Beesneez James Vs. Jade.....

[ianbryn11]

Ok, so before i get roasted for starting a new thread which has already been touched upon. This ones a bit different. I did a bit of an experiment with these two mics that i think you all might be interested in hearing... I ordered a jade (with the k47b capsule upgrade) about 3-4 months ago.... A few weeks ago, while i was still waiting for my Jade, i was lucky enough to find a used James in the classifieds... I was really curious about this mic, and had the cash at the time, so i bought it...

Figured it would be nice to use both the Jade and the James in my own studio, and see which one i liked better. I could always re-sell one.... So i got the James and started recording. First impressions where very good! I have not used a whole bunch of mics, so i cant campare it to any super high end mics.... But it did sound very nice to me..... Much different than anything ive ever used....

A week later i got the Jade in the mail.... So now i had these two new mics... I wanted to listen to them side by side and see what i thought of each.... I set up a little experiement.... I put the mics so that their capsules where next to each other. Then i sent each mic to an MA5. The only matching pair of preamps i own... also my favorite sounding pre....

I figured that if i record a song using both mics, then i can compare all the different elements of the mix and see which mic sounds best on what parts of my voice, or my giutar ect..... And i tried to get the capsules to be as close and in the same approximate positioning as one another as i could....

So i did it, and then i mixed it after linking each adjacent track. The result is 2 mixes, exactly the same in level and pan, only difference is that one is using all James and one is using all Jade....

I didn't use any EQ on any of the tracks... I also didnt use any compression in the mix. A little bit of eq and compression in mastering... Thats it... I really wanted to be able to hear the character of each mic....

So, here's the two tracks, i hope these will be useful, or enjoyable to some of you.....

Peace
Ian

[lynyrd]

I am interested in this. Thanks for the comparison, I look forward to hearing it.

[eascholz]

Woah, cool. Both sound fantastic.

The difference is reasonably subtle, but it adds up to make mix 1 just a bit more coherent and defined.

2 is a tad tarker. I'm not listening on my normal monitors so that's all I got! BTW, I'm on Long Island right now.

[vonrichter]

Listening situation: closed-back mid-tier sennheiser phones.

The vox in #1 are louder but I matched the levels roughly and tried not to let that influence me.

#2 was not capturing the breathiness in your delivery. I didn't think #2 had the right vibe for harmonized whispery low range stuff like this. #1 was also smoother in general and seemed to jump around less. But perhaps they were just hitting your mastering FX threshold harder?

Hard to say what would happen in a song with full-bore solo singing and dense mix, but I'll go with #1 for this song.

[ianbryn11]

Originally Posted by vonrichter

But perhaps they were just hitting your mastering FX threshold harder?

There is a very strong possibility that this is the case... i mastered to the mix of take 1, then just switched the mutes.....Didn't touch a thing....

[ianbryn11]

here's a new file of track group 2. I raised the volume of that group so it was hitting the compressor at about the same level as the other take....

enjoy!
Ian

[ianbryn11]

forgot to attach....

[vonrichter]

The biggest difference between #1 and both #2's is that #2's emphasize more throat crackle and slightly more nasal region, while #1 has a more smoothed velvet type of sound. Again I'm on phones which is not the best listening scenario, but with that caveat #1 seems more flattering on your voice for this song.

Based on several other examples of James I've heard on male vox, it has a slightly more bitey midrangey sound, so I am going to guess that #2 is James. I could of course be wrong.

Both sound good enough to use for sure.

[ianbryn11]

Originally Posted by eascholz

Woah, cool. Both sound fantastic.

The difference is reasonably subtle, but it adds up to make mix 1 just a bit more coherent and defined.

2 is a tad tarker. I'm not listening on my normal monitors so that's all I got! BTW, I'm on Long Island right now.

Glad you enjoyed it... I hope you enjoy your stay in Long Island... make sure to eat some bagels and some pizza while your here....

[gian]

So, just to confirm

Dont cry 1 is the Jade
and
Dont cry 2 is the James

yes?

[shanabit]

Number 2 is Darker to me

I preferred Number 1 however in THIS song

[rkopald]

Wow. Those both sound great, but I like the darker kind of scratchy tone of #1 to my ears..Then again, people said the same thing about #2, so...I don't know...
If someone put a gun to my head and I had to choose, I'd pick #1 SLIGHTLY over #2, but they both sound really great. Then again, that song would probably sound good on a crappy computer mic. No fairsies using such great material for comparative purposes. A generic song I hate that forced me to concentrate on the vocal range and texture would be so much easier...

[vonrichter]

Oh before I forget, nice song!

[vonrichter]

Originally Posted by rkopald

Wow. Those both sound great, but I like the darker kind of scratchy tone of #1 to my ears..Then again, people said the same thing about #2, so...I don't know...

Your post caused me to double-check the files on my nearfields to make sure I wasn't being tricked by the phones.

We might be hearing the same thing just expressing it differently. I can see how one could interpret #1 as "darker" in the sense that is has less upper mid bite. But it has more "air" than #2 which is why I called it "brighter".

Not hearing the scratchiness you hear in #1 though.

[willsing]

Nice job Ian. Thanks for that. They both sound really good. I too think that 1 is the Jade and 2 is the James. Out of curiosity, what did you use on the guitar? Looking forward to getting my James.
Cheers,
Will

[ianbryn11]

Thanks guys for the kind words.... @ Will, the guitar is also recorded with either the Jade or the James...

[Heartfelt]

I like #2 best. It seems more natural and intimate. I did like the adjust version with more volume. #1 has more air and a bit more bite. #2 still cuts well enough for me in the high mids.

[tapehiss]

i notice you are using the old style bodies....

has anything changed internally since the body style has changed to an in=house design?????????????????

or would these samples sound the same as if the OP was using the new style of beesneez???????

[vonrichter]

Would be awesome if you could also post another song with louder more exposed lead vocal in a somewhat higher range for contrast. Or just a quick test, random cover or improvisation, or whatever.

[ianbryn11]

i recorded a few other songs that nite, dont remember if i was doing the 2 mics together for those takes but ill check when i get back to the studio a little later....

I didnt exactly plan on having as many back up vcls as i ended up with in this take.... never recorded that song before... Just kept hearing harmonies.... ill see what i can do as far as solo vcls....

[vonrichter]

Originally Posted by ianbryn11

i recorded a few other songs that nite, dont remember if i was doing the 2 mics together for those takes but ill check when i get back to the studio a little later...

I personally am not real concerned with the whole shootout thing, I find it useful to hear any recordings made with a given signal chain. ;-)

[ianbryn11]

i hear ya... in all honesty, both mics are great in my opinion... i am however sadly gonna have to sell one...

[lannishboy]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I agree they both sound pretty damn good. My compliments too on the song - since I listened a few times it was a bonus that I enjoyed it!

FWIW, my impression was that No1 was smoother and more forgiving of any nasal tones or any throaty crackle. Good for backing vocals - or where you really want a creamy smooth lead. No2 sounded bigger and richer, better suited to a lead vocal, and I preferred it here - maybe partly because your singing was pretty smooth and gentle in its own right. No2 just sounded a little more like a real voice - maybe because it hid less - and seemed just a little more lush in tubey goodness. That said - they are obviously not chalk and cheese!

My guess is:

No1 = James
No2 = Jade

[ianbryn11]

Yo, i was running around today, and i realized i forgot to mention something kinda important...

Regarding the Jade mic.... It was upgraded by Ben with the "k47b" (I think???) capsule.... SO, it is not the stock Jade mic....

Sorry for not including this info earlier... Slipped my mind....

[ianbryn11]

Originally Posted by tapehiss

i notice you are using the old style bodies....

has anything changed internally since the body style has changed to an in=house design?????????????????

or would these samples sound the same as if the OP was using the new style of beesneez???????

Im pretty sure that The old bodies sound the same as the new ones.... And for what its worth, i think they look awesome....

[ianbryn11]

aright... i recorded another song tonight... This time for kicks, i threw up an AKG 414.....

Same deal as last time, one take, 3 mics, Link tracks, mix, solo tracks and bounce.....

No mastering this time....
Enjoy....

IAn

[vonrichter]

Haven't had a chance to listen super critically yet but initial thoughts on the new song recording (I'm only talking about the vocals):

#1 sounds the most "ready to mix", but that doesn't necessarily mean I think it sounds the best.

#2 slightly congested - could be nice with a few small EQ tweaks.

#3 sounds muffled - needs some healthy high EQ juice added - might be nice then.

[vonrichter]

Sooooo anyone have any guesses for the 3 new files?

[lynyrd]

What made you decide to get a k47b capsule in your Jade?

[ianbryn11]

When i talked to Ben about his mics, it sounded like a cool upgrade.... Also, i was initially interested in a James, and he informed me that the K47b was the capsule used in the James mic... It would be interesting to hear the difference between the two....

Oh, and for the record...


mic 1 is james,

mic 2 is jade

mic 3 in the second set is akg 414XLS II

and, unless i find something else to sell... The Jade with the K47b capsule is gonna have to go.... Wheres the sad smiley? Oh well, im pumped that i got to try both.....