SP B1, V67, 603 - Short basic tests

LooneyTunez

LooneyTunez

New member
Some people have been very interested in what the Studio Projects B1 sounds like, including myself, so here are some comparison tests for you to check out.

I don't have the B1 in my possesion yet, as I had my brother (Phloodpants) order it for me when he ordered something else from 8th Street, so I asked him to perform these tests with his voice and acoustic guitar.

These clips were recorded through a mic pre that my brother built, into a M-Audio Audiophile 2496, into Sonic Foundry's Vegas Video 3.0. I have kept them as wav files for better resolution, but they're short, so downloading won't be much of an issue.

Test 1 - Spoken voice - Recorded source on both mics simultaneously on separate tracks.

B1 Voice (Mono)

V67 Voice (Mono)

V67 (Left) vs B1 (Right) - (Stereo). This file is to hear both mics at the same time.

Test 2 - Acoustic Guitar - Recorded separately

B1 Acoustic Guitar

V67 Acoustic Guitar

603 Acoustic Guitar

We didn't record voice with the 603 as it's not really condusive to voice in my opinion.

I'll keep my opinions to myself at this point, as not to put any of my subjective ideas in anyone's heads. Let me know what you think.
 
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Good job, and thanks for taking the time to post.

I liked the sound of the B1.

Not sure if I'd consider this a very relevant comparison or not. The v67, in my opinion, just smokes on spoken voice (love that proximity effect), so it probably wasn't a fair comparison. The B1 held up surprizingly well. I noticed it was noticeably more plosive, though. Was that one positioned differently?

I did like the B1 better on guitar than the 67, though. Again, not a fair comparison, because the 603 just smokes anything else in it's price range on accoustic guitar, and it showed in your comparison.

Nice test.
 
Thanks for the post. I liked the B1 a very much. I didn't notice that big a difference between the v67 and B1 on the voice. Overall I though these two mics were pretty similar on vocals (at least on your brother's vocals). But on guitar the B1 sounded noticably fuller to me, like it did a better job picking up the a wider range of frequencies. The 603 was quite different, much brighter and crisper, and I prefer the sound of the 603 on guitar.

Great test, but I have one request. Next time have your brother read from a Penthouse column - "I never thought it could happen to me, but..." :)
 
The B1 held up surprizingly well. I noticed it was noticeably more plosive, though. Was that one positioned differently?
Click to expand...

Both the B1 and V67 were recorded at about 6 inches on either side of my brother's mouth. A pop filter was not used. I think plosives are more of an issue with the B1 because it seems to have a lot more energy below about 50hz. If you look at the waveforms of each mic on the vocal test, you'll see the plosives on the B1, and if you look in the quiet spots you'll see more subsonic room noises are being picked up as well. Some bass rolloff and the use of a pop filter should take care of that stuff.

Anyone else had a chance to listen?
 
To me, the interesting thing is that the 67 is best on vocal - fuller, in a pleasing way - and worst on guitar - muddy, not as accurate or at least as detailed.

The 603 of course is best on acoustic, with the most detail.

BUT.... the B-1 seems quite usable on both.

I also have a B-1 (borrowed) but I haven't had time (new baby, new position at work, air conditioning problems from hell) to record anything but one quick acoustic guitar track with it. It sounded, again, good, but not as good as my 603s.

Based on your tests, I'd say the EARLY impression is that the B-1 is pretty usable all around, perhaps a bit flatter than the 67 (which I also have).

Fab
 
Thanks for this post. I was never going to consider a SP B1 until now. I only listened to the vocal tests, but I thought the B1 was a better pick.
 
My impression from these clips is pretty much exactly the same as that stated by 'Fab4ever'. That acoustic guitar track with the V67 totally sucked, which agrees with how I've felt about my V67, that it's pretty near a one trick pony but excellent at that trick (vocals). The B1 was acceptable on acoustic guitar but not as outstanding as the 603. The B1 seemed to have a little less whistling sibilance than the V67 which is also why it's not quite as up front present sounding on voice as the V67. This may make it a good choice for some vocals, for instance that require a relatively natural sound & don't have a lot of competition in the mix to cut through. All in all, seems like the B1 may be a decent versatile all around mic, but not necessarily excel at any particular thing. The clips seem to concur with the 'poor mans frequency analysis's plot's of the B1 & V67 posted earlier on this board by 'crazydoc' that show the B1 having a just slightly more extended frequency response than the V67 with a little less boost in the presence (particularly around 5k). This is the 3rd set of audio clips that I've heard posted on this board showing the B1 & all have left me with this same impression. Of course nothing can really be concluded for sure from bulletin board clips, as there are to many unknown variables out of your control. I ordered a pair of B1's a couple of days ago so I shall soon see what use I can put them to.
 
I'll give you my impressions of those tests now.

B1 on spoken word with my brother's voice seemed a bit better to me than the V67. I hear a little more rounded (chesty) bottom end, a clearer midrange and less sibilant top end (more of a sheen).

The B1 on the acoustic track sits in the middle of the three tested mics. The 603 is unquesionably the best choice of those three (very full, rich and clear), the V67 is quite honky sounding, and the B1 sounds somwhere in between the other two (closer to the 603 sound).

Overall, I think the B1 is very good at both sources tested. It may be too early to tell, and it might be pretty bold of me to state this, but the B1 could end up being the LD condenser version of the SM57. A good all around mic that will work well with most things. *don't quote me on that just yet* ;) I'll be giving that mic a good workout when I have it in my grubby little hands...I may even post some comparisons with the V67 on my own voice (singing)...Oh boy! :eek:
 
Amen to that, Cyan.

From that particular clip, my impression of the B1 is that, teamed with a really good pop filter, it could be a pretty good vocal mic on a lot of different voices. It does strike me as sort of a condenser version of the sm58. :) Get those pany hose and coat hangers out.
 
chessrock said:
Amen to that, Cyan.

From that particular clip, my impression of the B1 is that, teamed with a really good pop filter, it could be a pretty good vocal mic on a lot of different voices. It does strike me as sort of a condenser version of the sm58. :) Get those pany hose and coat hangers out.
Click to expand...

Listening to the b1 on voice again, its amazing how germane your description of the b1 is. I have that exact feeling about the sound.
 
Thanks. Your description of the 603 was about as simple and germane as it gets, as well. You'd almost get the feeling it's an mc012 with a "marshall" label on it. :)
 
Just to add my own $0.02.

I pretty much agree with the comments my brother (LooneyTunez) has made about these mics.

I feel they're all really excellent, although I'm starting to agree with the V67 "one-trick-pony" theory.

I'd like to hear the v67 on female vocals. Can anyone do this? Perhaps while recording with another mic simultaneously?

I'd like to point out that I'm no voice-over pro, and my guitar is pretty poor right now, as I am a beginner. That's why I just stuck to a few chords... :o

For those that are interested, the mic preamp I used is a DIY unit based on Phil Allison's design at Rod Elliot's website.
http://sound.westhost.com/project66.htm
It's an outstanding preamp, and if you have some DIY skills it's a great project!
 
As a B1 owner, I think the general concensus here is rather accurate. After using it for several vocal tracks, I find myself routinely rolling off the bass and notching up the EQ at around 5k. My vocals abilities and voice are poor, so it took me a little to get past that to really understand what the mic was doing. It's definately pretty flat and needs a little EQ adjustment for vocals. Its proximity effect is a little odd. To me it seems to be too extreme, that is, it either sounds like you're two feet away from it or right up on it. That also applies to micing guitar amps with it.

For guitar amps, again you have to adjust the EQ a little to dial in the sound, but it is rather full. It's not harsh at any particular frequency and is in no way shrill.

Positioning is the most challenging aspect of this mic, IMHO. You have to play with positioning to get the most out of it.

"...the B1 could end up being the LD condenser version of the SM57"

I think that sums it up pretty well. I wouldn't expect much out of it for acoustic guitar, the 603's probably do a much better job. And, the 67 or one with a similar mid boost would probably be a better choice of vocal mic for those with flat voices like myself. I think a SM57 or equivalent is probably more suited for guitar amps. If you have those mics already I don't think the B1 will replace them for those jobs. However, I think that if you need a good general purpose mic that can cover almost anything, the B1 would be a good choice.

Damn, I sound like a Hyatt lacky. Flame me I guess.
 
I think that the reason that many new owners of the B-series mics are hesitant of posting their opinions of the mics for fear of getting caught in a flame war.Think about it,if some one bought a b-series mic and really liked it,they are going to be accussed of being a SP plant (which is something that I think doesn't exist.Any one up for a snipe hunt?).At this point we can only wait for Harvey to recieve the mics from Alan and put them through their paces to get an objective opinion that everyone can trust.I know that trust has been proven and earned by Harvey many times over but everyone should be able to feel free to express their opinion even if said opinion has to be taken with a grain of salt.

I really like my TB-1 and readily express my opinion but people should understand that I have no experience with high end mics and limited experience in general.The mics that I compare it to are a Marshall POS 2001p and an Audio Technica 3525(that I like).Should my opinions bear as much wieght as Harvey's or any of the many people here with more experience?Absolutely not!But I should be able to feel free to post my observations and people should feel free to give to them whatever merit they wish.
 
Hi guys,first time here,just purchased a B-3 with a Meek mq3. A few observations:
Randy,I have no fear of being flamed but I have not yet posted because I'm not yet sure what I think. I only have a sm57 to compare,but the difference is not as great as I had hoped. My findings are the same as toorglick---I need to roll off the lows and boost the mids or else it sounds a bit "wooly". It does not have the "open airy" sound that I have heard on a friends' AKG 414, but that is my only other reference, and not quite a fair one from a price standpoint.
However, I may come to like this more as the first vocal cut does "sit in the mix" right well and the lack of crispness may be a blessing but it is just too soon to tell. I purchased it on the spur of the moment as I wanted to track a project,was unhappy with sm57 direct into Akai dps16, Mars had sold out of v67, and it was the only thing in town that I could afford and take home right that moment! I will say that it would not be usable for me without the meek eq. The sound direct into the dps16 is dull and bassey and the akai eq is not for tracking,IMO.
The big question for me now is to decide if I can live with this low cost improvement or do I have to trade up and spend more. I'm wondering if I should have bought the c1. Also wondering if I should have bought the dmp3+rnc instead of the joemeek. It never ends-----I will post again when I have time to experiment more. I am assuming that the B-3 in cardiod sounds like the B-1 but just a guess. (wish Alan would give a clue)--so, a long post to say that I don't know much! I do appreciate you guys.
Bill
 
Randy Yell said:
I think that the reason that many new owners of the B-series mics are hesitant of posting their opinions of the mics for fear of getting caught in a flame war. Think about it,if some one bought a b-series mic and really liked it,they are going to be accussed of being a SP plant (which is something that I think doesn't exist. Any one up for a snipe hunt?). At this point we can only wait for Harvey to recieve the mics from Alan and put them through their paces to get an objective opinion that everyone can trust. I know that trust has been proven and earned by Harvey many times over but everyone should be able to feel free to express their opinion even if said opinion has to be taken with a grain of salt.

I don't think my ears are any better than most of the people here, but having a larger collection and familiarity with many mics for comparison is important, I feel. If you only have experience with one or two models of mics, you may not be really hearing what you "think" you're hearing. A lot of people who buy their first condenser mic often confuse higher output for greater detail ("I can hear cars going by, etc."), while others confuse high frequency peaks for greater detail.

I really like my TB-1 and readily express my opinion but people should understand that I have no experience with high end mics and limited experience in general.

Both are important, especially when it comes down to determining whether a particular mic will also be suited for someone else's voice or guitar, not just because it works for you.

Should my opinions bear as much wieght as Harvey's or any of the many people here with more experience?Absolutely not!But I should be able to feel free to post my observations and people should feel free to give to them whatever merit they wish.

I agree, but it sure would be nice if posters would state what else they own, what they've listen to, or how much experience they've had in critical listening. Otherwise, it boils down to "This seems to work well for my voice, or my guitar, but I don't know if it will work for you as well."
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One other very important point that I forgot to mention:

After I tested all the Marshall MXL mics, I sent them on to Ty Ford, a noted reviewer, who again tested them, but came up with very different results. Some of the mics I raved about sounded like shit to him and we carried on a long series of emails about why the discrepencies between his tests and mine.

What it boiled down to was the choice of preamps that he used to conduct his listening tests. When he changed to a different preamp, his results were similar to what I heard. Both preamps he tried were very high dollar preamps, but one of them just didn't care for the Marshall mics hooked up to it.

It made us both realize how fragile this whole testing business is, and how important it is to separate the mic's response from the overall system's response to get an accurate picture of what the mic is doing.
 
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