How bad is Studio Projects quality control

  • Thread starter Thread starter DJL
  • Start date Start date
I actually like the dots. I've seen guys throw up other pairs of mics with about that much discrepancy (~ 4 db) between each other on the output. And I'm talking well respected mics...AKG C414s thrown up stereo to record a college pianist's recital. I've seen and heard much worse: Rode NT3s at another recital I went to, and another with AT4051s. A little more of a twist on the preamp and the engineers (mostly students) roughly match the levels and there you go.

Does Rode or AT offer a stereo matching service? I really like CAD's, at least with my one experience with them. They're practically identical twins...

I'm definitely not as invested in SP as others, but I can't see the dots as anything but a good thing... but they can't beat the REAL king of dots...

DIPPIN' DOTS! :D :D :D
 
Rimshot said:
So far we have had three pages of people telling DJL he's acting like a horse's ass and he's responding that he's right and we're all wrong(including Harvey Gerst).
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No, Harvey Gerst was correct... except that's a span of more than 4dB of possible variation between "all three" SP clored dot mics and all the new Neumann U87s only has a possible variation of 4 dB total between them.
 
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DJL.... there are still three points you are missing..

1) Harvey CLEARLY pointed out that the specs of being +/- 4db difference between any two mics is EXACTLY that of a much much higher end (and MUCH more expensive) mic... so... this does not equal poor quality control.

2) The SoundRoom simply resells mics manufactured by another company... after having a studio in Russia AND their own tests performed on the mics... You or someone else could do the same with Studio Projects if you wanted to... so... again you have no point (what about all the bad bad bad Oktava mics that people have purchased from Guitar Center??? How come your precious SoundRoom specs and matched pairs didn't help THOSE people)?? There are PLENTY of bad Oktavas out there in the world.

3) Like it or not... many people think the SP mics sound good... work well... and are a fantastic deal.

As one can clearly see... you have no argument.

Velvet Elvis
 
c7sus said:
Disagree with Alan all you want, in my view the guy is the Henry Ford of mics.
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:D
 

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Velvet Elvis, do you believe one can ramdomly take 50 Studio Projects B3 (red dot) microphones off of any shelf and they'll all really be "Matched" to each other... like a "matched pair" of microphones are from the Sound Room?

PS... your mading some good points... thanks for the good debate. :)
 
DJL,

No... I don't believe that... NOR do I believe that I could take any 50 Nuemanns or Oktavas directly off the shelf without testing and have them be truly matched... as is the case with ANY mike, to do a true match requires sonic testing of the individual mics.

The point being that Alan's dot theory at least HELPS assist in the sonic classification of the mic... but given that his quality control is no greater or less in that respect than Nuemann... and that the SoundRoom's matched pairs HAVE undergone extensive testing... its safe to say that your arguments haven't been comparing "apples to apples".

My point is... take 50 of Alan's mics... subject them to the SAME testing as the Oktavas at the SoundRoom... THEN comment on the quality of the matched pairs.

As for the dots = quality control... they are simply to help classify db differences in the mics... its pretty standard for there to be a variation in things such as total output... NOT because they are poor quality, but more because you are buying a $100 mic instead of a $2000 mic... besides the fact that even the big boys have issues with their mics having variation.

So... if you want the fit and finish of a Jaguar, don't blame the guy selling the Honda... he's STILL giving you a heck of a deal ;P

Velvet Elvis
 
Well, I guess the thing to look for is if someone has gotten a pair of mics off the shelf with the same color coding where the output levels was well off or (as you seem to be suggesting) the quality of the sound was dissimilar.

Two more weeks and I'll get my own pair of B3s, so I can stop bumming of my friends... :)
 
Good post Velvet Elvis, and I think I mostly agree with you... however, the colored dot theory really only helps to assist in getting some microphones with output levels closer to being the same.
 
I have a great idea, DJL. Every time you sit down to eat a meal - I assume that's three times a day, give or take - start a new thread about how BAD Studio Projects mics are. In fact, you could even just store it on a save-get key, or cut and paste it from your desktop (where you could stare at it every day!). That way, there's NO WAY anybody who cruises here will miss your well researched and unbiased opinion about these mics!

Fab
 
DJL said:
Velvet Elvis, do you believe one can ramdomly take 50 Studio Projects B3 (red dot) microphones off of any shelf and they'll all really be "Matched" to each other... like a "matched pair" of microphones are from the Sound Room?

PS... your mading some good points... thanks for the good debate. :)
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This has gone beyond stupid ................... read your post again, DJ.

Do you honestly think that SR has 50 individual mics that are all matched to each other???

Your ass is showing bigtime, now.

Besides that, you're paying Taylor to hand select a matched pair from his entire inventory. With SP, you're walking into GC and picking two boxes out of a pile on a shelf.

Do you see a difference here???

Just a note before flames fly.....

I don't own any SP's. I do have a Stephen Paul/SP on "order" so to speak. The B and C lines I won't even consider because of the China thing.............. but if the SP/SP is what I think it's gonna be I will definately look into the E series mics.
 
c7sus, and others.......... I suggest you try not to call me names, flame me, or throw in your little put-downs unless you want me to do the same with you.
 
Just read what you're posting. You are talking squarely out your ass!
 
DJL said:
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c7sus said:
Just read what you're posting. You are talking squarely out your ass!
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I know you want me to ingage in a name calling war with you, however I'm not interested, but thanks anyway.
 
No, I'm not trying to "engage" you in anything but to realize what you are writing here.

You're comparing a pile of mics on a shelf that are "ballparked" together by response to a hand-selected pair of mics that have been tested in an anechoic chamber and come with a plotted response curve for each individual mic.

Where I come from we call that talking out your ass.

I couldn't find ANYTHING on the SP site saying that the dots mean any pair of B-series mics are "factory-matched".

How about you start providing some cites for us all.............
 
DJL said:
I know you want me to ingage in a name calling war with you, however I'm not interested, but thanks anyway.
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I think he's been warned about trolling and flaming on the bbs, and can't engage in that type of behavior without sanctions being imposed, so we should go easy on him.

DJL, you're comparing apples to cumquats here as others have pointed out.

If you don't like SP/Alan Hyatt that's fine. We all know it over and over and over again ...

Please point out where Alan has called his mics "matched" in anything other than output levels.
 
What the hell is the bloody difference?

If one doesn't like the SP mics, then one doesn't have to use them..... there are many options!
 
acorec said:
I think that the SP mics have one thing that all the other mics don't. Alan Hyatt. Sure the SP mics have lemons like all of them. But, it seems to me that Alan makes good on every problem out there. He seems to be the first one to help when there are problems. You will not get that from Oktava or Marshall. So, I suspect that you are in good hands with Studio Projects because they stand behind their products like no one else.


I don't own any of the SP mics, but I have read enough posts about this and see that SP does care if you get a lemon and will fix the problem without the BS.
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I have no doubt that SP would stand behind their product, but from personal expirence Marshall customer service was incredible,
 
crazydoc said:
Please point out where Alan has called his mics "matched" in anything other than output levels.
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alanhyatt said:
The B1's will work very well as overhead pairs. To match them, just ask your dealer to sell you two mics that have the same color dot on the front packaging. Then you will have about as close of a match as you can get these days. The key is getting two of the same color dots.

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