Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone

 (85 customer reviews)

I recommend the Sony ECM-DS70P stereo microphone.

This mic is great to use with the Sony Mini disc recorders such as MZ-N707 and up. Although it is referred as uni directional, I have found the stereo separation very good.

As you are recording yourself with other singers for example you distinctly hear the vocal separation or instrument separation on playback so, then you can get an interesting separated sound by adjusting the mike direction.

So, even though the L and R mics are close together they must be facing in different directions to get that quality of separation.

There probably are better mikes, and I am sure they cost more money. I am critical of what sound goes in my ears, and this is excellent for my needs, which is self recording, recording voice lessons, live performances etc.

I hope this review was helpful.

I bought this mic for two reasons:

1. It is stereo not mono
2. I just bought a Kodak Zi8 Digital Camcorder

Although the sound is surprisingly good on the Zi8, it has an external Stereo mic jack. The Sony ECM-DS70P is highly regarded and works perfectly with the Zi8. There is a notable difference in the sound when I use the Sony mic. You can clearly hear the stereo sound difference when recording in a 360 degree environment (like outside in a playground or other event). I have also used it for voice recording and it does a nice job there as well.

This unit is not as compatible as compared to others. But, what it loses in compatibility it makes up for in features. It's wonderfully small and works great with Sony MD recorders. True, it isn't as versitile as the battery models, but it's a lot smaller too. If you just want to do MD recording, this is the unit for you.The sound quality is sufficiently clear when recording, but is not sensitive enough to satisfy the most demanding users such as musicians or professional reporters. You need a relatively strong source. Here's one MD player recorder that I know has the microphone jack and works great with this microphone:
'Sony MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc Recorder with Car Kit'However, don't be fooled. Not every MD player has the appropriate Mic Jack. Double Check the technical documentation to make sure. Units that definitely do not have it are:
'Sony MZ-NE410 High Speed Net MD Walkman Recorder'Notice the deceptive "Recorder" moniker in the...Read more