FAQ'S
1. Which microphone should be used
for recording natural sounds (o-Ton/ambient sound)? 2. Is it necessary to buy the
complete version, including the A 3 adapter for this purpose? 3. For which recordings should I
buy the more expensive complete version, including the A 3 adapter? 4. What does 96 dB sound like? 5. I am having bass-range
distortions even though I have the right settings (max. 0 dB)! 6. My microphone does not function
with my recording equipment! 7. Can I also use different
microphones with the A 3 adapter via my recorder’s LINE-IN jack? 8. For what purposes was the OKM
Pop/AV built, and how does it differ from the Classic version? 9. What does the “AV”
in this version stand for? 10. What are the differences
between the variant OKM II and the various Studio versions? 11. My OKM “Rock”
microphone gives feedback in quiet passages – is that normal? 13. Where should I stand when
recording a concert? 14. What applications is the OKM I intended for? 15. Will my pulse be recorded when
I wear the microphone in my ear? 16. Can I connect the OKM
microphone to my computer’s sound card? 18. Can OKM microphone recordings
be played on home stereo speakers? 1. Which microphone
should be used for recording natural sounds (o-Ton/ambient
sound)? All OKM Classic varieties
are suitable for this purpose, since they are the sensitive versions. When
recording natural sounds, the microphone must accurately record the acoustic
impressions of the person doing the recording. The sensitive Classic version
is required when attempting to record bird songs, for instance, since the
person doing the recording is often unable able to get as close as s/he wants
to the source of the sound. With very quiet sources of sound and/or very
large distances, the sensitive microphone jack of the recording equipment should
be used. Yet despite this, a certain
amount of microphone preamplifier feedback may not be able to be avoided (depending
on the type of equipment used). 2. Is it necessary to
buy the complete version, including the A 3 adapter for this purpose? No, the respective solo
version is sufficient, since the 96 dB distortion threshold is
rarely reached during these recordings. 3. For which
recordings should I buy the more expensive complete version, including the A
3 adapter? Almost all portable
recording equipment has a T-feed, which supplies the microphone with 1.6 V
power. However, this voltage is only sufficient for a volume of 96 dB. For
higher decibel levels, the microphone need to be
supplied with a higher voltage, which is supplied by the adapter. 4. What does 96 dB sound like? This would
be, roughly speaking, the volume of a woodwind instrument at a distance of 1
meter. 5. I am having
bass-range distortions even though I have the right settings (max. 0 dB)! The energy supplied to
the microphone via the T-feed is not sufficient to process the bass tones.
Either the adapter must be used, or for very high volumes, the
“Rock” version must be selected. 6. My microphone does
not function with my recording equipment! It is very rare,
but there is recording equipment that is not equipped with power supply for
microphones (T-feed - plug in power -). In this case, the A 3 must be used
both for the Mic jack and for the LINE IN jack. 7. Can I also use
different microphones with the A 3 adapter via my recorder’s LINE-IN
jack? Unfortunately not, since, to our knowledge, the OKM microphone, together with the A 3
adapter, is the only “Elektret”
microphone that works via the Line-in jack. The adapter is coordinated with
the OKM microphone, and will only work if there is a preamplifier together
with it. 8. For what purposes
was the OKM Pop/AV built, and how does it differ from the Classic version? All Pop/AV OKM
microphones are 3 dB less sensitive than the Classic version. This allows them to be used for higher
volumes, where only the “Rock” version would otherwise provide
undistorted recordings. 9. What does the
“AV” in this version stand for? The new
digital camera technology presented many users with the problem of obtaining
sound quality that was as good as the picture quality. Since all digital
cameras (except for professional versions) are only equipped with automatic
sound regulators, this automatic regulation has caused problems. This is especially the case for highly
sensitive microphones such as the OKM Classic, and particularly when dealing
with highly dynamic sound sources. Here, the somewhat less sensitive OKM II PoP/AV, without the A 3 adapter, should be used, as long
as there is T-feed via the microphone jack. 10. What are the differences
between the variant OKM II and the various Studio versions? The respective Studio
variants are selected microphones with channel synchronisation of less than
0.5 dB between the left and right. This selection takes place in the
frequencies relevant for stereo listening. The result is minimised channel
deviation which provides more transparent sound, especially for recordings that
are made in areas with good acoustics. 11. My OKM
“Rock” microphone gives feedback in quiet passages – is
that normal? Unfortunately,
yes. The “Rock” version is only made for very high volumes, and
should only be used for such volumes. 12. I have a Sony SBM
20Bit adapter for my portable DAT recorder. Can I connect the OKM microphone
directly? 13. Where should I
stand when recording a concert? Generally,
you should stand near the mixer, which is normally located in the centre of
the room. Since all Original Headset microphones make spatial recordings,
room acoustics is a substantial determinant of recording quality. 14. What applications is OKM I intended for? The OKM I has
a worse level of channel deviation and sensitivity than version II. It is is intended
for recording speech and music for analogue recording devices and dictation
recorders. The OKM II and other versions above up are recommended for high-quality
digital recording devices, such as the relatively inexpensive minidisk
recorders. 15. Will my pulse be
recorded when I wear the microphone in my ear? No, the microphone capsules hang freely, and have no direct contact with the ear. 16. Can I connect the
OKM microphone to my computer’s sound card? As with MC recorders, the microphone jacks of sound cards are generally equipped with T-feed. Therefore, OKM microphones will also work with sound cards 17. I would like to
connect my OKM with A 3 adapter to my home stereo system. How can that be
done and how can I prevent the A 3’s battery power from constantly
going down? The adapter only needs to
be equipped with a 3.5 mm coupling on 2 x chinch in order to be connected to
all Line-In jacks on a home stereo system. The adapter can be run on a power
supply instead of with the battery. In order to do this, just remove the
battery, and connect 6 – 10 V power (banana clamps) to the battery
springs. If possible, a stabilised power supply unit should be used in order
to avoid interference. 18. Can OKM microphone
recordings be played on home stereo speakers? If the OKM microphone was worn in the ears while the recording was made, earphone playback
is recommended, as this will allow for exact 3-D spatial playback. Since all
OKM microphones are corrected for the free sound field, the recordings can
also be played via a stereo system.
However, this will not provide the same spatial effect as headphones. |
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