Advanced Audio CM-47 VS ACM1200, TLM49 & C414uls

[nuemes]

Advanced Audio CM-47 VS ACM1200, TLM49 & C414uls

This is for the vocals only, ignore the prerecorded guide guitar track.

I sang in the middle of two mics at once - see photos for that. Mics were tested two at a time plugged into a Pacifica with gain set midway on the Pacifica for both mics, then directly into a Lynx Aurora into DAW. There in no compression, limiting, reverb, etc. You are only hearing Mic>Pacifica>DAW>DAW rendering to 16bit file.

I know there are better ways to do shootouts and am not looking for a lecture on how to do it better. If you don't agree with the process don't participate. The bottom line on these mics is that they have their own sound and it is clear in the tracks.

Can you guess based on your own experience with one or more of these mics? I'll post results in a few days as well as other tests with the CM47.

Listen not only for treble/bass differences but for imaging as well. Which vocal sounds 'bigger', which sounds 'smaller', etc.

[nuemes]

Almost 100 views so far and no one has taken a gander yet?

[flow]

I think...

CM47 or ACM1200:

CM47 #2
ACM1200 #1

ACM1200 or TLM49:

ACM1200 #1
TLM49 #2

TLM49 or CM47:

CM47 #1
TLM49 #2

CM47 or C414uls:

C414uls #1
CM47 #2

True?..

[nuemes]

Flow: you have 3 of the 4 correct. Good ears!

[flow]

Well, I don't know these microphones. I didn't use them. But recordings are similar so I could guess. Otherwise CM47 is very warm and smooth microphone for vocal recording. I like it so much. C414uls is also very good but low mids are little bit extra.

[Stratafusion]

were you going to post which is which?

[nuemes]

Yes, waiting to see if anyone else wants to guess before giving results; will post results in a few days.

[thebaron]

Here's my guess. I had never heard the tlm49 or acm1200 before so I had to deduct by comparing the other tlm shootout.

CM47 or ACM1200:

CM47 #1
ACM1200 #2

ACM1200 or TLM49:

ACM1200 #1
TLM49 #2

TLM49 or CM47:

CM47 #1
TLM49 #2

CM47 or C414uls:

C414uls #1
CM47 #2

[nuemes]

Results:

Test #1
CM47 or ACM1200 #1 = CM47
CM47 or ACM1200 #2 = ACM1200

Test #2
ACM1200 or TLM49 #1 = ACM1200
ACM1200 or TLM49 #2 = TLM49

Test #3
TLM49 or CM47 #1 = CM47
TLM49 or CM47 #2 = TLM49

Test #4
CM47 or C414uls #1 = C414
CM47 or C414uls #2 = CM47

[nuemes]

Originally Posted by thebaron

Here's my guess. I had never heard the tlm49 or acm1200 before so I had to deduct by comparing the other tlm shootout.

CM47 or ACM1200:

CM47 #1
ACM1200 #2

ACM1200 or TLM49:

ACM1200 #1
TLM49 #2

TLM49 or CM47:

CM47 #1
TLM49 #2

CM47 or C414uls:

C414uls #1
CM47 #2

Nice job - you got them all!

[pasarski]

Thanks for the shootout!

(Got them all, yeah)

I have ACM1200 (different brand though) and have used 414 (not the ULS though) quite much. Haven't used the other two mics but heard some TLM49 clips before.

ACM1200 and CM47 was the hardest. To me they sounded almost the same. ACM1200 sounded a little bit 'warmer' to me whereas CM47 had a bit more defined mid range. I think it would be easier to EQ the CM47 to sound like ACM1200 than the other way around..

ACM1200 vs. TLM49 was easy. I don't know if its the tube vs. tranny thing or more the C12 type vs. Neumann type sound thing but the difference was huge. Lack of mids (or mid definition) in ACM1200 compared to TLM49 was obvious as was the hyped top end of the ACM1200 compared to more delicate Neumann highs. ACM1200 still 'warmer' but very 2D (which isn't all bad, cause it also makes it sit nicely in front of the mix, contemporary 'on your face' style)

To CM47 vs. TLM49 the above text applies, exept the 'warmer part', and maybe the 2D part, I think that CM47 is a tad more '3D' than the ACM.

414-ULS vs.CM47. Like night and day. 414 has so much that low mid - upper low - 'meat' in it that it's scary. It's a little bit cold sounding, little bit SM57'ish if I may say. Very workable sound though. BTW ain't this the B-ULS that people refer to 'bullshit'? It don't sound shit to me, better than the XL II I've used anyway. XL II sounds even more cold to me, and has upper mids/highs that I find harsh.

I just bought a mic which is same as ACM1200. Was happy to hear how well it did in the test (BTW, I swapped the stock 12AX7 valve to NOS 12AT7 which made it 'smoother' and removed the 2 inner layers of grille mesh which helped to get rid of the nasty spike it had at the 10khz area.)

Considering the price, if I were to choose two mics of different colors from this bunch I'd pick ACM1200 and 414 B-ULS.

EDIT: If i were to choose just one 'universal' vocal mic and the price wasn't a issue I'll maybe pick the TLM49.

[jordan s]

I listened only to the the cm47 v ACM1200 and 414 files as it's a mic I've been interested in for a while. I chose it against the ACM1200 and 414 both times (of course, I didn't look a the results until after I listened and decided.) It has a really nice fullness that makes the others sound like they're missing something.

[PDC]

Funny how we hear differently. I don't hear the CM47 sounding anything like the 1200 or whatever it is in the mids or on top. Compared to the Neumann the CM47 doesn't sound as stuffy in the mids, but that may not be a good thing.

I also have a CM47 and use it with a Pacifica. If this test were conducted on a Grace or GML, the results would be stark.