said it, a Philips cassette recorder like the one Keith used for SFM comes to mind.