SM 57 and Sony PCM 10

[Djembe-nerd]

I am thinking of buying a SM 57 and plug it in the PCM 10 with xlr female to 3.5 mm cable. I have the gain control in the PCM 10 so I don't need anything else for simple home recordings.

- Am I thinking correct ?
- How much better will it be than just recording on the PCM 10

[freefeet]

I use SM58's on my zoomH4 instead of the built in condensers when i don't want it so sensitive.

Condensers are fine if you want every tiny bit of noise picking up but most times you don't - especially for field recordings.

SM57 and/or 58 are really good mics for the job.

The other advantage of using external mics is that i can position the two mics where i want them in relation to each other - which comes in very handy on quite a few occasions.

[michi]

I'm not sure how you would go, seeing that the SM 57 is not a stereo microphone. Most likely, you'll end up recording in mono on one channel only. Not necessarily a problem: the actual recording will possibly be clearer and better defined, due to absence of multi-path reflections.

The SM 57 is a close-range microphone. You need to have the drum within a foot or so of the microphone for it to perform well. So, as an ensemble microphone, I suspect that it won't work well at all. As a close-range djembe microphone, it's a good choice.

In terms of being "better" than the built-in microphones, I have my doubts. Certainly, as a workshop general-purpose microphone, where you record sessions and such, I would expect it to perform worse.

One issue with the PCM M-10 built-in microphones is that they are omnidirectional, so the stereo imaging isn't all that great. If you want to improve on that, the Sony MS957 is a reasonable choice at a reasonable price. A slightly cheaper option is the Sony MS907. Like the MS957, it should also deliver better imaging than the PCM M-10 built-in microphones.

For something more up-market, check out the MXL V67Q and the Audio Technica AT8022. If you want to go really up-market, try the Shure VP88. And if you happen to completely lose your mind, at $5,550.00, the Schoeps CMXY 4V is an excellent choice

Cheers,

Michi.

[Djembe-nerd]

Thanks Michi,

I was wanting to buy it for home recordings, and sometimes when I go for a gig. Usually the place I go to accompany a singer, I am plucked in with microphones that struggle to the cranked djembe sound. There is a tabla guy who has something like the DSD close and small mic and I am plucked in with one of the singing/speaking mics.

For the class and similar recordings, I am happy with the PCM 10 performance. At home, when the PCM struggles to capture the sound, maybe because of the echo from the room or something (I don;t know much about this) and it has more sustain in the recordings than the actual djembe.

[michi]

As a stage microphone, the SM 57 will work well. Just be sure to keep the microphone close to the drum, no further away than a foot or so.

Cheers,

Michi.

[Djembe-nerd]

Thanks for the tips.

I took a low impedance cable as suggested by B&H person. Then I read on the reviews that without the low impedance cable there is a little humming in the recording.

Will see how it works.

[Djembe-nerd]

I recorded this small piece to see how the SM 57 coming through PCM 10 sounds. Looks better than recording with PCM only, this is recorded in a room, I will wait and see if I can go outside somewhere to see if the sustain goes down or not. Its better quality and has less sustain than PCM recordings and is good for checking the sounds of djembe and checking our sounds to see if improving or not.

Both cow and goat are pretty tight, the tonal difference is quite noticable.

[jumbu]

Hi Djembe-nerd,
I am a new member of this forum. I would like to know the cable that you used to connect your SM57 mic to the PCM-M10 recorder. It would be great if you could provide the link to the cable that you purchased.

Thanks a lot.
Cheers.

[Djembe-nerd]

Here is the link to the cable

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... ow_to.html


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... le_to.html