[CARRION FEAST]

Hello - I'm experimenting with binaural recording atm and already have electret condenser mics & getting good results but have been researching the Roland CS-10RM's for some clandestine recording at concerts etc. I've read and listened to reviews and recordings on other sites and am so far impressed. I'm just looking for any valuable insight from any binaural headfiers who may have used these mics. Thanks for reading.

 

[Mkubota1]

I just picked up a set of binaural microphones myself:  http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/MS-TFB-2
I tried them on my last trip and I'm quite happy with the results.  I love how unobtrusive the process is- not like shooting still photos or video.  You just put them on and walk around!  But it didn't take long to figure out that there were some definite dos and don'ts.  For example, it's better to try not to turn your head so much while recording, and you should try to avoid the wind as much as possible.
 
I'm using mine with a Sony PCM-M10 recorder and recording at CD quality (44.1/16).  I noticed on a few occasions that I would pick-up a faint buzz that sounded like some sort of interference from another wireless device (just a guess).  I haven't been able to reproduce the buzz; so I'm not sure if it was some sort of external interference or I was thinking that maybe it was the microphones themselves.  Perhaps they aren't receiving adequate power or the shielding on the cable is poor.  So I am considering trying out the Roland microphones.  The ones I have are over the ear which means they have almost no microphonics; but they can be a little hard to put in.  The Rolands look like they're easy to put in just like IEMs.  But I do worry about microphonics and I hear it's not good to monitor while you're recording- which I won't do anyway.  That's the other good thing about the microphones I have- they're so small and they do not completely block your ear canal so you can hear almost like normal.

 

[CARRION FEAST]

I just picked up a set of binaural microphones myself:  http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/MS-TFB-2
I tried them on my last trip and I'm quite happy with the results.  I love how unobtrusive the process is- not like shooting still photos or video.  You just put them on and walk around!  But it didn't take long to figure out that there were some definite dos and don'ts.  For example, it's better to try not to turn your head so much while recording, and you should try to avoid the wind as much as possible.
 
I'm using mine with a Sony PCM-M10 recorder and recording at CD quality (44.1/16).  I noticed on a few occasions that I would pick-up a faint buzz that sounded like some sort of interference from another wireless device (just a guess).  I haven't been able to reproduce the buzz; so I'm not sure if it was some sort of external interference or I was thinking that maybe it was the microphones themselves.  Perhaps they aren't receiving adequate power or the shielding on the cable is poor.  So I am considering trying out the Roland microphones.  The ones I have are over the ear which means they have almost no microphonics; but they can be a little hard to put in.  The Rolands look like they're easy to put in just like IEMs.  But I do worry about microphonics and I hear it's not good to monitor while you're recording- which I won't do anyway.  That's the other good thing about the microphones I have- they're so small and they do not completely block your ear canal so you can hear almost like normal.

Thanks for the reply, I've looked at those mic's & was curious about their sound quality. I ended up getting the Rolands & have a Sony PCM-M10 as well and have been using them for a few weeks now - I've been recording at 24bit 48KHZ (after much research) and using manual leveling with some really great results. They pair up really well with the Sony and have an excellent range, my only concern is the bass sometimes (I tried the low-cut filter but felt it removed too much background- esp when recording outside), but that's only really a problem when there's a construction site or low flying planes etc nearby, so I'm just more picky about when & where I record. Overall I recommend it, some of the recordings I've made are surprisingly good for the set-up, better than alot of samples I've heard. The biggest problem so far has been wind as you said, the Rolands are pretty sensitive to even a light breeze, but again it comes down to picking the right time & place, also I found that setting the recording level so that the loudest sound hits around -10 to -5 or 6dB stops any clipping & got some great storm recordings. I'm thinking now that I might revisit the sound professional's site, they have some pretty cool mics, I'm pretty certain that I'm addicted to this for a while now

 

[Mkubota1]

I tried the low-cut filter too.  While it may have cut some wind noise (inside subway stations), I think it took away too much from the recording.  The low frequencies that these microphones pick up is pretty amazing and it definitely adds to the 'realness' of the recording.  They sell windscreens for the mics, but they look a little odd and take away some of the stealth factor when wearing them.  I have to play with my recorder a little bit more and try different controls and settings.  It's definitely a fun toy and project to work on and relatively cheap compared to half of the stuff around here.  Although like anything I suppose you can go crazy and get a PCM-D1 and some custom microphones. 

 

[LFF]

Quote:

I tried the low-cut filter too.  While it may have cut some wind noise (inside subway stations), I think it took away too much from the recording.  The low frequencies that these microphones pick up is pretty amazing and it definitely adds to the 'realness' of the recording.  They sell windscreens for the mics, but they look a little odd and take away some of the stealth factor when wearing them.  I have to play with my recorder a little bit more and try different controls and settings.  It's definitely a fun toy and project to work on and relatively cheap compared to half of the stuff around here.  Although like anything I suppose you can go crazy and get a PCM-D1 and some custom microphones. 

The best way to cut down on wind noise is to use a dead cat. Not a real non-living cat but a screen called a dead cat. Depending on your microphone, you can make a dead cat rather stealthy and discrete and still have amazing recordings. A low-cut filter gets rid of too much information at times and isn't the best option to use. If you are actually wearing the mics like IEM's, I would suggest you make a dead cat that looks like ear muffs.

 

[nick gladwin]

Hey guys, i was wondering if you could offer me a bit of advice, im torn between buying either the sound professionals MS-TFB-2 binaural mics or the Roland cs10em's as i noticed both have been mentioned on here i was just wondering if anyone could offer a comparison im going to use them for location recording and sound design mostly but may take them along to a few local gigs as well
 
any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated

 

[Lad3]

ROLAND CS-10EM & Tascom DR-05: a simple, direct, no-brainer budget combo.
 
I got spectacular, dynamic results the very first time recording low key music, street and nature sounds at 16/44 WAV files played back on my laptop, ipad, M90 (Kogan) and uploaded to Soundcloud (look for Lad3 binaural). No noise, hiss or feedback was observed, (tho the only time I experimented with an mpeg recording, I thought I heard maybe a little skipping or glitches played back thru the unit). I just stick with WAV for now.
 
Some observations about playback:
 
The Rolands are OK for what they're designed for: simple monitoring.
SQ playback thru the Tascom and the Rolands was barely adequate (but still impressed the heck out of a Jazz duo I had just recorded with it).
 
But what I found is there's a difference between what kinds of sounds you play thru a quality source player and what headphones you use:
 
- My Monk Plus is perfect for listening to "audio Illusion" recordings - whereas you are listening back to something you just recorded in the same room (my favorite test is record simply knocking on the wall next to you - the playback result is startling!) Also, another favorite is listening to a thunderstorm on them. The open airy quality of the earbuds makes you forget you're wearing them and mixes with the room's ambience well, like it's really going on while you are looking around the space you're in. You can probably play some fun pranks on people while they're wearing them!
 
- OTOH, the isolation of a quality IEM earphone has the opposite effect - it transports you away from your present surroundings into another setting, (whereas the ear bud's admission of room air and ambience could be distracting). IEMs let you hear the deeper and quieter sounds from another place, so you can close your eyes and focus on them . I imagine quality over-the-ear cans would do the same, but I'd think their weight could be a little more distracting at first.