$260
MicSupply.com is please to offer Core Sound's Stealthy Cardioid microphones. The Stealthy Cardioids are a pair of matched miniature condensor microphones especially suited for recording situations where you are distant from the sound source, recording in a venue with an inherent bass boom, and/or want to exclude crowd noise. They are specifically designed for recording very loud concerts from the audience.
Unlike our very popular Core Sound Binaural microphones, the Stealthy Cardioids are designed to *not* have a flat frequency response. Their slightly peaked high frequency response is ideal for recording from afar, and their gentle bass frequency roll-off is perfect for audience recordings from sound reinforcement systems in large halls. Their cardioid (heart-shaped) pickup pattern works wonders at eliminating much of the crowd noise that an omnidirectional microphone can't help but record. (These same features make the Stealthy Cardioids less suitable for binaural recording or for stereo recordings when a flat frequency response is necessary -- use our Binaurals in these situations.)
The Stealthy Cardioids are provided as a matched pair and provide a level of sonic performance and stealthiness unmatched in their price range. Their transient response is clean and fast, typical of condensor microphones. They provide a very pleasing frequency balance and the ability to record tremendously loud sounds with very low levels of distortion. When combined with portable DAT and Mini-Disk recorders (e.g., Sony TCD-D8, PCM-M1 and MZ-R900) they make a very small, rugged, easy-to-use and good sounding recording setup.
Core Sound microphones are used by professional and for-pleasure tapers all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, China, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, Italy, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Poland and others.
The Core Sound Stealthy Cardioids are engineered with the same extensive modifications that give the Core Sound Binaurals their ability to record extremely loud sounds without distorting.
DESCRIPTION AND MOUNTING OPTIONS
The two microphone cartridges are each mounted in their own satin-black metal shell. The shell is approximately the size of a jelly bean: roughly a quarter-inch (.6cm) in diameter and a half-inch (1.2 cm) long. Being all metal, the microphone mounts are very durable. The black finish is heat-fused plastic and is much more durable than paint. Removable black foam, light duty windscreens are provided. Heavy duty windscreens are available.
The microphone cable enters the shell from the side. The shell can have either a fixed or a removable miniature alligator clip attached to its base. The clip can be used to attach the microphones to any convenient mounting surface, including your eyeglasses, lapels, collar, shoulder, hats, headband, lighting grids and many others. The alligator clips are finished in black and their handles are covered with a pliable black plastic. The fixed clip is permanently fastened to the microphone shell. The removable clip sits on a black nylon disk that snaps into and out of the microphone shell.
A very flexible shielded cable (designed expecially for us) exits the microphone. The cables from the two microphones join into a single cable roughly twelve inches from the microphones. The cable runs for six feet and terminates in a high reliability locking multi-pin connector; also connected to the multi-pin connector (in a "Y") is a two foot cable terminating in a gold-plated mini-stereo 1/8"/3.5mm phone plug -- other connectors can be supplied on request.
If necessary, the cable can be easily split for its entire length, so that the microphones can be separated as much as 12-feet apart. This is especially useful if you use the microphones for interviews: one microphone can be mounted on the interviewer and the other on the interviewee.
For those who need a right angle plug, we offer a right angle adapter that adds onto the 1/8" plug.
The microphones are very small and unobtrusive. When the cable is routed down a shirt or sweater, there's little evidence that you are creating a very high fidelity recording of a sound event. (We strongly recommend that before you record, you obtain permission to do so.)
SPECIFICATIONS
The Core Sound Stealthy Cardioid microphones have a frequency response of from 40 Hz to 18 kiloHertz. They have a slightly rising frequency response over that range with the exception of a slight (2 dB) peak between 9 kHz and 12 kiloHertz and a bass response fall off of roughly 6 dB per octave starting at 100 Hertz. (The bass response is very similar to our Core Sound Binaural microphones' with the bass roll-off filter).
We match the microphone pair to within one dB of each other. One of our modifications alters the microphone's sensitivity to approximately -70 dB (0 dB = 1 Volt per microbar), making them ideally suited for recording extremely loud sound sources without danger of overloading your mic pre-amp. This very low sensitivity makes these mics less suitable for recording quiet sound sources. The microphones have a cardioid pickup pattern, rejecting sounds that are 90 degrees off-axis by at least 6 dB and at 180 degrees by at least 20 dB (measured at 1 kHz).
Thanks to our modifications, the microphones have an undistorted dynamic range of over 90 dB, compared to the unmodified capsules' approximately 60 dB dynamic range. They will handle sound pressure levels of more than 138 dB. They are designed to operate into a nominal impedance of between 4.7 and 10 KiloOhms. (If you need other impedances, please contact us.) Their self-noise level is approximately 35 dBA. This is far below the ambient noise level at concerts. (Note that the self-noise specification also makes these mics not especially suitable for recording very quiet sound sources.)
The Core Sound Stealthy Cardioid microphones require a bias voltage that is supplied by its accompanying battery box, the same that is supplied with Core Sound Binaural "battery box" microphones. Powered by a standard 9 Volt alkaline transistor radio battery, the box also contains associated electronics (top quality metallized polypropylene capacitors hand matched to 1%, and 1% metal film resistors) and a high reliability, US-made locking multi-pin connector. The battery box itself is roughly half the size of a cigarette pack, is made of sturdy die cast aluminum, and is finished in a durable black crinkle finish. The battery lasts approximately 500 hours and should be replaced at least once a year. The output to the recorder is a mini stereo phone plug; other connectors can be supplied upon request.
RECORDING AND CARE TIPS
The microphones should be aimed toward the sound source.
When recording loud sound sources with your CSB microphones we recommend using your recorder's low sensitivity (-20 dB) setting. When recording very loud sound sources with the "battery box" set, use your recorder's line level inputs.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the battery box connector when not in use.
Avoid installations that would abrade or cut the cable. Do not clip the microphones to their cable and do not severely bend the cables at the points where they enter the microphone cartridge shells.
The cable can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
USAGE TIPS
When recording loud sound sources with your CSB Stealthy Cardioid microphones, we recommend using your recorder's mic inputs with the low sensitivity (-20 dB) setting. When recording extremely loud sound sources, use your recorder's line level inputs.
For best performance, keep the vent holes at the base of the microphones fee and clear.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the battery box connector when not in use.
Avoid installations that would abrade or cut the cable. Do not clip the microphones to their cable and do not severely bend the cables at the points where they enter the microphone cartridge shells.
The cable can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
If you find that you need a longer cable, we can supply a 15-foot extension cable made using the same cable we use for our microphones. It has a gold-plated stereo miniplug on one end and a stereo mini-jack on the other.
RECORDING AND CARE TIPS
When recording loud sound sources with your CSB microphones we recommend using your recorder's low sensitivity (-20 dB) setting. When recording exteremly very loud sound sources, either use an external attenuator cable (available from Core Sound) or use your recorder's line level inputs.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the microphones from the battery box when not in use.
Avoid installations that would abrade or cut the cable. Do not clip the microphones to their cable and do not severely bend the cables at the points where they enter the microphone cartridge shells.
The cable can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
$260