Topic: Earthworks mics

[BLdad]

Perhaps this belongs in "Ask the Tapers", but I'll start here.

Frequent lurker, just starting to take the first baby steps towards taping.  Not much of a tech-head so I'm slowly taking in all that I can for now.  No rig, but I just got a couple of mics extremely cheap from a former employer.

I managed to get a pair of Earthworks SR68's.  What I'm wondering is if Earthworks mics are considered generally good.  I ask because off the top of my head I've only seen one taper who uses Earthworks.  Jerry E. (Eaglesberger, I think) is a Chicago area taper who runs Earthworks SR77's.  I have yet to hear a show he's taped that sounds average or less.  I've been impressed with every show of his that I've heard. 

So it seems odd to me that I don't see other tapers using Earthworks.  Is there a reason there aren't many people using them?

It will be quite some time before I actually have everything I need to tape a show.  For now I plan to use them to get acquainted with the process.  I guess my main question is ....... are they mics I can plan on using in the future or are they just good enough for practice?

Thanks; this place is a great resource.

[Sanjay]

I like them quite a bit as well, My guesses are as to why people don't use them more often are that they are large, oddly shaped, all omnis (I think), and extremely power hungry.  However if I had a use for some SR77's I would own them because I think they make great tapes.

[BLdad]

No, they certainly won't win any beauty contests.

Never even considered how much power they'd use.  Thanks for the info.

Remind me I owe you my first +T when my post count allows it.

[Ray76]

Perhaps this belongs in "Ask the Tapers", but I'll start here.

Frequent lurker, just starting to take the first baby steps towards taping.  Not much of a tech-head so I'm slowly taking in all that I can for now.  No rig, but I just got a couple of mics extremely cheap from a former employer.

I managed to get a pair of Earthworks SR68's.  What I'm wondering is if Earthworks mics are considered generally good.  I ask because off the top of my head I've only seen one taper who uses Earthworks.  Jerry E. (Eaglesberger, I think) is a Chicago area taper who runs Earthworks SR77's.  I have yet to hear a show he's taped that sounds average or less.  I've been impressed with every show of his that I've heard. 

So it seems odd to me that I don't see other tapers using Earthworks.  Is there a reason there aren't many people using them?

It will be quite some time before I actually have everything I need to tape a show.  For now I plan to use them to get acquainted with the process.  I guess my main question is ....... are they mics I can plan on using in the future or are they just good enough for practice?

Thanks; this place is a great resource.

Hmm....you wouldnt be going to tape WILCO would you.... +T bud. welcome.

[Weirdness]

The SR77's are Cardiods, and I believe the 78's are Hypers.  They're not the most popular choice due to the fact that there are a number of brands that seem to dominate the scene-AKG/Shoeps/Neumann/DPA.  No idea what you paid for them or whatever, but I think you'll be real happy with them if you run them into a decent pre.  Have fun!!!

[wbrisette]

nice mics. great company. power hungry!

I continue to see how people call them power hungry. They do require 10 mA of power, but that is way below the 14 mA that the Phantom Power spec allows for. I'm spoiled after having AKGs and EW mics, I'll never switch to anything by my EW mics (OK, not totally true, I have some LD AT4040 mics too, but they aren't for taping).

Wayne

[MattD]

I switched away due to the size. If they ever figured out how to turn the SR77s into a 3" mic, I'd switch back in a heartbeat. I really loved them and made many great recordings with those mics. The QTC-1s are probably the best omni out there (I'd take them over the DPA 4006). Unfortunately I never had a chance to use those.

[wbrisette]

The QTC-1s are probably the best omni out there (I'd take them over the DPA 4006). Unfortunately I never had a chance to use those.

That's because you and I have never hooked up. :-)

I love the QTC-1 microphones, but they have to be used in the right configuration. Unless you're close mic'ing things (as you should be with most omnis), you'll end up with a very odd distant sound. But that said, I love my QTC-1 mics. I do get a lot of comments from folks about their looks, but it's not the looks, it's the sound that counts.

Wayne

[Ray76]

nice mics. great company. power hungry!

I continue to see how people call them power hungry. They do require 10 mA of power, but that is way below the 14 mA that the Phantom Power spec allows for. I'm spoiled after having AKGs and EW mics, I'll never switch to anything by my EW mics (OK, not totally true, I have some LD AT4040 mics too, but they aren't for taping).

Wayne

you like the 4040s??
I LOVE the 4050s.
How do the 4040s sound??

Sorry for being off topic/

Ray

[wbrisette]

you like the 4040s??
I LOVE the 4050s.
How do the 4040s sound??

The 4040s are great for vocals and for some guitar work. They do have an odd frequency curve and you can tell the mids get boosted. However for vocals and for bluegrass playing they sound wonderful. I would never use them to record a band with (taping situation, not studio), but I've seen some strange things in my day, so it wouldn't surprise me if somebody has tried it.

Wayne

[Ray76]

you like the 4040s??
I LOVE the 4050s.
How do the 4040s sound??

The 4040s are great for vocals and for some guitar work. They do have an odd frequency curve and you can tell the mids get boosted. However for vocals and for bluegrass playing they sound wonderful. I would never use them to record a band with (taping situation, not studio), but I've seen some strange things in my day, so it wouldn't surprise me if somebody has tried it.

Wayne

I dont recall hearing anyone much taping with the 4050s either, but the two tapes ive made with them are the best ive ever heard so far. (granted im relatively new in the trading scene)+T for the info man. our sound department has like 1 pair of these(4040s), and if they get rid of them, they are mine

[darkfunk]

I ran z30x for a while (exactky like sr77 but with a steel body) and was very pleased with the sound of the mics, especially for the price.  very transparent and realistic. 

the only limitation I found w/ these mics is that there is some natural bass attenuation (30Hz to 30kHz), so occcasionally recordings were   lacking in the bottom end.  However- I found that if I boosted the bass w/ tone control or EQ that the low frequencies are actually there and sound good.. just low in the mix.  IMHO I prefer how they sound going into a V3 over a mme.

B

[wbrisette]

The bass drop off is pretty steep on the SR-77s at around 100 Hz, it falls off about 3 or 4 dB (which is pretty steep) and continues to drop off the lower in the frequency spectrum you go. That's why I use the QTC-1 mics to fill in that bottom end.

Wayne

[BLdad]

Hmm....you wouldnt be going to tape WILCO would you.... +T bud. welcome.

 
Someday, I hope.  I'd like to get some local bands before I do anything too serious.

Thanks, Ray.

[Ray76]

Hmm....you wouldnt be going to tape WILCO would you.... +T bud. welcome.

 
Someday, I hope.  I'd like to get some local bands before I do anything too serious.

Thanks, Ray.

no problem friend.

+T inm 12

Ray

[chitaper]

Perhaps this belongs in "Ask the Tapers", but I'll start here.

Frequent lurker, just starting to take the first baby steps towards taping.  Not much of a tech-head so I'm slowly taking in all that I can for now.  No rig, but I just got a couple of mics extremely cheap from a former employer.

I managed to get a pair of Earthworks SR68's.  What I'm wondering is if Earthworks mics are considered generally good.  I ask because off the top of my head I've only seen one taper who uses Earthworks.  Jerry E. (Eaglesberger, I think) is a Chicago area taper who runs Earthworks SR77's.  I have yet to hear a show he's taped that sounds average or less.  I've been impressed with every show of his that I've heard. 

So it seems odd to me that I don't see other tapers using Earthworks.  Is there a reason there aren't many people using them?

It will be quite some time before I actually have everything I need to tape a show.  For now I plan to use them to get acquainted with the process.  I guess my main question is ....... are they mics I can plan on using in the future or are they just good enough for practice?

Thanks; this place is a great resource.

Hey, that'd be me!   
All the questions have pretty much been answered already, but I'll ad a little bit.
The bottom end does drop off on the SR77's, but this isn't really an issue to me as I tape mostly in smaller venues. I picked the Earthworks because I didn't like the boominess of some other mics in small rooms. And they're cardioid only, but I've never needed anything different in the places I've taped. They are also excellent outdoors when I can get close to the stage.
They do use more power than some other mics, but the 12 Ah battery for my V3 has no problem powering them for as long as I've ever needed it to, including festivals.
One final thng - they're made in the USA!! 

[Chuck]

I'll add that the Earthworks mics have a neutral sound.

[larrysellers]

Scott Brown made a few of my favorite dmb auds with sr-77's in 2001 (see the 3 summer Camden shows). Fantastic mics.

[ac]

I love the Earthworks mics. If could afford a pair I would get them. Its just hard as hell to buy a set a mics without interchangeable caps. I always wondered do the windshields on the SR68 come off?

Fly em', would love to hear what SR68's sound like..

[wbrisette]

Fly em', would love to hear what SR68's sound like..

If you've heard the SR-77s you've heard something similar to the SR68s. Apparently all SR68's start out as SR-77s, but those that fail to meet the spec setforth by EW, are then put into a pile which is then used to make the SR68s. This was confirmed by Eric at Earthworks.  You can BTW, remove the windscreens on the 68s. The 77s aren't too bad pricewise and honestly, there have rarely been times that I haven't wanted or needed a cardiod mic. Hypers and Super Hypers, sub cards, all have their place, but it they tend to be used in very limited places. Omnis, same thing. I use my omnis a lot, but you have to close mic an instrument to get the full effect of the omni, or use the J-disc. Other uses tend to simply provide you with the "filler" which when combined with the SR-77s will give you an incredibly full sound. But then I'm very biased towards EW mics. Now if I could only afford those cherry studio monitors they offer, but the price!

Wayne

[Daryan]

The monitors just got a class B rating in sterophile as well fwiw.  Apparently they7 lack a little on the bottom end but are extremely transparent, not unlike their mics!

[wbrisette]

The monitors just got a class B rating in sterophile as well fwiw.  Apparently they7 lack a little on the bottom end but are extremely transparent, not unlike their mics!

I have to question that rating, I wonder what amp they used to drive them with. I wonder if they had a different amp they would have been given a different rating. I think they are incredible, but I did hear them only once and only with the EW amp.

Wayne

[ac]

Fly em', would love to hear what SR68's sound like..

If you've heard the SR-77s you've heard something similar to the SR68s. Apparently all SR68's start out as SR-77s, but those that fail to meet the spec setforth by EW, are then put into a pile which is then used to make the SR68s. This was confirmed by Eric at Earthworks.  You can BTW, remove the windscreens on the 68s. The 77s aren't too bad pricewise and honestly, there have rarely been times that I haven't wanted or needed a cardiod mic. Hypers and Super Hypers, sub cards, all have their place, but it they tend to be used in very limited places. Omnis, same thing. I use my omnis a lot, but you have to close mic an instrument to get the full effect of the omni, or use the J-disc. Other uses tend to simply provide you with the "filler" which when combined with the SR-77s will give you an incredibly full sound. But then I'm very biased towards EW mics. Now if I could only afford those cherry studio monitors they offer, but the price!

Wayne

Do the SR68 still have the same "Earthworks" style? I like to see them without the screens.

[Electric Cowgirl]

I ran EW SR77s for several years.  I loved the mics in small to medium rooms.  They have a very neural sound giving you a recording that clearly represents the sound of the actual concert.  I do agree that the bass drops off sharply and that the mics are power hogs. 

I choose to switch to AKGs because I do tape large venues from time to time and I wanted more bass.  I have been very happy with the switch, but I have several EW recordings that consider equally good.

These are great mics, simply underrated.  Have fun and let us know what YOU think