Topic: AKG 460 shootout - stock vs JW mods

[alpine85]

I finally had the opportunity to run a direct comparison of modded vs unmodded a couple weeks back (I've had both sets of bodies for a while, but never had 4 identical caps before until picking up a 2nd pair of CK1's recently)

So... here are the details:

Both mic pairs are using CK1 caps (w/ adapter rings), Mogami XLRs, and going into an Oade Concert Mod R-44

Config is 25cm at 90 degrees

DFC, ~16 ft from stage, ~9ft high, one pair mounted ~16 inches in front of the other

8 files total (Four 2-minute clips, somewhat randomly picked, 2 from the 1st set and 2 from the 2nd)

Recorded at 44.1/24-bit, FLACs are the same

Levels matched to within 0.5 dB or so RMS in Sound Forge 9, and 1/2 second fades added (No EQ or any other edits)

http://soundcloud.com/talanwright/sets/2012-05-25-akg460-comp/

NOTE:  SoundCloud encodes MP3 at 128kbps, so just listening to the stream is not going to be a good representation... Please download the 24-bit FLACs

Oh - the show is Steve Kimock at the Ritz Ybor in Tampa 5/25


EDIT: added some more detail (lineage, etc)

[newplanet7]

Thanks for the clips. I will offer my guess.
Mic 1 is brighter and more harsh on the highs. I like mic 2 and think it is the stock 460's.
I used to run 460/a60m/ck1 also. Loved them!!!!!!

[justink]

Thanks for the clips. I will offer my guess.
Mic 1 is brighter and more harsh on the highs. I like mic 2 and think it is the stock 460's.
I used to run 460/a60m/ck1 also. Loved them!!!!!!

i say Mic 1 is brighter and more "lively" on the highs (in a good way).  i like Mic 1 and think it's the jw's.

[cashandkerouac]

my 1st reaction is this: i'd be happy with either the stock or modded versions.  they are both pleasing to my ears.  but something doesn't seem right to me.  mics 1 and 2 do not sound consistently the same in the samples.  however, the voting options indicate that mic 1 is the same in all the samples (and same for mic 2).  voting options aside, this is how my ears hear it:

Sample A (set 1) - mic 1 with mod, mic 2 stock
Sample B (set 1) - mic 1 stock, mic 2 with mod
Sample A (set 2) - mic 1 stock, mic 2 with mod
Sample B (set 2) - mic 1 with mod, mic 2 stock

looking at the sound waves for all the samples, they also indicate that some of the samples are flipped.  kinda weird 

[alpine85]

Thanks for the feedback guys.  I'm not going to offer up any clues or opinions myself until we get some more input from others.

I will say, though, that Mic 1 is definitely the same in all samples (and so is Mic 2)... no trickery going on here.

I'm quite obsessive/compulsive when it comes to this stuff, so unless I really fucked it up somehow, everything should be pretty straightforward.

Also... Not sure what you mean by "samples are flipped" exactly... you mean like "phase-reversed"  Maybe you're zooming in far enough on the waveform that you're seeing the delay between the 2 pairs?  (like i said, they were about 16" apart)

LMK and I'll clarify if I can...

[cashandkerouac]

you've answered my question.  thanks. 

by "flipped" i just meant that i was unsure if mic 1 was always the same mic in all the samples (same with mic 2).  that's why i listed each sample and stated how my ears heard it (mod or no mod).  in some samples, it was mic 1 that sounded like the mod... in other samples it was mic 2 that sounded like the mod.  i think both sound great. many thanks for doing the comp and sharing it with us. 

[acidjack]

2 feels a bit on the brighter side to me. I feel like in a short listening session it is preferable because it seems a bit more "detailed" due to that brightness.  But the slightly more roundness and fatter bass of 1 would make it the better choice for long-term listening.  2 started to fatigue me a bit.

I don't know much about the intent of the mod, but since it costs extra I guess I hope it's 1

[hi and lo]

I'd recommend zipping up the flacs and making them more easily downloadable. I just spent no less than 10 minutes trying to figure out how I was supposed to be able to download these (realized it's the very small down-arrow on the right hand side) and apparently I have to download each one individually.

Will give my thoughts once I listen.

[Gutbucket]

Thread mark to check this out when I get a chance.

[alpine85]

I'd recommend zipping up the flacs and making them more easily downloadable. I just spent no less than 10 minutes trying to figure out how I was supposed to be able to download these (realized it's the very small down-arrow on the right hand side) and apparently I have to download each one individually.

Will give my thoughts once I listen.

Sorry bout that... I should have mentioned that the way to download is via that tiny little "arrow pointing down" button. 

I have zipped the FLACs and I'm uploading to RapidShare now... will post a link in a while

[alpine85]

OK, here's all 8 files zipped:

https://rapidshare.com/files/796361626/samples_flac.zip

[hi and lo]

Woohoo.. you are awesome! Since I only grabbed 4 tracks earlier, I will conveniently grab the rest now.

[alpine85]

I took these 2-minute clips and made new files that switch from source to source every 15 seconds. 

https://rapidshare.com/files/3400715095/samples2_flac.zip

All 4 files follow this pattern:

0:00-0:15 Mic 1
0:15-0:30 Mic 2
0:30-0:45 Mic 1
0:45-1:00 Mic 2
1:00-1:15 Mic 1
1:15-1:30 Mic 2
1:30-1:45 Mic 1
1:45-2:00 Mic 2

I cut and pasted all the sections in Sound Forge using "snap to zero crossings", but on some of the transitions you can still hear slight glitches (and VERY slight level differences) where the sources switch. 

[cashandkerouac]

Alpine:  any more info about the shootout?  inquiring minds want to know.  thanks.   

[Hypnocracy]

Alpine thank you for the second set of Switch files...but for me I'd not bother with the Mod...I don't hear it...