First Look - MXL Genesis vs MXL 960

[nuemes]

I own a LOT of cheap gear and even I won't make that claim. You can get a decent sound with some cheap stuff, but that last 20-30% gain in quality of sound is where the money makes the difference.

Well said!

 

[Harvey Gerst]

Without further comment:

 

[WhiteStrat]

Very helpful--thanks Harvey!

 

[PhilGood]

I'm betting that something is different with the capsule. This doesn't sound like a typical MXL capsule. I agree with Alex that the Genesis sounds expensive. Not only is the bottom bigger, but tighter as well. The 960 sounds slightly muddy in close proximity in comparison. Neither one sounds bad, but the Genesis definitely sounds more like a high end mic.

There also seems to be some coloration in the Genesis, and I'm going to take a stab that it is a transformer based mic. Would my guess be correct Harvey? Have you had a chance to look inside yet?

Great comparison, BTW.

 

[antichef]

thanks Harvey! Very easy to follow and informative.

 

[XLR]

Without further comment:

Thank you Harvey. Good test. The Genesis sounds great.

 

[eyema_believer]

Thanks Harvey....

 

[JuliánFernández]

Thanks Hearvey!

If you have some music clips to share... x2

 

[kidvybes]

...Hey Harvey...since Alex sees some similarity to the SP-T3, any chance you could do a side-by-side comparison with the T3?...many of us have the T3 already and that would be a very relevent comparison...Thanks Again for your time and efforts...Much Appreciated!

 

[Harvey Gerst]

...Hey Harvey...since Alex sees some similarity to the SP-T3, any chance you could do a side-by-side comparison with the T3?...many of us have the T3 already and that would be a very relevent comparison...Thanks Again for your time and efforts...Much Appreciated!

We'll try to get to it next week.

 

[P. Glaser]

Thanks for the test, Harvey.

 

[guitar junkie]

Very nice!

Thanks Harvey I really like my MXL960 a lot!

This new mic seems like it is ok but for the bucks it would seem like swapping out the tube on a 960 would be close enough to fool most folks...

 

[kidvybes]

This new mic seems like it is ok but for the bucks it would seem like swapping out the tube on a 960 would be close enough to fool most folks...

...hmmmmmmmmmmmm...nope, not quite...(did you hear the bottom on that bad boy!? )

 

[Marcadiablo]

The 960 is back in stock. $189 a good price?

 

[guitar junkie]

...hmmmmmmmmmmmm...nope, not quite...(did you hear the bottom on that bad boy!? )

I swapped mine out with a Mesa Boogie tube made in Russia and the bottom end really took on a lot more power after that....

 

[BudgetMC]

The 960 is back in stock. $189 a good price?

I got mine for $149 during a (bigger) sale a few months back. It's definately worth $189, all the same. It's a heap of mic for that price.

 

[recordinghacks]

MXL Genesis pictures, finally!

Harvey inadvertently hijacked his own thread, but on the off chance that anybody else has waded all the way to the end of it in hopes of learning more about the MXL Genesis, I have pictures of the circuit board (no SMC's), front and back, as well as a shot of the rack where the mics are burned in:

MXL Genesis

The capsule is 32mm and is shared with a couple other mics in the MXL lineup, e.g. the V89, and I'll find out which others.

--
matt.

 

[PhilGood]

Oh! YOU run that site? I love going there!

Kudos!!!

 

[PhilGood]

I think I want one of the MXL Gold 35s. Too bad only 100 of them were made.

The V89 looks interesting too. Borrows a bit from the U47.

 

[recordinghacks]

I think I want one of the MXL Gold 35s. Too bad only 100 of them were made.

I don't think they've been made yet. IIRC, the one on display at NAMM didn't have a circuit board inside.

But anyway, they'll make more if the first 100 sell.

I had a great conversation with Benjamin Wright, the producer for whom the first Gold 35 was made (as a one-off). He loves the mic. He said his old vintage Neumanns are sitting on the shelf now.

Hell, I should have asked him to send them to me!