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Post by rob61 on Jan 24, 2016 8:59:41 GMT -6
I thought it would be fun to do a mic shootout using alto sax. This covers 10 mics including dynamics, ribbons, and tube condensors. I'm doing it in 2 parts - the first part uses a John Hardy M-2 solid state mic pre with Jensen transformers. The second part will feature the same 10 mics using the A Designs MP-2A tube mic pre. To highlight the differences in the mics, I did not use any processing : no compression, no EQ, and no effects. Its just the sax into each mic. A very big thanks to Bob Hartig for playing his alto sax for this shootout. Which mic did you like best on his sax?
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Post by Ward on Jan 24, 2016 9:08:15 GMT -6
Difficult call! Such a great player with a great instrument, he makes everything sound good! The Inner tube mod had just the slightest edge over the pearlman, Coles and 77DX to me... but in the context of a track, that might change.
Thank you for sharing!
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Jan 24, 2016 9:41:28 GMT -6
wow, that u87 is like every smooth jazz record from the last 20 years, and the 77 is every classic jazz record from 1960 onward. that 88 is kinda like the middle ground of the two.
I did a shootout like this with the mics that I own.
Behringer ECM8000, Shure Beta56, Rode NT5, ElectroVoice RE20, AMT Wi5, AKG C414B-ULS, MicRehab-modded MikTek CV4:
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Post by joseph on Jan 24, 2016 9:43:21 GMT -6
77DX is easiest on the ear and has the right thickness of tone, but still pushes through while being smooth and not raspy. Coles is good but a little too mid forward and less open, doesn't complement the instrument as well as the 77, at least in isolation.
Would have been nice to hear an RE20, which I bet would beat most of the condensers. Also think an unmodified vintage 87 would have sounded slightly smoother.
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Post by tonycamphd on Jan 24, 2016 10:29:52 GMT -6
I made sure i picked before i scrolled down the page, i picked the 77, sounded classic to me.
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Post by unit7 on Jan 24, 2016 11:49:31 GMT -6
Nice shootout! I'd pick the 87 for modern stuff and tunes with a lot of cymbals like most swing, and the 77 for soft and intimate stuff.
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Jan 24, 2016 12:12:59 GMT -6
77DX is easiest on the ear and has the right thickness of tone, but still pushes through while being smooth and not raspy. Coles is good but a little too mid forward and less open, doesn't complement the instrument as well as the 77, at least in isolation. Would have been nice to hear an RE20, which I bet would beat most of the condensers. Also think an unmodified vintage 87 would have sounded slightly smoother. I did the RE20 in my vid. |
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Post by NoFilterChuck on Jan 24, 2016 12:17:09 GMT -6
I thought it would be fun to do a mic shootout using alto sax. This covers 10 mics including dynamics, ribbons, and tube condensors. I'm doing it in 2 parts - the first part uses a John Hardy M-2 solid state mic pre with Jensen transformers. The second part will feature the same 10 mics using the A Designs MP-2A tube mic pre. To highlight the differences in the mics, I did not use any processing : no compression, no EQ, and no effects. Its just the sax into each mic. A very big thanks to Bob Hartig for playing his alto sax for this shootout. Which mic did you like best on his sax? Rob, it would be awesome if you could get a demo of the Samar VL37 and do one with just your ribbons, so we could see how they all compare. maybe on tenor sax this time around? |
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Post by tonycamphd on Jan 24, 2016 12:25:57 GMT -6
I thought it would be fun to do a mic shootout using alto sax. This covers 10 mics including dynamics, ribbons, and tube condensors. I'm doing it in 2 parts - the first part uses a John Hardy M-2 solid state mic pre with Jensen transformers. The second part will feature the same 10 mics using the A Designs MP-2A tube mic pre. To highlight the differences in the mics, I did not use any processing : no compression, no EQ, and no effects. Its just the sax into each mic. A very big thanks to Bob Hartig for playing his alto sax for this shootout. Which mic did you like best on his sax? Very cool Rob! thanx for doing this! |
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Post by M57 on Jan 24, 2016 12:31:42 GMT -6
I was not a fan of the U87. It might have been a level thing, but it was too thin for my tastes. I'm going to have to go back and listen to my short list before I vote. The 77DX was a standout, but did anyone else like the KM-140 or perhaps the TM-1? Also on my short list is the DIY ribbon.
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Post by rob61 on Jan 24, 2016 15:09:08 GMT -6
Here is part 2 of the microphone shootout with alto sax. Part two shoots out the same 10 microphones but this time we use an A Designs MP-2A Tube microphone preamplifier. The mics will sound quite a bit different which could alter which you like the best. If you want, note which preamp you prefer. The A Designs Tube Mic Pre has a couple "tone" switches which the documentation doesn't cover. I'm thinking they might alter the load on the input and output transformers. Some mics would sound better with different settings I've found, but for consistency I left them at 2 and 4. Ribbons actually seem to like 1 and 3 better.
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Post by WKG on Jan 24, 2016 15:15:13 GMT -6
I liked the 77 best, it just sounds classic to me. The 87 would be runner-up.
Nice little shootout, thanks for taking the time to do it. |
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Post by Vincent R. on Apr 17, 2018 8:27:43 GMT -6
Sorry to dredge this old convo up, but I really enjoyed both shoot outs. I really liked the pearlman with the Hardy and the Coles 4038 with the tube preamp best. I also liked the Innertube U87 for a more modern recording. There are quite a few combos here that would work depending on the vibe of the song and the context of a mix.
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