Gauge ECM-87...just another Chinese OEM or something better?...

kidvybes

kidvybes

New member
...heard a bit of buzz about these mics...the names behind them are certainly reputable in pop music today, but the question remains...OEM or custom designed?...anybody try one yet?...price is right (including pop filter) but do they really sound better than the multitude of OEM variations flooding the marketplace?...feel free to comment...

http://www.gauge-usa.com/
 
I go over and over each of the tracks in the "battle of the brands" and the major thing that strikes me is that the U87 and 414 have that all important midrange that the ECM is completely lacking. It's not harsh on the highs per say, but again it comes down to a single instrument vs a full mix. All those lows and highs are nice on the acoustic, but they get fuzzy in a mix. The U87 sounds so damn full.
 
...in the sound samples, I felt I was hearing just a bit of "sizzle" in the highs on the ECM-87...not as bright and harsh as many of the Chinese LDCs, but still a bit less silky/smooth than the U87...might actually work well if used for just a lead vocal over instrumental tracks recorded with different mics...but as Phil says, using it for multiple sources, and stacking tracks with that characteristic in a mix could get tiresome...

...I do give them props for using a low level pre (Art Tube MP) for tracking, but I would love to hear the mic thru a quality mic pre as well, just for comparison's sake...could account for something in reference to that high-end sizzle...
 
Interesting link. After reading a bit about at first I thought I had found the perfect Mic for capturing bagpipes...
























But then I was corrected. :D
 
kidvybes said:
...in the sound samples, I felt I was hearing just a bit of "sizzle" in the highs on the ECM-87...not as bright and harsh as many of the Chinese LDCs, but still a bit less silky/smooth than the U87...might actually work well if used for just a lead vocal over instrumental tracks recorded with different mics...but as Phil says, using it for multiple sources, and stacking tracks with that characteristic in a mix could get tiresome...

...I do give them props for using a low level pre (Art Tube MP) for tracking, but I would love to hear the mic thru a quality mic pre as well, just for comparison's sake...could account for something in reference to that high-end sizzle...
Click to expand...

Agreed! I high end preamp might make a huge difference.

Then again, they make no excuses that these are pretty standard Chinese mics.
 
you guys gotta remember you're comparing a $150 mic to mics costing 10x and over. some sacrifices have to be made, that being said, i think it sounds pretty good but it does have that annoying chinese sizzle which ive come to hate...
 
What about the ECM-47? Has anyone tried that?

I wonder how it compares to the MXL V69 Mogami. I heard once you swop the tube on of the MXL V69 Mogami, it really sounds good.

V.T.
 
kidvybes said:
...well, the ECM-87 turned out to be just a re-branded OEM chinese LDC mic (available under another common brand for around $50), so I'm guessing the ECM-47 follows suit...until proven otherwise...;)

http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?M=NADY_SCM-900&ID=873312
Click to expand...


WOW! Thanks kidvybes for your reply!

So you're saying that the Nady SCM 900 Professional Microphone for $48.42 is the EXACT SAME MIC as the ECM-87?

I wonder if anyone has both and can tell us in a true AB demo if they both sound exactly the same! :)

V.T.
 
I dont have both...but I still have 2 of those nadys sitting in my locker...they are for sale in the forum.

I only ever used them for overheads and amps...but havent fired them up for a few years
 
Virtual Tone said:
...So you're saying that the Nady SCM 900 Professional Microphone for $48.42 is the EXACT SAME MIC as the ECM-87?

I wonder if anyone has both and can tell us in a true AB demo if they both sound exactly the same! :)
Click to expand...

You can take a look inside the ECM-87 here. Notice the "SCM900..." model number on the PC board.
 
MichaelJoly said:
You can take a look inside the ECM-87 here. Notice the "SCM900..." model number on the PC board.
Click to expand...

...hey Michael...thanks for that link to verify my remarks...care to guess where that ECM-47 is coming from?...looks like a couple of different chinese OEM mics I've seen...the body looks exactly like the Nady TCM-1050 but with a different grill...both use a chinese 6072 tube...even the model designations "SCM" and "TCM" and Gauge's "ECM" are so similar...;);)
 
You're welcome! I don't really have any ideas about the source of the ECM-47. Chinese vendors will often produced exclusive, semi-custom variations of their catalog mics and not show or offer these variations to other buyers. But you're right, it is easy enough to swap a different headbasket onto a body.

As a side note, the CAD GXL3000 and Trion 6000 are exactly the same mic. But the manufacturer has cleverly packaged the 3000's chassis into the bottle-style 6000's body.

Back to the ECM-47 - This mic appears to have a center-terminated capsule but the frequncy response has a pronounced peak at 14kHz which is more indicative of an edge-terminated capsule. So I have more questions than answers at this point. I'd love for someone to come forward with picture of the capsule backplate.
 
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