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Post by Vincent R. on Jan 15, 2018 8:25:33 GMT -6
Only if you plan on having Shannon mod the actual mic. Otherwise the high frequency that mic yields will drive you crazy when it appears on all of the emulations. Plus it doesn’t properly emilate the low end of any of these microphones. If anything, I will say that playing with one for a bit would give you and idea of which mic you actually want. I think I’d go for the Townsend Labs if I were in the market for a digital microphone locker, as the stereo matrix alone is worth the cost.
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 15, 2018 9:03:32 GMT -6
Only if you plan on having Shannon mod the actual mic. Otherwise the high frequency that mic yields will drive you crazy when it appears on all of the emulations. Plus it doesn’t properly emilate the low end of any of these microphones. If anything, I will say that playing with one for a bit would give you and idea of which mic you actually want. I think I’d go for the Townsend Labs if I were in the market for a digital microphone locker, as the stereo matrix alone is worth the cost. I was joking
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Post by Vincent R. on Jan 15, 2018 9:26:30 GMT -6
Only if you plan on having Shannon mod the actual mic. Otherwise the high frequency that mic yields will drive you crazy when it appears on all of the emulations. Plus it doesn’t properly emilate the low end of any of these microphones. If anything, I will say that playing with one for a bit would give you and idea of which mic you actually want. I think I’d go for the Townsend Labs if I were in the market for a digital microphone locker, as the stereo matrix alone is worth the cost. I was joking I’ve spent the last 3 days at a performing arts conference. I guess I’m so tired the joke went right over my head. Heck I’m sitting at my booth now.
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Post by joseph on Jan 15, 2018 9:28:50 GMT -6
VMS is 100% accurate you guys are just afraid of being outed as frauds in blind tests.
I know this is true because I read it on the internet.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jan 15, 2018 9:54:22 GMT -6
Ha! Blind tests are blind to their own inherent biases, and basically not very useful.
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Post by ragan on Jan 15, 2018 10:06:12 GMT -6
I think they’re extremely, massively useful.
And as such, when I had VMS and blind tested myself against my ‘real’ mics, it was easy to hear what was going on and VMS got returned.
Blind testing over the summer saved me about $2k. I and almost every single other person on RGO who listened preferred a Distressor on my voice over a STA-Level, the Weight Tank, the Highland BG2, the Chandler RS124, the WA-2a/SA-2a, the Shadow Hills Optograph and a couple more. I was ready to shell out for some big flagship tube comp but the Distressor just sounded better on me.
Long live blind testing, I say. : )
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jan 15, 2018 11:29:30 GMT -6
In that context, I completely agree Ragan, it's very useful to post files and ask which ones people prefer. I was referring to the type of test where you're in a room and someone switches something for you. I've been well served by many mic test files. I've bought a few based on files posted and they were exactly like the sound I heard and liked!
Just ask Bob Ohlson about blind tests, he has a much clearer understanding than I do. I used to be a bit of an audiophile, and companies often used highly biased blind tests to "prove" something about a product that people with knowledge and experience knew was wrong.
Every track I heard with VMS had that cheap capsule ice pick edge we all can't stand, despite Slate's hype. It can probably be a very useful tool for some people of course.
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Post by ragan on Jan 15, 2018 12:36:54 GMT -6
In that context, I completely agree Ragan, it's very useful to post files and ask which ones people prefer. I was referring to the type of test where you're in a room and someone switches something for you. I've been well served by many mic test files. I've bought a few based on files posted and they were exactly like the sound I heard and liked! Just ask Bob Ohlson about blind tests, he has a much clearer understanding than I do. I used to be a bit of an audiophile, and companies often used highly biased blind tests to "prove" something about a product that people with knowledge and experience knew was wrong. Every track I heard with VMS had that cheap capsule ice pick edge we all can't stand, despite Slate's hype. It can probably be a very useful tool for some people of course. Yeah I guess I've just never been a part of any comparisons where nefarious people are trying to trick me for commercial reasons or whatever. It's just always me, carefully level matching and comparing for myself. Or someone else here on RGO posting something and me importing it into the DAW and doing the same.
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 15, 2018 13:04:01 GMT -6
I had a guy send me a vocal from a $199 SE mic. Best recording I've ever heard. lol
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jan 15, 2018 14:34:20 GMT -6
I had a guy send me a vocal from a $199 SE mic. Best recording I've ever heard. lol Hey I have said there are no bad mics, it's just it's easier to find voices where the great mics work & that's the magic ! I'll top that I know a guy who uses a stock C1000 & on him you would swear it's a mega dollar mic cause it just works !
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jan 15, 2018 14:45:51 GMT -6
Really? That just makes me wish that $200 SE mic sounded that good with my voice! I've spoke with the owner of SE mics a long time ago, and they're really on the case, serious about research, design and quality, a real company. I tried to like their mics, but never found one that really did it for me.
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Post by EmRR on Jan 15, 2018 14:59:14 GMT -6
Placement, technique, and room are so much of this.
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Post by ragan on Feb 1, 2018 14:47:03 GMT -6
I listened to these clips again last night. I'm even more of the opinion that the only one that sounds good on that voice is the MK67. It's just so smooth and real and detailed and doesn't remotely flinch when there's a little more belting. You could sculpt it into anything with EQ. The other two are just way, way too crispy for me on that vocal.
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Post by indiehouse on Feb 1, 2018 18:51:27 GMT -6
I listened to these clips again last night. I'm even more of the opinion that the only one that sounds good on that voice is the MK67. It's just so smooth and real and detailed and doesn't remotely flinch when there's a little more belting. You could sculpt it into anything with EQ. The other two are just way, way too crispy for me on that vocal. Even the modded CV4?
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Post by ragan on Feb 1, 2018 19:27:44 GMT -6
I listened to these clips again last night. I'm even more of the opinion that the only one that sounds good on that voice is the MK67. It's just so smooth and real and detailed and doesn't remotely flinch when there's a little more belting. You could sculpt it into anything with EQ. The other two are just way, way too crispy for me on that vocal. Even the modded CV4? Definitely. That’s a nice sounding mic for sure but still too sibilant for that voice to my ear. These are raw files. You start compressing and mixing and mastering and that sizzle is gonna get difficult to deal with in my opinion.
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Post by indiehouse on Feb 1, 2018 19:31:55 GMT -6
Definitely. That’s a nice sounding mic for sure but still too sibilant for that voice to my ear. These are raw files. You start compressing and mixing and mastering and that sizzle is gonna get difficult to deal with in my opinion. I'm going to put a NOS Siemens MKL output capacitor in the MK67. Same output cap used in the vintage 67's.
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Post by Tbone81 on Feb 1, 2018 19:43:05 GMT -6
The MK67 sounded a little heavy in the low end/low mids...I liked it best however...it sounded creamy and smooth up top. I feel you could easily roll off a little low end in the mix and it would sound better than the others. The REDD and Upton, and to some extent the CV4, sounded a little more "finished" to me, but that's not always a good thing. What I mean by that is, You're kind of left with their sonic stamp, and it better be thebright stamp for that track/singer/room/etc. The MK67 seems a little more usable or flexible.
That being said, they all sounded great. Picking between these mics is a good problem to have.
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