Shure KSM (32 or 44)

T

tryptophan

New member
does anybody have songs they've made with either of these? the reviews for them are really confusing. they say they're pretty good gen. purpose mics, but they seem kind of expensive if they're only mediocre. i want something for vocals and acoustic guitar. that's about it. i don't like the hyped high end of the budget chinese condensers and that's why i wanted to look into these --thanks
 
The 32 and 44 are both excellent mics. Of all the available LDC's in the $500-700 price bracket, I'd probably classify them as "best in class." Nothing mediocre at all about them.
 
okay thanks for posting. i guess i didn't mean 'mediocre,' it's just that.... i was hoping to hear the reviewers say the mic blew them away for the money. and the reviews seem more or less reserved and not completely enthusiastic. and then i'll read a review of an mxl or an studio projects that is ranting and raving. and i don't like those mics. so it's really hard for me to distinguish
 
tryptophan... the KSM44 kicks butt... and the KSM44 is way better than the cheap Chinese budget mics IMO.
 
Maybe I can explain this phenomenon. When people really ooh and ahh over a mic, it's usually because that particular mic is one that has a certain tone that flatters a certain source in a pleasing way. However, mics that are designed to be neutral don't flatter anything, they just tell it like it is. These mics aren't likely to make a big impression on listeners. But, when it comes to multitracking and layering several instruments, you realize the true value of neutral, accurate mics. If you use a mic that has a strong tonal character on more than one instrument, then it starts to throw off the equalization curve of the entire recording - the whole recording starts to get that particular sound. This is usually not a good thing. But neutral mics use the sound of the particular instruments to yield the different tonal flavors. They impart none themselves. You learn to appreciate this characteristic when it comes to mix-down.

I remember, when I was working in a studio, the SM81 probably got used more than any other mic we had on hand - precisely because of it's neutral tonality. Listening to the raw feed into the control room, they tended to sound very "ho hum" to me - nothing to get excited about. But, everything we recorded with them always sat well in the mix.

BTW, the KSM-32 seems to have the most neutral sound, whereas the 44 has a slight smiley face curve (a little more highs, a little more lows, midrange sounds almost identical). Nothing dramatic, but the 32 is definitely the flatter of the two. Both are extremely well designed and well-built mics that would probably get a lot of use in any recording environment, up to and including a world class facility with lots of high-end prestige mics on hand. I will definitely own one or both of these mics, myself, at some point.

Brad
 
Agreed that neutral mics help in building an accurate mix when there are many channels to mix. However, this is also true for "mixes" that contain a simple two track stereo source, such as a solo instrumental, orchestra, choir or emsemble performance. Indeed, this is one of the maxims of "classical" recording technique. Accuracy of the source is a worthy goal in many recording situations. On the other hand, coloration of the source is a worthy goal in other situations.
 
tryptophan said:
.... i was hoping to hear the reviewers say the mic blew them away for the money. and the reviews seem more or less reserved and not completely enthusiastic. and then i'll read a review of an mxl or an studio projects that is ranting and raving. and i don't like those mics. so it's really hard for me to distinguish
Click to expand...

This is mostly because of marketing.

A company like Shure doesn't have to bribe people in order to get them to rave about their products. They're a class act and an industry leader catering to professionals and more serious musicians who tend to be turned off by tacky marketing and wild claims. Thus their reviews tend to be more realistic and tempered.

The Shure condensers are professional tools used by professionals in highly-critical situations. The other models you mention are more for guys cutting demos in their home studios. They both have their place.
 
I used to have the Ksm32 and its a real nice mic but myself and some other people that tried the mic on acoustic was not real fond of its sound there.
Its just a little to neutral for guitar.
But on a lot of other things it shines. like voice and drum overheads.
For less money you might look at some of the audiotechnica stuff like the 4033 4047 or 4040
 
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