GAP ELA M 251E | THE 251 microphone | Test & Review | 

I would argue that by using an extremely talented singer with great mic control and proper technique, they are skewing the results for the better. A singer like the woman in this demo would arguably sound fantastic on ANY mic. It's not a bad thing, but it certainly isn't the best way to judge the quality of a microphone, especially when we're looking at clones. If "every percentage point counts" comparing the clone to the original, wouldn't you want to use a singer who WON'T make every mic sound incredible? It sorta puts every mic you try out into the same "ballpark" of sound, right off the bat, even totally different mics. The only true way to judge this microphone is to test it for yourself. Me personally, I can't really get a feel for a mic until I use it on drums. A lot. I think vocals are one of the least effective ways to demonstrate a microphone, especially considering they never compared it to a real Telefunken... or even an SM58 or SM7B for a baseline to understand how her specific voice interacts with a popular microphone we all know and have worked with a lot. Either way, I learned nothing from this video (except for learning how pretty this new GAP clone is!)

Yes she was amazing! Thanks for watching 🙏

Thanks for the support 🙏

Yes it's pretty amazing! Thanks for watching 🙏

Well first of all they need to have such a world class singer available which isn't easy to find! But I agree most mics sound good when you sing soft but for the GAP being able to sound completely even throughout the register and dynamics is a testament of quality! Thanks for watching ✌️

Yeah I mean hearing that live was truly special! Yeah she was crazy loud so for a microphone being able to cope with that and sounding even throughout the range is quite the accomplishment. Thanks for watching ✌️

Thanks man glad you enjoyed it! Try the new GAP if you have the chance 😊

@@Christian_svedin wow! Then i have to sell some cows before. 😳 Someday I hope. It’s a great mic.

I'll do it if you send me one ! 🙈 Thanks for watching ✌️

The mic should only be an extension. It was amazing to witness that live as well 😊

@@Christian_svedin totally agree! The mic did exactly what it should do. I just ordered a telefunken tf51, hoping it's a good hat tip to the 251 sound.

@@OmgItsAlexOfficial cool ! I haven't tried any TF mics but I'm sure it's good 😊

I had that mic

HAHA! That's exactly what I was thinking. She could have sang into anything singing like that.

🙏 tackar!

Hey! Yeah I'm going to try out some different tubes in the GAP. On my voice it's definitely not as clear. Good news though that it Sounds glorious with my V76. Sometimes I feel I've gotten more confused with all these tests. Ive pinned it down to certain K67-style capsules sound very harsh on my resonant voice. The GAP for instance ducks that 2khz Freq response in Fig.8 which makes my voice sound smooth but still with a nice lift. So far though from memory my favorites are GA8000, Chandler Red and GA Elam251. Thanks for watching 🙏

I wouldn't mind that! The TF usa has a great reputation but the price is just off the charts.

GA-8000 is super clean which is perfect for pop. The 251E has allot more vibe and saturation. So.. it depends on what you want to achieve 🙂✌️

I have the same question.

+1

So you bought the new Ela M251E? Might be a bad tube which can happen. I'd contact the store you bought it from and I'm sure they'll solve it. Good luck!

@@Christian_svedin Yes, just bought it brant new, it sounds AMAZING the only issue it's that noise and scratched power supply. BTW: is your GAP Ela M251E ringing like cowbell when you gently tap on its metal chassis???

@@natura808 I'd raise those issues with the company you bought it from I'm sure they and GAP will solve that for you. I haven't tapped on it, have to check 😁

@@natura808 This resonance is what made me sell my GAP 47 mic. I ended up putting a rubber band around the outside of the mic to dampen it - but I could hear this resonance when singers hit its fundamental, so it was a problem. It's not good to hear the same thing happens on the 251.

@@Christian_svedinAs I see you’ve tried pretty much all of the 251 clones if you not promoting Golden Age (which is sounds pretty good to me) which clone is closest to the Telefunken 251 in your opinion??? I’m still in the search of my “Holly Grail” microphone, now I’m testing UA Bock 251 but it doesn’t have that what I hear from the real deal even though it’s really good sounding mic I’m not happy at all…

The NLP is half the price of the GAP? NLP is great, probably the best value 251 you can get. The GAP doesn't feel plastic at all. I had it side by side with an original and it looked and felt 95% like an original. The PSU feels a bit cheap but otherwise it's stellar. With an upgraded tube I think I prefer the GAP. Is it worth it? That's something you have to decide.

@@Christian_svedin absolutely, but it’s very helpful having your channel with all the reviews 🙏 yes I can get a good deal on the GA premier that brings it closer to the NLP, particularly after conversion of euros to AUD for me, import tax etc. NLP appears more premium simply due to David’s experience, but great to hear you preferred the GA gives me some more to think about and glad that it was quality build in the hand

@@andrewwhitehouse1878 I think Fehrer is working on a new revision on his mic with another capsule. Sounded great on the examples he send me. As long as you can get a good price on the GAP I would recommend it. I think you can purchase a 5* tube from Fehrer, measured. Made quite a difference. Or.. check with him on the status on his new revision, David is top notch 👌

Hey! Sure! Some light eq within the - 1db range, only cutting. Vocal rider, 1176, La3a and the some limiting. Basically no compression just catching peaks, I'm not a fan of compression on vocals these days I'd rather use subtle steps to even out the dynamics, ride faders and such. Valhalla vintageverb for reverb. I'm a fan of multiband compression since that is a very transparent way of leveling vocals. Pretty straightforward. Thanks for watching ✌️

@@Christian_svedin Great info! Thanks!

Absolutely if you want more vibe then say a Sony 800G

It's two different mics at two very different pricepoints. It's hard to find a good original 251 but if I do I'd love to do a comparison ✌️

@@Christian_svedin definitely 💯🙌🏾 and I definitely wanna hear a comparison with this mic and the original GA251 if you can & The Elam 251 . Love your comparison videos

Those two mics you just mentioned are both Golden Age Premier microphones. The Ela M251E is newer and much more expensive, a faithful recreation of the vintage original 👍

@@Christian_svedin I see, thank you.

@@Christian_svedin I see, thank you.

Well when that $6k 251 sounds like a $10k microphone, it can only be a good thing for everyone. Don't you think?

I think the price reflects the actual building cost that is why boutique mics like this end up costing allot. There is a reason why most manufacturers uses the same body's etc. When you start making your own capsule, metal work with custom molds it starts getting expensive. It does look and sound great though?