Mic Comparison: SM57, EV757, 4033, 4050, C1, NTK, 460B

Axehead,

I don't want to play, and I have no further comments on this. I hope the rest of the people here will see it as you do as just a game. :D :D

Alan Hyatt
 
As usual-great explanation Harvey!
Though maybe a little off topic, I was leafing through a homerecording mag
and noticed Alan is helping to sponsor prizes for a singing contest-very cool.
Maybe these "shootouts" should carry the label "for entertainment purposes
only"!
 
Sonixx,

hopefully my decision to not take part didnt disrespect you....do a shootout with those mics on vocals and im in...and add a v67.....
 
i don't know what to think about this... :(

after reading Mr Hyatt's post about changing the EQ and such, initially i was PO'd, and then i felt sorry for his way of thinking, now i don't care. this has turned into such tomfoolery. seems to me most of you aren't interested in learning or having any meaningful dialog with anyone. too many agenda's...

i'm going to Email the correct list to those that played. thanks to all that participated...

i'll probably visit this site quite a bit less, except looking for peoples experiences and maybe reading Bruces and Harvey's posts' and others like them. i come here to learn and pick up tips, not blow smoke or misrepresent.

i was hoping for discussions like Harvey's or at least some questions about what i did. not much going on here.

thanks to those that participated. i'll send you the results hopefully this evening. if i happen to miss someone and you want the list, please Email me.
 
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Axe,

Unfortunately, there is always the risk of people (insert Newbies if you like), who will take these "shootouts" as being a fair representation of the mics involved and go and purchase based on that, rather than seeing them as a game , as you like to put it.

Also, unfortunately, there are people out there who would play silly games and try to fool others.........hence Alan's reluctance to comment. I wont bother to listen to these things for much the same reason. If I can't see EXACTLY how the comparison was done it's not much use to me.......actually Harvey covered this point much better than I can.

I don't mean to be offensive to Sonixx ( and I doubt that Alan did either) but that's the reality of "shootouts".

:cool:
 
I see where Alan is coming from.

To a homereccer, we take it for face value, but to Mr. Alan, you could very well be trying to discredit him he has no way of knowing if you are using what you say you are or the mics you say you are. I learnt from that. Good practice. No dis to you sonixx.
 
Re: Re: To Alan Hyatt

alanhyatt said:

...but I have no clue how he did these, or for that fact if the mic he says he used was actually used. How do I know if he used the same mic on all the tracks and changed some EQ...No offense to Sonixx, and I don't mean to imply he is screwing with you on this, but I know nothing of what he did, because I was not there...
Click to expand...

i have no issues when people state that they haven't seen the environment or don't know the exact setup or specific micing position and therefore can't draw any conclusions, but questioning "whether or not i'm misrepresenting" i view as questioning my integrity.

my intentions were not to pick the best mic, it was only to match them. i was hoping this would be fun and it has been for me for the most part.

some of you really took this way to seriously. IMO, the best way to help newbies is to critique the example and discuss it. but first you have to assume the speaker is telling you the truth.
 
OK Already!

Can I have the answer? You have 46 posts... (Although too many were too lame or careful to get involved...) But I WANNA know!

I would post my answers...ofr hilarity's sake, but I'm sure their probably wrong. I could e-mail them to you...

I really would like to know. ("Enquiring minds" and all)
 
Sonixx,

Please understand, as a Newbie, we have seen these tests done many times. I am sure you are a good guitar player, and I am sure you did the test to the best of your ability, and I am glad you did it.

I mean no disrespect to you, and you should not take it that way, or hold that against this group. I have been engineering for 30 years. I have worked for many large manufacturers, and now am one myself. It is not your test that I object to. It is when the users on the group say they are going to buy one of those mics because it sounds great, or accept an opinion that one mic is better than another as a result of this kind of comparison. Well it may have sounded great, but does not mean it will once they buy it, and use it their facility.

It's like when we used to hear some new guitar sound on the radio. We went nuts trying to find out what the player used. When we did, we would buy it, only to find out it did not make us sound like the way it did on the radio. I don't think you doctored the recordings, but I don't know you. Many on this thread love to discredit me because of my being outspoken. I can name a few that would doctor up a test to show my mics to sound bad, but even if my mic won, that is still not the issue. The same holds true for the C1. It would not sound the same as it did for you the day you did the recording.

The people on the group should buy a mic because they have used them and know what they sound like. Just because I say I like this mic, and Harvey says he likes this mic...and we all know what mic Gidge likes :D does not mean it is the best mic for them, because we are not in their facility engineering for them. Not to mention the rooms acoustics.

So understand I am not against you, or your comparison. I am against the outcome that spark the buying habits of someone thinking they will get the same sound you did buy buying one of those mics.

I hope I have explained myself, and if I have not, please feel free to call me Toll Free at 877-563-6335, and I will go into more detail.


Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group
 
hey alan,

i think we'll just have to agree to disagree. i definitely don't see things the way you do nor do i have the passion about this newbie thing you have. to me, this is all part of the learning experience. so what, that a newbie wants to rely on other's opinions and learns that mics respond differently depending on a lot of factors. actually by your logic, i'm not sure what an inexperienced person should rely on: not on others opinions, not on hearing an actual recording... everyone can't try every mic they want to purchase. it would be nice to be able to but that's not the case for a lot.

secondly i'm a Electrical Engineer and have been designing audio circuits and playing in bands for over thirty years, too, and recording for the last ten. i'm no newbie to this at all. i just definitely have a different take on how i go about convincing others about what i believe.

-kp-
 
i've changed my mind...here's the Mic List:


  • [*]1 - NTK
    [*]2 - 460B
    [*]3 - 4033
    [*]4 - SM57
    [*]5 - ND 757
    [*]6 - 4050
    [*]7 - C1

thanks to all that participated and played along. i think next time i'm just going to post the mics...no games.

i think there can be value in this as long as the environment is described well enough.

-kp-
 
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I greatly appreciate Sonixx for doing these recordings. It's the only way I get to hear the combo of mike, mixer and room used in a real world setting. I'd like to know what other experienced people consider the most proper acoustic guitar sound from these recordings. I like #5 best (3&4 nice too). I just would like to know if the majority of EXPERIENCED people agree on another particular sound far away from what I like, therefore I may have to listen more closely to evaluate why. I understand Mr. Hyatt for not wanting to participate, all I really wanted him to respond to was which guitar sound he preferred, but I now see how this could open up Pandora's box. Anyway it was fun and a great learning experience for me. Sincerely, Don
 
Sonix,

You are entitled to your opinions, and we will agree to disagree. No offense offered in that statement :D

Alan Hyatt
 
Re: Just for fun........

Blue Bear Sound said:
Clip #1 - 4033
Clip #2 - 4050
Clip #3 - SM57
Clip #4 - N/D757
Clip #5 - 460
Clip #6 - NTK
Clip #7 - C1
Click to expand...

Well Bruce, you did get the C1 right :D
 
alba359 said:
I greatly appreciate Sonixx for doing these recordings. It's the only way I get to hear the combo of mike, mixer and room used in a real world setting. I'd like to know what other experienced people consider the most proper acoustic guitar sound from these recordings. I like #5 best (3&4 nice too). I just would like to know if the majority of EXPERIENCED people agree on another particular sound far away from what I like, therefore I may have to listen more closely to evaluate why. I understand Mr. Hyatt for not wanting to participate, all I really wanted him to respond to was which guitar sound he preferred, but I now see how this could open up Pandora's box. Anyway it was fun and a great learning experience for me. Sincerely, Don
Click to expand...

I thought 5 was a really horrible sounding mic. It had not smoothness, no softness, just hard as heck.

I'm just happy that my fave is a mic that I happen to have.
 
Which mike was that and why did you like it? Which did you like least? What was your opinion of #7? These are the things I'd like to know. Thanks, Don
 
my guess

well i know nothing about any mics other then the SM57...

i'd say sm57 number 4 though.

and my favorite is number 5.
 
CyanJaguar said:
I dont know what to look for when evaluating how good a mic captured an acoustic, so I am just going to rate them by preference if you dont mind. by the way, thumbs up for going through the trouble of doing this test. It gives an idea of how certain mics react to this type of sound.

I could not hear too much difference BTW and I listened to about the first 30 seconds of each

but, order of preference from most liked to least liked

3 I liked it alot.
7 I also liked this one alot,quite similar to 3 but brighter
6 sounded nice, was this a dynamic?
------
2 nice sound on the chords, but too bright on the single strings
1 same as 2
---------------
5 sounded too hard. It sounded louder than the rest though.
4 sounded really wack


please email me with the results. I wont share with anybody. It might take some time to get 30 answers.
Click to expand...

hel alba,

my fave was no 3. which was the 4033. I liked it because it was well balanced and real.

Seven was pretty cool, and I have always liked it on guitar.

I liked the shure the least. It sounded radio shackish
 
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