Best video on microphones I watched so far! This information helps tremendously to contextualize all those statements out there about which mic to use for which source. Thank you so much!
I have an EV N/D468 which is probably thee best bang for your buck mic ever made. I also have a Neumann BCM 705 which has the kind of top end that can easily be mistaken for a condenser. If ribbon mics count as dynamics I love a Coles 4038, RCA 44, and Blue Woodpecker.
Hi Matt, always a good choice of topic. Here’s a problem I have (a nice problem) - I own a flea 47. It makes my other mics redundant, even if its not strictly the ideal microphone, it has a quality that comes across that would be missing on others. And we have other nice microphones including a U87, 184s and SM7B etc. We also have an AT4047 - now this is an excellent mic with a performance I like, but…I want to put this the right way, it lacks a sense of romance, its not evocative, or cinematic etc. The AT4047 is effectively a U47fet copy, now even if technically this might be excellent on an upright bass, better than the Flea, I would rather have the glamour of the Flea on that bass and sacrifice its lack of compatibility perhaps. Another example, we have a loud 1971 U3 piano, very bright and unruly, the Flea does a great job of capturing it in a rather compelling way, but the piano is still too pingy. I might entertain the idea of using a pair of inexpensive ribbons that we have or even the RE20, but - again, I find myself thinking I will regret sacrificing the mojo of the Flea come the mix. Of course its clear I adore the Flea, as far as I am concerned it makes everything sound the way it should. I suppose the answer is, choose what sounds best. But its a more nuanced problem than this. I associate the quality of the microphone with its capacity to charm, more than its capacity to manage frequencies or SPL. Is it really possible, that the 4047 will ever have its day? It deserves to, but I fear it will always lose out. I’m not saying there won’t be the one or two times when it might do a unique thing, but would I waste my time trying to find those unique moments? Or, is the issue about having it compete with a similar grade of competition, i.e a U67 is not going to be any less of a microphone but just a genuinely good different option. Are you feeling me on this? Have you had plenty of times when a sub £500 mic, was clearly a better choice than your - insert favourite, stupidly expensive mic here - Cheers! Jon
Gosh - tough question. Basically you're asking which is better - the objective capture a mic provides or the subjective feel your Flea provides. Different people will give you different answers but when I'm actually recording and mixing I tend to throw all the science shit out the window. If I like something better, I don't question why: BECAUSE: if I question why, I might come up with an answer! There are many times I've preferred cheaper mics over more expensive ones. Many times I prefer my RE20 on all sorts of things - guitar cab and bass cab pretty quickly comes to mind. I prefer my JZ mics over my Neumanns. And sometimes I don't necessarily prefer a mic until I actually hear what it's doing in context with the other elements in the record. As for your piano, I love a pair of Beyer M88s on piano. To me, they sound magic. Although if your piano is a Yamaha C7, pingy might just be part of any capture - they kinda just sound that way.
@@WeissAdvice Thanks Matt, I like that reply. And the Beyer M88 gives me pause for thought - very reasonably priced. Do you think the topic of subjective vs objective might be a nice philosophy Monday show? All best Jon
could you please give more elaborate examples on transient and saturation as less obvious things as they rarely seen on tech specs and require substantial aural experience to discern them
I don’t want to speak for Matt, but transient response is really how fast the microphone diaphragm can respond to a rapidly changing sound pressure level (e.g. a percussive clap). The KM84 SDC can track this type of an event more accurately than a dynamic like the RE20 because of the lower diaphragm mass. What is captured by the KM84 is technically more faithful but may not have the sound you are trying to achieve. Saturation at least to me is a coloration that exhibits as a compression/distortion effect (think vacuum tubes and transformers). Since a microphone is a mechanical system with unique resonances some microphones will exhibit this coloration in certain frequency ranges that are different or more audible than other microphones.
When the polar patterns melt, we'll all be flooded with sound. (is that saturation?) What country did you grow up in that you learned to use that as your hand sign for 3? Would all 5 of those factors still be relevant if you are just 'virtually' changing the mic through an emulation? Are there any mic emulators that you think are great (or, terrible?)
Good questions! (and silly questions :) ) When the polar patterns melt that will definitely qualify as saturation. When I was in undergrad I had a deaf roommate, the typical hand sign for "3" is actually the letter "W" in ASL, so I started using the ASL sign (the one you see in the video) instead. All 5 factors are no longer relevant when using a virtual microphone, at least as of today - SPL and Polar Pattern are limited to the physical capsule. I think the Slate VMS is great, and while I wouldn't use the word "terrible" I haven't found the Antares Mic Modeler to be particularly accurate or useful.
@@ruddmedia Yes I like Lava, too. It's the first one I've seen that has oversampling and an auto-gain match. There is something about being a former Axis power that seems to lend itself to knowing about mics? Antelope audios emulations are nice (also Italy), and I would take a German, or Sony, mic in a heartbeat. I've never used most of the mics they emulate, though, so I have no clue if they do so accurately; I just know if I like the outcome. And Lava is hot.
