We've started to put together a series of honest reviews in a practical sense, based on kit we own. We're lucky enough to own some quite nice mics, but on the internet so many people are recommending brand X and knocking brand Y because they've heard other people doing the same thing, I often disagree.
What we're doing is using an SM7B as a reference - it will be the introductory mic in all the videos, and up against something else. I don't actually like the SM7B that much, but it features in so many videos, we decided to use it as the common mic in the videos. Most of the videos will also have an example video linked to it, so we chat about a mic and then inflict my guitar playing in the other video so people can hear the speech recording on the main video, and then a guitar (which might also become a sax, or clarinet or something else on later videos if more appropriate).
My idea is to explain any unusual features that they might have, how you can best use them and what my honest opinion is. This may not be the usual one.
We've started with the SM7B vs the SM57, and another video covers the AKG 414. I'm just finishing the Neumann TLM 103, and the Samson C01 - the other end of the price spectrum is ready to go tomorrow.
What is very clear is that the differences are in reality nowhere as extreme as the internet always claims. Dynamics are dull - condensers bright - is the usual internet comment and the degree of dullness and brightness in practice might not even be noticed on laptop speakers or the now common little dinky speakers many of us use.
The plan is to go through my mic collection - so my list of mics to compare feature the U87, EV 320, Oktava 319, AKG 451, Samson C02 and as many others I can get together. My aim is to educate, encourage experiments and stop people wasting their money. For the video folk I plan to do shotguns - from very short to crazily long, and maybe a few budget labs? I've also got quite a number of older and more unusual types - Shure SM61 and 63 omni, Beyers, and the curious dual diaphragm D202 - a mic with separate bass and treble capsules! As we're first starting out on these - we're very open to suggestions, so if there are improvements you would like - feel free to suggest. I'm keen to NOT plan too much and we want to simply talk about each one in an improvised way, so often it's what happens when I use them on the day.
What we're doing is using an SM7B as a reference - it will be the introductory mic in all the videos, and up against something else. I don't actually like the SM7B that much, but it features in so many videos, we decided to use it as the common mic in the videos. Most of the videos will also have an example video linked to it, so we chat about a mic and then inflict my guitar playing in the other video so people can hear the speech recording on the main video, and then a guitar (which might also become a sax, or clarinet or something else on later videos if more appropriate).
My idea is to explain any unusual features that they might have, how you can best use them and what my honest opinion is. This may not be the usual one.
We've started with the SM7B vs the SM57, and another video covers the AKG 414. I'm just finishing the Neumann TLM 103, and the Samson C01 - the other end of the price spectrum is ready to go tomorrow.
What is very clear is that the differences are in reality nowhere as extreme as the internet always claims. Dynamics are dull - condensers bright - is the usual internet comment and the degree of dullness and brightness in practice might not even be noticed on laptop speakers or the now common little dinky speakers many of us use.
The plan is to go through my mic collection - so my list of mics to compare feature the U87, EV 320, Oktava 319, AKG 451, Samson C02 and as many others I can get together. My aim is to educate, encourage experiments and stop people wasting their money. For the video folk I plan to do shotguns - from very short to crazily long, and maybe a few budget labs? I've also got quite a number of older and more unusual types - Shure SM61 and 63 omni, Beyers, and the curious dual diaphragm D202 - a mic with separate bass and treble capsules! As we're first starting out on these - we're very open to suggestions, so if there are improvements you would like - feel free to suggest. I'm keen to NOT plan too much and we want to simply talk about each one in an improvised way, so often it's what happens when I use them on the day.
