SD mic shootout for Tape Op article

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mike Jasper
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XLR said:
BTW MJ, I'm curious as to what you're going to have played for the shootout. Fingerstyle? Strummed rhythm gtr? Flatpicked lead lines? I think the best test would do all three. The main fault IMO of the existing and widely-known ac gtr mic tests over at "the listening sessions" is that they were done only with somewhat roughly played rhythm guitar, last I checked.
Click to expand...

You're probably right, but I've got two out of three. It's picked, then strummed.

Jasper
 
AKG C535eb. my fav little mic du ans. worth trying, although it's not my #1 goto for guitar, it is a popular sdc and would be a worthy contender for sure.

did you put the mxl 603 in there (or apex 180 or other identical rebadged mic)?

how about the new mxl v67m or whatever it is (it's a 603 with a transformer coupled output, specs show it looking quite improved compared to the 603 imho). it's very new though, haven't seen nor heard them yet myself but they're on the mxl site and are quite the interesting mic for many of us budget minded folk.

cheers
Don Kelley

Mike Jasper said:
I've posted this at a few forums, and I figure I should probably post it here as well.

I'm doing a shootout of small diaphragm mics for an article I'm working on for Tape Op Magazine. It's limited to acoustic guitar only, in fact it's limited to a Collings C-10 in a foam filled room using a Millennia preamp to Lavry Blue converters.

Here's a list of what I've tested so far:

- 3 Zigma Chi
- AKG C 1000 S
- B&K 4011
- Kel HM-1
- Neumann KM143 (wide cardioid), 130 (omni)
- Neumann KM184
- Neumann KM83 (omni), 84, 85 (bass rolloff), 86 (omni, cardioid, fig. 8), 88 (omni, cardioid and fig. 8
- Gefell M300
- Gefell M296 (omni)
- Gefell M70
- Gefell M94
- Oktavamod MC012
- Oktavamod MXL 603
- Oktavamod MCA SP-1
- Schoeps CMT341 (hypercardioid)
- Schoeps CMMT 30FN 934b (cardioid and omni)
- Schoeps CMMT 30FN 934c (cardioid and omni)
- Schoeps CMMT 30FN MK241 (hypercardioid)
- Schoeps/Strasser CM60 (full cardioid model)
- Schoeps CMC5 with MK5 capsule (cardioid and omni)
- Studio Projects C4
- Peluso CMEMC6
- Josephson C-42
- Josephson e-22s
- Avenson STO-2
- Earthworks TC30
- Naiant X-M Omnidirectional
- AKG C451EB (Jim Williams mod)
- AKG C460B (Jim Williams mod)
- AKG C 480 B
- AKG D224e
- Oktava MC012
- Oktavamod MC012
- Avantone CK-1
- Se Electronics SE-1
- SE Electronics SE-3
- Rode NT5
- Beyer MC930
- Beyer M201
- Mercenary KM-69
- Fouxman MCA SP-1 mod
- Fouxman MK012 mod
- Fouxman MXL 603 mod
- Heil PR-35
- EV RE15
- Shure SM57
- Shure SM81
- AT-Pro 37R
- AT 4031
- AT 4051
- AT 4041
- MXL V67N
- MXL 603
- JZ BT-201 (omni, wide and cardioid)
- Samson Co2
- Sennheiser MKH 8050 (super cardioid) and 8020 (omni)
- Sennheiser e914
- Neumann TLM50 (Omni) (medium diameter and not really included in test, but am I gonna pass up a test on a $3,000 mic? I don't think so.)
- Violet Finger
- Nevaton MC49

Here's a list of mics that have been requested but that I haven't tracked down yet:

Gefell M294 or M295
Schoeps CMC6
Sanken CU-31 or 32 or CO-100K
Sennheiser MKH 8040
THE TT-3m
KM74 T12v power.
SE Electronics Guitar Mic
Pearl TL6C or TL66 or OM16
Milab VM-44
Elation KM-201
KSM141 or KSM137
THE KP-6M
M93 capsule
Berliner 33
CALREC 1050C, Calrec CB20c/CC50, Calrec CB20c/CC03 (omni)
Hebden Sound HS 3020
Crown CM700
Joe Meek JM27
OktavaMod MK-103 or MK-011
KSM109 or SM137
T.bone sc100

I'm excluding ribbons and tube mics. I thought by keeping it to SDCs and dynamics I'd hold it to a manageable number, but obviously I was wrong.

I hate to ask but I'll kick myself if I don't -- anybody have any suggestions for more? Remember -- no tubes, no ribbons.

Jasper
Click to expand...
 
AT2020 or at2021. both are sdc mics, really great, although the at2020 is side address and looks like a ldc. it's a great cheap sdc though if you're being honest and I use it for acoustic guitar sometimes.

afaik the at4033 is NOT a sdc but maybe I'm off base there.
 
I know of at least one Nashville engineer who likes using the AT4033 next to the KM84 on acoustic.

Jasper
 
Some more mics I'm testing this week --

SM137, which replaces the KSM109
KSM141
DPA 4011 and 4066
Milab DC-96b and VM-44

Jasper
 
when's the article being done? I want it! when are you posting files? you're posting as you go, right? so we can hang on every last file you upload like starving gear sluts?

I'm excited!

it's about bloody time people put their time into sdcs on these websites. there are more out there than most people ever mention in forums.

it's always 603 this, 184 that. well I hate them both. let's hear the real evidence!

totally excited about this!

Don
 
Mike Jasper said:
Some more mics I'm testing this week --

SM137, which replaces the KSM109
KSM141
DPA 4011 and 4066
Milab DC-96b and VM-44

Jasper
Click to expand...

I was just about to suggest the DPA 4011. :)

If you need some help sourcing one in Nashville (of which you probably won't), let me know. ;)

Brandon
 
For some reason, I'm never notified of posts or even PMs here. I'll try to adjust my preferences... although I think I already did that.

Anyway, let me answer some questions...

"What about the CAD GXL1200?"

Bought one on ebay just for the test.

"Perhaps the AT-4049 and AT-4053? That would kind of complete the AT set with the AT-4051."

I let Audio Technica choose and they sent me the AT4021 and ATM450.

"That's one of the more puzzling statements I've seen around here. Now I'm curious . . . what is a 'real' company and what is a 'not real' company?"

Some guy in a basement who looks like Charles Manson and turned his cheapo Radio Shack headphones into a mic... not a real company. Some hobbiest who made a $10 condenser from instructions on the Internet, not a real company.

Anybody without an ad budget... not a real company. (Just kidding. Sort of.)

Here's what I've tested recently.

DPA 4011 and 4006
Josephson C617
AT 4021 and ATM450
Shure SM137 (same as KSM109) and KSM141
Milabs DC-96b and VM44
Some Radio Shack headphones I turned into microphones...

Cheers and thanks for the suggestions,

Jasper
 
Yeah, it looks like my notification prefs needed to be changed. My bad.

jasper
 
i know theyre designed for vocals, but i use a pair of AKG c5900s for acoustics often and they sound terrific...
 
Doing my last test this Sunday. I'll post the final list of mics early next week.

Jasper
 
Here's the final tally,

3 Zigma CHI
AKG Blueline 391
AKG Blueline 393
AKG C 1000 S
AKG C 480 B
AKG C451b
AKG C451EB
AKG C451EB
AKG C460B
AKG D224e
AT 4021
AT 4031
AT 4041
AT 4051
ATM450
AT-Pro 37R
Avantone CK-1
Avenson STO-2
B&K 4011
Beyerdynamic M201
Beyerdynamic MC930
CAD GXL1200
Charter Oak M900
Crown CM-700
DPA 4006TL
DPA 4011TL
DPA 4099
Earthworks QTC40
Earthworks SR30
Earthworks TC30
EV RE15
Fouxman MCA SP-1 mod
Fouxman MK012 mod
Fouxman MXL 603 mod
Gefell M296
Gefell M300
Gefell M70
Gefell M94
Heil PR-35
Jim Williams MCA SP-1
Josephson C42
Josephson C617
Josephson e22s
JZ BT-201
Kel Audio HM-1
Mercenary KM-69
Milab DC-96b
Milab VM-44 Classic
MXL 604s
MXL V67N
Naiant X-M
Neumann KM 130
Neumann KM 143
Neumann KM 184
Neumann KM 83
Neumann KM 84
Neumann KM 85
Neumann KM 86
Neumann KM 88
Neumann TLM50
Nevaton MC49
Oktava MC012
Oktavamod MC012
Oktavamod MCA SP-1
Oktavamod MXL 603
Peluso CEMC6
Rode NT5
Samson CO2
Sanken CO-100K
Schoeps CMC5 with MK5 capsule
Schoeps CMC6 with MK4 capsule
Schoeps CMT 30 FNU M 934 b
Schoeps CMT 30 FNU M 934 c
Schoeps CMT 30 FNU MK241
Schoeps CMT 341
Schoeps/Strasser CM60
SE Electronics SE1
SE Electronics SE3
Sennheiser 421
Sennheiser 441
Sennheiser e914
Sennheiser MKH 8020
Sennheiser MKH 8050
Shure KSM141
Shure SM137
Shure SM57
Shure SM7
Shure SM81
Sony C-535p
Studio Projects C4
T.H.E. KA-04
Violet Finger
---------------

Look for the article in the July issue. And thanks to all of you who participated in the listening panel.

Jasper
 
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