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November 2009 Meeting
The BAS is known for high-quality test clinics. During
our 37 years, we have set standards at our clinics for testing amplifiers,
preamplifiers, CD players, recording tape, headphones, and more. Some have
been adopted industry wide.
On November 21 we will hold another pace setting
series of tests in an effort to help consumers choose the best microphone
for recording or to establish a reference microphone.
Our literature search revealed that microphone testing
is almost a black art, and that manufacturers are reluctant to give you
all the known specifications for their microphones. There are numerous standards
but wide disagreement on how and what to measure that correlate to quality
playback in a listening room. We developed a set of traditional and nontraditional
tests that we felt would assist in characterizing the microphone's performance,
especially those parameters that correlate with subjective impressions.
The Microphone Clinic Committee, as usual, will include
tests that are typically not listed in published specifications but are
important in microphone quality. Our tests include: (1) frequency response,
(2) polar response, (3) Distortion, (4) Impulse Response, (5) SPL Overload,
(6) Sensitivity, and (7) the 'Pink Noise Field' test. The latter is a new
test and follows upon a suggestion discussed at the last AES Session in
NYC and by one of our BAS members.
Heading the test sites are well known professionals
and companies that have many years of experience in audio. Some of the participating
corporations and consultants include:
Neil Rubano, www.listeninc.com
Joe DeMarinis, www.winchesterlab.com
Herb Singleton, www.cross-spectrum.com/measurement/sample_projects.html
Keith Larson, www.woofertester.com
David Hadaway, www.dbsystemsaudio.com
Webmasters Note:
For your information and convenience, our own links pages has a listing
of nearly every microphone company on the planet, here: www.bostonaudiosociety.org/links6.htm
How Do I Sign-up/Participate?
The clinic will be held in Winchester, MA.
ADDRESS To Be Announced.
The Clinic Chairmen will have the ability to test about
30 microphones, one every 10 minutes. The costs will be $5 for each microphone.
We ask BAS members and non-members to submit for testing microphones that
most recording engineers would find interesting. We anticipate more request
than available times/spaces.
When you click on the email link HERE it will open a new email with the form
(shown below in BLUE)
already in place.
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Application for BAS Microphone
Test Clinic Request
Your Name_________________________________
E-mail Address _____________________________
Phone Number______________________________
Name of Microphone & Model Number__________________________________
Name of Power Supply and Model Number______________________________
Please bring your mic preamp if it is unique and required to test
your unit _____ yes/no
Please bring your mic preamp
if it is unique and required to test your unit _____ yes/no
My Best Available Time for Testing on Saturday, November 21____________
(We will notify you a week in advance of the actual time to arrive
at the clinic.)
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After all requests are received, you will receive an
e-mail designating the time to bring your microphone for testing. You will
be notified of the exact time to arrive with your microphone, power supply,
and, if unique to your microphone, the accompanying preamplifier and holder.
Our test stations are XLR (3-pin) based. If you require
special adaptors or cables, please bring them along. You will receive a
printed copy of your test results. We will notify you a week in advance
of the actual time to arrive at the clinic, and the address.
Alvin Foster
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