Here are some musings from a recent mic shootout I got a chance to partake in. The following were the subjects: *Rode NTK, *Audio Technica 4047, *Shure KSM32, *Groove Tubes GT67 (I believe that was the number) Tube mic. All of these were around $500 price tag. Very informal. Plugged them all in to a Mackie board and just went at it.
In particular, we (a friend and I) were interested in seeing how these mics handled sibilances, plosives, sudden changes in our voices, and how it responded all over the spectrum from low to high. So anyway, we did the key jangle, we sang scales to tounge twisters of the likes of "Peter Piper," "Seven Sinbad Sailors sailing the seven seas," etc. etc.
We also tried talking/ranting/screaming in a very nasal fashion in to each one, so as to get an idea for the honk factor.
* Audio Technica 4047 -- Good high-end sparkle. Good low-end growl, great mid-range honk. All-around, a pretty cool mic. This mic seems to exaggerate whatever you are trying to do with your voice. A mic with character that will cut through a mix like buttah.
My only beef was with the honk factor. This is a colorful mic, and it is aggressive in the upper mid-ranges. When I talked like Fran Drescher in to it, it was almost too believeable. Because of the way this voice exaggerates whatever you're trying to do with your voice, I can see it being a great asset for voice-overs -- particular cartoon / comedic and the like.
This mic would sound extremely good on the right voice, and/or micing a guitar amp . . . but not on everything. Pretty F 'in good, overall. Probably Not f'in great.
* Rode NTK -- This is a cool mic. Careful with the plosives. Wow, listen to that proximity effect. The high end on this thing is silky. Exaggerated, but silky. The low end seems smooth. But uh-oh. What's this. I'm talking like Fran Drescher again, and there's that annoying "HONK ! ! "
The louder and honkier I talk/scream in to this thing, the more the mic exaggerates this honk factor. I'm noticing a pattern. I guess a lot of these mic manufacturers seem to enjoy boosting that range around 2-3K and again around 6K.
I guess that's the sound though. If you want to sound like Britney or the Backstreet boys, you gotta have that high-mid stuff going on, I guess.
All in all, though, I must admit that the NTK sounds "cool." I like this mic the way I like fattening food and sweets. I want it and I crave it, but I know it won't be good for me in the long run. If I were to use this a lot, then just about everything I record will have a particular sound stamp. It's the sound of modern pop vocals. If modern-day chart-topping pop vocals are what you want -- Britney, Justin, N-sync, etc. . . then this is a great mic.
The only problem is that in my town of Chicago, everyone and their brother has been swept away by a particular band that goes by the name of Wilco. Anyone familiar with this sound will understand where I'm coming from. Terms like "raw," "natural," "accurate," "transparent" all come to mind.
* Groove Tubes Tube mic -- I wasn't particularly thrilled. More honk than the NTK. Less high-end exaggeration, though. Overall, I would have to say it sounded extremely focused on the plus side (moreso than any of the others tested), somewhat thin on the minus side (also much moreso than the others).
Grade: Incomplete. I'd honestly have to hear this one on different sources to get an idea of what it really brings to the table. There might be something this mic would really excell at.
*Shure KSM32 -- The hands-down winner, to me. I've heard this mic described as being bland by some, exciting by others, but just about no one can say it sucks.
And these are all fitting descriptions, because no, it certainly doesn't suck. It is very bland . . . if you consider a truly professional, accurate and realistic portrayal of how the sound really is to be bland.
I was actually quite thrilled with it's blandness. I did my best immitation of a chainsaw, and never at any time did I get that annoying mid-range, piercing honkification so common with the other subjects in the test. It won the "Six-simple-simon" sibilance test hands-down. It won the "Peter-piper" plosive test by a long-shot. These aren't very glamorous tests to pass, but they are important in the real-world.
That's not to say there wasn't at least some ear candy going on. There is just a hint of high-end sparkle in the 10-11k range with this mic. Yet only the slightest hint of the 3-6K sweetening was evident, as well. When giving it the low-voice Barry White / Darth Vader test, this mic also seemed to have the tightest, cleanest, most-controlled lows and low-mids.
In short, this mic handled everything I could throw at it and never even blinked. Easily the smoothest, most professional-sounding of the bunch I tested on this particular day. Probably still not f'ing great . . . but really damn f'ing good.
It's tough to describe why I liked this mic. If I had a younger sister or a daughter, and she were dating this mic, I would approve. It doesn't have the sexiness factor of the NTK, or the sometimes annoyingly exaggerated quality of the Audio Technica. But it seems like it would have better manners. It would be a more faithful companion, and would quietly and unassumingly get the job done without the need to hog the spotlight. It seems like it would be a very cooperative, selfless team player and good all-around citizen of the microphone world.
