Crown Sound Grabber II PZM Condenser Microphone (Standard) Review

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(More customer reviews)The PZM type microphones are specialized, and only work well when placed on a flat surface (preferably 4+ feet in radius) such as a floor or table. It is low, unobtrusive, and omni-directional -- which means it is good for picking up sounds in all directions.
* The Sound Grabber II has a somewhat restricted frequency response, making it more suitable for voices than for instrumental recording.
* It has good clarity, and the PZM design helps it reject some types of unwanted ambient sounds.
* It is priced very cheaply compared to other PZM microphones, and it comes with it's own power (unlike the more professional models which require "phantom-sound").
I use it in stage applications, where it does a nice job of picking up the _too_ quiet voices of our elementary school actors.
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I to wanted comment on the review by "A. W. Teacher", because it sounds like they had the microphone incorrectly placed (mounted on or near a video camera from what I can infer). If the kids were sitting around a table and the microphone had been placed in the middle of the table - than it would have worked great (guessing that was why it was recommended by the National Board Certification).
It is about the worst type of microphone to mount on (or near) a video camera for two reasons: (1) the need to be on a flat surface, and (2) the omni-directional pickup gets noises from behind the camera (something you rarely want). If you are looking for a video camera microphone, you will find the "cardioid" family of microphones works much better!
Crown actually has a nice reference site, with many suggestions on choosing the appropriate microphone for any particular situation: [...]

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The Crown Sound Grabber II PZM Condenser Microphone is a Pressure Zone Microphone (also called a boundary mic) that makes the most of a unique behavior of sound waves when they meet a flat surface. Picks up sound from entire room with great accuracy and prevents phase cancellation. Back to back, 2 of them make a fantastic stereo rig.The Crown Sound Grabber II is ideal for applications such as conferences, group discussions, interviews, home video production, lectures, and recordings. The mic can be placed on a large surface such as a table, floor, wall, or lectern. Powered by AAA battery. Comes with mini phone plug and plug adapters.

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