Constantin

15dBA is pretty low for a small diaphragm, but I was talking about sensitivity. It's producing 50mV where others produce 10-19. that means less gain needs to be applied and thus less noise. But I also hadn't considered the three capsules which may be the reason for ghe high output, but which may also create more noise.

If the choice is now between a KMR81 and an NTG-3, I would choose the 81, too. Although buying a used mic could be risky. Buying a new NTG-3 will still be cheaper than a used 81. so you'll have money to spend on a got windjammer, etc. With regards to the DPAs clipping, that serms highly unlikeky, even with the 4060. there must have been something wrong with your setup. Wrong setting, wrong adapter, faulty cable, faulty mic. Whatever, there are many possibilities

Just out of interest and because it fits into this thread: Shouldn't the CSe3 be really quiet, too? I have never used one, but it's got a pretty high sensitivity rating

That's weird, because if you check out the diagrams on Sanken's own website you will see very distinct rear lobes on the CS1 and 2. It's all freq dependent of course, but the same applies to any normal shotgun. The SuperCMIT does have a rear lobe in preset 1, but it's considerably smaller than without it. I'm not all that concerned about rear lobes, to be honest. Most of the time the butt of the mic points up towards the ceiling. Not much noise to be expected there. Except planes and reverb, but it is important to remember there is a rear lobe. Usually.

What do you mean by mode 2? AES42 mode?

Wow, that's intersting! I didn't know that. Now I would really like to try the Sanken! And just when i had decided to save up for the SuperCMIT. Another mic that doesn't have a rear lobe, but only in mode 2, which is not really useful. Looking at the polar response diagram of the Sanken, the pickup looks very wide, more like a cardioid, yet you guys say that off-axis attenuation is really good. That's really interesting. That could be a reason why it sounds so nice in boomy rooms.

I am interested in it, too, but can't find out much about it, either. And it's not in Schoeps website anymore (it used to be), which makes think they have discontinued it

You said you've fixed it all now, so this may be moot, but in the first picture it clearly shows that input one, where your mic is connected to, is set to line. This should be set to mic

Oh my, that was a no-brainer! Thank you! So it was worth it posting it here. Now, where did I leave my brain?...

And while they're fiddling with the software, please make the LEDs brightness on the CL-9 follow that on the 788. why can I only change one of them? I know, I know <cap>, but there it is now

I don't get it. On a non-never-clip machine, what do you do in a very dynamic scene, where someone whispers then shouts? You either bring down the gain for the entire scene, or just for the loud part. In the first case, post will have to bring it all back up again, and do sonething to the loud part so that it fits well. Same goes for NeverClip. I don't see a problem. It's the mixer's choice which way he does it. In the second case, by the way, post would not have to bring any levels back up, but dynamic range would have been lost.

Well yes... And no. Both describe dynamic ranges. Both from quiet to loud, one equal to sound pressure levels, the other not equal but related to it. It still means pretty much the same thing. But... I wasn't quite serious anyway. And I def would not want to hear those levels the DPA can transmit.

I wonder if the DPA 4017 could clip the NeverClip?

I don't know where you're getting this from. The 416 has got a rear-lobe, too, and it shows clearly in the diagram. To my knowledge, a hyper-cardioid pickup pattern can't be built without a rear-lobe. And the freq responso, too, the 416 has got a clear and large bump starting at around 2,5kHz. That's partly responsible for that famous 416 sound. I personally prefer the MKH60 over the 416. I worked with a rented SuperCmit for about 6 weeks last year. It does not quite work like regular noise reduction, which can sometimes sound like a compressor, bringing up the background noise when there is a single louder noise. It reduces sudden spikes quite well, but it is better for steady things. Personally, I wouldn't really want it any other way, because I do not want it to alter the sound of screeching tyres, while I still want it to reduce the gurgling river or whatever.

Yes, I think you're right, although personally, I've never had a cable come off. Now I've switched to Ultrasone and I really like the connector. It locks solidly and I can easily replace the cable. Great that's catching on. Also I think providing two cables out of the box is great. I like mine short and straight, but others like'em long and curly (that sentence sounds weird on its own).

The whole cable deal (the connector with locking mechanism, the two cables coiled and straight) sounds very similar to what Ultrasone does

I used to agree, too, at first, but now I've come to like it. I've trained myself to be able to do the required gain moves as needed. You can fine-tune gain the easiest. I find this useful for setting a stereomic to exactly the same level. If I do a really fast turn, it only moves a few dBs. And when doing a medium fast turn, i can get across the entire range in one move. I do agree though, that it would be great to have a menu option to be able to set the bevaviour of the pots And i would like to be able to switch pots and faders for those jobs where no mix is required. Many wishes, but that's probably all just software stuff.

In that case, why don't you inquire about it, here? When I bought my boom mic (CMIT, by the way) I asked the shop to send me a different types so I could try them out at least for a day or two. Maybe a shop will do that for, too? If the shop is out of the country, too, you may have to pay for both of them first, though, but should be able to return one of them, if they'll agree.

Rent or borrow both, compare, decide. A lot about choosing a mic is like choosing an instrument: it's down to your own personal taste.

Yes, the SuperCMIT is noisier than expected. Its noise specs are similar to the analogue version, which is not the quietest mic in the world. You surely know this, but the SuperCMIT has got its own output settings. I think it can boost or cut by 30dB. Maybe you've got it on the wrong setting?

I can't imagine it to be an issue with the Nomad. That would make the whole NeverClip thing a lot less useful. Did you actually listen to the other guy's recordings? I bet that they are just as noisy, but the other guys just wouldn't consider it a problem.

I suppose that's the bit that irritates me. Justin's analogy comparing it to the Pro Tools mixer is indeed quite helpful. The difference is, however, that ProTools never calls this, or PT users think of this as going above 0dBFS. Calling it 0dBFS may help to understand the difference between the inputs and the Isos, but it also creates confusion amongst users. The NeverClip input/AD stage should've been called 0dBFS and the ISO stage should've been called -6, -12, or whatever. One other nit-picky thing I'd like to mention: NeverClip provides a dynamic range of 137dB, not 144dB as mentioned by Justin before. At least that's what it says on the Zax website. 137 is still plenty, though. Mark, I don't think NeverClip will cause as much confusion as timecode. There is no need really to educate the editor or whoever. They will apply gain to everything they'll find too quiet. That's what they do now and what they will do then. So I really don't see a problem. Especially since with NeverClip the quality will not deteriorate when applying gain.

I couldn't agree more. I really prefer the sound of the 744T. Especially its limiters. I don't know why they didn't use the same ones on the 788T. I still prefer the 788T, though, if only for the CL-9. (or CL-8 depending on my job).

Yes, you are right about this of course. The capsule is probably the main factor, but certainly the preamp does play an important role, too, and digital mics will be quieter. I should've known this, since I am a great believer (although not owner) in digital mics.

I think not, as NeverClip is an A/D converter.