The prototype of the cheap, hassle-free mike (needs no stand, boom, shock mount or preamp) for musicians' practice and lesson use, has now been tried in a 200-seat hall, a living room with concrete floor, and two living rooms with wooded floors. Instruments include piano (concert-grand piano, two medium-size grands and an upright), young soprano voice student, two other young sopranos, clarinet, tenor, guitar and flute. All musicians have felt that the sound quality was at least adequate. One professional felt that it was good enough to use for making albums.

The last report mentioned that the tenor and clarinet had problems with the sound quality. This proved due to "flutter" in a tape deck, not to the microphone's performance. (I can hardly emphasize enough how important it is for musicians' recorders to be really stable in pitch. The subjective impression of stability, by the way, does *not* correlate very well with the specifications; in other words, you have to listen.)

After some circuitry alterations intended to increase reliability, improve sound quality and reduce cost, a few units will be hand-made as "beta versions" for sale.

-- James Boyk (boyk@caltech.edu), December 18, 2000

Answers

Dr. Boyk - how is this project going? Do you have any beta versions available?

thanks much

-- lyn pratt (lyn.pratt@oracle.com), October 13, 2001.

The prototype has been checked out by Keith Wright at U. of Kansas and is now in the hands of Prof. Wm. Conable at Ohio State. Keith W. tried it against a mike of about five times the cost (by the time you include the stand, boom, shock mount and preamp which The Musician's Ear doesn't need), and found them about equal. We're open for orders. Contact me directly at boyk@caltech.edu . JB

-- James Boyk (boyk@its.caltech.edu), October 14, 2001.