C
chessrock
Banned
Alright, fellas . . .
After playing with this thing for a while, and basically using it wherever possible on a session this afternoon . . .
This is a VERY colored mic. So much so that I don't know that I would recommend it as a general-purpose type. This would be more of a specialty mic to use only when you want a specific sound.
People are either going to love this thing or they're going to hate it, and I don't see where there's going to be much room in-between. Especially based on the kinds of mics I see people talking about on this forum . . . this thing sounds nothing like what most of you guys are used to. Most of the talk around here seems to be centered around mics that have a healthy dose of high-end sizzle / bump -- or at least a moderate one. Thing is, for most vocal chores, the MD-1B is likely going to require some EQ manipulation to get the kind of presence you're going to need for most vocal tracks to cut through. That's pretty much a given.
In that regard, I can see where some might find this a "dull" or muddy-sounding mic. To a guy like me, however, these would be the guys who are basically missing the point.
In short, I happen love the way this mic sounds. It's got an element of richness and velvet-like lushness, and . . . and it absolutely baffles my mind that some of you guys were able to score this thing for 300 bucks. I want to come over and beat you silly for that right now, alright? If you can't guess, I'm kinda' pissed that I missed out on the Musiciansfriend deal now -- Thanks, Big Kenny.
It seems as though this particular mic was designed in such a way as to sound as much like a "tube" mic as possible. Maximum care seems to have been taken to ensure that you can hear the tube's impact in the form of obvious colorations (mild distortion, etc.). And it's a very nice and pleasing coloration at that -- at least to my ears. I don't mind the relative lack of detail at all. In fact, I love it for that very fact. I have EQ strips . . . EQ plugins, etc. etc. and I know how to use them, if necessary. I like the idea of being able to dial in the amount of high end I want -- rather than having the designers deside that for me ahead of time.
From everything I've heard of the original MD-1B, it sounds like they (Groove Tubes / Alesis / Aspen Pittman or whomever) made every attempt to faithfully replicate that sound with the newer models. From what I gather, Matthew Sweat was a heavy user of the orginal MD1-B . . . on everything from overheads to vocals to guitar, etc. If you ever get a chance to hear the album "Girlfriend," that might give you an idea as to this mic's character. Particularly on the vocal tracks, you can actually get a hint of what the mic brings to the table; I've heard they didn't use a lot of processing for his voice on that particular album.
In summary: A unique and colorful sound. Very pronounced tube sound and coloration. Smooth and rich with tons of even-order harmonics. I absolutely love it. You'll either love it like I do -- or you'll hate it. I don't envision many neutral opinions on it.
After playing with this thing for a while, and basically using it wherever possible on a session this afternoon . . .
This is a VERY colored mic. So much so that I don't know that I would recommend it as a general-purpose type. This would be more of a specialty mic to use only when you want a specific sound.
People are either going to love this thing or they're going to hate it, and I don't see where there's going to be much room in-between. Especially based on the kinds of mics I see people talking about on this forum . . . this thing sounds nothing like what most of you guys are used to. Most of the talk around here seems to be centered around mics that have a healthy dose of high-end sizzle / bump -- or at least a moderate one. Thing is, for most vocal chores, the MD-1B is likely going to require some EQ manipulation to get the kind of presence you're going to need for most vocal tracks to cut through. That's pretty much a given.
In that regard, I can see where some might find this a "dull" or muddy-sounding mic. To a guy like me, however, these would be the guys who are basically missing the point.
In short, I happen love the way this mic sounds. It's got an element of richness and velvet-like lushness, and . . . and it absolutely baffles my mind that some of you guys were able to score this thing for 300 bucks. I want to come over and beat you silly for that right now, alright? If you can't guess, I'm kinda' pissed that I missed out on the Musiciansfriend deal now -- Thanks, Big Kenny.
It seems as though this particular mic was designed in such a way as to sound as much like a "tube" mic as possible. Maximum care seems to have been taken to ensure that you can hear the tube's impact in the form of obvious colorations (mild distortion, etc.). And it's a very nice and pleasing coloration at that -- at least to my ears. I don't mind the relative lack of detail at all. In fact, I love it for that very fact. I have EQ strips . . . EQ plugins, etc. etc. and I know how to use them, if necessary. I like the idea of being able to dial in the amount of high end I want -- rather than having the designers deside that for me ahead of time.
From everything I've heard of the original MD-1B, it sounds like they (Groove Tubes / Alesis / Aspen Pittman or whomever) made every attempt to faithfully replicate that sound with the newer models. From what I gather, Matthew Sweat was a heavy user of the orginal MD1-B . . . on everything from overheads to vocals to guitar, etc. If you ever get a chance to hear the album "Girlfriend," that might give you an idea as to this mic's character. Particularly on the vocal tracks, you can actually get a hint of what the mic brings to the table; I've heard they didn't use a lot of processing for his voice on that particular album.
In summary: A unique and colorful sound. Very pronounced tube sound and coloration. Smooth and rich with tons of even-order harmonics. I absolutely love it. You'll either love it like I do -- or you'll hate it. I don't envision many neutral opinions on it.
Last edited:
