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Is anyone using this beautiful looking (albeit expensive) mic for location recording of stereo ambience? I am looking to purchase it for both rural and urban settings, and the noise specs make it seem to be both quiet and dynamic enough for both. I'll run this into my Sound Devices 702.

Thoughts? Other stereo mic suggestions are welcome, but must be able to fit into a blimp or another windscreen for portability and ease of use.

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It might sound great but probably not a very practical mic to use in the field because of the big AC power supply. Looks like they made a battery powered supply for it but it looks pretty big too. Not to mention how difficult it might be to find one in good working condition and the cost of maintenance. For what this mic would probably go for there are most likely plenty of modern equivalents in both function and sound characteristics to choose from.

All that being said there are many gear hounds on this site (myself included) that would probably want to give it a go if that mic landed in their lap.

SM 69 Operating Manual:

http://downloads.neumann.com/d.php?sid=90c1cd1caa21971842eb3535fba3d440&download=copi0104.PDF

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  • the usm 69i is still in production.
    – reon
    Jan 17, 2012 at 7:23
  • Oops, looks like my reading comprehension took the day off. Jan 17, 2012 at 16:15
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My apologies! I am wondering about the current version, the Neumann USM 69 i. This does not require an external box as far as I can tell and can be put in a Rycote Blimp. Thoughts?

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  • it's pretty big and expensive. I'm not sure what else there is to say.
    – reon
    Jan 17, 2012 at 7:25
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I have done a lot of field recording of sound effects. I always use two narrow pattern shotgun mics on a "T" bar with a short fishpole.

A coincident capsule setup is NSG for cine purposes since, in the movie theater, you are trying to fill up 7.1 (or more channels and need as much, "Hole in the Middle" separation (for the center channel carrying dialogue) as possible.

Two SDC Neumann KMR 82s have more "reach" and variety of sound (due to the tight lobar polar patterns). Just a slight pan often reveals another entirely different sound. The phase reflections that compromise the KRM 82 inside are absent outside,

The USM 69 can fit inside a blimp (the same one as the RSM 191 but the shock mount is no longer sold) and is superior to the, discontinued RSM191 since the 191 uses dual capsules to make the "S" mic. This results In a "S" noise spec of 22dB as compared to the 13 dB of the USM69.

The well packaged USM69 is best for music (MS, XY and Blumlein) and some vocals-indoors.

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