Index Of Microphones Shootouts Websites

[gagaku]

Hi all,

on of my first posts and a suggestion. I'd like this thread to become a sort of index of websites featuring mic shootouts. I love those things as they're really informative IMO. Do you think it's worth it or plain stupid??

I'll post some of the few I found first :

http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/sessions.htm

http://www.transom.org/tools/recording_interviewing/200508.mic_shootout.html

http://www.purewaveaudio.com/category/zmic/"

http://www.audiomidi.com/contests/SEShootout.cfm

GGK.

 

[gagaku]

There's also this great shootout from audio-technica's website just in case you don't know about it yet :

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms//94191e1fd14f6418/index.html

GGK.

 

[WhiteStrat]

And a brilliant shootout of various mics on guitar cabs. (Yes, it's mine, thus the "brilliant."). The mics I compared: Shure SM57, Sennheiser e609, Audix i5, Sennheiser e835, GLS ES57, ACM3.

http://www.spottedmuse.com/shootout/

 

[Seafroggys]

I have the e609, i5, and SM57, so I listened to all three samples. Needless to say, for lead guitar work, I much preferred the e609. Lots more highs and edge to it. The i5 and 57 were similar, with the i5 having slightly more highs too it. I could see those getting lost and buried in a mix by being too mid-ranged.

Luckily I have been using the e609 for all my guitar work since I bought it

 

[WhiteStrat]

I have the e609, i5, and SM57, so I listened to all three samples. Needless to say, for lead guitar work, I much preferred the e609. Lots more highs and edge to it. The i5 and 57 were similar, with the i5 having slightly more highs too it. I could see those getting lost and buried in a mix by being too mid-ranged.

Luckily I have been using the e609 for all my guitar work since I bought it

I see your point, but I don't lose the 57 in a mix. I like the mid (though I may eq it a bit on the high side) My rhythm guitars are usually lo-mid and thick so the 57 still cuts through.

What I usually do is a bit more complex though--the 57 (or the i5--you're right they're similar enough) along with the ACM3 ribbon. Then I add effects to just one of 'em.

On the other hand, I've heard plenty of killer tracks with just one mic. So I'm probably just being a gear nerd.

 

[guitar zero]

Nice comparison. I too have the e609, the i5, and the SM57, so I was loving this shootout. I've also got an ACM 3 ordered that I'm thinking about cancelling after listening to this test. Especially on the distorted lead, really muddy. Not sure I see myself ever using it. Do you use it much Strat? Also thought the i5 was superior to the other two on the distorted lead. Eh, different ears hear different things.

Were these all recordings of you strat? nice work.

Also, this thread is a great idea, but there's already so many samples if I listened to them all, my wife will kill me. Never enough time for the important things in life.

 

[WhiteStrat]

Nice comparison. I too have the e609, the i5, and the SM57, so I was loving this shootout. I've also got an ACM 3 ordered that I'm thinking about cancelling after listening to this test. Especially on the distorted lead, really muddy. Not sure I see myself ever using it. Do you use it much Strat? Also thought the i5 was superior to the other two on the distorted lead. Eh, different ears hear different things.

Were these all recordings of you strat? nice work.

Also, this thread is a great idea, but there's already so many samples if I listened to them all, my wife will kill me. Never enough time for the important things in life.

Yep, that's all me in the shootout--thanks for the kind words.

Regarding the ACM3 from the group buy: in my preface to the shootout I think I mentioned that it's the one mic that didn't get a fair shake with my method. Since I was using 6 mics to capture 1 take, and 5 of the 6 were dynamics, my amp was set for them.

The ACM3 is darker than a dynamic, so by comparison perhaps it didn't fare well. But if were just using the ACM3, I'd have my amp brighter to compensate a bit for the mic. And it's worth it, because the ribbon mic has a smoothness I can't get with a dynamic. As I said above, I'll ofter record with two mics--a dynamic and a ribbon. In that case I split the difference with the amp's tone and mix 'em to taste. I really like the sound.

If you can afford it, I'd encourage you to get the ACM3--yes it's different, but you'll learn a bit about recording w/ribbon mics and in the end I bet you'll like it!