| Core Sound |
(All of our mics now come with black clips, and a right angle plug is now available as an option!)
The Core Sound Binaural (CSB) microphones provide a level of sonic performance unmatched in their price range. When concerts and lectures recorded using the CSB microphones are played back on quality headphones the fidelity is simply startling. The ambience of the recording site is preserved faithfully. Localization of instruments is extremely precise. Their transient response is clean and fast, typical of condensor microphones, and they provide very solid bass and crystalline highs. One customer, a very knowledgeable and well travelled recordist, says that they compare very favorably with the binaural microphone set offered by Sennheiser at more than four times the price. Others have favorably compared them to Neumann and Nakamichi products.
The microphones are very unobtrusive; many customers have called them "stealthy." When in place, they look like eyeglass retainers, the devices that athletes and librarians use to ensure that their glasses don't fall off. The microphones themselves are amazingly small. When the cord is routed down a shirt or sweater, there's little evidence that you are creating a very high fidelity recording of a sound event. (We strongly recommend that before you record, you obtain permission to do so.)
CSB microphones have been sold to customers all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Serbia, South Africa and many others.
The microphone cable can enter the shell in one of two locations: the side or the bottom. We now offer three mounting options: two for the side cable entry and one for the bottom cable entry.
For the side cable option, the shell can have either a fixed (included in our standard mic set) or a removable miniature alligator clip (optional) attached to its base. The clip can be used to attach the microphones to any convenient mounting surface, including your eyeglasses, lapels, collar, shoulder, hats, headband, lighting grids and many others. The alligator clips are finished in black and their handles are covered with a pliable black plastic. The fixed clip is permanently fastened to the microphone shell. The removable clip sits on a black nylon disk that snaps into and out of the microphone shell.
For the bottom cable option, the cable enters the shell from the bottom of the shell, on the surface opposite the microphone face. This allows you to easily insert the microphones into a set of elastic eyeglass holders ("Croakies"), sew them in a bandana or mount them in a hat. They have no alligator clips so you have to be creative about how you plan to mount them. You can use velcro strips, double sided foam tape or whatever you can dream up!
A very flexible shielded cable exits the base of each tube toward the rear of your head. The cables from the two microphones join into a single cable roughly twelve inches from the microphones. The cable runs for six feet and terminates in a high reliability, multi-pin locking connector for the connection to the battery box; also connected to the multi-pin connector (in a "Y") is a two foot cable terminating in a gold-plated mini-stereo straight 1/8" (3.5mm) phone plug -- other connectors can be supplied on request. (October 4, 2002: A high quality right angle plug is now available as an option.)
If necessary, the cable can be easily split for its entire length, so that the microphones can be separated as much as 12-feet apart. This is especially useful if you use the microphones for interviews: one microphone can be mounted on the interviewer and the other on the interviewee.
For binaural recordings the cartridges are aimed outward (not forward) much as your ears are. This copies the human ear, ensures a true binaural pickup pattern, and accurately captures sonic information coming from all directions.
The microphones can also be used as a classic stereo (not binaural) "spaced array" with each microphone placed eighteen inches to two feet from the other. One user says that this configuration provides excellent stereo imaging. This fellow clips his microphones to the light grid over his club's stage. Another user clips the microphones to the shoulders of his jacket.
Before Core Sound's modifications, the Matsushita cartridge's frequency response is specified flat within 1 dB from less than 40 Hertz to more than 15 kiloHertz. Typically they are within 1 dB up to 20 kiloHertz and down less than 5 dB at 30 Hertz. After modification, the modified cartridges sound better than that, typically within 1 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hertz. We match the pair to within one dB of each other. Sensitivity of the modified cartridges is approximately -66 dB (0 dB = 1 Volt per microbar). The microphones are nominally omnidirectional but their pickup pattern is modified by the absorption and reflection characteristics of your head and outer ears. Their noise level is typical of 1/4-inch electret condensor microphones, approximately 30 dBA. This is comfortably below the noise level of the Sony DAT and MD recorders' microphone pre-amplifiers and the ambient noise level at concerts. Thanks to our modifications, the CS Binaural mic set has a dynamic range of over 90 dB. They are designed to operate into a nominal impedance of 10 KiloOhms.
The CSBs provide the highest sound quality (e.g., when using a DAT recorder), and very low distortion operation at the high sound pressure levels typical of rock concerts (from 110 db to 140 dB SPL). In addition to the two matched microphones, the CSBs come with a battery box containing a nine volt battery, associated electronics (top quality metallized polypropylene capacitors hand matched to 1%, and 1% metal film resistors) and a high reliability, locking multi-pin connector. Use of the battery box allows us to modify the microphone cartridges for much improved linearity (less distortion) and expanded dynamic range. The battery box is not a pre-amp; it simply provides the correct voltage to power the mics and also houses the optional bass roll-off filter.
The battery box is roughly half the size of a cigarette pack, is made of sturdy die cast aluminum, and is finished in a durable black crinkle finish. The battery lasts approximately 500 hours and should be replaced at least once a year. (Be sure to disconnect the microphones from the battery box when they are not in use.) The output to the recorder is a mini stereo phone plug; other connectors can be supplied upon request.
To address this we offer two battery boxes with bass roll-off filters. One has a fixed-response bass roll-off filter. The other offers a switchable filter.
The switchable box has a very high quality, locking mini-toggle switch mounted on the outside of the box under the mini-XLR jack. It is switched between flat response and the bass filter response very easily, but the locking toggle lever must be pulled outward to switch filter positions, and so can't be accidentally switched.
When used with recorders like the Sony PCM-M1 and TCD-D8, the bass roll-off filter rolls off frequencies below 120 Hertz at 6 dB/octave.
In general, we don't recommend that you have only the bass roll-off filter unless you regularly note too much bass in your recordings. If you want to be able to select between a flat and a rolled-off response, we recommend having the switchable box, or two fixed-response battery boxes on hand: one that's flat and one that has the roll-off filter.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the microphones from the battery box when not in use.
Avoid installations that would abrade or cut the cable. Do not clip the microphones to their cable and do not severely bend the cables at the points where they enter the microphone cartridge shells.
The cable can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
One of the most important features that make our mics special are the modifications we perform on the mic capsules. No other manufacturer offers such modifications. The modifications add over 20 dB of dynamic range, dramatically reduces distortion at higher sound pressure levels, flattens the frequency response, reduces the microphones' self-noise (hiss), and better matches the microphones' sensitivity to popular DAT and MD recorders' microphone pre-amps to eliminate mic pre-amp overload problems. The results are crystal clear recordings of even the loudest concerts, recordings that capture the fine details of delicate musical passages and low noise.
Comparing our Core Sound Binaural mics to a pair of mics with unmodified microphone capsules, here's what one customer said:
I have recorded about 10 hours worth of music with either set of microphones on a Sony MD R-50 [MZ-R50] recorder. Both sets of mikes worked very well. I record classical chamber and ensemble music concerts played by myself or my friends, for our own personal use. I also plan to use recording to help in practicing and rehearsals.
While you seem to advertise the primary advantage of the [Core Sound Binaural] mikes as being in recording very loud sound sources, I hear a clear increase in sound clarity and a clear decrease in the noise level with the [CSB mics], even at fairly low sound levels. While the [unmodified mics] would be quite sufficient for recording rehearsals for learning purposes, the [Core Sound Binaural mic] gives recordings of recitals that sound "fairly-near-to-professional,"though not quite as good a job as our university A/V engineers do with about $3000 worth of equipment. But quite good enough to already be hunting around as to who would transfer my second-ever MD recording to 30 CD-R copies at a reasonable rate. ...
Thanks from a satisfied customer.
The Core Sound Binaural microphone set (modified microphones and non-switchable battery box, including all cables and fixed clips) is $230; add $30 for a battery box with the switchable bass roll-off filter.
A fixed-response battery box (either flat response or with the bass roll-off filter) without microphones is $59. A switchable filter battery box is $89.
A 15-foot extension cable is $28.
A dual XLR-M to stereo mini jackq adapter cable is $28.
Please add $15 for the removable clip mounting option.
Shipping: Within the continental United States, shipping and handling via UPS is $7.50. Premium shipping is also available: Next Day Air shipping is $27, and Second Day Air is $18; please add $3 for West Coast and South. Shipping via U.S. Postal Service Air Parcel Post to Europe, South America, Africa, Australia and Asia is $28; $20 to Canada. Shipping via US Postal Service Express Mail to Europe, Asia and Australia (typically two or three day delivery) is $34; $25 to Canada. Only New Jersey residents must include 6% sales tax.
Payment: Payment is via credit card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express), personal checks, money order (available from the Post Office or bank), traveller's cheques, wired funds, cash or certified check, US funds only. Please allow some additional time for personal checks to clear the bank prior to shipment. COD shipments are available in some situations -- contact us for details. Please add 3% for credit card orders. You may wire funds directly to our bank account -- contact us for details.
Checks should be made out to "Core Sound" and sent to:
Core Sound
300 Ogden Avenue
Teaneck, NJ 07666
USAIf you have questions, call and ask for Len Moskowitz. He can be reached at (201) 801-0812. His electronic mail address on the Internet computer network is:
moskowit@core-sound.com
Core Sound
300 Ogden Avenue
Teaneck, NJ 07666
USA
Wonderful mics. ...
About 4 years ago I bought your fantastic Core Sound Binaural Microphone Set. I'm very very happy with it and used them in a lot of situations.
I have recorded a lot of my live performances with my jazz trio or quartet and even recorded a big Symphonic Orchestre in a church in France for a CD recording!! That are really fantastic recordings. ...
Thank you so much for the pleasure I had last 4 years with your microphones!! It's really amazing!!
Thanks for making such a great product.
Some quick background.. I started an MD taper with a Sony omni directional mic. I went to a private show of one of my favorite artists, tried to tape it up close to the stack, and came out a frustrated man. My recording was highly distorted (fortunately someone else also taped the show) and not listenable.
In any event, that's when I decided to upgrade my equipment. While I wasn't looking to spend a fortune, I was looking for quality stealth mics and would pay what I had to for a higher quality recording. I almost spent a lot more, but read SOOO many positive reviews about your CSB's that I gave them a try, with the fear that I hadn't spent enough money to get a great set of mics. While it's true you get what you pay for, I'm so pleased I tried the CSB's instead of spending hundreds more. The quality of the recordings I've captured since are outstanding. (FYI, I've also purchased a Sony D-8 DAT, but I've had success using CSB's both with my DAT and MD)
My first recording using the CSB's, Hookah Brown (Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes) in Cambrige, MA, came out great. I've received feedback from fellow tapers with years of taping experience praise the quality of the recording, rating it an 8.5 or 9 out of 10. I've had others comment, unsolicited on a message board without knowing I was on the board also, comment that my recording could be put out as an official live recording by the band. The tone and balance are that good ! What's amazing is that I had to do very little to get this recording. Bass Roll off and an attenuator cable (your recommendations) were used, I had to stand in a quality spot for the recording, and levels set during the recording, but that's it... Recording was easy.
Perhaps you could get an even better recording by spending more money, but the quality / price ratio is outstanding with these mics. I'm extremely satisfied !!!
P.S. - thanks for taking the time when I call to answer questions.
To get significantly beyond the sound quality of these microphones, you are then jumping into an entirely different price range (like the $980 HEBs, for example). You can easily spend much more on some other microphones out there that just don't give you that much of a boost beyond the performance of the Core Sound models. And as for all of the other spin off companies out there offering a similar product, they just don't offer the level of quality in both components or measured and tested specifications that Core Sound does. There is much to be said for being the original.
See the rest of Nick's review at:
http://www.nickspicks.com/mic-csb.htm
(Tom Clack is creator of the Clack Sound Effects Library, a vast library recorded all over the world over the last 33 years, currently available on sonomic.com and soon to be available on CDs).
I have done my very best to find a flaw or even a measurable brick-wall while using CSBs. That is not happening. The loudest & most intense show I've taped was Tool in Kalamazoo, MI 10.18.02. I stood FOS & was convinced that my Sony MD MZ-R700 would overload or the CSBs would overload. Not the case. A pure and wonderful sounding recording results instead. I trust CSBs & they are the only microphones I use. Thank you.
I have used the CSBs to "document" live concerts including classical, barbershop, country, blues and rock, and the CSBs have performed wonderfully, no matter whether I've had nosebleed seats or front row. I've also used them to capture environmental sounds (rain, wind, running water, etc) for inclusion in relaxation-type compositions. And, they work exceptionally well as a rehearsal aid for the bluegrass group with which I perform. In fact, they perform just as well as my big ol' Neumann-copy studio condenser mic! Unbelievable. ...
Mr. Moskowitz is extremely helpful and professional. I'm sure he'd stand behind the 30-day guarantee... but I'll bet he never gets that chance!
In short, I have yet to find a venue or scenario in which these little beauties do not work unbelievably well. I could not be more pleased w/ the product - and I am overly picky when it comes to recording quality! My only regret about the CSBs is that I didn't purchase them sooner.
So, we took them in, thinking that we could take care of them. Then read on the internet that it is virtually impossible to raise/wean a wild rabbit baby because of certain dietary problems.
So, we decided to reconstruct the nest again, wait until sundown and try to attract the mother back to the nest.
We learned that when we handled the babies, they would emit a loud shrieking noise which I suppose was to alert the mother. So, using my Core mics and my minidisc recorder, we recorded each baby rabbit doing 20-30 seconds of their "emergency" call. Then about 9 pm, we put the babies back in their nest which was reconstructed as well as we could do it.
Then, I placed the minidisc recorder within a few feet of the rabbit nest, turned it on, and ran for cover.
> What happened next was amazing.
Within 30 seconds, the mother rabbit appeared about 20 ft from the nest. In addition, a large hawk or owl, I wasn't sure, flew into the top of the nearest tree and the neighbor's cat came on a dead run toward the sound from a hundred yards away.
The mother rabbit froze. I ran out yelling and the bird flew away and the cat beat a hasty retreat, but the mother remained motionless about 20 feet from the nest.
I took the minidisc recorder and retreated to the house, where we watched to see what would happen. After about 5 minutes, the mother did go to the nest and feed her babies and has done so the last 3 nights. I haven't seen the bird or the cat since.
So, your mics recorded the baby rabbit noise so well, that it fooled the mother rabbit and at least two predators. I'd say that's pretty good, since most animals can hear a lot better than humans can.
Sometimes the test for me is with my family. While walking around in my yard, cars would drive by so, of course, the mics would pick up the sound of the cars. I would then have my wife and daughter listen. If their eyes bulge out in amazement at the quality of the sound, then I know I have a good set of mics. Well, not only did their eyes open wide but their mouths, too.
I just recommended your mics to a friend of mine from Finland.
Used them for the 1st time in anger last night & like all the other endorsements I've read, I'm v. pleased with the results. For the record I was using a sony md RZ900. It was an all acoustic show (Emmylou, Steve Earle, John Prine, N.Griffiths & E.Costello in London). I knew it wouldn't be too loud or basey so I didn't use the attenuator cable or the base filter. Set the md to low sensitivity record level & everything worked out really nice. [Did have a perfect seat - 5th row centre, which always helps!].
Next up it's The Who at the end of the month - plan to use the attenuator cable & the base filter.
I have been using them for recording classical music (mostly opera, but also organ) from the auditorium and I am more than satisfied with their performance. They were usually clipped to my eyeglasses and connected to a Sony MZ-R700 MiniDisc-Player. Even friends sitting next to me did not notice this equipment...
From positions near to the stage the recordings were amazingly similar to the live impression and there is no other noise audible than the rustling of the audience. These characteristics become a bit weaker when the recording position is more distant because of higher noise level (coughing and whispering) and more reverberation. But even from the last row of a large concert hall the voices sound pristine and no distortion is hearable.
All things considered the results are perfect for my purpose and I can really advise these microphones for classical music because of the true image they provide over an astonishing range of pitches and dynamic grades.
Just to let you know that the wire was sent yesterday so you should have it now. ... we are using them for a remix for Bjork...just to let you now how highly we rate the sound of your mics.
i once recorded 30 mins of rain with them. they got soaking and didn't work for a few hours (you can't imagine the sounds they make with water in the circuits!!!) wierd!!! i let them dry and they worked as good as new afterwards. i got a great recording. they are fantastically robust! thanks!
I can't talk about the technical hows and whys of sound quality, but I have been recording concerts since 1979 when I snuck a cassette deck into a Queen concert. The point is I have been doing it as a hobby for a while, all the time searching for ways to improve. I feel now I can say that with these Core Sound microphones I can honestly compete with any recording I have heard sound quality wise, with very little effort on my part.
There is a saying that it's the "cheap man who pays the most", and I believe it. Take it from me. Do not waste your time, effort and money on any other microphone. Ultimately you will feel something is lacking. If you have money to spend on other microphones, send it to me. I'll send you a note telling you to buy Core-Sound. You can't record with the note, but a least you won't waste your time recording shows you know could have turned out better. I only wish someone had done that for me.
[Later he wrote again]
I bought your CSB when visiting USA in April, and I'm having a lot of fun with them, plus fantastic memories of my musical travels. Their unobtrusive appearance let me tape quietly in all the environment without having people getting self-conscious. I made great outdoor tapes of street musicians and prayer calls in Turkey in July.
Thanks again, the music will spread even more now thanks to me and Core Sound!!!.
Anyway - if anyone is looking for a great mike at a great price for live recording THIS IS IT ! I am impressed.
i put the mics to the test their first time out recording 8+ hours of music ranging from rock, thrash, electronica, and more. the mics did not disappoint, i even picked up on some lyrics at home listening to the recording that were very hard to make out at the show.
i had shopped around but continued to hear len's name and the quality products that core sound offered. so i decided to make a purchase. len was very helpful in answering all my "newbie" questions that i had and always had a few minutes to talk. this being my first recording experience and first time using mics i was a little nervous to say the least. simply following len's helpful hints and using his simple, discreet, quality mics was all i needed. my tapes sound excellent even being a first timer. i had read the other users comments on the web page and was still a little skeptical but after using the mics and listening to the play back i am jumping on the band wagon and saying that core sound is your one stop shop. i cant wait to purchase the core sound stealthy cardoid set to cover any recording situation i might find myself in. ...
OH MY GOD!
I produce radio drama and I thought your mics would be good for sound efx. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from $260 mics. But wow! I just replaced all of my mics with this one set. Thanks. I'm already thinking of how I can exploit the "3D" quality.
"satisfyingly meaty engine noises", www.gamecenter.com
"the engines sounds are first rate", www.sportplanet.com
sound - 9/10 - Gamezone.com "You can hear the roar of the bikes!"
I purchased your Core Sound Binaural mics with the switchable battery box a few weeks ago and have given them a pretty good workout since they arrived. I have used them in several different situations and the tapes have come out uniformly excellent.
I have been patching into other tapers mic rigs for several years now and the few tapes I have made with the CSBs are good enough to go head to head with many of the tapes I have made with the thousands of dollars of equipment that some of these folks have.
The first show I taped was the Ominous Seapods at a small bar here in Baltimore. I was anxious to try the mics out even though there was a soundboard patch available. I taped them to a post about 8 feet or so from the stage halfway between the 2 sets of PA speakers. The sound is even and balanced throughout and the vocals come out cleaner than they sounded at the show.
In the past week I have taped Emmylou Harris, Roger McGuinn and Richard Thompson stealth with the mics clipped to my glasses just in front of my ears. Listening to the DATs on headphones is like starting up the wayback machine and being there again!
What can I say, I'm just completely satisfied! So thanks a lot. The recordings I've made with my Sony MZ-R30 always turned out to be amazing. Before I had received your mics, I used a Sony ECM-MS907, but the MDs I obtained never sounded as "realistic" as recordings made with CSBs. I ascribe this to their extended frequency range and of course to the binaural recording technique. Listening to those recordings (on headphones) can almost transfer you back to the concert. It's simply awesome!
I also have to say thank you for your excellent customer service and your very informative web page. I have already recommended you to a couple of people...
Secondly, the products themselves (binaural mics) were made exceptionally well with higher quality components and workmanship than I was expecting (great little battery box-looks indestructible!).
Finally, I used the mics in conjunction with a Sharp 722 minidisc recorder in a club having never taped before, and the results are phenomenal. The sound is definitely "live" sounding, but crystal clear and surprisingly accurate given how badly I think I messed up the levels and placement of the mics (clipped to lapels). I can't wait to see what I come up with this weekend.
When I got home, I realized that I never opened up the battery box to verify if there was a battery inside (my foolishness, but hey, I was excited to try it out!). Sure enough, you sent it loaded and the mix was recorded (a big 'thank you' for that). It's the small touches that separate decent service from truly outstanding, and I won't hesitate to recommend your site to anyone who needs recording equipment based on my happy experiences dealing with you.
Thanks again for everything, I hope to do more business with you in the future.
I am no sound expert at all. I tried to make a recording with a low quality mike and it was terrible. I searched on the internet and found Core Sound. It was well worth the money.
All I did was plug it in to the battery box, plug it into the Sony Mini Disc (I just bought) and attach the clips. The day was windy, and the conditions were not optimal at all, but the sound is great.
Like I said I don't know this or that about music and sound, but I know what my ears like and this microphone makes the difference!!!!
A lot of people have asked me what equipment I used to do the recording, and when they saw how small my "mobile studio" is, they couldn't believe it...
Anyway, I've got a very well-paid student job now and more money to spend, so I thought about upgrading to your high-end binaurals. ...
The result was, however, unbelievable! No distortion/saturation and talk about ultra rich stereo image! I've been using my SONY TCD-D8 with ECM-MS907 for last two years, but I've never satisfied with performance of MS907. A head-to-head with Core Sound mics really makes me want to throw MS907 out the window!!
Since a lot of the comments on your web page are from stealth tapers of rock concerts pounding at 130dB, I thought you might want someone to affirm they work just as well for visible and "official" recording of quiet and delicate soft music. Of course, a professional sound engineer with several thousand dollars worth of equipment makes better recordings than I do, but the stuff from your mikes is quite sufficient for sharing with other musicians and even selling the occasional CD-R to friends, especially after removing a bit of hiss with a filter on my computer. Plus the minidisc recorder and mikes comfortably fit into my tuxedo pocket on my way to the gig, and the mikes easily snap onto a wire music stand when I'm there.
Using my MZR-50, I got through fairly tight security without any hassle (gentlemen out there, I recommend a jock with a cup pouch, it works like a charm). I recorded four different bands, ranging in tones from instrumental jazz grooves to vocal-oriented rock to just wandering around a trippy music fest from tent to tent and beer garden to beer garden while recording. In every instance, your mics gave a perfect reproduction of what I heard while at the show. In one wandering around case (when I was recording a band I didn't really care too much about but still wanted to experiment with these new toys), I spinned in a few circles, and in listening you can actually tell when I was facing the stage by how the music revolves around in the headphones -- it's slightly dizzying. Now that was neat and all, but it's when I did the serious recording that the mics truly blew me away.
This fest was my first recordings, and your mics have made me feel like a pro. I stood about 15-20 yards in front of the soundboard, dead center, and set the mics on my lapel in binaural fashion, and left the filter flat. The imaging is terrific. Friends can't believe the quality of the recordings -- the bass still makes you shake but retains it's clarity, and the highs are clean and crisp. I've been collecting boots for some time, and with your mics I've made some of the best boots I've ever owned, and I made them myself.
I'm also planning on using the mics in a way I haven't heard of before. I'm a bassist in a 3 piece instrumental improv jazz/groove band, and we've been recording 24 bit to a Roland 1680 digital 16 track. In addition to all the other mics we have planted on the drum kit, the plan is to pin your binaurals to the drummer's glasses so that we can get a true reproduction of exactly how our drummer hears his kit as he plays it, to fit into the final mix. I have a feeling that his fills and rolls are going to sound extremely wild...
Thanks for making a terrific product, and at a price that can't be beat.
Just returned from a (4) day (indoor) Bluegrass festival. Had the opportunity to record in a large hall (2000 people) and smaller venues. Listening to the results gives you the feeling of being there. The bass roll-off filter is remarkable. Thanks for recommending the purchase.
I'm impressed! I just got home from recording an African drum performance for the opening of an art exhibition. The room was an acoustic nightmare for percussion: wood floors, little furniture, just indigenous drums and people. I set up my new binaurals with my Sony R55, and decided to switch on the bass roll-off because of the bass booming in the room. Then, I just forgot about the mics (which were attached to a home made mic stand using a Radio Shack microphone base and a T-junction of plumbing pipe. The binaurals were clipped to the end of the T, giving excellent spacial positioning). The sound and music in the room was intense. Sound was high on decibels, great on energy, but I gave up thinking that my recording setup would result in anything other than overloaded boom sounds. Well, I just listend to the recording and it sounds great! Crystal clear, no dropoffs or overloading, with the booming bass sound eliminated. Man, it sounds like a professional recording. I could sell this stuff commercially! It's almost better than the original because it's not overloaded with bass sound. Your binaural mics are outstanding, and worth every cent I paid for them. In the future I may even save up my money and buy your high-end mics, but I am most impressed with my existing mics. Thanks for the attention to detail, to answering my email requests, and putting out a product that delivers what it says it should do.
I have been using them with a Sony Mz-r50 minidisk recorder.
Thanks for the killer mics!
Thanks very much... for making this incredible technology available to us mobile audiophiles. I hope to keep referring many people your way.
The DAT was unbelievable, one of the best sounding live tapes I had ever heard. Kudos to your company for bringing such a wonderful product to the world for such a great price. I also appreciate the time you spent on the phone with me and the advice you gave me, I'm sure other people would have tried to sell a"newbie" like me a more expensive mic set,but you were straightforward and refreshing to talk to. And your hand written note with my package was especially nice.
I'm now saving up to buy the high-end mikes.
On the way back home from the concert, everyone wanted to listen. I would give the headphones to them and it was so fun watching their faces just light up as soon as I un-paused it! They kept saying things like "wow thats simply incredible" or "where did you get these mics??" and of course "dude that rocks!" :-) I bragged about how you had personally helped me, being the complete novice that I am with recording live audio. To anyone out there that thinks they don't know where to begin, begin with Core Sound, Len is a nice guy that will answer your questions. And shell out a little more money for the CSB's - I tried both the low-cost and the CSB's. I attend some very loud modern-rock/alternative concerts and the CSB's just outperformed the LC's like a champ. For quieter recordings, the LC-CSB's would probably be alright, but go ahead and get the CSB's - trust me. If last night's concert was the only one I could record, I would still be happy with the money I spent. Thanks Len, and keep up the great work!
I've been so satisfied with using your CSBs these past couple months that I'm going to recommend them on my web site! ...
Sure enough I was able to sneak my equipment (the core-sound mics and my Sharp 702 MD recorder) in for the Show (Smashing Pumpkins). With the cords leading thru my shirt and the mics individually clipped to each side of my hat I was able to record one of the best concerts ever. I had the battery box on filter and the quality came out really good. I am really impressed with the mics. That was the first show I ever recorded, and to this date when I make copies for other people they ask me how long I have been doing this for because it sounds professional. When I tell them it was my first show their jaw drops in disbelief. They instantly ask me what recording device I used, I tell them my Sharp 702 MD, but that has little to nothing to do with it. I owe it all to your great mics. They deliver the most natural sound I have ever heard any mic produce they are truly one of a kind, definitely worth the $260 I paid and more. These mics only further my interest in live shows and I take all of this more seriously then I ever have. Im going to a show this Fri. to tape and I cant wait because I know it will come out even better then the last.
The service at Binaural is truly exquisite, The hand written letter inside was very nice. I just want to thank you once more. You have a truly amazing product
(His order for a second set was included with this comment.)
Interestingly, during the recording someone knocked on the door. During the playback, someone went to answer it...
I think your mics are excellent, and I'd recommend them to anyone who's looking for that type. (In fact, I already have.)
The first thing I saw when looking at them was that the battery box seems to have been built to withstand nuclear attack, and the wires [connectors] are gold coated and built with quality parts that make a solid, problem-free connection. Later I was impressed with the little touches -- the carefully filed solder connection on the mics and the rubber-dipped handles on the clips.
These things are so covert that people staring at me have simply assumed I was listening to headphones. This can be handy.
As I said, they sound amazing for their size. When listening with headphones, the sense of positioning is very nice. It can be unnerving to hear someone on the recording sneeze when no one is actually standing near you.
I have become familiar with the limits of the Sony Walkman Pro D6C using these mics.
The second occasion was at a house filk [a kind of folk singing party]... One particular song came out so well I played it for a friend at a music night... I told her where I had gotten the recording and she was quite surprised, as its quality was superior to many commercial tapes.
I experimented further by inviting three friends over to practice.... We had a great time, and they were very favorably impressed with the microphones and quality of recordings I was achieving. They had previously used a 4-track PortaStudio 2 and a single microphone to record themselves using multi-track techniques for a demo tape, and the result they brought with them sounded much less real than what we were recording...
I'm very pleased with the microphones.
Some notes: it sounds *great*. Really great! Except for a couple of people chatting right beside me at the beginning of the concert, the extraneous noise level is very low, and it sounds as good as lots of live recordings I have.
A year later he writes:
...they're fab, I've had mine for a year. I use 'em for classical, not rock, recordings, but the binaural recordings are -- well, I almost wrote unreal, but they're *quite* real. Also recorded the arpeggio (B, F#, B) that the Montreal subway cars makes on takeoff; listening to it with headphones makes me lean rediculously against the acceleration.
After making and enjoying live, binaural recordings, some standard recordings really started to bother me- the question "Where would my head have to have been, for me to hear it like this?" pops up now and then. Inside the acoustic guitar? Among the orchestra? On stage, right in front of the drums? It very much makes you think about what is a natural sounding recording and what's not.
...[definitely a] satisfied customer.
A few years later he again wrote:
Six years and change ago, I ordered a set of CSBs from you, and I've used them well -- I have 35 concert recordings that were good enough to keep.
I'm still happy with the recordings I made six years ago that are as good as live recordings can get.
Since then, I received my Sony D7 DAT player (a most remarkable unit!!) 2 days ago and last night tested it out against your mic for the first time, a live recording of Negativland (with their permission of course) and I am really at a loss for words. The sound captured was very authentic and true to the atmosphere of the concert. Again, I must thank you for the good job you've done. ...I am very satisfied with the player and most importantly it works GREAT with your microphones. I will be recommending your mic to a few of my friends.
Then he played it back he became quite astonished. He started to ask things like "how much you did exactly pay for these?", "What kind of person is the guy behind these?", "Amazing this stereo space". He is now about to have a try with them in live session in a "city"'s orchestra, possibly with another DAT and two high quality mikes with ball-shape as a reference. Indeed I saw something in his face that I can describe as a lust. This may be too early a question, but would you like to make another pair for him?
"What can I say? This doesn't happen very often, but I think I've now made a very good purchasement.
[He's since ordered a second pair.]
...The music had a great dynamic range, and given my position the
musicians had a large front-to-back and side-to-side span. When I came
home, I immediately listened to the recording, so my sonic memory was
extremely fresh. The result was very good. The mics coped with the
musical peaks, and the noise of the recording was low enough to be lost
in the ambience. The spatial reproduction of the performance (and
coughs, scrapes, and program rustling
To be able to produce such a satisfying recording of such a demanding
event with the simplicity and unobtrusiveness offered by these mikes is
very useful, and something of a revelation.
Later he wrote:
Yes, Len's microphones are truly fantastic... They sound great, with
a balanced frequency response, extended dynamic range, and are useable for
both stereo and binaural recording! They also accept very high sound levels,
and are quite small.
I use them with both my Sony TCD-D3 portable DAT recorder and my Sony
MZ-1 portable MD recorder. In all my recordings, I get superb
imaging.
Another satisfied customer :-)
Last weekend I've recorded a gig on the beach with your mikes and it
sounds great. I was afraid of the wind although it wasn't that strong,
but it caused no distortion at all. I gave a copy to the band and they
were amazed and think of using it as a demo. Now they consider
purchasing the same equipment.
Anyway, it is the best band recording of us that I've heard so far.
The mix sounds like a Grateful Dead recording but with amazing clarity
on the drum sounds. I'm impressed by the high hat and the cymbal
sounds. Really amazing. They are right on top of the mix and sound
very good.
Some years ago, I used to work in a radio station. I never managed to
make so good recordings with the more expensive mics we had there.
So, I just want to say that I am very pleased with the mics you make.
After doing about nine shows with your mics (about half authorized by
local bands), I'd like to say job well done on the mics.
They're fabulous.
Thanks for the mics - they are great! I will recommend them to people
over the Sonics!
I just got back from Illinois, where I used that set of battery box
mics with a rented Denon DTR-80P DAT recorder to tape Bob Mould live in
concert. I was wearing an Army field jacket and clipped the mics to the
shoulders. If I hadn't known that those were the first two shows I'd
ever taped, I would never have guessed. The recording quality is
*incredible*. It's a bit unnerving to listen to the tapes with
headphones on; I keep hearing people talking behind me.
Thanks for making such a superior product. Rest assured that I'll be
recommending your mics to a lot of people. I've already passed your
brochure along to someone else (who, coincidentally, happened to be the
opening act at both shows).
I took them far away, actually, to Brazil and recorded live music in a
number of situations with a Denon DTR-80P. I took them everywhere
during 7 weeks of travel and use, so I appreciated the ruggedness of the
design. The Denon did not fare quite as well, though it mercifully
waited until nearly the end of the trip to quit.
The clarity and stereo imaging was always outstanding, especially when
I used the mics to record groups of singers. Using headphones, you can
actually tell where each person is standing. The overall sound is
smooth and extremely "present", and several people have remarked that
they thought the DAT recording seemed "better than the original," a
remark that these little mics seem to inspire quite often.
Just wanted to say thanks, Len.
Results: a beautiful recording!
I am mightily impressed. The mics are considerably quieter than the
Sony condenser mic I had been using, and the sound -- as recorded on a
Sony MD -- is brilliant and full. I'm definitely looking forward to all
the good use I will put this equipment to!
...I had the D7 in my pocket, and I'd take it out periodically to set
the levels, slip it back in my pocket... and then when the music seemed
to be getting louder, pull it out and gasp in horror as I saw themeters
hitting 0db. With the Sonics I would have had a very poor tape, but
with the CSB's it is better sounding than the Sonics with good
levels. ...
Hey, thanks for making these great mikes.
I just received mine and plan to use them to record sound effects for
Foley [film sound effects] work that I do, and for an unusual radio
drama project where I want to record with extreme portability. Len's
demo includes a binaural recording made at a nightclub that is truly
startling when you realize the low cost of his mics. If you are a
musician who wants to make good cassette recordings of your concerts and
are on a low budget, I can't think of any other $200 mic pair that can
come anywhere close to the Core Sound mics.
Anyway, just thought I'd let you know I'm a satisfied customer after only
one outing.
Thanks for getting the order out so quickly. I will recommend CSBs to
anyone who asks.
I used them for the first time at an actual concert last Friday.
I was amazed when I listened to the tape through headphones and
later though my stereo system at home. The acoustics of the
concert hall and the nuances of the performance were very accurately
captured. Best of all, the mics were barely noticeable - friends
who attended with concert with us weren't aware that I was recording
it (until later when they noticed a strange, blue glow emanating
from the TCD-D7 in my lap - I've got to do something about that!)
and thought I was wearing eyeglass retainers.
The high point of the celebration was a fly past by the RAF Battle of
Britain memorial flight. In this case, consisting of a Lancaster, and 2
fighters, a Hurricane, and a Spitfire. ...
The planes bore down the valley. The low thrum of 6 Merlin engines in
perfect synchronization was something to hear. The mikes came
through.
We used the recording to play back to the people at Kidderminster
station who didn't get a chance to see the fly past. The comments I had
on all hands was that people were looking up to seek for the on rushing
aircraft.
Having used a succession of mikes, best being a pair of AKG 202es, and
my current best an ECM-979, I have to say that these have been the best
sounding mikes I have had opportunity to use.
The second was a rehearsal I made in some place. When I began to play
the recording (in my earphones) in the same room it was made, I heard
somedy move behind me and turned the head to see who was coming. There
was nobody: the move was recorded!!!
I was concerned about surrounding audience noise, but (much to my surprise)
the mics seemed to do a excellent job of somehow rejecting some of the
conversations going on in back of me, as they're not noticable on the
recordings. Talk about stealth, I was sitting one seat off the aisle in the
6th Row center section of a small venue with security all over the place and
there was never any detection of the "eye glass holders" securely clipped in
front of my ears. (I must admit there were a couple of times I could swear
they were looking right into the side of my head and were going to say
"busted".) Guess you can add another satisfied customer to the already long
list. Without hesitation, I'd recommend the purchase of your Battery Box
mics to anyone into audience recording.
...Thanks again for an excellent product which I'm sure will afford the
opportunity to capture many hours of listening enjoyment.
Thanks for such a well manufactured product that is all that it claims
to be.
I have recorded a few classical performances (so far, cello and piano)
using a Tascam DA-P1 and a pair of cardioid condensers (either SM-81s or
KM-184s), and I was slightly disappointed with the results, miking from
about 10'-15' back, 6'-7' off the floor, in X-Y configuration. While I
was recording with the DA-P1, I was making a backup DAT using my Sony D8
and the CSB mics (with the D8's preamps set on the high sensitivity
setting), and both times, those recordings turned out better! Go
figure. The CSB mics seemed to have a flatter, more neutral, and
certainly more blended sound on piano and cello than either the KM184s
or the SM81s.
The mics were great, with occasional difficulties involving wind blasts,
but otherwise wonderful. Some of my favorite recordings involve the
bargaining sessions I clandestinely recorded with the camel and horse
vendors at the Pyramids and the sounds we got while we navigated our way
through the large Suk, bazaar or Khan El Khalil, which is a "must-do"
for all who travel to Cairo.
Regardless, this is a wonderful product. Once I can scrape a few
dollars together, I'm going to order another!
I am 100% satisfied and you're welcome to use anything I said as a
supporting statement.
The stealth aspect is also wonderful. Someone I didn't feel the need to
inform I was taping sat next to me two nights in a row. He never
suspected or discovered I was taping. I do suggest that you work out an
even stealthier method for taping, as I'm sure that soon people will be
on the lookout for audience members wearing "Croakies" and keeping real
still!
Thanks again for the mics, they're superb. Next assignment, Telluride
Bluegrass Festival and the reunion of the "Old and In the Way" boys,
besides many others!
I then taped a Papal Audience at the Vatican with what I'd call a
baffled bi-hip (bi-hippal mics? [grin]) approach -- the D8 in a belt pack
with the mics clipped to my belt, one on each hip! ...
Thanks for a terrific job with these mics -- it's amazing how nice a
sound they delivered for being so tiny and inconspicuous. The physical
engineering and attention to detail are excellent -- a pro job all the
way. As they say in Italy, Complimente e Grazie!
The microphones are very easy to use. In fact, they are almost
foolproof. Clip the mics to your glasses, hat brim or a mic stand; plug
in the battery box and plug in the cable. I've used my D-8's mic-in
jack at low sensitivity with no problems. Even Keith Emerson's bass
bombs at the end of 'Lucky Man' didn't distort! The mics small size and
ease of use are ideal for stealth recording.
Just wanted to let you know that I think they're terrific.
...I'll spin you a copy of the first recording I ever made with the CSBs
- to date, it's still the best one I've done! That's a recording made
by a pair of mics sent express mail to me the same day, with a D8 that I
purchased only a few days earlier. I can't think of any better proof
that pretty much _anyone_ can make a great recording with these mics.
My first victim to be recorded was my 10 year old son practicing the
clarinet. The result was superb. One thing I appreciate particularly is
that correct positioning of the microphones seems to be almost
uncritical. Next I recorded the Jimmy Dillon Blues Band in a local club
(I'm a blues guitarist myelf). That was also very successful. ...
I'm showing them to everyone. So don't be surprised if you get some new
orders from Switzerland in the near future.
...I must say that the microphones performed AMAZINGLY. I've let many
people hear the recording of Sarah McLachlan in particular and without
fail a look of disbelief crosses the face of everyone who hears the
recordings. The Core Sound mics are amazing. They pick up the full
spectrum of sound from deep, rich bass to crystalline highs....ALL
BALANCED. I've heard about mics that cost almost $200 and pick up highs
great, or mics that pick up bass great....these get it all. If you are
looking to tape live shows, YOU WILL NOT FIND A BETTER MIC FOR EVEN
TWICE THE PRICE.....period....trust me.
I've also used these mics to record acoustic guitar by clipping one to
the bridge and another pointing inside the guitar...by setting the MD to
record in mono it blends the two signals perfectly into what rivals some
of the best studio acoustic guitar recordings I've heard (ie Tracy
Chapman's self titled debut album). The mic on the bridge picks up the
crisp strikes of the string, and the mic in the hole adds the depth of
the lower tones.
Anyways, I'm sorry for the long post that kinda sounds like a
commercial, but I will promise you that I'm in no way connected to Core
Sound...I bought my mics with my own cash for the same price you'll pay
for them. I've just been so damn impressed that I felt that I had to
tell everyone that these mics paired with a MD recorder will produce
some of the best "bootleg"/live recordings you'll hear.
These are great mics. In-studio comparisons show them to be on par
with my mid priced ($500-$1500 ea) condensers. Neumann's they are
not. But performance/price ratio is indeed very high. I'd recommend
these to anyone.
I've used the Core omnis to record a number of club dates and festivals and
have had no qualms in broadcasting the results. Since I use the battery box
without the bass rolloff, sometimes I eq the original before broadcast. The
positive audience response from people knowing nothing about microphones or
whether I spent $3000 or $300 on the mics proves the point (to me at
least).
These mics are $250 (or so) for the pair, and are made specifically for
stealth, or in my case, convenience. I don't expect them to compare with
my $2500 AKG or even my Oktavas, but like the Oktavas, there is a
price-performance equation to be made, and the Cores stand up to any
other in the price range and are better than many costing more. As with
any mic, they must be set up and positioned correctly.
I've spent a whopping $250 (or so) with Core, yet whenever I have a
question, Len has been more than willing to spend time on the phone with
me...
If you want quality construction and excellent customer service in what
is, after all, a very specialized field of low-cost miniature
microphones, I have no problem recommending the Core mics.
Because it was the first time, I was unsure about the recording
level; I happened to set it way too low. Nevertheless, the recording
(of a recital of Radu Lupu, a world-famous pianist) is really
natural, all nuances of Lupu's piano playing are captured. In one
sentence: I'm very happy to have bought your mics.
I had a bad moment when the person sitting next to me whispered in my
ear (and microphone): ``which piece is this?''. But these experiences
--and coughing audiences-- belong to the disadvantages and charms of
going to concerts.
The hand written note you included was nice. Thanks for the personal
touch and all of your support.
I've recorded indoor and outside live gigs of accoustic and electric
(rock, r&r, jazz) bands and never been desapointed with the results.
I also did once an experience. I plugged the mics into a TCD D8 and a
pair of B&K (omni) that I have into a TCD-D7 to record the same
band. These are people I really know well, I know their sound and their
music.
Your microphones came VERY close for most people that listened to the
recording. Since I positioned he mics close to the B&K I used a A/B
recording technic (not binoral) so this may have impacted the result but
I found the B&K phase respect better and more clear at the top (bass and
treble), but considering the price my wife wonders why I bought them.
I'm really happy that now I don't have any more TCD D8 pre amp
distortion (even on the micr input). Your mics are the first that I
found work well. One of my friends bought a pair from you after he heard
the results and I believe you should get more orders from France
soon.
- -- USES: MZ-R3 and Len's CORE SOUND BINAURAL MICROPHONES
What we did was clip one microphone to the hole of the guitar, facing
inside the guitar to pick up the fuller/lower tones. The second mic was
clipped to bridge (where the strings connect to the guitar) facing the
strings....this picked up the contact with the strings as well and the
higher tones. The mics are then run into the mic input on the MZ-R3 and
the record mode is set at MONO. The reason for this is to combine/mix
the two mics and get a rounded tone. It works WONDERFULLY! No need to
hold any mics, and with the mono record function, you get a 2.5 hour
digital music diary.
Later he wrote:
I love the Binaurals, I've recorded three shows with them so far (all
small-medium clubs) and the playback is great on headphones. I always
record in stereo since the imaging is so striking when listening on
headphones. It isn't bad on speakers, either. I've also recorded some
ambient sounds, a bus ride, etc. and the results are even better than
the loud-music recordings. Little sounds like someone dropping a quarter
in the coin box come through very, very clearly.
J.J., a DAT and Mini-disk user from Ontario, Canada writes:
Well, I am very impressed with the microphones. I tried them out first
with my Sony TCD-D3 portable DAT recorder by walking around the house as
always and then listening to the result. Wow! The imaging was
extremely accurate. I am also happy with the flat frequency response
and the wide dynamic range of the microphones. I even noticed the noise
(> 15 KHz) emanating from my TV set when I recorded in the living-room!
The ultimate test, however, was when I captured a thunderstorm on Friday
night. I used a stereo arrangement instead of a binaural one but the
imaging was nevertheless very faithful. Here again, the microphones
recorded the rumble without any distortion. I also tested them with my
Sony MZ-1 portable MiniDisc recorder ... and was again impressed with
the quality. Thank you for a wonderful job! I know my friends will be
equally amazed.L.S-M. from New York writes:
Great job! Sounds great!F.B., a DAT user from Belgium, writes:
The CSB mics reproduce even sounds with really deep bass and very high
volume very linear. Because they are omnidirectional, positioning the
mics is much easier. Just put your head on a place where the sound is
best, and replace it with the mics. ...if you want to record loud music
with deep bass, I recommend the CSB mics.R.K., a DAT user from California, writes:
The Core Sounds have phenomenal bass. Pipe organ tapes that I've made
with CSBs + Casio DA-R100 usually rattle more things in my home than
comparable instruments on commercial CDs.H.S.M., a DAT user from Pennsylvania, writes:
Taped 3 shows this past week and all came out superb. Thanks again.J.W., a DAT user from Utah, writes:
I took your mics with the battery box up to a gig of ours in Sun Valley
and used them with a TCD-D7. Taped the mics about 2 feet apart on a
rafter at the end of the dance floor horizontally. This was about 15-20
feet from where we were playing. ...B.G., a DAT user from Sweden, writes:
I got the microphones in the mail on Friday. I was very eager to test
them, so on Saturday I took the mics and my DAT player to the cathedral.
This cathedral is from the 11th century and the acoustics is very good.
I recorded the church organ, and the result was unbelievable good! When
I was listening to the recording with my headphones it was almost like
being in the cathedral. ...A.L.F., a DAT user from Toronto, writes:
Several people I was with listened to the show on the way back and were
blown away by the sound quality. It's probably the best show I've ever
taped -- and is good enough to be pressed.Bill, a DAT user from Massachussetts, writes:
I'm glad I finally ordered your mics. I've used them for the past
month or so, and have been very pleased with them. I wish I had
discovered your mics before I bought the Sonic Studios - yours cost
less, and they are better. I run the mics into your -12 dB attenuator
cord and then into my Casio DA-R100 with -20 dB. I have not heard any
distortion at all - very unlike the Sonic Studios.S.L., a DAT user from California, writes:
The Core Sound battery box mics have been working *beautifully*. I've
been on tour with Sugar for the last three weeks and have gotten some
really excellent recordings with them.S.E., a world travelling DAT-user, writes:
I purchased a pair of Core Sound mics (with the "battery box" option) a
little while back and just wanted to let anyone interested know how
happy I've been with the little guys.S.K., a mini-disk user from Hong Kong, writes:
Last night I gave your binaural mics their first field test: Boston
Symphony Orchestra playing Berlioz (orchestral and vocal selections) at
the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.R.A., a DAT user from North Carolina, writes:
They sound great, I'm extremely pleased! Wish to hell I'd bought these
instead of the Sonic Studios in the first place. I've been fighting
those mikes since last June, recorded 15 or so shows with frustrating
distortion almost every time. Yours work better.E.S., a professor at a Northeastern university, writes:
As for Len Moskowitz's offer of the demo tape, I do suggest anyone take
a listen. I ordered the tape and the mics. His pair of low-cost mics
are impressive for their extremely low cost. I would not cancel your
order for B&Ks, but the Core mics are well suited to "stealth" recording
of sound.F.N., a DAT user in Pennsylvania, writes:
I received my mics from you just in time for an Eagles show. They were
great. It was the best sounding show that I have ever taped!! I want to
thank you for your quality mics, and I will highly recommend you to any
DAT taper that I know. ...It will be a joy taping with them in the
future.B.C., a DAT user, writes:
Received the mics Friday and went to the nearest club that evening to
check them out. So amazing. I'm a very happy customer. Cannot believe
the "depth" of the sound. I could not believe the bass and drum sound -
perfect.K.G., a DAT user from N.J., writes:
I just got back from a Tesla\Lynyrd Skynyrd show. I did not want to
tape it since I had lawn seats but I said what the heck and hid the gear
and went in. ... When I got home to play the show I was amazed at the
quality. There is no crowd noise and the show is clear and crisp. It
is as if the band is right in front of me. ... I want to thank you again
for making these mics available for us.. they are so good that a guard
walked right in front of me and looked at my face and did not know
anything... everyone should buy your mics...M.L., a DAT user, writes:
I wanted to let you know how pleased I am with the microphones. The
workmanship is excellent, but what is most amazing about them is
how well they perform. S.S., a DAT user, writes:
I just got back from the show I was at. The mics worked wonderfully. I
still can't believe that sound that good comes from mics that small and
unnoticeable. You just have to see it to believe it. I think that the
band I taped may even use some of the stuff for demos or something.
Thanks again for everything. I really apprecaite all the help you've
given me in the last few days and I will definately recommend the mics
to anyone I know in need of some.W.S., a DAT user, writes:
You might be interested to know that I talked with a taper who's trying
to run Sonic Studios into a D7. After numerous pairs of mics, he still
has distortion problems. Of course I told him I use Core Sounds
without any problem! And they're 1/2 the price!B.F., a DAT user from Connecticut, writes:
Having read the superlative testimonials for the mic set, I thought I
knew what to expect from my new purchase. I still wasn't prepared,
however, for the amazing clarity and the spatial perception that was
captured to DAT. Listening back to my recording later in a public
space, I thought that there were people talking around me, rustling
papers, and such, but it was an illusion. I'm used to stereo imaging
being in front of me, but with the binaural recording technique made
possible by these mics as well as their fidelity, I actually heard
imaging *behind* me, exactly as I experienced at the concert. I'm
amazed.H.B., a DAT user in the U.K., writes:
For a long time I have heard of these Coresound mikes. I have been
hankering for a chance to try them for a number of years, now, at last,
here was the chance. ...J.S., a DAT user, writes:
I love your mics! I've got the battery box set, and the recordings are
incredible. The sound stage and placement is remarkable. They give my
recordings what I think alot of live stuff lacks - presence. You can
actually FEEL the venue, which I think makes a big difference.M.C., a DAT user in France, writes:
I've done two recordings, the first binaural, the second stereo. The
first was a gig in a pub and the first person to hear the recording said
"fantastic!" You could localize all the smalltalks around and even
understand what was said (something that you don't in the reality). Me,
I would say "Ultra Realism!"R.T., a DAT user in Florida, writes:
There aren't too many times that one can say they think they got more than
they paid for, but that's the feeling I came away with after recording my
first two shows through your mics this weekend. The sound they captured into
the Sony D8 was truly superb. I found that by putting my Yamaha DSP into the
appropriate surround mode and kicking up the volume I was back at the show
again! What more could one ask for?D.J., a MiniDisc user in Hawaii, writes:
I have had the chance to listen to my MD recording of Jr. Wells and his
8 piece band and I am most favorably impressed with the performance of
your mics! The clarity of the recording is incredible; the cymbals (which I
always find a bit "hissy") are very crisp, each instrument is cleanly
reproduced... N.V., a DAT user in Canada, write:
Just listening to a few recordings that I made with my D8 and the CSB
mics. Boy, I am impressed with how these mics sound!R.L., a world traveller using a DAT, wrote:
Yes, you have a solidly-satisfied user, here!K.H, a DAT user in Canada, wrote:
I received the battery box set about 2 weeks ago. It is an incredible
little microphone! I have been putting it through its paces in a
number of difficult recording situations and remain convinced that it is
the buy of the century. I have not heard better reproduction of
acoustic instruments without paying at least 10 times the
price..... even then it is arguable in some circumstances.D.R., a DAT user in California, wrote:
I wanted to let you know that I got the mics and had a chance to test
them out a couple nights ago when I recorded Joe Satriani at a local
medium-sized venue. The tape came out terrific thanks to your mics!
I'm not a novice to DAT recording and I've tried using all kinds of
microphone configurations before. I've recorded Joe Satriani before
using my own home-made mics (VERY similar to yours) but your mics
definitely surpass my feeble attempts at mic construction! Bravo!J.T., a lover of musical theater from the midwest, wrote:
A week before my trip to New York to catch a very important concert, I
decided to buy a TCD-D7 DAT Walkman to record the show. At this point,
I was a complete DAT newbie, and was horrified when I found that a good
set of mics would cost me $800 or more. Enter Core Sound Binaurals! I
came across Len Moskowitz's webpage just two nights before I left for
NY, and decided to email him to make enquiries. Len replied very
promptly and was most patient and thorough with his answers. Most
importantly, Len's mics cost merely a fraction of the other prices that
I had been quoted. Because I needed the mics in a hurry, Len agreed to
meet me in mid-town Manhattan on the day of the concert so that I could
record it that night (thanks Len!). I was absolutely delighted when I
heard the results! I'm no audiophile, so all I will say is that the
sound on my tape is unbelievably faithful to the sound I heard with my
own ears at the show!! It's amazing when you consider that each mic is
no bigger than the metal eraser "chamber" at the tip of your wooden
pencils. Since that show, I have stealth-taped several other rock
concerts and musical theatre performances with outstanding results.
Also, Len has been most accessible via email to answer queries that I
have.. no 1-800 "help" numbers that put you on hold for 45 minutes here!
I give the CSB mics my highest possible recommendation!!!K.V., a DAT user, wrote:
I'm lucky to live in an area with a _lot_ of tapers who have some very
serious mics. Often someone will collect 4 or 5 different tapes of a
certain show to find the "best" tape of the lot. On occasion, my CSBs
(under their optimal conditions, which are relatively easy to achieve
while still remaining stealthy) have sounded _much_ better than Neuman
or Schoeps tapes (which, admittedly, were not made under their optimal
conditions which are very difficult to achieve while staying stealthy).
Unfortunately, while everyone else can hear the difference, the guy who
spent $3000 on the mics usually can't!F.H., a MiniDisc user, wrote:
The binaural mics arrived yesterday. I hooked them up to my Sharp Mini
Disc recorder, and they were fantastic. Unbelievable! I recorded my wife
and I talking, and replay was uncannily accurate as to voice timbre and
direction. I didn't think such mikes existed.D.T., a DAT user in Asia, wrote:
I bought the "battery pack" version of your mics, as did a friend with
the same setup. Please add both of us to your list of satisfied
customers. I have taped an outdoor percussion ensemble and my favorite
music group in the world (several shows in a row) with your mics to my
Sony D8, and everyone I've played the tapes for is astounded. Of
course, those who like good music also want cassette dubs! I knew what
to expect as I had heard someone else's tapes previously, so all I can
say is I'm terribly pleased and excited to have such great tapes. I
wouldn't have such good tapes without your mics.K.L., a DAT user, wrote:
One of my main concerns was crowd noise. Not being of the boom type, I
was expecting much more audience pickup. I clipped the mics to stripped
Walkman headphones (just the metal head piece) and pointed them at the
speakers. I was directly behind the soundboard and the resultant tape
sounds like the real thing. Not perfect, but really good. A friend who
tapes soundboard DAT and loves Dylan had only one thing to say, "Make me
a CD!!". It was also cool to hear the 2'nd and 3'rd encores which I
didn't expect. The mics were dangling around my neck by then, pointing
God knows where, and the sound was still great!!C.W., a DAT user, wrote:
I've used the Core Sound mics (borrowed from [his friend]) and I've come
to the conclusion that the result is superior to my pair of Audio
Technica 831b's. So I'd like to order a pair of "Battery Box" mics.
I'll be using the mics with a Sony D7.P.H., a DAT user from St. Louis, wrote:
I'm the conductor of a 70-voice church choir. Your battery-box mics
arrived 2 days before our trip to Italy (many thanks again for
expediting the order!). I packed a D8, the mics, a handful of DATs, and
a bulk-pack of AAs in a canvas carry-on briefcase and fiddled with it on
the flight over. I taped two concerts (one in a 200-seat church, one in
a 2000-seater) by clipping the mics to the corners of the briefcase
(about 18" spacing), running the leads inside to the D8, and leaving it
on the floor in front of the pews. Stealthy, and a fabulous sound.T.L., a DAT user in the UK, wrote:
Been meaning to drop you a line to say that I saw B.B. King the other
day at The Royal Albert Hall, London, UK. It was a wonderful show...
Anyway, I've not heard such a good quality tape from my TCD-D3 ever
before. I am especially happy with your mics and can only
tell you that my friends are now all requesting copies which I'd managed
to avoid before!!M.A.B., a DAT user in N.Y., wrote:
Just wanted to let you know how great I think these mics are. I use them
to record my own band in our rehearsal space and without any hassle at all
we were able to get great sound.One fellow on the DAT-heads mailing list wrote:
As for the thread about mics distorting.. An annecdote--I went to the
11/12 Smashing Pumpkins show, and was at the third row, 11th left of
center--which was right in front of the main speakers. It was, needless to
say, extremely loud. When I came out of the concert, I literally could
hear rings and couldn't hear a car engine. The cores performed very
well--as the people on this list who've gotten my 11/12 show can attest
to. I figure, if I can put the CSB battery box mics through THAT without
having it distort, I can safely say that you're unlikely to have the CSBs
distort under any other feasible concert condition. Folks, I've not seen
many bands that crank it up louder than the Smashing Pumpkins. And another fellow on DAT-heads wrote:
Core Sound mics can indeed withstand insane SPL's. A few months ago I
taped Tony MacAlpine at a small club, which happened to be the loudest
concert I've ever been to. I stood directly in front of Tony's guitar
PA. The SPL's were extreme to the point of mild pain (yes, I know, I
stupidly left my earplugs at home). Of course, if my ears were
feeling mild pain after the dozens of loud metal concerts that I've
been to, it probably means that other people would have felt serious
pain at this point. :) To make a long story short, the Cores
performed exactly as expected. There was no distortion and the tape
was crystal clear (the audience was in too much pain to scream).M. F., a DAT-user from Illinois, writes:
I have been using the Core Sound omnidirectional microphones (with
battery box)for the past year in a variety of taping situations-
outdoors, indoors, up-front and further back. Overall, I have been very
pleased with their performance. They can be very effective in a quiet
outdoor setting. I taped Joe Louis Walker and Lonnie Brooks at the
Peoria BluesFest. It was at an outdoor venue with excellent sound. I
was 25 to 30 feet from the stage and could wander around till I found a
sweet spot. The recording was excellent; when you listen to it with
headphones, you'd swear you were there.K.S., a DAT user from Ohio, write:
I had the pleasure of purchasing a pair of your binaural microphones
recently (the battery box set). I used them yesterday to record a
string quartet performance, and the results were way beyond my
expectation. The whole experience of attending a performance and then
going home and listening to the recording was breath-taking.J.L., a DAT user, wrote:
...Now, on to my second reason for writing. I'm mailing you a money
order ... for a pair of Binaural battery box mics. I've been considering
the purchase for awhile and have finally decided on your mics over
MarcSounds and Sonic Studios based solely on examples I've heard from
all three. ...V.D. wrote:
...I appreciate your professionalism and certainly wouldn't hesitate to
do further business with your company or recommend you to friends. As I
said, I was very impressed with the construction of your mics,
especially as compared to the MarcSounds I've seen. And they certainly
are stealthy.S.S., a DAT user, wrote:
Just wanted to let you know that I've used your mics (CSBs w/D8) three
times now (Bob Mould acoustic) and think they are great. Some amazing
sound from those little guys! I've used the Sonic Studio DSM-6 and think
your CSBs have great bang for the buck! L.F., a DAT user in Mississippi, wrote:
After receiving my CSB mics yesterday and taping a Bela Fleck show last
night and can honestly say that I am impressed. J.L., a DAT user, wrote:
These mics are impressive. Taking the size into consideration, they're
amazing. Not one person noticed that I was recording.J.R., a DAT taper, wrote:
...First, like pretty much any microphone, the CSB works best under
optimum conditions. However, when the conditions are poor, the CSBs do
a really good job of producing an acceptable recording - even when the
acoustics of the venue are terrible. Conversely, my [another
manufacturer's] mics make an awful recording in an awful sounding
venue. ...Even in the worst venues, my CSB recordings always sound
really warm and they're just SO easy to listen to. Admittedly, some of
this warmth is not really accurate, but the final results from your mics
have not disappointed me yet. N.E., a DAT user in Switzerland, Writes:
They arrived on Tuesday, and I am completely happy. The mics are even smaller
than expected. Design and quality are first class.J.K., a DAT user in Maryland, writes:
I finally got another chance to use the Core Sound battery box mikes
again with the Sony [TCD-D7] Dat recorder. A Jazz trio at a small club
in DC. This time I was in a better location and the tape came out
magnificent. Close to the quality of a record. I am very impressed.J.C., a DAT user in Illinois, writes:
The binaural mics I ordered from you were forwarded to me in New Mexico,
where I have been on vacation, and I used them in a recording session
the next evening. They are every bit as good as advertised. We were
amazed at the clarity.A.S., a MiniDisc user in the UK, writes:
Well, I gave them their first field trial yesterday - I took them & my
new portable MiniDisc recorder to a local free festival, held in the
great outdoors, to record one of my favourite bands, who happened to be
playing a set there. When I listened back to the recording, it was
amazing - just like being there all over again! These microphones are
deeply fab gadgets, and I would unhesitatingly recommend them to
anybody!G.W., a DAT user in the UK, writes:
I just arrived home from the USA yesterday loaded with hours of DAT
recordings done on the new mics. The mics were waiting at the Hyatt
Hotel as arranged, many thanks for your excellent service. All the
recordings were done of theater organs in Indiana and the results are
fabulous. I am more than happy with the results. I will be pleased to
recommend them to anyone.M.S., wrote in the Mini-Disk Mailing list (md-l-request@amulation.com):
Just thought I'd say that I used Len Moskowitz's CORE SOUND BINAURAL
MICROPHONES (battery box version) this wednesday night to tape the
Lilith Fair in Nashville, TN.B.S., a professional recording studio owner, writes:
I'm currently commissioned to record sounds occuring during emergency
medical services rendering. I ride with the paramedics and record
everything on DAT. Your mics have thus far produced clarity and sound
quality I would have expected only if I could drag my studio mics
along. It was the bulk of the phantom power supplies that discouraged
this avenue.S.S., a Canadian DAT user, writes:
I purchased your mics a few months ago and the first recording I made
was a National Youth Orchestra (Canada) concert. I was amazed at the
sound quality achieved by using the TCD-D8 with the core sound binaural
mics so much so that I think I might be using the mics with a dummy head
setup to record the EYO's (Edmonton Youth Orchestra's) next CD.T.F., a DAT user in Rhode Island, writes:
Your mikes are excellent... I just had a chance to try them out in a
small jazz club with a moderate amount of crowd noise. They made an
excellent recording and surprisingly did not pick up very much crowd
noise. They produced a far better sound than my Sony mic (which was
made for the D7). Keep up the great work... P.M., a DAT user in the UK, wrote:
You must be used to hearing comments attesting how amazing binaural
recording is. Here's another one. For the first hour (to test them
out), I've had them connected to our new Sony TCD-D8 DAT walkman,
recording sounds in the office. It's freaky how when someone sneezes,
gets up off their chair or opens the door, on playback everyone is
fooled, even if they know it's coming.S.M., a broadcast professional in FL, wrote:
As a broadcast professional, I have nothing but praise for both the
construction and customer service provided by Core.A DAT user in the UK, wrote:
I'd like to comment that the bass filter for the battery box set you
sold me worked better than I could possibly have hoped. I was standing
in front of VERY bassy speakers ... but the bass roll off compensated
beautifully. Thanks.R.R., a DAT user in The Netherlands, wrote:
On saturday I tried the Core Sound binaurals with my Sony MZ-R30 in a
music hall. I sat at the back of the hall (approx.600 seats). ... D.R., a DAT and DCC user, wrote:
I want to tell you how much I like your mics--I'm no mike expert, but these
are the most natural sounding mics I've toyed with. When I use them, I can
be confident that the recording I make will sound almost as natural as the
sound coming into them. As far as my ears can tell me, they do not "color"
the sound in any way; I feel that I'm getting as close to the impact of the
original performance as I can get. The battery box pair also have
extremelly low-noise; much lower than my Sony ECM-909A, which I used to use
as my main mic. Mounting is less of a problem than I expected; I've found
that used Perrier bottles work just fine for clipping. People who listen to
my tapes can't believe all of the fidelity that come from these two
capsule-sized mics!P.B., a DAT user, wrote:
I had my wife wear the CSBs on a baseball cap (near the ears) while
recording and then played the tape back via headphones. I had her sit in
the same location to listen to the tape. She was amazed at the three
dimensional sound; she said that she could "see" where I was during the
recording. She was even more amazed with the sound reproduction of the
CSBs than she was when I played my new Sonny Rollins record (Analogue
Productions) on my new Rega Planar 3 (it sounded like Sonny was right
there in the room with us). The reason I mention this is because she's
not into audio AT ALL. Y.F., a DAT user in Paris, wrote:
You did a superb job. People don't believe my recording are made with
these 'small' microphones. I'm using a TCD D8 and most of the time I'm
using the line input.E.N., a MiniDisc user, writes
Just wanted to let you know that I'm extremely pleased with the
binaural mics. I got a great recording on my Sony MZ-R30 mini-disk
recorder of an Indigo Girls concert from the front row by taking your
advice and putting the mic in the line in to keep the levels down.
People have told me it's the best bootleg they've ever heard!
D.D., a DAT user, wrote:
I got the binaural mics and I am much impressed. I never had any idea they
could sound so good. I am so happy I went with them.
S.G. wrote:
Just wanted to thank you for the super prompt attention to my order for
a mic....Shipment arrived before noon today...about 15-16 hours after we
talked....
M.S., a MiniDisc user, wrote on the MiniDisc mailing list:
Just a note about [how] my brother & I use our MD decks to chronicle his
progress as an aspring acoustic guitarist. We've used 2 setups for
recording his songs: ...R.M., in Maine, wrote:
Just wanted to let you know that I purchased the binaural mics and
battery box set up a couple of months ago, and have had a lot of fun
with them. I live in Maine, where we had a major bad news ice storm
recently ( no power or phone for two weeks). I recorded some of the
sound of ice cracking and falling with them, and it was quite amazing, a
once in a lifetime experience. I stood inside/under an inverted birch
weighted by ice, completely surrounded by the sound of crackling ice and
moaning wood. I can't wait to put the phones on in August, when it's 90,
and we are complaining of the heat!
C.S., a video taper, wrote:
WhoA!!! Man you guys really knew what you were doing! I taped some
stuff again last night. These things work beautifully. ... I can't
say how happy I am with these mics.