How about a cardioid Chinese mic that looks like an AKG 414 - with a very silly name too!

[rob aylestone]

I bought this mic because it looks like an AKG, but it's a plain 20mm electret, with rather a bright sound - It's a bit odd sounding - but might have some uses - possible cymbals, or instruments with little bass content. Not really that nice to listen to on voice - but maybe a dull guitar, or somebody with a very dark, muffled voice? On balance I think it could find a home, although it's not going to be a favourite.

I paid just over 50 quid, but I note they've gone up a bit since November when I ordered it. Seeknature is a pretty silly name for a mic!

I'm spending way too much on these things, so all the ones that are not carrying fake labels, like Neumann, I'll probably pop on ebay. I ordered two different very cheap mics advertised as U87a - two different boxes, two different suppliers, but they look very similar - they might be interesting - and a 'Neumann' 107 has just arrived. I wonder what that will be like? I hope it just says 107 and not Neumann - then I'll be able to recover perhaps what I paid.

I've also had some really cheap audio interfaces arrive - two even have XLRs and 48V! So cheap that they should be awful. I'm wondering what kind of test to do on them? Maybe a really nice mic - so any strangeness will be the interface, or perhaps put a dynamic into them rather than a condenser? What would be the best real world test? If you can think of something to really show them up, let me know.

 

[R D Smith]

I bought this mic because it looks like an AKG, but it's a plain 20mm electret, with rather a bright sound - It's a bit odd sounding - but might have some uses - possible cymbals, or instruments with little bass content. Not really that nice to listen to on voice - but maybe a dull guitar, or somebody with a very dark, muffled voice? On balance I think it could find a home, although it's not going to be a favourite.

I paid just over 50 quid, but I note they've gone up a bit since November when I ordered it. Seeknature is a pretty silly name for a mic!

I'm spending way too much on these things, so all the ones that are not carrying fake labels, like Neumann, I'll probably pop on ebay. I ordered two different very cheap mics advertised as U87a - two different boxes, two different suppliers, but they look very similar - they might be interesting - and a 'Neumann' 107 has just arrived. I wonder what that will be like? I hope it just says 107 and not Neumann - then I'll be able to recover perhaps what I paid.

I've also had some really cheap audio interfaces arrive - two even have XLRs and 48V! So cheap that they should be awful. I'm wondering what kind of test to do on them? Maybe a really nice mic - so any strangeness will be the interface, or perhaps put a dynamic into them rather than a condenser? What would be the best real world test? If you can think of something to really show them up, let me know.

Look at the tooling or casting marks. You might be surprised to find they are the same. I wouldn't be surprised if you find a Neumann pc board (although maybe not with all the spec'd components).

The company I worked for had countless parts sold to competitors made from our tooling. We also had electronic circuits and software bootlegged/stolen. We found out about that when the item came in for warranty and the microprocessor had the wrong software for that version. All made from our genuine pc boards (well, made from our films) and stolen software. No such thing as intellectual property in CN.

 

[rob aylestone]

I’ve seen that with some expensive products, notably lighting controls because the real makes are now easily six grand and above, but none of the counterfeits I’ve seen of microphones have spent any money on the cosmetic parts, let alone the actual capsules. There are some mics that are branded, typically Samson and Audio-Technica, that appear to be simply re-routing of genuine stock made in that country, but they’re also more expensive than the originals through the proper supply chain.

I guess, morals/ethics aside, that the sound is the key. This one looks good, is made well, but is a little odd, sound wise.

There was a very large Military equipment exhibition at Excel in London. One manufacturer make incredible military radios. very expensive. The exhibition was to sell gear to foreign country’s armed forces. Think Government buyers and missiles. Just before the show one buyer bought my entire stock of the Chinese ones, which are my most expensive item, but are 50 times cheaper, so far less but look the same. I sell them to airsoft folk. The real manufacturer had run out of promised stock so my radios were on the stand, secured to the camo netting. I found it ironic that fifty grand radios were being ordered based on what I’d sold them. I suppose that their customers are very unlikely to even be looking online for these things.