The Ultimate Mic Pre Shootout (or how to embarass yourself in front of your peers)

  • Thread starter Thread starter KaBudokan
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KaBudokan

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Well, at GT's request, I went ahead and did a little mic preamp shootout using his baby ( ;) ), the vintage Realistic Stereo Mixing Console, a Mackie 1202 VLZ, and I threw in my Joe Meek VC6 for good measure.

In true Homerecording.com fashion, I'll do a blind test here for you guys to argue over what's what. :D

The mic is an SM58 (no phantom power on the vintage Realistic). All three recordings are 2" or so off the mic. I had to use a Radio Shack Lo-z to Hi-z adapter (also vintage) to plug into the Realistic. I also had to run into my soundcard via the headphone output, as it only has RCA outputs otherwise.

Each mic preamp has me repeating the same phrase twice. (The second preamp starts at :17, and the 3rd starts at :35.) The tracks were recorded into Vegas at 16 bit/44.1 khz. The mp3 was encoded directly from Vegas at 320kbps.

So, go ahead, tell me which is which, and please, don't embarass anyone. (I should be talking... I'm the one who actually did the preamp test. ;) )

 
KaBudocan,

Before I even listen, I just wanted to let you know how cool it was that you did this! Your lack of snobery knows no bounds.
 
Does It Work?

OK, I tried it twice and it's only 2 seconds long... I then downloaded it and it was still only 2 seconds long and about 90kb in size.
 
RE, it should work fine. I just doublechecked and downloaded it again to be sure. It downloaded and is 51 seconds long.

Try again maybe? If anyone else has trouble, I'll try to put it up somewhere else.
 
I would have to say that I don't have a clue.

I will say that the last one sounded a little more up front, like you were closer to the mic.

It sounds like the difference would be of little consequence.

Thanks for going to all the trouble.

KaBudocan, if you didn't know the order, do you think you could tell the difference?

GT
 
GT said:
Thanks for going to all the trouble.

KaBudocan, if you didn't know the order, do you think you could tell the difference?

GT

Click to expand...

I think I could pick the RS out, but I am not sure about the others. If I used the compression on the Meek it would make it more obvious which one it was, but right now it's difficult to tell.

If you turn the volume up a bit more you may be able to hear more tonal differences.
 
OK

It work fine the first time this try... Bizzaro...

So here at work listening through about $10 powered computer speakers that are blown:

3rd is my favorite - most presence, most fullness, most LF response of all three.

1st is next - most neutral (the one that doesn't receive a + or - reaction or comment; it's just there).

2nd is last - Even through these nasty speakers, it's noteably hollow; I'd imagine it'd be extremely hollow even on decent stereo speakers, let alone decent studio monitors.

So, my guess of the order is:

1 = Mackie
2 = Radio Shack
3 = Meek

Because everything seems to fall into place... I not expecting any surprise on this test.
 
Of Course...

...I've never used any Meek myself other than the C2 once so I really don't know how Meek sounds; let alone just the pres... Which I hear aren't too impressive and everyone says they would rather have a Mackie because of the price...
 
I figured me and my ear would embarrass ourselves.

1: Mackie
2: Radio Shack
3: Meek

The second one was lacking fullness and bottom, unlike the other two. I thought the third did have more presence, as if you were closer to the mic. It had fullness (but if a person had a thick voice they might rather want to use the first.) The first was the "crispiest".

I've never had a Meek and I don't know what they sound like. I think it would be easy to get the Meek and Mackie reversed here. But I'd think the Mackie would have a crisper sound so I put that first.

I guess that pretty much matches RE.
 
Geez. I have an sm58 AND a joe meek vc6q and it's hard for me to tell.

I think if you used the compressor (even with no compression applied) it would be MUCH easier.

i think 2 is the radio shack....it's a toss up between 1 and 3.


99 cent store karaoke mic shootout soon to come:

$.99 karaoke mic
sm58
rode ntv
 
Just to be different:

1: Radio Shack
2: Mackie
3: Joe Meek

Disclaimer: I listeden to this on my built in PC speakers. :)
 
1 Radio Shack.
2 Meek.
3 Mackie.


note. I own 2 Realistic line level mixers and a Mackie. :D
you guys are gonna laugh if I'm right!

-jhe
 
Quite a variety of guesses so far.

Interesting. Some of you have said your guesses with reasoning, based on what you think each preamp should sound like.

Interesting. :)

I am sure I would be struggling and not nearly as smug if I didn't already know the order. ;)
 
1. Shack
2. Meek
3. Mack

I'll reveal my method only if I am right.
If I am wrong, I will fade into humilated obscurity.

Peace,
Rick
 
With you 100% The Axis! :D

But I'll spill the beans about my reasoning, so that I can be wholly embarrased. (better than fading into obscurity :)) I feel pretty certain about the first one being the realistic. Something familiar about it like maybe it's the sound of those radio shack transformers. I could be wrong. RE siad he felt the second was hollow. I just feel like it has a slow transient response, how I come up with this and relate it to being the meek I really have no idea, Maybe it just sounds green to me. Listen to the third one. hmm the bass response is nice, listen to the high end... closer, a little metallic, but shiny metallic, like you wouldn't really notice it at first, yeah, that's Mackie.

ok so now, embarass me! :D

-jhe
 
I read somewhere that using a transformer to change balanced to unbalanced actually warms the sound.

So just for the fun of it I'm going to say that the RS mixer is the sound that everyone liked the best, number three, because a transformer had to be used.

I will guess at the other two.

1.Mack
2.Meek
3.Shack

Since my mixer is now worth a whopping $9.99, god I hope I'm right!
 
geez. just tell us already. How can you stand it!
:D

-jhe
 
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