Masaki Hatsui

1. Tariffs aside, with the current restrictions on the transport of lithium-ion batteries, it has become all but impossible to order US batteries form EU or from any other continent. 2. Panasonic is a Japanese brand formerly known as Matsushita or the ‘National’ brand. As we all know, it has become a global holding company. As regards lithium manufacturing, it is in fact Panasonic Energy that owns several factories around the world. Panasonic supplies its lithium batteries to Tesla, manufactured in Nevada. They also have factories in China, and I wonder if they even have a factory in Japan today. 3. Grace Battery, also known as Tefoo Battery, is based in Shenzhen, China. Interestingly, they use Panasonic cells (I personally imagined Chinese batteries inside), but probably made in their Chinese factory (? who knows). It's difficult to know today where the cells are made (and if there's difference in quality) 4. For information I have used several RRC batteries which have been working perfectly since 2017. Their 2054 (48.96Wh) is (or was) made in China. It actually says "Designed in Germany. Assembled in China". The factory is Nexcon Electronics Co. Ltd. in Nanjing. On the other hand, the 2054-2 pack (99.4Wh) is ‘Designed in Germany, assembled in Taiwan. Assembled in Taiwan’ - No information on the factory is given. 5. I don't know if I'd advise dismantling a lithium battery. It's very dangerous, with the risk of fire or explosion. In fact, the quality of a battery depends not just on the cell, but on the whole circuit inside.

I just want to correct the exact history : Zaxcom's Dual ADC technology, so called NeverClip was introduced with Nomad's preamplifier. I bought mine on winter 2012, if I remember well the machine was out around 2011. At that time there was not a single portable recorder on the market using this technology. Sonosax's flagship recorder at that time was SX-62R, which had a superb preamplifier but with single ADC. According to their newsletter, Sonosax started selling their first Dual ADC technology with its SX-R4+, on 2015.

Well, figured out that their price is 1x SB CHARGER (without DS-2S 2-bay docking station ) = Deity DQC2 - 2 Bay 😆 But at the same time it might be the smallest in the market. Tempting...

Just found a old thread which may interest you https://jwsoundgroup.net/index.php?/topic/35618-sonosax-sx-s-vs-sx-st-preamp/#comment-372831

Hi, If you stay on two track recording, consider SX M2D2 preamplifier. Quality of pre-amp is same to that of R4+, and using digital out of M2D2 to 702, you'll have very clean and rich sound of Sonosax without any loss. Digital in of 7xx series is kind a old style, sync to source clock without any sample rate conversion, which became very rare to found in portable recording gear. I believe you'll hear clearly the difference of preamp quality.

I was also interested in this charger, but I've just seen another option from Betso : https://www.betso.eu/sb-charger Has anyone tried it?

Thank you very much for these inputs. One point that differentiates this microphone from the other bass drum microphone is that it is not a dynamic microphone but rather a condenser microphone. Its price tag is indeed higher than that of other competitor, but less than other 40xx series mic. What intrigues me from its price tag is, if it is whether an equivalent of the recently released 20xx mic rather than more familiar (for us) 40xx series despite its numbering...

Hi there, Basically, I don't have much interest in microphones focused on musical instruments, but I've just looked at the specification of this microphone and thought it might be interesting to record something other than a kick drum. It seems to have a very flat frequency response with a slight boost at 10k, Distortion, THD < 1% is 156dB SPL RMS, 159 dB SPL peak, Max. SPL, THD 10% is even 164 dB SPL peak. This may be a good candidate for recording a gunshot, an aircraft engine, etc. Does anyone who uses it for PA or music recording have any comments or impressions to share?

Finally! The most awaited. 😁

I'm still not clear if your audio level on the transmitter was reached 0dBfs. Even the Neverclip or 32bit ADC or whatever, your signal clips at 0dB if you don't engaged compresser/limiter on your TX. If the gain on the transmitter is at 20dB, I can imagine that it is a digital clip. Does the distortion starts under 0dB level? Or the waveform is just a brickwall? An advice of lower gain setting is kind a nonsense. It works when you have a scream, but in a quieter level you just do not using full 24bit resolution.

Hi, I definitely am interested in getting one. Please add me to the list. Masaki

Ha, gotcha! That's OR-45 Thanks !

It's completely off topic but which manufacturer makes that red quick release accessory (not Ambient quicklock)? I certainly saw one but can't remember...

You can still find the user manual on their website. On page 15 Their mic preamp is one of the best. If I remember, Jacques was saying it was developped with one of the best op amp but is very power hungry. I assume it is based on AD797 but not sure of it. If you lookout the schema, A to D converting method is completely different between R4 to R4+. It's not just a simple difference of "preamp" quality. On R4+ there's no analog preamp as we usually call. Odd thing on their input, its "low" cut is a -6 db/octave at 135Hz, which is not an usual high pass we use. It's much more like that of Nagra IV, or a Schoeps Cut 1. Another odd thing is its output, which is only one unbalanced L-R on TA3.

100% agree with you! This, will kill the boom op's arm... 😑

Henri, Sewers (is that the word for couturistes?) continue making bags but no more at Kortwich. I have ordered my boom bag this winter, as Ambient nor Kortwich do not makes the bag anymore. Price stays the same or just a small difference (can't compare as I don't have the old price list). Ask Dieter for order in Switzerland.

I think there's no one talked about it here. I was surprised to see this announcement on the Neumann's website. Does it mean Neumann ceases their whole range of digital microphone or just the interface? Anyone (maybe someone in Germany?) knows of more details? Masaki

I think there's no one talked about it here. I was surprised to see this announcement on the Neumann's website. Does it mean Neumann ceases their whole range of digital microphone or just the interface? Anyone (maybe someone in Germany?) knows of more details? Masaki

This is very true !

A comparison between 32bit float pre to NeverClip isn't just a simple math calculation. I remember the day when 32bit float DAW appeared, Protools was still using 48bit integar for their gear. The comparison was not an easy debate. Here, I don't know how exactly a 32bit float AD converter can treat a signal. 32bit float is still a 24bit plus 8 bit of exponent. It's digital noise floor is the same as a 24bit. Even if it can handle a sgnal above OdB, its caractor depends how you design a physical dynamic range electronically. NeverClip can handle a signal goes over 24bit limit but their recorder stays on a 24bit file format (so you have to put it in a 24bit = it may clip). And as we see several folks report that all digital signal chain contains also a digital noise floor, I believe it really depends on how it is physically designed the circuit.

My understanding of the difference is especially for its sensitivity. 4018 V/VL version has a sensitivity of 5 mV/Pa; -46 dB re. 1 V/Pa. 4018 d:dicate capsule has 12 mV/Pa; -38.4 dB re. 1 V/Pa which is almost 8dB of difference.

With proper mic suspension and proper boom handling, I don't have any problem with just a HPF engaged on my Nomad. (Picture of my modified Rycote inVision supension is here) Now I've changed the Lyre suspension to more softer one on the connector side (DPA sells there own Rycote windjammer with green Lyre inside. But I found it little too soft if you use two of them. Better result mixing one normal and one softer Lyre). I think at the moment the most adapted suspension is Cinela's Cosi but a little too big for interior use.

Maybe Ambient have modified the design, good to know that UMP II actually works with Zaxcom. Thanks for this information.

Yes I have read correctly. But, OP Brian was comparing with Schoeps equivalent, which has more or less the same output level. When Sennheiser's output has about 10dB hotter signal, it is actually hard to say where the noise comes from. To have same gain on both microphones, you are adding 10 dB on 4017's whole signal chain. It could be your recorder's self noise amplified 10 dB louder. From what I experienced (what I hear in my ear), Schoeps has slightly louder self noise than 4017C, but given the fact on the manufacture's website, it is possible you get more noise with B version amp, that I didn't know (I don't use B). 4017C is in my opinion dead silent.

Surprised to hear that 4017 is noisier than Schoeps, because I found mine has hotter output and I have barely noticed its self noise. And now I looked at DPA's website and figured out that C amp has more voltage on output and has less self noise than B's.