|
Post by mcirish on Jul 25, 2021 17:33:57 GMT -6
I have taken four SDC that I have and set them up to record six different instruments. I strapped them together and got the capsules lined up as best I could. I can give more details about each mic once most people have had a chance to check this test out. The Mics: A, B, C, D remain consistent through all the recordings. Three of the four are well known. The other mic is new to me and is the reason for the testing. I always like to hear the differences in various mics and decide what I like and don't like about each. Hopefully this test will also help those who have never worked with any of these to know what they really sound like... instead of taking someone's word for it. I can't say how many times I was surprised by mics that were supposed to be great and were not or were supposed to be trash and I found them to be great. All Files are 24/44.1 wave files Drop them in your DAW and they line up from zero (per instrument) Pardon the playing. This was all done as a test and not intended to show any musical skills. If this were a real recording session, I would have spent more time finding the perfect spot for each mic. That's not what this is about. Signal Chain: Mics -> Daking Mic Pre IV -> Lynx Aurora -> Nuendo 11 (level matched using LUFS meter and channel gain controls. no other processing) Guitar is a Collings 0002H - 12" from neck body joint on axis Irish Bouzouki is a Petersen Level 2/3 - 12" from neck body joint on axis Mandola is a Collings MT (f-fole) - 12" from lower f-hole Mandolin is a Gibson Fern - 12" from lower f-hole Banjo is a Deering Eagle II six string - 12" from center of the head Piano is a Yamaha U3 - 3 feet back from the hammers, centered on the piano. Also recorded 90 degrees in each direction to show the off axis sound of each mic. This is NOT how I mic a piano but I was in a hurry so it is what it is... The files are zipped on a google drive I shared. let me know if there are any problems. SDC Test Files 24/44.1
|
|
|
Post by NoTomorrow on Jul 25, 2021 20:35:02 GMT -6
Great comparison man, thanks for doing it.
First off, those instruments would likely make shitty mics sound great. I am particularly fond of that Peterson Bouzouki and the Collings Mandola... wow, they sound fantastic. Need the lottery to come through.
I'm glad you made each instrument have the same label for the same mic on each given instrument, that makes the comparison easy to deal with in the DAW.
My thoughts/rankings:
#1 - Mic A - this mic sounds best to me across all instruments, with no weird resonances or shrillness, but a very realistic midrange. Badass ability to handle every source. #2 - Mic D - this one is almost as good as Mic A but it has a low mid bump that doesn't work well on certain things. The piano track, for instance, reveals that Mic A is better across the entire frequency range #3 - Mic B - this sounds very much like a Soyuz - at least the SU-013 that I had. Sort of enhanced reality, technicolor. It still sounds really good and sounds especially great on the Mandola. #4 - Mic C - Well this mic could be considered ok against some lesser mics I think, but it seems outclassed here. Like when you strum hard it gets pretty harsh in the upper mids. I probably wouldn't use this mic for any of the instruments if I had the other mics available.
I dig these shootouts because it's so hard to find well recorded mic comparisons.
My 2 cents.
|
|
|
Post by Vincent R. on Jul 26, 2021 5:04:09 GMT -6
I agree with a lot of what NoTomorrow said. My preferences were Mic A and Mic B as my favorites and for different reasons, followed by Mic D and lastly Mic C. Mic A seemed the most neutral, with a full low end and clean top end. Mic B seemed slightly enhanced with a midrange thing I like. Mic C seemed open, but lacked low end and had a thinner over all sound. That said, it could be a set and forget mic for mandolin in a dense mix. Mic D had a nice low end and a more present top end, but I didn’t like it as much as A or B for some reason. Looking forward to getting the key, especially since I’m in the market for a paid of SDCs.
|
|
|
Post by mcirish on Jul 26, 2021 6:08:07 GMT -6
Thanks for the listens and the reviews on the mics. I am very blessed with nicer instruments than I deserve. Took many decades to get to that point. I was pretty surprised by the outcome; especially the piano off axis. I would never mic it like that but it showed a different side of each mic... Literally.
|
|
|
Post by NoTomorrow on Jul 27, 2021 10:25:03 GMT -6
Well, congrats on getting all of those instruments into the stable over the years. I'm on the road myself.
I wish there were really good, affordable, all solid wood versions of lots of these folk instruments but we're pretty much limited to Trinity College, Gold Tone and Ashbury on the low end. They're ok, but sound nowhere near as good as the higher end models.
I'm hoping Mic A is some cheap, Chinese knock-off! I doubt it though.
|
|
|
Post by mcirish on Jul 27, 2021 11:04:15 GMT -6
Well, congrats on getting all of those instruments into the stable over the years. I'm on the road myself. I wish there were really good, affordable, all solid wood versions of lots of these folk instruments but we're pretty much limited to Trinity College, Gold Tone and Ashbury on the low end. They're ok, but sound nowhere near as good as the higher end models. I'm hoping Mic A is some cheap, Chinese knock-off! I doubt it though. No Chinese mics in this shootout but some are quite affordable. Unfortunately, most acoustic instruments cost what they are worth. I bought three mandolins before I got the Gibson Fern. There is an enormous difference between it and all others. My finding is that $3k is pretty much an entry point into great instruments and it goes up from there. The recordings don't do a very good job of showing off how nice each really sounds.
|
|
|
Post by gravesnumber9 on Jul 27, 2021 11:50:57 GMT -6
To me these all sounded very usable. Perhaps a great example of "source is most important" since, as we've discussed, the instruments themselves are all really lovely instruments.
No idea why but I kept liking Mic B the best in a solo context. And I agree with Vince that I could see Mic C working in a dense mix. Actually Mic B (my favorite) could be a bit rough if you had a lot of instruments but man it sounds nice and full on its own.
|
|
|
Post by enlav on Jul 27, 2021 14:25:11 GMT -6
No Chinese mics in this shootout but some are quite affordable. Well dang, I was kind of hoping I'd hear A or B were WA84's or 3U. To me these all sounded very usable. Perhaps a great example of "source is most important" since, as we've discussed, the instruments themselves are all really lovely instruments. Well said. Frank Sinatra on a PG58 would certainly sound better than myself on any number of vintage top dollar mics.
It could that I'm on a work laptop and a pair of cheap Grados, but the differences aren't all that crazy between some mics.
Specifically on guitar, if you told me A and B were the same mic, I would believe that the differences could be the result of subtle changes in placement. At least on their own, I think I prefer A and B over C and D. Is there a way to make "spoiler" tags on this forum? I sort of want to make a wild guess at one of the mics.
|
|
|
Post by mcirish on Jul 27, 2021 14:50:19 GMT -6
No Chinese mics in this shootout but some are quite affordable. Well dang, I was kind of hoping I'd hear A or B were WA84's or 3U. To me these all sounded very usable. Perhaps a great example of "source is most important" since, as we've discussed, the instruments themselves are all really lovely instruments. Well said. Frank Sinatra on a PG58 would certainly sound better than myself on any number of vintage top dollar mics.
It could that I'm on a work laptop and a pair of cheap Grados, but the differences aren't all that crazy between some mics.
Specifically on guitar, if you told me A and B were the same mic, I would believe that the differences could be the result of subtle changes in placement. At least on their own, I think I prefer A and B over C and D. Is there a way to make "spoiler" tags on this forum? I sort of want to make a wild guess at one of the mics.
PM me with your guess and I will let you know if you're right. I don't want to give it away quite yet.
|
|
|
Post by enlav on Jul 28, 2021 7:47:36 GMT -6
Will do, it's just a wild inkling that I'm not as confident in after sitting down in my mix position, but there's still something nostalgic about mic B.
|
|
|
Post by mcirish on Jul 28, 2021 8:25:01 GMT -6
Enlav's guess was.... wrong "buzzer-sound". Next contestant please. :-)
|
|
|
Post by christopher on Jul 29, 2021 10:09:06 GMT -6
I sent my PM guesses in, got the answers, learned a lot! You guys should try it, lots of fun.
|
|
|
Post by NoTomorrow on Jul 29, 2021 14:32:17 GMT -6
I took the plunge myself...... 4 swings and 4 misses
Very interesting results.
|
|
|
Post by gravesnumber9 on Jul 29, 2021 16:23:39 GMT -6
When do we get the answers? I just want to hear that one of these is an Oktava MK012, even if that's not true. So just lie to me please.
|
|
|
Post by ragan on Jul 29, 2021 18:35:47 GMT -6
On acoustic guitar, my ear gravitates toward the less bright options, A and D. Of those two, I prefer A. It's got a pleasing clarity. D sounds a bit cloudy by comparison, though I like them both.
|
|
|
Post by ragan on Jul 29, 2021 18:39:57 GMT -6
On piano, I prefer C and D, and of those two, I like D the best. Again, for clarity.
|
|
|
Post by ciscokid on Jul 30, 2021 10:09:41 GMT -6
I'm liking A and D on most instruments.
|
|
|
Post by mcirish on Jul 30, 2021 10:15:36 GMT -6
I can let you all know what they were and post pictures of the setup soon. I was thinking more people might want to check it out unbiased, but the test was really for my own purposes anyway so it doesn't matter much to me if I post the answers sooner than later. Let me know if you think I should hold off or just post the answers and pictures in the first post.
|
|
|
Post by ciscokid on Jul 30, 2021 10:43:19 GMT -6
My vote: it's time for the reveal.
|
|
|
Post by ragan on Jul 30, 2021 11:06:06 GMT -6
Yeah I’d say put the answers down here with an edit to the first post that there are answers below so in the future, if people want to listen blind, they can download from the first post and do their listening before scrolling down to see the answers.
|
|
|
Post by mcirish on Jul 30, 2021 11:32:58 GMT -6
OK... the big reveal. A = Beyerdynamic MC930 B = Oktava MC-012 (capacitor and resistor mod) C = Neumann KM84 D = Bansai KM84 Clone (capsule made by Maiku) So... How did you do? And did you change your mind after seeing the answers? The KM84 IS a great mic... but it's not the only one that can give great results. I'm absolutely positive ANY of these can be used in critical recording situations.
|
|
|
Post by ragan on Jul 30, 2021 11:42:21 GMT -6
Very cool! I love things like this, thanks so much for taking the time.
Where do you get the Bansai?
|
|
|
Post by ciscokid on Jul 30, 2021 11:44:16 GMT -6
Interesting results. Thanks for doing this. Which were your preferences?
|
|
|
Post by EmRR on Jul 30, 2021 11:47:56 GMT -6
BAM!
|
|
|
Post by gravesnumber9 on Jul 30, 2021 12:40:59 GMT -6
Woohoo!!! I own my favorite!!!!!!!
Blind test… BAM!!!
(I’m provably too excited about this but I feel like I won something.)
|
|