EM258 And EM172 Self - Noise Test In A Forest by Douglas Langley published on 2021-01-02T16:25:01Z I wanted to test whether the Primo EM258s (same capsules used for the Lom mikroUsi) have low enough self-noise for recording in a quiet, natural environment. I recorded the following clips in the middle of winter in a relatively quiet local wood. I set the gain so that when played back at maximum volume on a computer or phone, the clips should be approximately the same volume as the sound was in reality. That meant setting the gain lower for the EM172s, which are a bit more sensitive than the EM258s. The first section presents first the EM258s and then the EM172s without any gain added. This was a very quiet environment, so even at this very low playback volume, the noise of the EM258s (clip 1) is pretty noticeable, whereas the the EM172s sound pristine. The next section presents the same two clips again with 12dB of gain added, which is probably a bit of a more 'typical' playback volume. The EM258s are very noisy now, with the EM172s still sounding great. There is a small amount of noise, but really very little. The third section presents the same two clips again still with the 12dB of gain, but also with some noise reduction (Izotope RX8 spectral de-noise). Despite the noise reduction, the EM258 self-noise is still pretty noticeable. There has also been quite a loss of high frequency content meaning the birds are harder to hear now. The EM172s however fare much better. The self-noise is completely inaudible, and the high frequencies although attenuated, are still sufficiently present. In fact, you could say it makes them a bit more flat and natural sounding, in line with higher-end mics like the Audio Technica AT4022s, or Sennheiser MKH 8020s. Probably a bit of an obvious outcome based on the specs of the microphones, but it has confirmed for me that I should always have my EM172s with me for recording in quieter environments. They are more sensitive and have lower self-noise than the EM258s. In addition, they naturally have a boost in the high frequencies compared to other microphones, meaning you can apply significant noise reduction but without drastic loss of high frequency content. Apologies for my swallow, and the odd little crackling sounds throughout. I was wearing the microphones on the straps of my backpack and picking up some human self-noise! Comment by Jared Blake Beautifully done from a scientific perspective! Also, sounds like your backpack rig is working great!! 2021-01-04T20:34:12Z Comment by Douglas Langley EM172 +12dB + noise reduction 2021-01-02T16:27:27Z Comment by Douglas Langley EM258 +12dB + noise reduction 2021-01-02T16:27:14Z Comment by Douglas Langley EM172 +12dB 2021-01-02T16:26:52Z Comment by Douglas Langley EM258 +12dB 2021-01-02T16:26:40Z Comment by Douglas Langley EM172 original gain 2021-01-02T16:26:26Z Comment by Douglas Langley EM258 original gain 2021-01-02T16:26:16Z