Mics for field recording

[SoundFNR@aol.com]

Beware the Sony stereo mics.
I've looked inside 3 of these.(and tried them out)
Two of them had a really strange capsule arrangement, 2 cardiod 
transducers 
pointing in opposite directions. That may be usable in some cases, but 
will 
never give a 'proper' stereo image, and in fact is not one of the many 
'officially accepted' set ups for stereo.
One of those mics was fixable with a small file, a screwdriver, and some 
pliers. 
The other was unchangable( an old dynamic job that only cost me a tenner). 
The third mic had one transducer pointing forwards, and the other, (which 
would nominally be figure 8, but actually closely resembled the other 
capsule) was pointing sidewards. This was just an awful sounding mic, I 
was 
offered it for free and declined. 

These mics can sometimes be bought secondhand very cheaply, in which case 
they're probably worth it. 
But some of the list prices (and second hand prices) are just not worth it.

I guess Sony just don't have the mic expertise.

If your going to spend a bit, get a Beyer or a Sennheiser, firms that have 
been making good mics for years. 

Disclaimer- I've heard some folks praise their particular Sony mic, and I 
haven't heard (or disassembled) them all.

On a budget(30 GBP), Studiospares do a lapel mounting stereo job which is 
actually very useable. (as long as you don't use the supplied battery 
pack). 
  
andy butler