We don't smell the crap 'till we step in it

  • Thread starter Thread starter crazydoc
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crazydoc said:
"A review makes a "coherent, fluid argument."

No it doesn't.


It's basically just some guy's opinion on something.

Oh, I forgot . . . an opinion isn't a review, though, is it Doc? :D :D
 
The most fun thing to review is a movie. Gear reviews are OK but they're not fun really. They are educational to the reviewer. My favorite reviews of my writing career were:

1. Some stupid movie with Pierce Brosnan as a Russian spy in the UK. God, it sucked so bad. I mean it sucked.

2. Kraftwerk's "Electric Cafe" is not a movie but it was a fun review to write. It's a good album too so it can be fun to write about good stuff.
 
DJL said:
"An opinion is not a review"

That's not always true.

"A review makes a "coherent, fluid argument.""

And sometimes a "coherent, fluid argument." is based on an opinion.

chessrock said:
No it doesn't.


It's basically just some guy's opinion on something.

Oh, I forgot . . . an opinion isn't a review, though, is it Doc? :D :D

Golly guys, I'm not doing a very good job of making my point, am I?

I guess what I meant was a useful review.

Well, you all know about opinions and assholes, right? (I guess that's another place we can smell the crap too.)

A review many times is an opinion, but to be useful it has to be backed up by factual information or a logical argument supporting the opinion. If not, it's just one person's personal bias and is worth just about what it's analog smells like.
 
How's this for a review, crazydoc. : )

Along with a good number of budget large condensers, we also tried the Behringer B1 on various sources such as vocals, amps, drum OH and acoustic guitar. In almost all cases the five or six engineers present at the sessions made various funny faces denoting non-pleasure with the sonic results of the B1. Some of the descriptions noted by the engineers included "cheap-sounding", "thin", "tinny", "shitty", "really bad" and "sounds like a good mic to record a mosquito".

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
 
Dot said:
How's this for a review, crazydoc. : )

Along with a good number of budget large condensers, we also tried the Behringer B1 on various sources such as vocals, amps, drum OH and acoustic guitar. In almost all cases the five or six engineers present at the sessions made various funny faces denoting non-pleasure with the sonic results of the B1. Some of the descriptions noted by the engineers included "cheap-sounding", "thin", "tinny", "shitty", "really bad" and "sounds like a good mic to record a mosquito".

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
Is it just me, or does anyone else get the idea that Dan doesn't care for this mic?






(:p )
 
Dot said:
How's this for a review, crazydoc. : )

Along with a good number of budget large condensers, we also tried the Behringer B1 on various sources such as vocals, amps, drum OH and acoustic guitar. In almost all cases the five or six engineers present at the sessions made various funny faces denoting non-pleasure with the sonic results of the B1. Some of the descriptions noted by the engineers included "cheap-sounding", "thin", "tinny", "shitty", "really bad" and "sounds like a good mic to record a mosquito".

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions

Much better. :)

It has factual information (tried on various sources..., five or six engineers present) and a logical argument:
1)Engineers listen to mic
2)Engineers look like they're smelling crap
Therefore:
3)Mic sounds like crap

But it does have a nice case and shockmount. :D
 
crazydoc said:
A review many times is an opinion, but to be useful it has to be backed up by factual information or a logical argument supporting the opinion. If not, it's just one person's personal bias and is worth just about what it's analog smells like.

Bingo. In fact, if I remember correctly from College, you are not allowed to have an opinion without the facts. Otherwise, it's not really an opinion, just someone spouting off what they think. The only other thing that should be added to a review esspecially in this case, is the application of the product to put things into perspective. So, when you talk about the 5 or 6 engineers present, these are a) Top engineers sitting in a million dollar studio, b) Amateur engineers contemplating this product for they're high quality project studio, c) Amateur engineers contemplating this product for home studio use.

All that taken into account though, I thought that the point that Dan declined to review the mic was review enough for me. If he didn't want to talk about it, then there's obviously nothing worth talking about! And if it was worth looking at, then he would have written one. If something never has reviews written on it, that's ussually a bad sign. Esspecially if there are no good word of mouth reviews like this one. When people like stuff, they say so, so don't buy things that you haven't heard lots of good stuff about unless someone's willing to lend it to you until you make up your mind!
 
SmattyG said:
Bingo. In fact, if I remember correctly from College, you are not allowed to have an opinion without the facts. Otherwise, it's not really an opinion, just someone spouting off what they think.

:D :D Maybe in the classroom you don't get to open your yap without expressing facts, but if I had a nickel for every overheard conversation full of unsubstantiated opinions ... too many of them by drunks in bars, actually ... I'd have ... well, way too many free drinks.

Besides, an expression of what one thinks IS an opinion, isn't it?

[edit]I must be bored. I just looked up the definition of "opinion" in my trusty Random House dictionary. First entry:

"a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce certainty."

Ok, off to go find myself a life ...
 
So I take it if Robert Ebert were to say:

"Thumbs up!," it's an opinion.


But if he were to say:

"I really liked the movie," then it's a review.


Am I close? :D
 
SmattyG said:
So, when you talk about the 5 or 6 engineers present, these are a) Top engineers sitting in a million dollar studio, b) Amateur engineers contemplating this product for they're high quality project studio, c) Amateur engineers contemplating this product for home studio use.

Well, Smatty, we need another choice somewhere between A and B. In our case it would be: Pro engineers, most of whom have major-label credits, some of whom have worked on hit records, and all of whom make a living in music and audio... sitting in $250,000 studio.

D's that help? : )

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
 
My Review/Opinion

By an Amatuer Musician/Home Recordist. I was assisted by a few other people mic shopping that day.

Credits: Visa/Mastercard. I own a Multi-hundred dollar studio.

Reviewed at (the sadly) now defunct Mars music.
Signal chain: Behringer B1 into Behringer MX602A

I tried it on acoustuc guitar. Yuck Phooey!
Then voice. Maybe worse.

The mic had high gain, which helped to accentuate the fingernails on chalkboard tonal characteristics.

Opinions were unanimous amongst myself and the various strangers mic shopping that day. They varied in adjectives, but were similar in sentiment. All concluded with "Let's try another mic now."
 
Dot said:
Well, Smatty, we need another choice somewhere between A and B. In our case it would be: Pro engineers, most of whom have major-label credits, some of whom have worked on hit records, and all of whom make a living in music and audio... sitting in $250,000 studio.

D's that help? : )

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions


Hehehe, I would just put that in A, which is what I assumed (that's why I made it A). Acctually, that group of people you mentioned, sitting in a bedroom would still qualify as A, if their intentions were to use the gear at work in the 250K studio (although it might be hard to get a good opinion in a bedroom). Mind you, the same group of people, intending to recommend the products for a high-quality project studio, which might have lets say a $30K budget, would be a bit more lenient.

Personally, I think that this (A) is the most valuable viewpoint when products are endorsed, because if pros think it's good, then a lot of amateurs will think it's great... On the flipside, if you guys think it sucks... well, it might be considered not-so-bad by amateurs who don't have the same quality expectations....

But none of this is relevent for a peice of super-budget gear, which probably wouldn't be good even in an ultra-budget home studio... I hope i don't sound like i'm critizing in anyway? I totally thought that the initial comment you made about sending it back was sufficient as a review!
 
"sounds like a good mic to record a mosquito".

Haaaaaaaa.... I love it... I about fell out of my chair lol.

But now I want to recocrd a mosquito. :D
 
As someone who lives in a mosquito-prone area, these positive comments have got me interested. I've always wanted some outside ambient noise in my recordings.... might just head out to the music store and pick up a B1. Faaaantastic!
 
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