best battery-powered condenser mic???

[moogplayer]

Looking for a good condenser mic that can be powered via battery (for remote recordings, mostly for drum overheads). Anyone with recommendations? I believe some AudioTechnica mics can be powered by batteries. Thanks -

[PatrickBrown]

AKG C1000s, and Rode NT3 come to mind, but I'm not real versed in all the offerings extant. You might notice they seem to be all small dia.,,but there might be an LD out there I'm not familiar with. SD is what you'd want for the overheads, generally, anyway, if pairs are what you're after.

[Kyle]

This sounds like a job for The TapeOp mics!

[sashacasa]

i just saw an MXL V63M-BP the other day. don't know if they're any good but they're cheap as all hell. $70. i'd probably stay with the c1000. actually isn't there a CAD that's battery powered? it's multi pattern too. can't seem to remember 100%
tyler

[dwelle]

my cad e 100's have battery's, those mic's are so fucking weird.

the c1000 is probably the handiest battery powered condensor i can think of.

i'm sure there's more...

[Al]

A.k.g. c 1000...i'd say too....i've got a shure prologue 16L "pencil style, small diaphram"which i bought 10 years ago, obviously they have stopped making this series now but! you sometimes see them on ebay,a great little mic for acoustic guitars and really good as an overhead! "every drummer i've recorded loves this mic on their cymbals",and so do i as well...not expensive either!! second hand around 60 dollars in your cash!

[Professor]

No such thing - just get a battery powered phantom power supply and use your favorite microphone. Really though, there aren't many really good sounding battery mics. All the ones mentioned above are battery mics, but most are pretty average sounding. The AT-825 isn't bad for a stereo mic, but boy it sounds better running on phantom.
You can also buy a battery powered (usually two 9-volts) from AT, Rolls, and others for much cheaper than a new microphone.

-Jeremy

[thunderboy]

Nonsense.

Shure VP88
Neumann U87 (it's true-they're out there!)
CAD E100/200/350/others
...

jt

[dwelle]

how do the cads sound without phantom power? i've never tried mine without.

[Professor]

Oh sure there are mics out there including U-87s and a host of others. But getting a phantom power supply will let you use any microphone and that seems like a good way to go to me. Here is the one from Rolls that probably comes in around the $100 range or thereabouts.
http://www.rolls.com/new/pb224.html

-Jeremy

[jajjguy]

AT "spaceship" type PZM mics are great, run off a 9 volt, lasts forever. great fro room micing of drums or a group.

C1000 works great off a battery, maybe the best reason to have one.

CAD E200, i had one a long time ago, and i liked it pretty well, but the only time i ever tried to do a remote battery-powered recording, the batteries died real quick and the recording was useless.

the basic $100 sony stereo electret, sold for use with minidisc, isn't too bad, for what it is.

[thunderboy]

In theory, CAD mics should sound the same without the presence of phantom power, as they never actually run on it. The 48V is used to trickle charge the two 9V batteries, which in turn power the circuit. In other words, they are ALWAYS running on batteries.

jt

[wardshorsehead]

I think the idea of a battery powerd phantom unit ala Rolls is the best bet as you can then shop for any mic without the consideration of battery power.

Having said that, I picked up a pair of Audio Technica Midnight Blue series condensers (don't remember the number, but there is only one condenser in that line). Mars had commissioned a bunch to label as a house brand, but their demise ended that plan. I picked up a pair of these promo mics at Music-Go-Round for a song...maybe $60 for the pair? Great little mics...decent response, huge battery life. Good as overheads, ok on guitar, too bright for most vocals, excellent for room recording, i.e. rehearsals, etc. I use them occasionally with the tiny Behringer mixer (piece of shit basically) but works well to send the pair to mini-disc.

.02

frank

[dwelle]

i seem to remember having to leave one of my cad's on phantom power unused for a few hours to charge the batteries enough to even use it after it was left turned on...

[Al]

"Professor" No such thing - just get a battery powered phantom power supply and use your favorite microphone. Really though, there aren't many really good sounding battery mics.

Yeah right!