Quick-Testing Batches of Mics?

[bongolation]

How do you do it?

What's a fairly quick and meaningful way to test/cherrypick a batch of several nominally identical microphones, or so-called "pairs," especially inexpensive ones that tend to be inconsistent?

Thanks for any guidance; my purely subjective listening impressions don't strike me as entirely reliable.

 

[tmix]

It depends on where you are doing the comparison.
If you are in your studio where you can sing into each mic and put each take on a new track you can then solo between each track and give them a critical listen.
But if you are talking about auditioning in a noisy store, you are out of luck.

It has to be a controlled situation.

 

[cannabis]

this thread might help

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=38175

 

[bongolation]

It depends on where you are doing the comparison.
If you are in your studio where you can sing into each mic and put each take on a new track you can then solo between each track and give them a critical listen.

Yeah, the studio, but I wouldn't consider that method useful or objective enough to keep from possibly fooling myself.

Like most people in the world, my ears play tricks on me. Unlike most people in the world, I'm aware of it.

I never really trust ears. Anyone's.

It has to be a controlled situation.

"Controlled" is exactly what I'm hoping. I suppose what I'm looking for is an inexpensive and reasonably accessible method of graphically testing comparative output and response from microphones in the home studio -- maybe something quick and dirty, but more reliable than subjective ear impressions.

I may be asking the impossible (or not), but it's at least a good question.

 

[mshilarious]

In a studio, it's quite easy: record the same sample of full-range material with both microphones, and compare results with a high-resolution FFT. Traditionally, a frequency sweep is used; that's because the mic's output voltage would be used to drive a plotter pen. With FFT, you can use almost anything full-range (I use white noise), as long as it's 100% repeatable. I would place the mic kinda close to your driver (more towards the tweeter than the woofer), but you don't need to be too concerned with super close, as long as the mics are in the same place they will hear the same signal and you can compare the result.

 

[bongolation]

In a studio, it's quite easy: record the same sample of full-range material with both microphones, and compare results with a high-resolution FFT.

What's an FFT? The acronym doesn't immediately ring any bells.

Traditionally, a frequency sweep is used; that's because the mic's output voltage would be used to drive a plotter pen. With FFT, you can use almost anything full-range (I use white noise), as long as it's 100% repeatable. I would place the mic kinda close to your driver (more towards the tweeter than the woofer), but you don't need to be too concerned with super close, as long as the mics are in the same place they will hear the same signal and you can compare the result.

This is pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking, but I couldn't really get my thoughts organized around the specifics...such as the most convenient/cheap way of getting white noise output, etc., etc.

 

[bongolation]

this thread might help

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=38175

Yes, that's an interesting thread, and curiously, I long ago came up with very similar ideas through my own monkey logic, but lack Harvey's organization and presence of mind to actually put them into practical use in the insane environment of the typical gear emporium.

I'm thinking that in my own studio I might be able to do something a little more organized and foolproof.

 

[cannabis]

What's an FFT? The acronym doesn't immediately ring any bells.


This is pretty much along the lines of what I was thinking, but I couldn't really get my thoughts organized around the specifics...such as the most convenient/cheap way of getting white noise output, etc., etc.

maybe your recording software

has what you need

fft is fast fourier transform (filter)

- a spectrum analyser



this free recording program

has a white noise generator

and an fft filter

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/



here's another thread

that may give you a few ideas

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=52953

 

[bongolation]

Great! Thanks, I'll get on it!