Topic: RESEED: Round 2: V3/Oade-warm-mod-UA5 comparison

[Brian Skalinder]

IMO
this comp proves again that there is not a $1000 quality difference in sound between the two units....my main point in the last comp.  I prefer the more in your face sound of source A(w-mod) but i do also understand how some people can enjoy the smoothness of source B over time. both sources are good in their own ways.

And then there are people like me to whom the comp "proved" there is $1,000 worth of difference.  The greater detail, more coherent soundstage, and smoother, richer, more natural sound across the board make the V3 well worth the extra $800 I paid for it.  The UA5's exaggerated low and (especially) high end became fatiguing very quickly for me and I found it downright unpleasant after only a short while.

Thank goodness we have all this gear from which to choose!  

[dmonterisi]

plus, there doesn't need to be $1000 worth of sonic difference, i think there is what a $750 or $800 difference in street price on these two?  i haven't run a ua-5, but there are a lot of flexibility, ergonomic and field use options and characteristics that the v3 gives you over the ua-5...solid build and construction, metering, m/s matrixing on the fly, analog out as well as digital to be used with outboard a/d.  plus, the ua-5 is not long-term field tested while grace products are...so, to me there is a substantial increase in value in the v3, including the fact that i like it's sound...whether it's worth 750-800 depends person to person, but i'm happy with the 1400 i spent on the v3 and if others are happy with the performance they get based on the money they spent on a wmod ua-5, well, good for them.  everybody's happy.

[Brian]

you guys are right.....honestly, i'm just jealous cause i don't have a V3. catching the upgrade bug and i'm sort of getting tired of all the post production EQ on the lows i have to do with my recordings, but i know i should upgrade the mics first.  possibly a much brighter mic to balance out the warmness of the w-mod ua5....suggestions?

[jpschust]

interesting, i listened to like 3 other sets of tapes with the v3 and it was tremendously bright to me, but if it can do what it did for set b, im happy.  i feel like b was much more listenable over time.  a was driving me nuts after about 5 minutes.  way too bright for me.

[Nick Culbreth]

you guys are right.....honestly, i'm just jealous cause i don't have a V3. catching the upgrade bug and i'm sort of getting tired of all the post production EQ on the lows i have to do with my recordings, but i know i should upgrade the mics first.  possibly a much brighter mic to balance out the warmness of the w-mod ua5....suggestions?

i think that your low end problems might be caused by the oktavas - maybe you should look into some different mics.  i'm not sure what kind of budget you'd be working with but there is a great deal on a set of 481s in the used gear section which would be a great upgrade imho.  i started off w/ a set of mc012s and upgraded to 481s and the difference was night and day.

[phishn]

"The UA5's exaggerated low and (especially) high end became fatiguing very quickly for me and I found it downright unpleasant after only a short while."  

This is one reason why I run a warm mod ua-5.  It depends on your mics too...i run AKG 391's which are very crisp but relatively flat.  The warm mod ua-5 adds in what the AKG 391's are missing.

[Brian Skalinder]

"The UA5's exaggerated low and (especially) high end became fatiguing very quickly for me and I found it downright unpleasant after only a short while."  

This is one reason why I run a warm mod ua-5.  It depends on your mics too...i run AKG 391's which are very crisp but relatively flat.  The warm mod ua-5 adds in what the AKG 391's are missing.

Good point, it definitely depends on the complete combo of gear being run.  I've really liked the wmod-UA5 recordings I've heard with some other mics, especially Gefells.

[teamakg]

just thought i'd throw this out there.  tomorrow night i'll be running 480->UA5(wmod) and my buddy will be running 480->V3.  we'll both be running off the same stand.  here's the catch.  we'll be stack taping dmb so start flaming away.  so if anyone would be interested i'll make up another comp disc.
george

[Kindguy]

480>warm UA-5 rocks IMO

[Brian Skalinder]

just thought i'd throw this out there.  tomorrow night i'll be running 480->UA5(wmod) and my buddy will be running 480->V3.  we'll both be running off the same stand.  here's the catch.  we'll be stack taping dmb so start flaming away.  so if anyone would be interested i'll make up another comp disc.
george

Definitely interested, stack tape or otherwise, George.  Someone Else on here was hoping to get a listen to this comp with AKG/DPAs.  Let's hear it!

If Jesse remembers to take his pmod to work, tomorrow night I'll be doing a pmod v. wmod.

[BCostigan]

Definitely interested, stack tape or otherwise, George.  Someone Else on here was hoping to get a listen to this comp with AKG/DPAs.  Let's hear it!

If Jesse remembers to take his pmod to work, tomorrow night I'll be doing a pmod v. wmod.

Now that's what I really want to hear!!  Oh and of course I want to hear the plain digi mod vs a warm and or p-mod as well!

[BCostigan]

Also.....as for the V3 being "worth" a $1000 more.......

I think this comp wasn't the best guage for value.  I think it's pretty safe to say that:

w-mod=Minime
p-mod = V3


w-mod tends to be more earthy and rounded...warm.

The p-mod, like the V3, tends to be flat, have a lot of presance and maybe a bit much on the high end for some.


I think a great comp for the cost vs sound argument would be putting a w-mod vs minime and a p-mod vs V3.

Again.......a 1000 thanks to Brian for the great comps so far!   Truly an amazing learning tool!

[dmonterisi]

 like the V3, tends to be flat,

i definitely diagree with this statement.

[Sean Gallemore]

From reading this therad I've gathered that using moody mics and a moody preamp don't jive well

EDITED: for grammar

[dmonterisi]

From reading this therad I've gathered that using moody mics and a moody preamp doesn't jive well

i think i agree with you...if by moody, you mean colored?  that's why i've liked the v3 with the neumanns, you get no additional coloration to the natural coloration of the mics...it's the most natural sounding to me...whether it's the coloration of the neumanns, schoeps, akg's, you get to hear all the character that your mics bring and that's all the color i want.