Gauge ECM-87 just needs a little EQ?

[GuerrillaJoe]

Hello all,

I was recently recommended the gauge ecm-87 for a u87-like vocal/drum overhead mic. I checked out the online audio samples and can definitely tell the difference between that and a real u87... the highs were much more shrill on the ecm-87 and the mids were less pronounced. Now, I understand that there will never be a $150 mic that exactly duplicates a $3000 legend, but my question is: do you think a little high/mid EQ thrown on there would get it sounding closer to a real u87? I mean... for 150 bucks it seems like a hell of a deal!

GJ

[dom783]

Originally Posted by GuerrillaJoe

Hello all,

I was recently recommended the gauge ecm-87 for a u87-like vocal/drum overhead mic. I checked out the online audio samples and can definitely tell the difference between that and a real u87... the highs were much more shrill on the ecm-87 and the mids were less pronounced. Now, I understand that there will never be a $150 mic that exactly duplicates a $3000 legend, but my question is: do you think a little high/mid EQ thrown on there would get it sounding closer to a real u87? I mean... for 150 bucks it seems like a hell of a deal!

GJ

Yeah, great deal..I think I might buy 2 and get them modded by this guy..
OktavaMod - Shop

[Mark Kaufman]

Not only do I have one, but I also have the only one that has so far been modded by Michael Joly with the MJE-K47 package...just got it back but haven't been able to plug in yet. I expect it to be stellar though!

I think the ECM-87 really is a good mic for the price. My favorite use was for recording acoustic guitars. That said, it has little to nothing to do with a Neumann. That's really not what it sounds like, so don't get it for that reason...get it for a Chinese condenser that sounds a lot better than most of the others of that style (Nady SCM900, etc).

The guys at Gauge are great to work with...real people actually respond to you. Imagine that!

[chris carter]

I have an ECM87. It's a great mic for the price and Rob and Chandler are great guys. They actually listen to every single mic they get, and reject an awful lot.

That said, it doesn't sound like a U87, nor do they intend for it to sound like a U87. I think people just see the "87" in the name and assume. They've compared it to a U87, as well as other microphones, not because it sounds the same, but just to show that it sounds very good for considerably less money. So my point is, don't judge the sound of it based on whether or not it sounds like a U87; judge it on whether or not you like the sound period.

I've never used it on overheads. I will say that it's great on acoustic guitar though

Hint: inside the body there is a HPF switch.

[Harmonic Imprint]

Thanks Chris. I was about to ditch this mic due to the presence peak on acoustic guitar, which is about all I intend to use it for. I just engaged the HPF switch. May have to check out the difference tonight.

I've never used it on overheads. I will say that it's great on acoustic guitar though

Hint: inside the body there is a HPF switch.[/QUOTE]

[John Eppstein]

I can't see how a High Pass Filter could possibly make a mic less shrill.....

And no, EQ won't really cure resonant problems with a mic. You'd likely be trading "shrill" for "dull".

The thing is that problems with shrillness due to resonance are usually not broadband problems, they're an accumulation of a number of very narrow band problems. So when you apply an EQ that's wide enough to take out all the peaks you're also taking down all the valleys between them.

Also the nature of resonance is that it resonates at the given frequency when any energy is input to the system regardless of frequency - in other words it's actually generating frequencies that are not present in the original acoustical program.