Stereo Condenser Microphones are useful in many recording applications.  Using a stereo condenser mic will save you a lot of time in setting up and will almost guarantee accurate stereo imaging.  Typically, a stereo miking situation will involve two separate mikes placed at a 90 or 120 degree angle.  Using a stereo condenser mic, such as the Sony Stereo Type Mic for Digital Recording, which we love, is a great choice!  It’s also inexpensive, and can be used with many portable video recorders.

Here’s Amazon’s take:

Sony Stereo Type Mic for Digital Recording

This compact, portable microphone is for advanced amateur use and is ideal for instrumental recording, thanks to Sony’s sensitive Electret condenser microphone. The one-point stereo design–a single mic for stereo recording–is like having two microphones in one. This mic is ideal for portable DAT or MD digital recorders, with a frequency response of up to 18,000 Hz and a 90 dB dynamic range, and is a great complement to digital recording systems. The mid/side (MS) capsules create a natural stereo panorama; the mid capsule picks up monophonic sound while the side capsule picks up left/right difference sound. Subtracting and adding the two capsule signals yields separate left and right channels and permits electronic adjustment of the pickup angle. The mid/side (MS) switch also selects pickup angle between the left and right channels. Choose 90 degrees for a single voice or instrument, or 120 degrees to pick up many voices and instruments arranged across the stage. The rotating mid capsule adjusts the stereo-pickup pattern for a wide range of recording situations. A Cannon XLR connector from the microphone body to the supplied cable provides a secure, reliable, low-noise connection, while the oxygen-free copper Litz cord ensures superlative conductivity, minimum loss, and minimum noise. The L-shaped stereo miniplug fits most portable recorders. Supplied accessories include a detachable cable, stand, holder, windscreen, and carrying case.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Mic For Concerts
I’m far from an expert on cammies and mics, but this is definately a great buy. I film concerts w/ a cammie that has an external mic output. This microphone has given me excellent results. Very, very clear sound. Have never gotten any hissing or cackling. Does a very good job at filtering out excess noise (i.e. people around you), and picks up the sounds of a concert well. You can also adjust how the mic picks up the audio. You can choose 90 degrees, which is basically straight ahead, or 180 degrees, which will pick up sounds from the side as well as straight ahead. A very good microphone, I highly recommend this item.

4 Stars affordable, compact
Bought this after it was recommended to me on the Soundslides board. I use it with my Edirol R-09 HR to record audio for photo slideshows. The Sony mic is compact, I didn’t need an adapter for it to fit the Edirol and comes with a few accessories. The sound quality is excellent, it fits in my camera bag, it has a long cord, and I am not going to cry too much if I drop it as it wasn’t that pricey. My biggest complaints are that if you aren’t conscious of what you are doing, you can get alot of mic handling noise – the build of the mic handle seems to really accentuate it. Also it has an on/off/90 degree and 360 degree switch and I often forget to turn it off and it drains the battery. Still, it’s an excellent mic for the price and for someone starting out doing simple interviews and so on. To hear a sample of it, click on the slideshow here. [...] Recorded on an Edirol R-09 HR with the Sony mic on a large aircraft carrier, handheld by me.

4 Stars Useful mic priced lower than ever, but here are a few tips.
This proven mic has come down in price, while the one below it–the Sony DS70–has remained pretty much the same. For the extra 15 bucks, the Sony MS907 is easily worth the upgrade. The only advantage of the DS70 is not having to worry about having a fresh battery installed. The MS907 sounds fuller and richer, but frankly I did not judge it to be superior to the overall effect of the 4-point microphone that comes with the popular Zoom H-2. Whether or not you choose to use it in place of the onboard mic of a high-end personal audio recorder really comes down to a matter of personal taste. On the other hand, if you’ve picked up the new Zoom H-4n, this Sony stereo mic would be an excellent choice for complementing the onboard ones since the new Zoom allows for use of onboard and external mics simultaneously.

As for recording to a software audio program on an iMac, that particular computer has an audio input that will accommodate the 3.5mm plug (but be aware that many computers do not have such an input–in that case, look at a USB mic such as those from Blue). Even with the right fit and a fresh battery, I found the MS907 to be somewhat underpowered for optimal results. It wasn’t until I plugged it into an Onkyo preamp that I was satisfied. Again, I suspect that a mic with a USB connector would permit better gain levels with most computers.

There are adequate mic amps on Amazon for $20-$40, capable of boosting your signal by 48 volts, or 60 dbs. A Mac user willing to spend a bit more should look at the MXL Signal Booster Amp for Mac Computers, which costs a bit more but saves you the bother of USB conversion. Finally, if you’re trying to make professional announcements for radio use, etc., you’ll soon discover that, unless you’re incapable of puckering (which means you’re not much of a kisser), the plosives (”p” sounds) will run away with everything you try to say. The only solutions I’ve found are to write scripts that are devoid of plosives (the “voiced” “b” phoneme is almost as much of an offender as the voiceless “p” phoneme) or to pick up a “pop filter.” The latter are little more than 6″ circles of cheese cloth costing $20-$30 each, but I’m about to give in and order one from Amazon.

The last advice I’ll offer is not to indulge in candy or a sweet soda while broadcasting. It’ll thicken your saliva and make you sound like someone attempting to communicate with his dentist after being shot up with novocaine (or is it lidocaine, these days?)–in any case, it’s sugar cane, and fuctose syrup, that will muck up your elocution, making your gums talk louder than your words.

5 Stars best $69 ever spent!
This mike not only is a major improvement over the little electret mike that comes with Sony MD recorders, but I also use it in a cheap little Olympus WS 310 recorder, and get amazing clarity and warmth.It makes all the difference. I was about to buy a new bigger better recorder and tried this mike, was astounded at the clarity even on low end recording devices. The battery seems to last forever too…. if you remember to shut it off!

5 Stars Excellent microphone
I purchased this microphone to use with our canon video camera. We have used it to record several music recitals and band concerts and have been pleased with the audio quality.

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