Comparative Samples - MC930, KM184, AT4051, and XXX

[rkopald]

All you people have better ears than me. After repeated listenings, I can get what some folks are saying about the grainy sound in the Avantones, but with the other 3, they sounded pretty close to me. The high end was a *bit* harsh on the MC930s, but only a little. The bigger thing I heard was the reverb tails. I think the AT, Neumann and Beyer mics all sound like a go. With some EQ they're pretty damn close to each other.

[MichaelPatrick]

Originally Posted by Mikey77

On both the Mozart and Hoover I homed in on Mic 3, because of its character. Of course the piano bottom end was a tad boomy but I found it easy to forgive with the expectation that eq or placement would cheer it up.

The Beyers have a very accurate (i.e. full) low midrange. The capsule is very light and responsive and somehow the design overall makes it less thin than many other SDCs when used at a distance from the source.

[mathieujm]

Originally Posted by MichaelPatrick

The Beyers have a very accurate (i.e. full) low midrange. The capsule is very light and responsive and somehow the design overall makes it less thin than many other SDCs when used at a distance from the source.

I agree with you Michael.

For example, here is a sample from a recent concert violin + organ recorded with a pair of MC930 in ORTF at nearly 10m from the instruments.

No eq, nothing !

Don't be surprised by the rain on the roof of the church and the thunder

JMM

[rkopald]

Originally Posted by mathieujm

.. here is a sample from a recent concert violin + organ recorded with a pair of MC930 in ORTF at nearly 10m from the instruments.

No eq, nothing !

Don't be surprised by the rain on the roof of the church and the thunder

JMM

That sounds great! Good playing.

[MichaelPatrick]

It is well known that omnis are undesirable in poor acoustics because their pattern doesn't discriminate between source and room.

The MC930 is a special microphone. I've read posts in other threads saying it is boomy or muddy in the low mids. In fact, it captures low midrange frequencies directionally, but with the flatness of an omni, and with some of the same headaches omnis cause in rooms with buildup, tubbiness and resonant modes. But the benefits are also compelling. At live recording distances it can capture the natural tonal balance of a source better than any other cardioid I know, including Schoeps CMC6-MK4.

[Brackish]

Originally Posted by sunflute

ribbons are sooo great on flute

Just wondering which ribbon(s) in particular you like on close-mic'd flute?

[GIACOMO-_]

n 1 and n 1 are very thin and unnatural.

Good 3 and 4. I love my MC930.

I want 2 mc910 for omni.

[Igor2012]

After listening to the files several times without peeking at the answer, it was always a toss-up between the Beyer MC930s and the Neumann KM184s, though I think I liked the Neumanns a little more.

The AT4051 didn't impress me at all, which is funny, since I thought I liked that mic and expected it would come out at the top. In the AT4051 Medieval Suite clip, I'd say the flute was even a tad harsh.

I'm surprised the flutists in this thread described the flute in the Avantone clips as being "smoother", since I heard the opposite. The flute in those clips sounded almost fuzzy or distorted.

Still, for a $200 pair of mics, I thought the Avantones hung in there pretty well with mics costing 5-8 times more, and some people obviously like the way they sound.

[Igor2012]

Originally Posted by mathieujm

...here is a sample from a recent concert violin + organ recorded with a pair of MC930 in ORTF at nearly 10m from the instruments.

No eq, nothing !

Don't be surprised by the rain on the roof of the church and the thunder

JMM

Yikes! That is one shrieky violin. It hurts my ears.

I wish the organ were more prominent, and the violin, less so.

The MC930 seems to be a fairly bright mic.

[amfortas2006]

Originally Posted by mathieujm

I agree with you Michael.

For example, here is a sample from a recent concert violin + organ recorded with a pair of MC930 in ORTF at nearly 10m from the instruments.

No eq, nothing !

Don't be surprised by the rain on the roof of the church and the thunder

JMM

I like this one a lot JMM, it's nice and realistic, and I think that the violin sounds really good. Not shrieky at all.

You should get something like Izotope RX to clean this recording up a little- then, all the distracting noises, coughs and HVAC could at least be reduced to a level where they wouldn't be bothering the listener.
cheers