« Reply #33 on: May 22, 2005, 12:21:17 PM »
after listening repeatedly with headphones and with nearfields, i thought the source A of both tracks 1 and 2 sounded better...more impact and a fuller sound all around.
i am curious how each gain was set on the m1 and the sbm-1. were they both dialed in at say 7 on the gain dial, or was the m1 higher in gain setting than the sbm-1. i would venture to say that the m1 was probably dialed in a little higher than the sbm-1 to achive such a similar sound.
also it seems like it was a smaller room. have you tried the same test in a larger venue? from further away from the stage...say 20ft or so? or off center? i just wonder if the worse the conditions are the better (or not) the mod-sbm1 performs.
It's weird you mention Source A for both tracks, as they're different sources...the 1st track Source A is just the M1, the Source A on the 2nd track is (mod)SBM1>D8. That pretty much proves Tim's theory below though...different bands/types of music/venues may be benefit more from one or the other.
Both of the bands in this comp are just local groups I'm friends with, so I was able to setup during soundcheck and get the levels pretty much exact on both. FWIW the SXM2 was on low gain at 10 0'clock, the M1 was set at 8, and the (mod)SBM1>D8 was at about 6 1/2.
I'm gonna be running the same comp twice this week in 2 other venues, if there's any interest I'll post the results. I just bought a pair of MK21s for outdoor use this summer, so the first chance I get I'll do another test with those.
I think there are a lot of variables that go into deciding whether or not a particular piece of gear is "worth it". Don't rush to judgment based on one comparison, especially if you don't record with the same mics and pre, the same style of music, the same type of venue, etc...
comparisons are great, I enjoy them a lot but I try to never make a decision on gear until I've held it in my hand and run it myself....
No plans on selling the (mod)SBM1 just yet. Even though I actually like just the M1 more so far, I'll do a lot more listening before I get rid of it. It's also kinda nice to have in my arsenal "just in case".
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Right now nothing...in the past: Schoeps CMC6, AKG 480, AKG 460, AKG 414, MBHO 603a, Neumann KM100, ADK TL>Schoeps MK4, Schoeps MK2, Schoeps MK41, AKG ck61, AKG ck62, AKG ck63, Neumann AK40, Neumann AK50, MBHO ka200>Lunatec V2, Lunatec V3, Apogee Mini-Me, Oade M148, Oade M248, Sound Devices MP2, Sonosax SXM2>Sony (mod)SBM1, Apogee AD500>D7, D8, D100, M1, R1, R4, R09, iRiver HP120, Microtrack