Sunday, February 14, 2016

How does Shure Unidyne III (vintage SM57) sound on iPad GarageBand through Pleiades K117 pre preamplifier

Signal path:

Acoustic spaces - source of sound - Shure Unidyne III (using its internal transformer Hi Z winding) - Pleiades K117 prepreamplifier (shunt C=47pF, Rs=220ohms) - iPad mic in - GarageBand - Sennheiser HD580 or AKGK240 monitoring at iPad's headphone out


Extremely quiet.


Recording level adjustment on iPad was usually in the mid position setting of the virtual slider.


The quitter the room the quieter it sounded, a room of 30dB A acoustic noise was also used.


One could discriminate even voices at many meters away.


Full bodied sound even though iPad has a deep low cut filter. At 2in sound was becoming too bass heavy. at higher distance less. Female voice sounded natural at 10in. Even the subtlest details could be heard, breath, lips, etc. although other people were present in the area it could greatly discriminate the wanted voice, and the other voices and noise were subjectively almost absent. (The space used was large with sound absorption, a reception area).


Problems with electromagnetic sensitivity. Could pick up HF and buzz from nearby sources.


Outside field recordings were quiet according to ambience, but there were wind noise problems. Wind shield is needed.


Without adding external effects best recording so far was in a large space.


It is time to use the Electrovoice RE16 too, building a Pleiades input transformer and K117 pre preamplifier inside Neutrik XLR modules.




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