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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: dlh on July 13, 2010, 12:16:42 PM

Title: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: dlh on July 13, 2010, 12:16:42 PM
I now have both of these for 460's. I like the open space inside the W23.
Can anyone compare effectiveness vs sound quality of the two brands of the puffy dudes?
How much of the interior A81WS in inhabited by that large cell foam? (Maybe I should just slice one of the 81's in half and check it out  ;D)

Thanks,
Dave
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: Neilyboy on July 13, 2010, 12:49:08 PM
you want to slice open a 30 dollar windscreen.. ill take it off your hands if you have enough to cut them up ;)

I dont know much about what is inside of them but on my set they feel like foam throughout and have a small area just inside the insertion hole that has a fishnet like skeleton to stop you from shoving your mic in too far i guess.. (that sounded kinda dirty)..

Neil
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: dlh on July 13, 2010, 01:13:06 PM
you want to slice open a 30 dollar windscreen.. ill take it off your hands if you have enough to cut them up ;)

I dont know much about what is inside of them but on my set they feel like foam throughout and have a small area just inside the insertion hole that has a fishnet like skeleton to stop you from shoving your mic in too far i guess.. (that sounded kinda dirty)..

Neil

Yea, I hate when that happens.
I think the "fishnet like skeleton" is a solid chunk fused to the outer foam layer.
Maybe I'll just set up two mics under my ceiling fan and do some sampling.
OTOH, beer and hard-boiled eggs always makes for a source of "moving air".

If I dissect one, which half do you want, front or back?  ;D
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: Neilyboy on July 13, 2010, 01:17:12 PM
Ill take the front ;)

Neil
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: SmokinJoe on July 13, 2010, 04:57:54 PM
I think you should do 2 tests...

<insert picture of that nutty professor from "Back to the Future" here>

1) Set up both mics, 1 with each windscreen, as close as possible AB right in front of a speaker and record it.  Then listen and see if you can tell a difference.
To be fair, you should swap the screens half way through... there is a distinct possibility your 460's are perfectly matched any more and you don't want that to throw off the test.

2) Again with one of each windscreen, Drive down the road in a car with the mics out the window of the car... speedup very slowly, and yell out the speed of the car as you go "10", "20", etc.  See which mic goes nuts in the wind first.

<be sure to yell "Great Scott!" when look at the results>
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: dlh on July 13, 2010, 05:45:19 PM
I think you should do 2 tests...

<insert picture of that nutty professor from "Back to the Future" here>

1) Set up both mics, 1 with each windscreen, as close as possible AB right in front of a speaker and record it.  Then listen and see if you can tell a difference.
To be fair, you should swap the screens half way through... there is a distinct possibility your 460's are perfectly matched any more and you don't want that to throw off the test.

2) Again with one of each windscreen, Drive down the road in a car with the mics out the window of the car... speedup very slowly, and yell out the speed of the car as you go "10", "20", etc.  See which mic goes nuts in the wind first.

<be sure to yell "Great Scott!" when look at the results>

 . . . one test with . . . and one test without the flux capacitor!
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: Javier Cinakowski on July 20, 2010, 12:11:29 AM
Don’t ask why i know this but you can pull that open cell foam out of the shure without harming it.  They are loose pieces in there.
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: Walstib62 on July 20, 2010, 11:11:37 AM
Isn't the course weave material inside at the mic capsule to provide a dead air space?
Title: Re: AKG W23 vs BigA**Shures
Post by: dlh on July 22, 2010, 08:49:20 AM
Isn't the course weave material inside at the mic capsule to provide a dead air space?

That's what I figured (hoped).
I went "feeling around" in there and the coarse foam is attached to the outer layer at some points.
I'm not modifying mine; haven't had reason to use them yet.
I did use the AKG w23 in a club and it successfully blocked an AC vent in the ceiling.
(I'm the OP)