The microphone aphorism

Why does one keeps searching for mics even if the one just bought has not yet arrived?


Possibly because most of them leave something to be desired.


The most up to date Pleiades mic reference possibly taking the place of the Grampian DP4/L is the small Grampian DP6/L. The only mic so far that sounds correct without any EQ? The DP4/L may need a little low cut, for example being terminated by a 140mH inoutbtransformer primary inductance. Both mics are 25Ω. 140mH is equivalent to 1.4H for a mic of 250Ω output impedance.


From a quick comparison again with from cheap plastic to expensive metal microphones with plastic diaphragm, the Electro-Voice RE-15 sounds right by comparison and somehow the AKG D130. The former needed a shunt inductance (like its internal filter) and a Pleiades 130Ω,40mH gentle slope high pass filter in cascade. The latter needed just the (130Ω,40mH) filter, being an omni no proximity effect needs to be compensated. Mics were used at close to (1-2)in distance. At larger distance things are more promising but signal to noise in an unfavorable acoustic environment drops. Anothe mic that can sound close is the Shure 515SB with an R,L filter and then an L filter in cascade. See tomorrow's post.


The Grampian DP6/L sounds corect from singer's brain to listener's brain without an EQ.


Signal path:


Male voice singing I did it my way - mic at 1-2 in - (optional Pleiades filter) - Western Electric 1:2 transformer with 1H primary inductance - Sony TC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD580


So why?


Is it its frequency response curve? Is it also the aluminium diaphragm doing away with a plastic sense of sound of some much more expensive mics? Is the aluminium moving diaphrahm another reason why ribbon mics are so natural?


The small omni DP6/L does the trick in an impressive way. It sounds quite like the Sinatra punch and sparkle of I Did It My Way.


It cost so little on eBay.