Azden 990 mic on MX350 at DVinfo.net

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 28th, 2003, 09:36 PM

I have just received my Azden 990 mic for use on my MX350.

Comments:
1. In the 'long' mode, pretty cuts down most of the side sound and focused on the front.
2. On the 'wide' mode, the sound from the front of the camera is pretty much captured evenly, with minimal contribution from the back.
3. For all round sound, I just unplug the mic and rely on the built-in mic.
4. The looks of the mic is pretty good on the MX350, I'll see how I can post a photo. Not too big and not too small, and nice length too. It will be 'long' on the MX300, MX500 and GS100.
5. The wind muffler is not too effective, but then again, that's how things are...
6. No need for adaptors or phantom power, the mic is on minijack and 1 piece of AAA battery.
7. At US$60, this is a very good buy, only lack I can think of is a hardware dial for volume control.

I use a stereo minijack extension cable and I can use the mic as a handheld 'interview' mic, but manual audio levels muct be downed to prevent overload.

You can probably feel from the writing that I am pleased with this mic.

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 28th, 2003, 09:41 PM

Bought it here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ku=3646&is=REG

Details here:

http://www.azden.com/shotgun.html#ecz-990

Young Lee · December 28th, 2003, 10:09 PM

Thanks for the info; I own this Sony mic shown in the link.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...uctSKU=ECMZ37C

Frank Granovski · December 28th, 2003, 10:57 PM

Young - thanks. I think this is the Sony mic I owned a while back which went kaput (broken).

Thanks, Yow. Would you say this mic is better than Panasonic's expensive zoom mic?

Here are it's tech specs:

ECZ-990 Shotgun Microphone:
Type: Super cardioid electret condenser
Sensitivity Long: 55dB (at 1kHz 1V/µ bar)
Sensitivity Short: 72dB (at 1kHz 1V/gm bar)
Frequency Response: 150-18KHz
Output Impedance Long: 5 (at 1kHz)
Output Impedance Short: 660 (at 1kHz)
Power Source: 1.5V DC (AA Battery)
Max. SPL: 100dB
Signal to Noise: Better than 40dB
Plug Cord Assembly: Coiled cord with 3.5 plug
Accessories: Shoe Mount

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 29th, 2003, 12:22 AM

I strongly believe that branding and packaging has more to do than real quality.

All the 'cheap' mics of US$50 to US$200 will be about the same quality, the brand and service, maybe metal or plastic body, will determine the price.

For real quality, the range is from US$300 to US$1000. Audiotechnica, Shure and Sennheiser has plenty in that range.

I have not tried the Panasonic mic, and nobody in Singapore stocks it, only brought in from Japan when there's orders. But I believe that the quality should not be too different. The so called 'zoom' on Panasonic's mic is actually the same as switching from 'wide' to 'zoom' on most other mics, but being done progressively, the effect is less sudden. Also, the mic talks to the camera's zoom, which is pretty cool, but a hot shoe is needed, sorry to those using the DV852. So, is it better? YES, much cheaper (40%, if I remember correctly) at comparable quality.

I have tried various Sony mics before, not the same models as Young Lee's, though. The results are about the same as this Azden. Then again, shooting weddings and street interviews, how much quality can you get whent eh background is already noisy? The Sony mics are actually pretty affordable, just that buying off the shelf here is still a bomb.

One fine point about the Azden 990, the body is cold black metal!

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 29th, 2003, 12:28 AM

There's a mistake on Azden's site, the battery is AAA.

Frank Granovski · December 29th, 2003, 12:40 AM

Triple A's are what I keep around for a number of gadgets. Maybe I'll look at this mic locally, and give it a try (then order one from B&H). :-))

I just can't afford a good Senn and Beachtek at the moment. :-((

I tried to find some tests on this mic, but with no success. I'll have do a bit more googling tonight.

The mic looks better and better---Re: "One fine point about the Azden 990, the body is cold black metal!"

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 29th, 2003, 01:58 AM

The audio section of DVinfo has some references to the Azden range. The info here helped me decide on this mail order from the other side of the world! I chose the 990 to save cost on the phantom power and XLR adaptor.

Frank Granovski · December 29th, 2003, 03:37 AM

I'm looking for some mic test sites and came across this great mic intro article:

http://videoexpert.home.att.net/artic1/242mic.htm

and another one here: (3 parts)

http://www.videouniversity.com/audio1.htm

Aykut Ozen · December 29th, 2003, 05:53 AM

Hi...anyone know would this mic (Azden ECZ-990 ) work with my panasonic dv852?...dv852 has a cold shoe...do i need a hot shoe to use that mic?...it looks nice and affordable...i'll definetely check it out...thanks

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 29th, 2003, 08:24 AM

Aykut has no worries! The mic works by plugging into the mic-in socket at the side of the DV852, at least that's how it goes on my ex-MX8. If that socket is also missing on the DV852, then I am REALLY sorry for you NTSC guys!

The only problem is that I do not know if the auto amplifier on the MX8/DV852 will also 'moderate' the input from the mic. Please note that the 990 has no level control. I use the level control in the MX350.

Bogdan Vaglarov · December 29th, 2003, 08:46 AM

Is it mono mic?
Nothing about that in the specs.

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 29th, 2003, 10:09 AM

The minijack is stereo (three layers of contacts, 2 plastic bands). There are 3 areas of mic - the front tip, the left of the barrel and the right of the barrel. I am not sure if the mic is wired for stereo.

Whether it is stereo or not, I'll need to test out in detail by controlled directional sound. I hope to do that maybe next week. Rather busy these few days (one video job, one friend's wedding, one trip to Kuala Lumpur from 1 Jan to 4 Jan).

Frank Granovski · December 29th, 2003, 01:45 PM

Quote:

The ECZ-990 is a 6" long, directional, or "zoom" microphone with a super-cardioid pattern (ellipse shaped). It will pick up your subject's sound more clearly, reducing side noises.

It's not a stereo mic, I think.

Yow Cheong Hoe · December 30th, 2003, 12:16 AM

OK, confirmations: it is most likely a mono mic with input into both left and right channels. I deduced this from the fact that the internal wire from the mic to the external wire is visible from the battery compartment and there is only a pair of black and white wires. I will try to confirm on whether the signal is pumped to both channels. I am sure that if you use a mono minijack, the signal will be sent to the left channel.

I will send an e-mail to Frank with photos of the mic on my MX350 for uploading.

December 28th, 2003, 09:36 PM	#1
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	Azden 990 mic on MX350 I have just received my Azden 990 mic for use on my MX350. Comments: 1. In the 'long' mode, pretty cuts down most of the side sound and focused on the front. 2. On the 'wide' mode, the sound from the front of the camera is pretty much captured evenly, with minimal contribution from the back. 3. For all round sound, I just unplug the mic and rely on the built-in mic. 4. The looks of the mic is pretty good on the MX350, I'll see how I can post a photo. Not too big and not too small, and nice length too. It will be 'long' on the MX300, MX500 and GS100. 5. The wind muffler is not too effective, but then again, that's how things are... 6. No need for adaptors or phantom power, the mic is on minijack and 1 piece of AAA battery. 7. At US$60, this is a very good buy, only lack I can think of is a hardware dial for volume control. I use a stereo minijack extension cable and I can use the mic as a handheld 'interview' mic, but manual audio levels muct be downed to prevent overload. You can probably feel from the writing that I am pleased with this mic. __________________ Cam: Panasonic MX350EN, SOLD my MX8EN Mac: G3 400MHz PowerBook, 256 MB, OS 9 PC: Pentium 4 2800MHz, 512 MB, WindowsXP SW: iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, Ulead Video Studio, various little utilities

December 28th, 2003, 10:57 PM	#4
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Young - thanks. I think this is the Sony mic I owned a while back which went kaput (broken). Thanks, Yow. Would you say this mic is better than Panasonic's expensive zoom mic? Here are it's tech specs: ECZ-990 Shotgun Microphone: Type: Super cardioid electret condenser Sensitivity Long: 55dB (at 1kHz 1V/µ bar) Sensitivity Short: 72dB (at 1kHz 1V/gm bar) Frequency Response: 150-18KHz Output Impedance Long: 5 (at 1kHz) Output Impedance Short: 660 (at 1kHz) Power Source: 1.5V DC (AA Battery) Max. SPL: 100dB Signal to Noise: Better than 40dB Plug Cord Assembly: Coiled cord with 3.5 plug Accessories: Shoe Mount

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December 28th, 2003, 09:41 PM	#2
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	Bought it here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ku=3646&is=REG Details here: http://www.azden.com/shotgun.html#ecz-990

December 28th, 2003, 10:09 PM	#3
Young Lee Major Player Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 268	Thanks for the info; I own this Sony mic shown in the link. http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...uctSKU=ECMZ37C

December 29th, 2003, 12:22 AM	#5
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	I strongly believe that branding and packaging has more to do than real quality. All the 'cheap' mics of US$50 to US$200 will be about the same quality, the brand and service, maybe metal or plastic body, will determine the price. For real quality, the range is from US$300 to US$1000. Audiotechnica, Shure and Sennheiser has plenty in that range. I have not tried the Panasonic mic, and nobody in Singapore stocks it, only brought in from Japan when there's orders. But I believe that the quality should not be too different. The so called 'zoom' on Panasonic's mic is actually the same as switching from 'wide' to 'zoom' on most other mics, but being done progressively, the effect is less sudden. Also, the mic talks to the camera's zoom, which is pretty cool, but a hot shoe is needed, sorry to those using the DV852. So, is it better? YES, much cheaper (40%, if I remember correctly) at comparable quality. I have tried various Sony mics before, not the same models as Young Lee's, though. The results are about the same as this Azden. Then again, shooting weddings and street interviews, how much quality can you get whent eh background is already noisy? The Sony mics are actually pretty affordable, just that buying off the shelf here is still a bomb. One fine point about the Azden 990, the body is cold black metal!

December 29th, 2003, 12:28 AM	#6
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	There's a mistake on Azden's site, the battery is AAA.

December 29th, 2003, 12:40 AM	#7
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	Triple A's are what I keep around for a number of gadgets. Maybe I'll look at this mic locally, and give it a try (then order one from B&H). :-)) I just can't afford a good Senn and Beachtek at the moment. :-(( I tried to find some tests on this mic, but with no success. I'll have do a bit more googling tonight. The mic looks better and better---Re: "One fine point about the Azden 990, the body is cold black metal!"

December 29th, 2003, 01:58 AM	#8
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	The audio section of DVinfo has some references to the Azden range. The info here helped me decide on this mail order from the other side of the world! I chose the 990 to save cost on the phantom power and XLR adaptor.

December 29th, 2003, 03:37 AM	#9
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I'm looking for some mic test sites and came across this great mic intro article: http://videoexpert.home.att.net/artic1/242mic.htm and another one here: (3 parts) http://www.videouniversity.com/audio1.htm

December 29th, 2003, 05:53 AM	#10
Aykut Ozen Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Seattle,wa Posts: 39	Hi...anyone know would this mic (Azden ECZ-990 ) work with my panasonic dv852?...dv852 has a cold shoe...do i need a hot shoe to use that mic?...it looks nice and affordable...i'll definetely check it out...thanks

December 29th, 2003, 08:24 AM	#11
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	Aykut has no worries! The mic works by plugging into the mic-in socket at the side of the DV852, at least that's how it goes on my ex-MX8. If that socket is also missing on the DV852, then I am REALLY sorry for you NTSC guys! The only problem is that I do not know if the auto amplifier on the MX8/DV852 will also 'moderate' the input from the mic. Please note that the 990 has no level control. I use the level control in the MX350.

December 29th, 2003, 08:46 AM	#12
Bogdan Vaglarov Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Yokohama, Japan Posts: 366	Is it mono mic? Nothing about that in the specs.

December 29th, 2003, 10:09 AM	#13
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	The minijack is stereo (three layers of contacts, 2 plastic bands). There are 3 areas of mic - the front tip, the left of the barrel and the right of the barrel. I am not sure if the mic is wired for stereo. Whether it is stereo or not, I'll need to test out in detail by controlled directional sound. I hope to do that maybe next week. Rather busy these few days (one video job, one friend's wedding, one trip to Kuala Lumpur from 1 Jan to 4 Jan).

December 30th, 2003, 12:16 AM	#15
Yow Cheong Hoe Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Singapore, Passport: Malaysia Posts: 407	OK, confirmations: it is most likely a mono mic with input into both left and right channels. I deduced this from the fact that the internal wire from the mic to the external wire is visible from the battery compartment and there is only a pair of black and white wires. I will try to confirm on whether the signal is pumped to both channels. I am sure that if you use a mono minijack, the signal will be sent to the left channel. I will send an e-mail to Frank with photos of the mic on my MX350 for uploading.