Topic: Five Mics Compared Outdoors

[chris319]

Below are comparisons of five microphones made during an outdoor concert (from the same position). The playing is what it is. Your feedback on the mics is invited.

- THIS IS AN OUTDOOR CONCERT. YOU WILL HEAR WIND GUSTS.

- THIS IS AN OUTDOOR CONCERT. YOU WILL HEAR CROWD NOISE.

Links to FLAC files:

http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/1.flac
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/2.flac
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/3.flac
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/4.flac
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/5.flac

Links to wav files:

http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/1.wav
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/2.wav
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/3.wav
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/4.wav
http://www.miclisteningroom.org/test/5.wav

[chris319]

Anybody?

[mr qpl]

5 is much more pleasing to my ears
3 is pretty decent, but well below 5
4 is shrill and lacks bass, but it sounds better to me than
1 and 2 are shrill and bass distorted

interested in the brands and models

[chrisnubar]

I couldn't hear any distortion, just some wind noise, and I agree that 3 sounded nice it was my favorite, but they are hard to compare. I am interested to see of you have eliminated the wind noise problem, because sometimes at a show it's really bad and one windscreen wont do but you don't want to totally muffle it. I was thinking of bringing some foam to put outside of the mics blocking the wind if needed. Ever double up on screens or use a wind blocker on a seperate stand??

Thanks for taking time to make a cool post. Give me some time and I'll guess each mic.

[nic]

are all of these mics the same polar pattern? you say same location, does that mean same stand, same vertical placement, etc?
was the same phantom/pre/ad used for all mics?

[chris319]

are all of these mics the same polar pattern? you say same location, does that mean same stand, same vertical placement, etc?
was the same phantom/pre/ad used for all mics?

I'll pass on the polar pattern question for now, but yes, same stand, horizontal and vertical placement, etc. Re wind noise: the wind was a bit unexpected and I didn't use windscreens so as not to affect the timbre of the mics for this test.

The mics will be revealed after chrisnubar guesses them all 

[chris319]

Anyone else?

[chrisnubar]

ok, i am going to look dumb:
1. nakamichi 100's
2. nakamichi 700's
3. sounds like a larger diaphragm maybe omni too I'm guessing Neumann
4. Shure SM57
5. Shoeps ORTF

Thanks!

[chris319]

ok, i am going to look dumb:
1. nakamichi 100's
2. nakamichi 700's
3. sounds like a larger diaphragm maybe omni too I'm guessing Neumann
4. Shure SM57
5. Shoeps ORTF

We could have some fun with this before I reveal the mics 

Wrong on all counts! I am shocked that you think #5 is a Schoeps, just shocked! Wait until you find out what it really is! I am also quite surprised that you think #3 might be a Neumann.

One of them is a very well-known mic that's been around for years and years and is still quite popular today.

One of them is a popular mic with the Guitar Center crowd.

One of them is an unlikely choice.

It is a mixture of condensers and dynamics, omnis and cards. If anyone can guess which are the condensers and dynamics and which are the omnis and cards, you're doing pretty well.

I had high hopes for #3 but it makes the tympani sound thunderous. This is an issue I have brought up with the conductor as the tymp sound that way in real life, but the conductor doesn't seem inclined to deal with it. Her call.

[chris319]

Enough suspense!

#1 - Shure KSM109

#2 - MXL990 with capacitor modification

#3 - Sennheiser MD421

#4 - Shure SM63

#5 - Shure SM63 through Voxengo CurveEQ with curve approximating SM63 published frequency response curve.

Thanks to those  who voted.