Well, I finally put together a nice 3-transistor, 12-volt dynamic mic preamp for the audio portion of my home security DVR system I’ve mentioned here in the past. (Circuit by Andy Collinson: Circuit Exchange International website.) It works but, as predicted by someone here, my dynamic mic really isn’t right for the job. It’s fine if the sound source is close to the mic, but I need to clearly record a guy who occasionally walks by my home shooting his mouth off at me from about 20—30 feet away, or revving his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle engine. A test recording plays back like the mic is wrapped in a towel. I get a little bit of low end and almost no mid range or higher. This is not going to fly. I need something much more sensitive.
I’m prepared to build a preamp suited to a condenser mic. I could spend the money for a nice Shure mic, but the most sensitive ones are quite expensive and require 48 VDC “phantom power.” I’m wondering if, instead, I can buy a little electret condenser mic element and put something together. Problem is, I have doubts about the cheap ones sold at places like Radio Shack.
1) Do you know of someone selling good quality, sensitive mic elements for project builders?
2) Is it possible to gang together multiple cheap electrets to “pump up” the weak signal? I can see a bundle of, say, four of them. Would it take a mixer, or could they simply be wired together somehow?
Thanks
I’m prepared to build a preamp suited to a condenser mic. I could spend the money for a nice Shure mic, but the most sensitive ones are quite expensive and require 48 VDC “phantom power.” I’m wondering if, instead, I can buy a little electret condenser mic element and put something together. Problem is, I have doubts about the cheap ones sold at places like Radio Shack.
1) Do you know of someone selling good quality, sensitive mic elements for project builders?
2) Is it possible to gang together multiple cheap electrets to “pump up” the weak signal? I can see a bundle of, say, four of them. Would it take a mixer, or could they simply be wired together somehow?
Thanks