GLS Audio ES-57 vs. Shure SM57 (on Guitar) Mic A/B Test - Video and WAV pics

[mjbphotos]

No offence, but you guys come into this forum as NOOBs whether you like it or not, that's just the fact. Calling others 'trolling' who have been here for years doens't help your case. We get noobs in this forum offering 'advice' all the time that is completely off-the-wall, and other noobs can come in, read it it then think its factual, or try it get lousy results and think this forum 'sucks for advice'.
Not every mic is for every person - basic common knowledge. Every recording situation is different - the room, the instruments/voices, the person playing/singing. the fact is that there are people using ES57s out there and getting results they like. ANd there are people out there using Xenyx USB mixers and getting results they like. And there are people oiut there using solid state guitar amps, or guitar VSTs who are getting results they like.
the common factor: results they like. If you've got something that works for you, use it. If you don't, change it.

 

[David Cooke]

No offence, but you guys come into this forum as NOOBs whether you like it or not, that's just the fact. Calling others 'trolling' who have been here for years doens't help your case. We get noobs in this forum offering 'advice' all the time that is completely off-the-wall, and other noobs can come in, read it it then think its factual, or try it get lousy results and think this forum 'sucks for advice'.
Not every mic is for every person - basic common knowledge. Every recording situation is different - the room, the instruments/voices, the person playing/singing. the fact is that there are people using ES57s out there and getting results they like. ANd there are people out there using Xenyx USB mixers and getting results they like. And there are people oiut there using solid state guitar amps, or guitar VSTs who are getting results they like.
the common factor: results they like. If you've got something that works for you, use it. If you don't, change it.

Saying no offense doesn't make anything less offensive.

Did you listen to my files? I think they speak for themselves. You are making this political mj. It shouldn't be this should be about the mic. He has noted that his test had some discrepancies as would any test. My test has variables too as does any test even in an anechoic chamber. I demonstarted exactly the problem with these mics. This isn't about who is right or wrong if my test had come
Out different and I was wrong I would
own up but it didn't it sounded just the way I remember. I've used this mic in
Plenty of different acoustic enviorments with many different musicians and pres/converters/monitors always the same conclusion. The mic's whole marketing campaign is that its like the sm57 "or better" thats what they say.. So how come everyone else can state their subjective opinion but we can't have one because its negative? Or because we are n00bs to
The forum? I guess someone should tell chris lord alge or andy sneap their opinions are worthless because they don't post on HR.com. What about rob norman?? You are trolling I don't care who you are what you're doing is trolling. People have stated his test was flawed you came in and called it a "newb jerk circle" or whatever.

This aristocratic behavior is only hindering the potential future of this forum. What are you trying to do keep people from contributing to the community? It sure as heck seems that way.

Seriously if what you're saying is true then why do we even have equipment forums. Whats the point if someones happy with the built in mic on their laptop? I demonstrated what I don't like about the mic I was hoping someone else would demonstrate what they do like about the mic. It bothers me how political you make this. It makes no sense there are brilliant people on this forum like greg, rami and jimmy but even they'll probably admit occasionally they are wrong. What are we supposed to do as noobs, sit quietly or just agree with everything anyone says? If some higher up here said to rub peanut butter all over your drums to make them sound better would you do it? Everyone should trust their ears and not blindly follow what you me or anyone else says. You have no problems with a noob when they agree with you.

 

[gregoryg]

At what point did I give advice in this thread?

I see your point claiming that people come here and post bad advice. I hate to break it to you, but that is going to happen regardless of how long someone has been posting here. And seriously though, how exactly does longevity on a message board translate into whether or not someone knows what he or she is talking about with respect to home recording?

Regardless, I didn't do that ("offer bad 'advice'"). If I did, I would own it.

No offence, but you guys come into this forum as NOOBs whether you like it or not, that's just the fact. Calling others 'trolling' who have been here for years doens't help your case. We get noobs in this forum offering 'advice' all the time that is completely off-the-wall, and other noobs can come in, read it it then think its factual, or try it get lousy results and think this forum 'sucks for advice'.
Not every mic is for every person - basic common knowledge. Every recording situation is different - the room, the instruments/voices, the person playing/singing. the fact is that there are people using ES57s out there and getting results they like. ANd there are people out there using Xenyx USB mixers and getting results they like. And there are people oiut there using solid state guitar amps, or guitar VSTs who are getting results they like.
the common factor: results they like. If you've got something that works for you, use it. If you don't, change it.

 

[gregoryg]

David Cooke - I am finally getting a chance to listen to your comparison of the ES-57 and SM57 on the snare drum. I think you just saved me a couple of hours doing the test myself.

I don't want to be accused of offering anyone bad advice here, so DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, but that ES-57 sounds awful against the SM57 on ****YOUR**** snare test.

Non-political scientific hypothesis answer: the ES-57 and SM57 do not sound the same on the snare drum.

Yes forum, to truly know the difference, I would have to do the test myself and control for all variables. I understand that.

 

[David Cooke]

Lol oh man I'm dying.. Greg you might want to hire an attorney to review your posts before you submit them here or you might get flamed. Thanks for the listen.

 

[gregoryg]

I guess someone should tell chris lord alge or andy sneap their opinions are worthless because they don't post on HR.com. What about rob norman??

Solid.

 

[gregoryg]

mjbphotos, I understand you to believe that just because someone is new to this forum that they are also new to home recording. And I realize that you also want to think that by posting here for a longer period of time, someone is somehow more knowledgeable or has a better, more important opinion on the subjects of home recording than someone who has just recently signed up. In reality, neither of these things are true.

I've gone back and reread the entire thread, all five pages, and I just don't see where I said anything incorrect, misleading, or anything else like that, which would 'harm some other "NOOB" with bad advice' as you suggest. I even acknowledged the mic spacing issues, redid the test on my own (same results), and offered to redo the video for the one guy who was very concerned about where the mics were placed.

I intentionally posted this thread here on an open forum for anyone who might be interested in hearing either of these mics, with hopes curious people find it, perhaps on a Google search. I'm hopeful my video helps them in their research. All that you are doing here is distracting those individuals.

No disrespect, but I don't see how you are helping anyone here. Thanks for reading and if you ever want to have a legit discussion on home recording, no hard feelings. But until then, you've made your point clear: I am a newly registered user on this forum. But that doesn't really add much to the discussion on the two mics. Hope we can move past this and get back to talking about recording.

 

[witzendoz]

Been on the road got a few days off and just catching up, so I got the and the in and settled down to a read.

I duct taped together the sm57 to the es57 and put them both on the snare drum.

Well this screws up the results, duct taping the mics together ruins the pattern of the mics and changes the sound of both mics.

Ok back to the reading and the and the

Alan.

 

[David Cooke]

Been on the road got a few days off and just catching up, so I got the and the in and settled down to a read.



Well this screws up the results, duct taping the mics together ruins the pattern of the mics and changes the sound of both mics.

Ok back to the reading and the and the

Alan.

Lol I hope you aren't implying my tests is flawed because I used duct tape.

 

[BroKen_H]

At the risk of being called a N00b and getting flamed: If you take out post 25 and everything past 28, this is an informative post. Past that, it's just a bunch of crap, recap and recrap.
It's been summed up about five or six times that the els and sm mikes don't sound at all alike and for all the comparison that goes on in the world of internet, they should not be (compared). If you want a decent sounding $30 mic, take the els. If you want a good sounding dynamic, spend the $100 on an sm. If you've got the money, get both: they both probably have uses in a decent mike locker.
I originally voted (wow, can't believe only two people participated) for the els, just on blind, honest hearing. Sounded brighter and cleaner. But on the snare, it was nothing like the sm. I realized that what I thought sounded better, was just some cheap mike compression kicking out stuff that you might want in a real mix...my
Just don't understand why a group of semi-professional recording techs have nothing better to do than sit around crapping on other peoples' test results. The object was not a perfect test, the object was to show that the mikes SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED. From the beginning. The start. You know, from the first post.

 

[BroKen_H]

Lol I hope you aren't implying my tests is flawed because I used duct tape.

Actually, if you force two magnets together, you will skew their fields, thereby skewing their microphones' patterns. But you've treated them equally, so the test being skewed is moot...better test (at least on a speaker) would be to place them equidistant from the center of the cone. On yer snare test there would be no "perfect" solution, so I'm prone to go with your "screwed up" results. Maybe it does change things, but as Witz said, it changes both...

Oops, You were making a joke...

 

[gregoryg]

I originally voted (wow, can't believe only two people participated) for the els, just on blind, honest hearing. Sounded brighter and cleaner. But on the snare, it was nothing like the sm. I realized that what I thought sounded better, was just some cheap mike compression kicking out stuff that you might want in a real mix...my

My experience was the same. i thought I liked the GLS mic more, thought "Wow, listen to how bright and lively this sounds!" After more thought, I realized I didn't want brightness "added" on the mic end of my chain. I'd rather capture accuracy with the SM57 and "add" brightness later if I needed it through EQ or whatever else.

 

[BroKen_H]

Let's start a new thread "comparing" Avantone C12 with a Telefunken C12. They're both tube mikes. Gosh, they even both have the same C12 designation!
(Not, and I repeat NOT making fun of your test, just thought that was a bit of fun!)

 

[David Cooke]

I understand its a lesser of two evils but how drastic are these differences? What about when we use mics in xy or ortf? What about mics that have 2 diagrams built in. Its ridiculous theres no perfect way to do it but is it really changing the difference that much? I'm not going to play with schrodinger's cat anymore this isn't going anywhere at all. I guess there is no possible way to shootout mics at all due to humidity, placement, magnetic radiation, where your body is stabding in the room as a deflector/broadband absorber or the space time continuum...Even with reamping guitar tracks you have the problem of putting the mic in the EXACT same spot.. You could argue that the speaker diagram is worn more the second time the tubes/diodes whatever is more worn.. The humidity of the room the wood of the cab hell even the ad/da conversion. Idk does a loop back test null? I've never done one. Regardless someones gona find something to argue. But i get it i lose i took an internet post to heart lol. I just really hate these mics...and i really love the sm57.

 

[David Cooke]

I would love to do the tests! Just let me borrow the mics! ... I promise I'll return them

 

[BroKen_H]

It's known as "observer effect". The fact that you place a mike in the room affects the the room's dynamic, thereby skewing the result. There is no perfect test, period. Do the best you can with the equipment available and wait for the skeptics.

BTW, I'd settle for the Avantone. Don't need a test, but if someone wanted to send me both, I'd do some amazing tests!!! (without duct tape)....

 

[David Cooke]

My experience was the same. i thought I liked the GLS mic more, thought "Wow, listen to how bright and lively this sounds!" After more thought, I realized I didn't want brightness "added" on the mic end of my chain. I'd rather capture accuracy with the SM57 and "add" brightness later if I needed it through EQ or whatever else.

Exactly like with the overheads. I think a lot of people do the same thing. I know a lot of people who swap the sm57 on snare for something like a beta57 or audix i5 but they always seem to go back to an sm57 or a dark sounding beyer. I personally like to let my overheads capture the brightness on my snare. I think it needs air to sound right. I think a big problem with home recordings is most people (myself included) will sometimes get tunnel vision and start boosting around 5-10k on the snare track trying to bring out the snare/crack sound and then end up fighting with the overheads. Or worse do that and then put a gate on the snare so those hi hat beats that come in with the snare sound harsh.

 

[gregoryg]

Happens to the pros too. There is a Rush song, I believe it's on Signals but don't quote me on that, at some point during a big snare fill the hi hat goes from panned left to center. For years, before I got into the recording/engineering side of music, I just thought it was some weird mixing glitch. But once I got experience behind the console I realized it was either the gate opening too soon/staying open too long (or less likely a compressor artifact). I mean, technically still a mixing glitch, but to understand exactly why/how was pretty cool. Point is, they either didn't notice it or couldn't fix it or left it in on purpose, but there are two or more mics fighting each other.

Exactly like with the overheads. I think a lot of people do the same thing. I know a lot of people who swap the sm57 on snare for something like a beta57 or audix i5 but they always seem to go back to an sm57 or a dark sounding beyer. I personally like to let my overheads capture the brightness on my snare. I think it needs air to sound right. I think a big problem with home recordings is most people (myself included) will sometimes get tunnel vision and start boosting around 5-10k on the snare track trying to bring out the snare/crack sound and then end up fighting with the overheads. Or worse do that and then put a gate on the snare so those hi hat beats that come in with the snare sound harsh.

 

[witzendoz]

Lol I hope you aren't implying my tests is flawed because I used duct tape.

The issue I have noticed when mics are taped together is that the mics sit within each others pickup pattern, therefore changing the pattern and in turn the sound of the mic to some degree.

Now where my

Alan

 

[David Cooke]

But at what degree and couldn't you argue that the mic clip does the same? Also i mentioned stereo mic bars and xy/ortf where its doing the same thing right? Either way I think its pretty silly if someone would say that that is the reason these mics sound so different here.

And what kind of beer do they drink in Australia, I doubt my weak american pallet could handle it?