User manual AEA ISOLOOP 10-30

[. . . ] However since using phantom power with a faulty or miswired cable or a defective supply can cause severe damage to the transducer, we recommend avoiding the use of phantom power with your ISOLOOP 10-30 as a general rule. 4) Protect the microphone from wind blasts. The ribbon element in your ISOLOOP 10-30 is well-protected from the normal wind blasts that may occur when making amp, instrument and vocal recordings, but it is still possible to damage the ribbon by careless use and positioning. [. . . ] A simple check is to place your hand where you would like to put the mic. Make sure that you can't feel any "wind" against your palm. An inexpensive pop filter can be very helpful to avoid damaging wind blasts and the associated noise that they will produce in the recording. Getting the Most Out of Your ISOLOOP 10-30 Preamplifiers Here are a few specs to look for in a mic preamp which will match well with your ISOLOOP 10-30: - Abundant gain (at least 60dB clean gain) - Low noise (EIN -127dB or better) - High input impedance (we suggest at least 1. 5 kOhm for good bass performance) Active ribbon mic designs can help alleviate the gain demands on your preamp, but this approach results in increased cost, somewhat limited dynamic range and a slight degradation of sound caused by internal electronics. Active electronics also remove the variable interaction between the mic element and the preamplifier. Several excellent preamplifiers are built with variable input impedance, and when coupled with passive designs like the ISOLOOP 10-30, a significant variety of sounds and colors are available to the sonic experimentalist. NOTE: The fundamental design tradeoff of a dynamic microphone is bandwidth vs. With close micing applications in mind, the ISOLOOP 10-30 was engineered with as much bandwidth as we could squeeze out of a large ribbon design. The tradeoff then is that a lot of gain may be required for recording low level sources. You will need a preamp with 60-65dB of clean gain to get a healthy level on quiet vocal recordings. Using the Figure-8 Pattern The bidirectional (or "figure-8") mic pattern of the ISOLOOP 10-30 is a powerful recording tool. The ISOLOOP 10-30 also sounds very cool on acoustic guitar. Place the mic 4-8 inches over the lower bout pointed towards the bridge for a sound with good low end, clear midrange and excellent pick articulation. Vocals Use the ISOLOOP 10-30 for a warm, clear vocal sound. The smoothness of the ISOLOOP 10-30's treble response means that creative vocal EQ is easy on the ears, and the vocal sound may be extensively shaped and processed without risk of nasty resonance artifacts. As mentioned above, you will need a relatively quiet and high gain preamp to make vocal recordings with the ISOLOOP 10-30. See the section above labeled "Getting the Most Out of Your ISOLOOP 10-30" for details. Start with the singer 4 to 6 inches directly on axis from the microphone. The ribbon is well protected from potentially damaging plosive blasts, but to avoid the mechanical noise caused in the mic cavity by a wind blast, you will probably want to use an inexpensive pop filter. Percussion The ISOLOOP 10-30 also sounds cool micing a conga or hand drum. Start with the mic about 6 inches from the head, and adjust distance for the bass content desired. You should be able to get a good mix of hand "slap" and a natural reproduction of the tone of the drum as well. [. . . ] Try using the ISOLOOP 10-30 as a room mic to 3 to 6 feet in front of a drum kit. You can get an ambient drum track by pointing the null plane of the ISOLOOP 10-30 at the kit, so virtually all of the sound captured by the mic is indirectly reflected from the walls of the recording room. The figure-8 polar pattern of the ISOLOOP 10-30 is an extremely powerful tool for isolating the best aspects of your recording room from those which are less flattering. [. . . ]