In my audio engineering class my professor has done mic tests with different mics on the same sound source. This gave us a great understanding of what mics do what and sound better for various desired results. I understand everything goes by preference, but how should I really know which mic is best for myself without really hearing it compared to others of the same style? I was wondering if there are similar test sound clips on the internet that I could refer to. For example:
A sound clip of the same bass drum mic'd up the exactly the same way (location, mixer settings, etc) with a Shure beta 52, OSP DT-610, AKG D112, Sennheiser E 602, Audix D6, and various other mics.
Thanks =)
Comments
Try this site: Cakewalk also explains the use of multiple MIDI i
Try this site:
Cakewalk also explains the use of multiple MIDI input, via USB into Sonar 3.
It also has links to other sessions.
There are other more specific instrument and vocal tests on
http://www.digitalprosound.com/2002/09_sep/features/mic_shootout.htm
Not to be the wet blanket.....I don't see any value in listening
Not to be the wet blanket.....I don't see any value in listening tests whatsoever.
Sorry.
Unless you're sitting there holding or placing the mic yourself and you know EXACTLY what the source sounds like originally, these have no value.
For example....let's say I wanted to do a shootout on overhead microphones for a drum and I had the following to choose from:
Schoeps CMC6 MK 4
AT 4051
Royer SF12
Neumann u87
You would assume that placing all of the mics in the exact same place would allow you to make determinations about the mics, right? Wrong!
For example, if I were using the u87, I would likely want to go a little higher than some of the other mics (and want a higher ceiling for sure). Placing it in the same area as the more smooth (especially off-axis) Schoeps would skew the potential of these great mics for overheads. If the Schoeps and the u87 were in the same place (say, the best place for the Schoeps) the Schoeps would come out as the winners, when in reality, a better placed pair of u87s would (IMO) dominate.
Say for the 4051s, you wanted to do a spaced AB pair but you just didn't dig the sound that much...I've found that these mics sound much better as a coincident pair to help reinforce their slight weaknesses in the 60 to 90 degree horizontal plane of the pattern (which tend to be a little edgy on this mic).
How would you compare the SF12 if all of your other mics were tested as AB pairs?
My point is, there are too many variables and since cable type, preamp brand/type and AD conversion are such a SMALL part of the equation whereas placement and use of each mic is perhaps 90% of the equation, what could possibly be gained by shoving all of the square pegs into that one round hole?
A comparison like this might be useful as a starting point, but
A comparison like this might be useful as a starting point, but how to you account for different sounding instruments (drums in this case), different tuning practices, different playing styles, different types of beaters, different acoustics, preamps, etc ...