Yeah you might have better luck just stealing it out of an old sm57/58. Or call Full Compass on the phone as they say they only do US orders via online.
I recorded an entire album with these mics stock and unless your the most trained hearing person in the world you'd never know that just by listening. These mics have allowed me to get into recording while having a near minimum wage job (im in high school thats why)
That's fantastic! I think that if you listen through these mics you can always adjust to accommodate the sounds they capture. If a mic is bright, then adjust the amp...which is one good example.
I understand and agree! What I have found is when you start comping the same mics that may mace unwanted or minimal unwanted characteristic it ends up piling up.
An interesting follow up to your other Pyle-57 shootout. I still like all these mics in a vacuum- but as you said, what works in a mix is something else. But I think the color and texture being a good fit matters more than the price tag. Oh- and no way any of these mics can match that MD421 bottom end- just delish!
To my ear, the stock Pyle was the tone profile I'm looking for. And my wallet sings harmony! Thanks for answering ALL the questions I had. Great presentation!
Wow. The stock Pyle shined with a guitar amp. The transformer added to it would be perfect for overheads for the snare and some cymbals perhaps plus it did sound better as a snare drum mic.
the 421 on the Fender Bassman sounds incredible. You are getting incredible guitar tones there. I have played in a metal band, called Swift for years, so I primarily play high gain, but that tone you are getting is the best rock tone i have heard in a while. LOVED IT. Hey from Greensboro, NC . BTW.
@@creativesoundlab My girlfriend loves Ashville, we come through every other year or so. I'll get in contact before the next trip. BTW, I am a Warm Audio Addict as well. LOL. My studio isn't' as cool as your but we have similar gear. I have a project studio, but most of my bands recordings are done at my drummers location. You may be familiar with his work: Jamie King -> Between the Buried and Me. They were nominated for a Grammy this past year. Which impressed me! My drummer, Jamie King, recorded all of their albums thus far. He has a cool setup in Winston Salem. He focuses primarily on metal. I am more of the rock and pop flavor. I have even recorded a few hip hop records.
I did a shoot-out with SM57 vs PDMIC 78 that I just released on my channel, including comparing the EQ curves. I do high-gain metal guitars, and had to completely reject the PDMIC based on the lack of mids an the shrill top end, but I am surprised to see it working alright for drums and crunch guitar!
Try the Pyle/Shure mic with the "resistor mod". It helps compensate for the impedance mismatch between the 57 transformer and modern preamp circuitry. I built an adapter years ago that incorporates the mod and it changes the tone/vibe of a SM57 nicely. I can pop it into out for a change in sound depending on what I'm recording.
Yeah I've made that into a xlr cable. This is the one that lowers the impedance that is put on the mic right? All the examples in this video were at 600 ohms. Before I had my current preamps, I used that resistor mod to lower the load on the mic.
Thanks for testing them. The Modded mics and the 421 had a lower sound on the toms. The amp was another story, the 421 really stood out as the mic of choice with a full sound. I will have to shop around and see if I can nab a 421 at a good price. I still think the stock Pyle PDMIC 78 is fine for a beginner instrument microphone.
The ultimate thing to do is put the transformer in the Pyle, and put it in an SM58 body and wire it so you can switch the transformer on or off. If you already have an SM58, you might as well.
Great demo and sounds. The 421 still does it IMO, so much beef; once you low-shelf them, they crush. The Pyle does surprisingly well, pulling out of the "toy mic(destructible)" category for me. As Oscar would say, "Too clean for any quality trash." I've heard worse mics for more money, without a doubt. I've been loving my Crimson Audio 57/58 handles with transformers and the white one with active electronics. Takes it out of the $15 range for sho, but they do sound great. I'm tempted to order up a Pyle mic to see if the Orange handle brings back some of those lows. Thanks for all the hard work! Love this channel.
Nice! I see a need for the stock mic too. But that modded Pyle was really nice in the full drum mix. I'm always jacking up the high end of tom mics anyhow.
I have been trying to quit smoking, and I have a strange sort of brain sandwich up in my head right now, so I will say lots of stupid shit and think I'm hilarious, like a stoned 14 year old.
Too late for me... I found a 421 for $60 a week ago and I snatched that deal with the quickness. I have found i pairs with the EV635 quite nicely. All thanks to a vid you did earlier about 'matching' mics to each other for ease of mixing and predictability of sound.
Also, I love the modded Pyle and 421 sound the most; I admit I love that 'crispness' with the more bright mics. The SM57, albeit venerable and classic, had a bit of a gravelly sound on the guitar cab (granted, it may have been my headphones).
Creative Sound Lab I don't have a 57, but I do have a Unidyne III 545s. I haven't tested it side by side with a 57, nor have I paired it with the 635 yet. (Look at me not practicing what I preach, haha.)
I very like this Experiment, feel the middle-low frequency clearly and get a bright middle high frequency compare the other, original, mic.. I like that. thank you! ❤️👍
Really great stuff, Ryan. Love the tom shootout and I was pleasantly surprised by the Pyle, both with and without the stock 57 transformer. Everyone loves to hate on those mics but man, they sound pretty damn good. I also really dig that you took the time to throw 'em up on a guitar amp too - completely different ball game. I don't know if I have a preference, but one thing that did strike me about this was how complimentary the differences were between mics and how you might use that to your advantage on a tracking date. Now you know you have a wide palette of dynamic mics that can voice a tom in different ways, which makes it easy to reach for what will suit the music best. So badass. Keep up the good work, cheers!
Yeah that's some really great insight. Having these mics around makes a mic set up with top and bottom mics for toms affordable. Maybe put the beefy ones on the under, and use the pyles for the top for attack. So cheap and why not have them around.
Oh hells ya, I hadn't even thought about top and bottom for toms - that could be really cool! 57 style mics are also small enough that you could duct tape two of them together if you're not sure what would work on the day. Also... 4 flavours of wurst mic!
I’d like to see a comparison EQ curve and what limitations you might face with a Pyle vs Shure for EQing post. IE, if there aren’t enough lows in the signal, boosting them will only add rumble and noise, etc. Vice versa for adding treble to the Shure. 👍
That Pyle really opened up! Great video, just watched your Video on which Mic to buy at the beginning of your career, and I wondered if you(and of course everyone else here!) had any suggestions? I'm a Bass Player and plan to get into voice acting/narration with the first small jobs already happening(using a rode usb for those). Right now I think the best bang for the buck would be the EV R320, with the notch filter, bass response and general clarity. Keep up the great work! Especially those experiments are great and entertaining. Lots of love from Germany!
this is great, i have the chance to compare a sm57 whit the md421 both are fine microphones but the goal of a MD421 is just are a lot more isolated from other sources then a 57, i love use at snare the hihat and kick are no need any cleaning technics of the bleed or aditional plugins to filter, a lot of less process time, etc etc.
The 421 has TONS more low mid information. It's thicker and more concentrated in those low mids. The guitar amp shoot out is where it's most noticeable, but also, the tom sample w/421 is just thicker, and a little less defined. There's definitely a reason the 421 is a lot more expensive. How would you compare the Pyle w/mod VS. the Tape Op mod SM57 ? My guess would be that the tape op mod retains the low mid extension
Holy Smokes! I love that guitar tone, so incredibly smooth I'd love to know what guitar, maybe pedals, amp settings and post processing are involved in that ridiculous great sounding tone! I'd wish I could achieve something similar recording our album in the next month!
Yeah I wrote down the settings because it was for my course and wanted to be able to get back in the future. Here the amp wasn't touched though between examples.
It's compressed DI track via a 1176 clone before it goes out to the reamp box. 5-7 dB gain reduction, with fast-ish release, 4 to 1 most likely. From there it goes stait in to a Reissue Bassman '59 amp. No pedals. Bright channel is connected into the normal channel. Reamp feed went into Normal channel. Presence 1, Middle 9, Bass 5, Treble 3, Vol of Bright channel was 9.5 out of 12. Vol of normal channel was 9 out of 12.
Definitely completely different mics. However after listening to the guitar I think the Pyle + 421 Could basically be a 2 band sm57 on STEROIDS. They seem to avoid each other frequency wise, and you still get that 57 bark and 421 thiccnes. Also, the mode on the 421 may have contributed to the initial A/B being fairly misleading, such a finicky mic. Keep up the great work and content Ryan!
I wonder how this would work on the es57, which are a pretty good 57 clone on a budget. iirc, the es57 has the same type of coil as the beta 57 or 58, so its supposedly more similar to those, which are even more expensive. Not sure if its transformer couopled already, but the es57’s are as heavy as an sm57, so im assuming it does. I kinda want to try this mod on both my crappy pyle sitting in storage and one of my commonly used es57's
Couldn't one also engineer this into a small little cable? It just seems like it goes between the two wires of the capsule and hte two pins on the XLR jack. A non invasive mod could be had in an adapter that plugs into the mic externally?
That modded Pyle on the guitar amp was too much grit for me. The MD421 sounded rich and full, the SM57 sounded horrible - I liked the stock Pyle best of all!
Great vid nice to see you guys thinking of us poor lay recording studios set up in my case the old dinning room. Thanks Dude Out of curiosity how much are decent 421’s in the states they fetch good money here on Ebay in the uk would love to add one to my mic locker
I tried this, had a 58 transformer lying around and bought a new Pyle for £17.. I thought it would be worth listening to before I did the mod and I was surprised how good it sounded out of the box, I've not tried it on any other sources but I honestly think, just speaking into it, the Shure transformer made the Pyle sound worse
Loved the 421 and Sm57 on that cab. They have a different sound but would both be very useful for my purposes. Pyle - not so much, although I want to try this mod with some other cheapo mics, they don't sell Pyles where I live and I'm broke. Maybe a t bone or a behringer, any ideas if it'd work?
I almost tried this, I have a working Pyle and a 57 with a busted cartridge, but my replacement cart for the 57 came in before I got around to it. I’m not a fan of what the txer does to the Pyle but it could be useful on a very dark source. The replacement 57 cart I got is a $5 Chinese special & it sounds similar to the modded Pyle here when I put it on a real 57 body. I’ll probably take out the transformer and compare it with the Pyle (which I like for its transients). We shall see!
Nice! Yeah I haven't tried any other knock off 57s. I thinking of running with the Pyles for a while and trying to put a low pass filter at 5k in one to balance it out a little.
A lot of guys will REMOVE the transformer from their SM57's (they say it makes an SM57 sound more like an SM7B), so some may actually prefer the Pyle in its stock form (transformerless).
The problem with budget gear is that on it's own it doesn't sound that bad but once you begin stacking tracks with bad gear the problems multiply and the sound starts to suffer.
Use the Modded Pyle with a cheap ribbon mic (2 channel) there should be your better (much better) porr man's 421? especially if your HP and LP the the 2 channels respectively. thx for good video ~
Hey, this modded Pyle is surprisingly good! Would it be possible to download the various tracks? Want to hear a comparison without TH-cam mangling it! Thanks :)
Love what you do Ryan - Love the videos. . . I used a ton of these about 5 years ago when I did a ton of live sound (the Pyle) - and kept my good recording mics at home (so no metal heads would spill fake blood on the good mics lol). . . For the price - if anyone can catch the ev co4's - they're usually around 30 bucks a pop (they're bright mics as well - can't compare to a 421) - but I've been super happy with these "cheap" mics (replaced the pyles - as they've gradually "died"). . . Someone mentioned that the pyle's were unbalanced - I'm not sure (because I'm an idiot when it comes to wiring anything) - but that they're unbalanced and phantom power can damage them?
Yeah I had forgotten about that. I'm not sure why they wired them like that. I removed the jumper from pins 1 and 3 and connected ground to the screw of the mic body instead. That's more like a usually 57 I think. There is a gain difference because of this of 7 - 10 dB, I forget how much now. I'm not sure about phantom in regards to the mic safety.
I've HEARD, don't know if it is true or not, but the Pyles used to be unbalanced, but now are wired for balanced operation. What makes me doubt that (to the best of my knowledge) the Pyles still come with an xlr to 1/4 ts cable (unbalanced). I bet they come wired for unbalanced solely because they could get a deal on the unbalanced mic cable. I'd rather have a mic clip than a shitey cable, and definitely would rather have a balanced mic. Hello Pyle?!
Does this make them usable for live vocals? When we tried the stock pyles on stage they were unusable due to feedback. Still great for recording though
Yep, still no the poor mans 421, but for $25 and a little time that is almost worth it. I wonder if the low end has to do with the actual size of the diaphragm or the transformer on the 421. Might be interesting to see if any budget kick mics are able to achieve the low end like the 421.
Yeah for $25 it's worth having these around. I actually really liked the sound of the toms in the context of the drum mix better than others. And the stock sounded pretty good on it's own.
@@creativesoundlab Do you think eq on the stock or modded Pyle would help get the tonality of the sounds back? I thought the Pyle sounded great on transients on the tom, as well as the transients and inharmonic sounds of the guitar/amp, but on both the actual pitch content was severely de-emphasized. Eq bring the pitch back?
@Donal Finn If your sm 57 sounds like garbage its probably just your own technique. It may not be the best mic but you can get great sounds from it if you place it correctly!
Guitar cabinet sm57 hands down best, drum low Tom's 421, throw away rest,,,tho sm57 best all around mic .. 421 good vocals, low toms fat for things needing low just to muddy on guitar or high toms .
its a cool mod but the 421 has what you would use in a mix. my opinion the model Pyle is not worth having around, if you need a 57 replacement get a lewitt
It's compressed DI track via a 1176 clone before it goes out to the reamp box. 5-7 dB gain reduction, with fast-ish release, 4 to 1 most likely. From there it goes stait in to a Reissue Bassman '59 amp. No pedals. Bright channel is connected into the normal channel. Reamp feed went into Normal channel. Presence 1, Middle 9, Bass 5, Treble 3, Vol of Bright channel was 9.5 out of 12. Vol of normal channel was 9 out of 12.
Ahhhh I'm so glad you mentioned the Bassman was a reissue. Not long ago I watched someone unbox an original they got, and it piqued my interest but knew the cost of any in decent shape was out of my league... like way, way out. Reissue is still costly, but sounds well worth it. Thanks for the details, just as informative and helpful as all the vids. Keep up the good work, you're awesome!
I don't hate it. It's a flavor that could be useful in context or on certain sources. Oddly enough, on the Bassman I kinda liked the regular old 57 best. For a long time I thought I just hated a close 57 on guitar amp s, but lately I'm kinda feeling it. Maybe my hearing is changing as I age? 😆
Yeah well it's a sound that seems to always work, but it may not always be the most interesting one perhaps. I really liked the 421 on the guitar in this video, as it just has the huge body to it. But of coarse we were hearing some bright mics so it's all in perspective.
The 421, not known for good sound rejection, still is miles beyond the pyle. There's also a huge difference in the perceived "size" of the sound with both the 57 and 421 being in a whole other ballpark than the Pyle. Another thing the 57 & 421 have going for them is how they take eq... I get it, people really want this Pyle to be a huge steal... but the Pyle is great IF it's all you got, can afford... and that's it. Aweome video though. Thanks for doing it. Interesting test for sure.
Aside from the video; I think the 421 is over rated. Its basically the same flavor as an SM 57. But has a higher output by nature. I’m just wondering what others would say about this.
I hear really no diff at all ur talkin about sound waves that people cant tell its never the mic u use its the sound u put in it that makes it right u can use a kerioki mic and mak a mit song its the song not the mics
@@creativesoundlab i want to make a home studio how many channels do i need and what do i need on the cheap to record and what do u recomend for recording
modded pyle is definitly better than 421 its obvious for 421 there is no harmonics in the highs , thats because it sounds muddy , and it cant be fixed by eq cause there is no harmonics there, its bad. u can tweak the modded pyle and make it sound like 421 and make the bass more prominent but u cant do it with 421. i tried eqing these samples and its just awful, at least in tom test . there is no competition for that, its a better mic of course the modded version .... do u still use the modded version ,,,????
You are making a rooky mistake. You should be using the SAME PERFORMANCE to make a correct comparison. So I give this comparison a FAIL. Try it again using proper testing methodology.
Honestly to me. All you need to worry about with drums is removing the mud. no one actually listens to drums, the only people that do are drummers. if they're on time and sit nice and tight back in the mix. No one cares. I'll never spend money on expensive drum mics if I'm tracking live drums.
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The transformer that is from the Shure SM57 is called at "Shure 51A303". Use the link in the description or do a search to find it in your area.
Love your channel, thank you for doing these comparisons! I'm excited to try out some of those transformers now...
I cant find that 51a303 transformer anywhere that will ship to canada
Yeah you might have better luck just stealing it out of an old sm57/58. Or call Full Compass on the phone as they say they only do US orders via online.
@@creativesoundlab thx :)
Do you know of any sellers that might sell this in Europe? Thanks for your great videos!
I recorded an entire album with these mics stock and unless your the most trained hearing person in the world you'd never know that just by listening. These mics have allowed me to get into recording while having a near minimum wage job (im in high school thats why)
That's fantastic! I think that if you listen through these mics you can always adjust to accommodate the sounds they capture. If a mic is bright, then adjust the amp...which is one good example.
I understand and agree! What I have found is when you start comping the same mics that may mace unwanted or minimal unwanted characteristic it ends up piling up.
The modded Pyle is so OPEN sounding compared to how choked the SM57 sounds. What a killer mod!
Ya but it doesnt necessarily sit well in a mix. dont want those highs clashing with vocals cymbals and everything else
@@linksfiery22 sm57 seems to have more nasty highs...crazy
@@Rikodesinko - 57 sounds dull, truthfully.
An interesting follow up to your other Pyle-57 shootout. I still like all these mics in a vacuum- but as you said, what works in a mix is something else. But I think the color and texture being a good fit matters more than the price tag. Oh- and no way any of these mics can match that MD421 bottom end- just delish!
The modded Pyle is hands-down the winner. Drums sound tight and just alive. 🎤
I would love to hear a blend of the modded Pyle with the 421 on the guitar cab
I use a stock Pyle and a stock 57 for guitars, I like the two tones I get from them and doubling up on certain genres sounds killer
To my ear, the stock Pyle was the tone profile I'm looking for. And my wallet sings harmony! Thanks for answering ALL the questions I had. Great presentation!
Wow. The stock Pyle shined with a guitar amp. The transformer added to it would be perfect for overheads for the snare and some cymbals perhaps plus it did sound better as a snare drum mic.
the 421 on the Fender Bassman sounds incredible. You are getting incredible guitar tones there. I have played in a metal band, called Swift for years, so I primarily play high gain, but that tone you are getting is the best rock tone i have heard in a while. LOVED IT. Hey from Greensboro, NC . BTW.
Nice! Thanks for the nice comment and you should come by sometime to Asheville. My contact email is in the channel info tab.
@@creativesoundlab My girlfriend loves Ashville, we come through every other year or so. I'll get in contact before the next trip. BTW, I am a Warm Audio Addict as well. LOL. My studio isn't' as cool as your but we have similar gear. I have a project studio, but most of my bands recordings are done at my drummers location. You may be familiar with his work: Jamie King -> Between the Buried and Me. They were nominated for a Grammy this past year. Which impressed me! My drummer, Jamie King, recorded all of their albums thus far. He has a cool setup in Winston Salem. He focuses primarily on metal. I am more of the rock and pop flavor. I have even recorded a few hip hop records.
The 421 on guitar really rocks! On toms the Modded Pyle seemed to extend the decay somehow ... which I liked.
That's interesting. I didn't catch that. I'll have to go back and listen again.
I did a shoot-out with SM57 vs PDMIC 78 that I just released on my channel, including comparing the EQ curves. I do high-gain metal guitars, and had to completely reject the PDMIC based on the lack of mids an the shrill top end, but I am surprised to see it working alright for drums and crunch guitar!
Try the Pyle/Shure mic with the "resistor mod".
It helps compensate for the impedance mismatch between the 57 transformer and modern preamp circuitry.
I built an adapter years ago that incorporates the mod and it changes the tone/vibe of a SM57 nicely.
I can pop it into out for a change in sound depending on what I'm recording.
Yeah I've made that into a xlr cable. This is the one that lowers the impedance that is put on the mic right? All the examples in this video were at 600 ohms. Before I had my current preamps, I used that resistor mod to lower the load on the mic.
@@creativesoundlab But with Pre's with adjustable impedance, this is not an issue, correct?
@@alphanumeric1529 Correct
Thanks for testing them. The Modded mics and the 421 had a lower sound on the toms. The amp was another story, the 421 really stood out as the mic of choice with a full sound. I will have to shop around and see if I can nab a 421 at a good price. I still think the stock Pyle PDMIC 78 is fine for a beginner instrument microphone.
Nice! Yeah so you heard more lows with the modded mic?
@@creativesoundlab on my home pc rig, yes the tone was lower.
That Pile with the 57 transformer sounds like a million bucks! I love the 421, especially on toms, but this is a pretty amazing alternative.
I'm still figuring out if I like it or not. It seems like it misses the lows.
The ultimate thing to do is put the transformer in the Pyle, and put it in an SM58 body and wire it so you can switch the transformer on or off. If you already have an SM58, you might as well.
Great demo and sounds. The 421 still does it IMO, so much beef; once you low-shelf them, they crush. The Pyle does surprisingly well, pulling out of the "toy mic(destructible)" category for me. As Oscar would say, "Too clean for any quality trash." I've heard worse mics for more money, without a doubt.
I've been loving my Crimson Audio 57/58 handles with transformers and the white one with active electronics. Takes it out of the $15 range for sho, but they do sound great. I'm tempted to order up a Pyle mic to see if the Orange handle brings back some of those lows.
Thanks for all the hard work! Love this channel.
Thanks man, I really need to try out that Orange mod they do.
I actually prefer the stock Pyle on the drums. Something about that more open top makes those toms sound great.
I really enjoyed his comparison, the Pyle with the transformer of the 57 sounded so good on the toms. Really great experiment!!
Nice! I see a need for the stock mic too. But that modded Pyle was really nice in the full drum mix. I'm always jacking up the high end of tom mics anyhow.
Creative Sound Lab exactly, it’s a great method. Thanks for sharing this man 🤗🤘🏻
I know this video is dated, but people also use the 421 for vocals in some instances so it’d be cool to see if it also holds up for that use case
Worst case scenario, the Pyle is phallic, and can be used as a toy.
Haha, you have a role here and you play it well.
I have been trying to quit smoking, and I have a strange sort of brain sandwich up in my head right now, so I will say lots of stupid shit and think I'm hilarious, like a stoned 14 year old.
Just replace the stock transformer with a vibrating motor Power it up with phantom power :-P
@@creativesoundlab so does the Pyle
Too late for me... I found a 421 for $60 a week ago and I snatched that deal with the quickness. I have found i pairs with the EV635 quite nicely.
All thanks to a vid you did earlier about 'matching' mics to each other for ease of mixing and predictability of sound.
I've never tried it with the 635. That's a good idea. Yeah the 421 will get a lot of use.
Creative Sound Lab Really? Damn. I would have assumed you to have mic'ed those two all over your studio...
Never thought of it for some reason. I always thought the stock 57 worked great with the 635. That's a great combo too.
Also, I love the modded Pyle and 421 sound the most; I admit I love that 'crispness' with the more bright mics. The SM57, albeit venerable and classic, had a bit of a gravelly sound on the guitar cab (granted, it may have been my headphones).
Creative Sound Lab I don't have a 57, but I do have a Unidyne III 545s. I haven't tested it side by side with a 57, nor have I paired it with the 635 yet. (Look at me not practicing what I preach, haha.)
Good video. Would have liked to see frequency analysis on a spectrum to prove out the theory that the transformer really matches the 421.
The pyle mic with 57 transformers react close to a omni mod considering the mic bleed on 421 which sounded more focus and less bleed
I very like this Experiment, feel the middle-low frequency clearly and get a bright middle high frequency compare the other, original, mic.. I like that.
thank you! ❤️👍
Really great stuff, Ryan. Love the tom shootout and I was pleasantly surprised by the Pyle, both with and without the stock 57 transformer. Everyone loves to hate on those mics but man, they sound pretty damn good. I also really dig that you took the time to throw 'em up on a guitar amp too - completely different ball game. I don't know if I have a preference, but one thing that did strike me about this was how complimentary the differences were between mics and how you might use that to your advantage on a tracking date. Now you know you have a wide palette of dynamic mics that can voice a tom in different ways, which makes it easy to reach for what will suit the music best. So badass. Keep up the good work, cheers!
Yeah that's some really great insight. Having these mics around makes a mic set up with top and bottom mics for toms affordable. Maybe put the beefy ones on the under, and use the pyles for the top for attack. So cheap and why not have them around.
Oh hells ya, I hadn't even thought about top and bottom for toms - that could be really cool! 57 style mics are also small enough that you could duct tape two of them together if you're not sure what would work on the day. Also... 4 flavours of wurst mic!
I’d like to see a comparison EQ curve and what limitations you might face with a Pyle vs Shure for EQing post. IE, if there aren’t enough lows in the signal, boosting them will only add rumble and noise, etc. Vice versa for adding treble to the Shure. 👍
That Pyle really opened up! Great video, just watched your Video on which Mic to buy at the beginning of your career, and I wondered if you(and of course everyone else here!) had any suggestions? I'm a Bass Player and plan to get into voice acting/narration with the first small jobs already happening(using a rode usb for those). Right now I think the best bang for the buck would be the EV R320, with the notch filter, bass response and general clarity.
Keep up the great work! Especially those experiments are great and entertaining.
Lots of love from Germany!
Wow, it sounds really good! And I love how 421 has electrical tape all over it - I think every 421 ends up like this haha.
this is great, i have the chance to compare a sm57 whit the md421 both are fine microphones but the goal of a MD421 is just are a lot more isolated from other sources then a 57, i love use at snare the hihat and kick are no need any cleaning technics of the bleed or aditional plugins to filter, a lot of less process time, etc etc.
The 421 has TONS more low mid information. It's thicker and more concentrated in those low mids. The guitar amp shoot out is where it's most noticeable, but also, the tom sample w/421 is just thicker, and a little less defined. There's definitely a reason the 421 is a lot more expensive.
How would you compare the Pyle w/mod VS. the Tape Op mod SM57 ? My guess would be that the tape op mod retains the low mid extension
Holy Smokes! I love that guitar tone, so incredibly smooth I'd love to know what guitar, maybe pedals, amp settings and post processing are involved in that ridiculous great sounding tone! I'd wish I could achieve something similar recording our album in the next month!
Yeah I wrote down the settings because it was for my course and wanted to be able to get back in the future. Here the amp wasn't touched though between examples.
It's compressed DI track via a 1176 clone before it goes out to the reamp box. 5-7 dB gain reduction, with fast-ish release, 4 to 1 most likely. From there it goes stait in to a Reissue Bassman '59 amp. No pedals. Bright channel is connected into the normal channel. Reamp feed went into Normal channel. Presence 1, Middle 9, Bass 5, Treble 3, Vol of Bright channel was 9.5 out of 12. Vol of normal channel was 9 out of 12.
Added no character on the cab, but my god,jaw hit the floor when i heard it on those toms.
Definitely completely different mics. However after listening to the guitar I think the Pyle + 421 Could basically be a 2 band sm57 on STEROIDS. They seem to avoid each other frequency wise, and you still get that 57 bark and 421 thiccnes.
Also, the mode on the 421 may have contributed to the initial A/B being fairly misleading, such a finicky mic.
Keep up the great work and content Ryan!
The mode as in the "Speach/Sound" settings? Yeah I'll have to try pairing these mics with 421s. That's not a bad idea.
Would be really interesting to hear both the modded Pyle, stock 57 and the 421 blended together for that guitar sound!
I could pry swing this at some point.
it would be interesting to hear a combination of the 421 and modded pile 😎
I wonder how this would work on the es57, which are a pretty good 57 clone on a budget. iirc, the es57 has the same type of coil as the beta 57 or 58, so its supposedly more similar to those, which are even more expensive. Not sure if its transformer couopled already, but the es57’s are as heavy as an sm57, so im assuming it does. I kinda want to try this mod on both my crappy pyle sitting in storage and one of my commonly used es57's
You looked like you were about to start crying at the start of the video. I find that funny
Couldn't one also engineer this into a small little cable? It just seems like it goes between the two wires of the capsule and hte two pins on the XLR jack. A non invasive mod could be had in an adapter that plugs into the mic externally?
That modded Pyle on the guitar amp was too much grit for me. The MD421 sounded rich and full, the SM57 sounded horrible - I liked the stock Pyle best of all!
Hey! Trying this right now. Super excited, just curious what side of the transformer attaches to the capsule side…?
Great vid nice to see you guys thinking of us poor lay recording studios set up in my case the old dinning room. Thanks Dude
Out of curiosity how much are decent 421’s in the states they fetch good money here on Ebay in the uk would love to add one to my mic locker
I once looked up the white 421s and they were going for $450. I have seen them for 300 since then I think. New black ones are 350 I think.
I tried this, had a 58 transformer lying around and bought a new Pyle for £17.. I thought it would be worth listening to before I did the mod and I was surprised how good it sounded out of the box, I've not tried it on any other sources but I honestly think, just speaking into it, the Shure transformer made the Pyle sound worse
noone ever does a 57 capsule, with a crimson audio orange mod, and a kick pad from earthworks, i would love to hear that on kick drum and low toms
does the transformer give it more gain¿
Loved the 421 and Sm57 on that cab. They have a different sound but would both be very useful for my purposes. Pyle - not so much, although I want to try this mod with some other cheapo mics, they don't sell Pyles where I live and I'm broke. Maybe a t bone or a behringer, any ideas if it'd work?
Can you test the modded pyle on acoustic guitar?
the stock pyle no mod sounds good , all it needs is good positioning
Wow.. im so keen to try this!
I thought the stock 57 was in there.
yeh sorry i missed that! How would you compare the side rejection? Is it similar to an sm57 or the md421 in hyper cardiod
Can I do that with any microphone? a Shure rs45 for example?
Thanks for your videos !!!!!
By any chance you don't know which transformer Lundahl uses Joe Chicarelli in his modified SM57 ?Thanks
Not sure but I know Crimson makes several handles for sm57s w different transformers.
This is cool. I was actually going to do this . Because i just can’t afford 3-4 md421 at the moment.
I almost tried this, I have a working Pyle and a 57 with a busted cartridge, but my replacement cart for the 57 came in before I got around to it. I’m not a fan of what the txer does to the Pyle but it could be useful on a very dark source.
The replacement 57 cart I got is a $5 Chinese special & it sounds similar to the modded Pyle here when I put it on a real 57 body. I’ll probably take out the transformer and compare it with the Pyle (which I like for its transients). We shall see!
Nice! Yeah I haven't tried any other knock off 57s. I thinking of running with the Pyles for a while and trying to put a low pass filter at 5k in one to balance it out a little.
your 421 is soooo dark, my 421 sounds super bright
CAD m-179 is the poor man’s C414
my man, i have a pair and its true
A lot of guys will REMOVE the transformer from their SM57's (they say it makes an SM57 sound more like an SM7B), so some may actually prefer the Pyle in its stock form (transformerless).
Yeah, that’s what I was thinking.
The modded Pyle mic sounds very good. The 421 is a lot better.
Would you say that the modded Pyle is closer to maybe a shure unidyne IV ?
The problem with budget gear is that on it's own it doesn't sound that bad but once you begin stacking tracks with bad gear the problems multiply and the sound starts to suffer.
Yes very true. Any mics with mostly mids and even-tempered edges (bass/treble) are much easier to layer.
Guitar cab course!
Yes! Tons of new things I discovered in this one.
Very excited! I'm going to jump on that course when it comes out!
Use the Modded Pyle with a cheap ribbon mic (2 channel) there should be your better (much better) porr man's 421? especially if your HP and LP the the 2 channels respectively. thx for good video ~
Yeah, the PD78 sounded nothing like the 421. I like how it sounds as a tom mic here, but again nothing like the 421.
Hey, this modded Pyle is surprisingly good! Would it be possible to download the various tracks? Want to hear a comparison without TH-cam mangling it!
Thanks :)
Love what you do Ryan - Love the videos. . . I used a ton of these about 5 years ago when I did a ton of live sound (the Pyle) - and kept my good recording mics at home (so no metal heads would spill fake blood on the good mics lol). . . For the price - if anyone can catch the ev co4's - they're usually around 30 bucks a pop (they're bright mics as well - can't compare to a 421) - but I've been super happy with these "cheap" mics (replaced the pyles - as they've gradually "died"). . . Someone mentioned that the pyle's were unbalanced - I'm not sure (because I'm an idiot when it comes to wiring anything) - but that they're unbalanced and phantom power can damage them?
Yeah I had forgotten about that. I'm not sure why they wired them like that. I removed the jumper from pins 1 and 3 and connected ground to the screw of the mic body instead. That's more like a usually 57 I think. There is a gain difference because of this of 7 - 10 dB, I forget how much now. I'm not sure about phantom in regards to the mic safety.
I've HEARD, don't know if it is true or not, but the Pyles used to be unbalanced, but now are wired for balanced operation. What makes me doubt that (to the best of my knowledge) the Pyles still come with an xlr to 1/4 ts cable (unbalanced). I bet they come wired for unbalanced solely because they could get a deal on the unbalanced mic cable. I'd rather have a mic clip than a shitey cable, and definitely would rather have a balanced mic. Hello Pyle?!
could anyone list some other transformers that could fit to upgrade the pyle¿¿ I just cant find any Shure transformer in my city
Wow, the tail transition I heard from Pyle and 421 are similar. Maybe can bland with the good low end mic!
Does this make them usable for live vocals? When we tried the stock pyles on stage they were unusable due to feedback. Still great for recording though
This wouldn't change any of the issues that you had.
Stock pyle...my current favorite kick drum mic...no kidding.
I'll have to try it!
Where do I find instructions on how to wire this up? I'm keen on giving this a try.
It’s pretty easy, there are just two wires. Xlr Pin2 is hot and xlr pin 3 is cold. You might be the phase flipped but just try it and have fun.
@@creativesoundlab thanks for your reply! I'll give it a go
Yep, still no the poor mans 421, but for $25 and a little time that is almost worth it. I wonder if the low end has to do with the actual size of the diaphragm or the transformer on the 421. Might be interesting to see if any budget kick mics are able to achieve the low end like the 421.
Yeah for $25 it's worth having these around. I actually really liked the sound of the toms in the context of the drum mix better than others. And the stock sounded pretty good on it's own.
@@creativesoundlab Do you think eq on the stock or modded Pyle would help get the tonality of the sounds back? I thought the Pyle sounded great on transients on the tom, as well as the transients and inharmonic sounds of the guitar/amp, but on both the actual pitch content was severely de-emphasized. Eq bring the pitch back?
The sm57: a 20 bucks mic that sales to $100
@Donal Finn If your sm 57 sounds like garbage its probably just your own technique. It may not be the best mic but you can get great sounds from it if you place it correctly!
Guitar cabinet sm57 hands down best, drum low Tom's 421, throw away rest,,,tho sm57 best all around mic .. 421 good vocals, low toms fat for things needing low just to muddy on guitar or high toms .
significantly more presence with installed transformer
always assumed the MD421 was side address because of that metal band over the top...
On guitar the 421 blows them all away. That’s a U too, not a U5 which I think sound better!
its a cool mod but the 421 has what you would use in a mix. my opinion the model Pyle is not worth having around, if you need a 57 replacement get a lewitt
is this just a 1:1 transformer?
I think tge modified Pyle was the best
How does it sound under the snare?
Haven't tried it, but I usually go for a balancing tone for a mic (Darker) rather than to enhance the tone (Brighter) for something like that.
Personally, that's my favorite use for that mic stock so far
@@ProHomeStudio Talking the Pyle?
@@alphanumeric1529 yes
Any insight into how you got that guitar sound?
It's compressed DI track via a 1176 clone before it goes out to the reamp box. 5-7 dB gain reduction, with fast-ish release, 4 to 1 most likely. From there it goes stait in to a Reissue Bassman '59 amp. No pedals. Bright channel is connected into the normal channel. Reamp feed went into Normal channel. Presence 1, Middle 9, Bass 5, Treble 3, Vol of Bright channel was 9.5 out of 12. Vol of normal channel was 9 out of 12.
Ahhhh I'm so glad you mentioned the Bassman was a reissue. Not long ago I watched someone unbox an original they got, and it piqued my interest but knew the cost of any in decent shape was out of my league... like way, way out. Reissue is still costly, but sounds well worth it.
Thanks for the details, just as informative and helpful as all the vids. Keep up the good work, you're awesome!
the stock pyle is amazing. these things are thrown to the wasteside because of their price, but look again..
I’ve been doing this for 2 years!! Been my secret weapon.
Ricky Brenay The secret's out of the bag now!
Woooooah.
I don't hate it. It's a flavor that could be useful in context or on certain sources.
Oddly enough, on the Bassman I kinda liked the regular old 57 best. For a long time I thought I just hated a close 57 on guitar amp s, but lately I'm kinda feeling it. Maybe my hearing is changing as I age? 😆
Yeah well it's a sound that seems to always work, but it may not always be the most interesting one perhaps. I really liked the 421 on the guitar in this video, as it just has the huge body to it. But of coarse we were hearing some bright mics so it's all in perspective.
@@creativesoundlab I was thinking the same when the 421 clip started,and was then pleasantly surprised by the 57.
For toms it's kinda killer hahah. For guitars - hard pass tho
The 421, not known for good sound rejection, still is miles beyond the pyle. There's also a huge difference in the perceived "size" of the sound with both the 57 and 421 being in a whole other ballpark than the Pyle. Another thing the 57 & 421 have going for them is how they take eq...
I get it, people really want this Pyle to be a huge steal... but the Pyle is great IF it's all you got, can afford... and that's it. Aweome video though. Thanks for doing it. Interesting test for sure.
Aside from the video; I think the 421 is over rated. Its basically the same flavor as an SM 57. But has a higher output by nature. I’m just wondering what others would say about this.
EQ the Pyle and save a ton of money
Sm57 and 421 on a guitar amp.. Such a fat sound.
The Pyle just sounds thin to me.
Remember, you've almost always got to pull low end out of most elements of a mix. Why not get it right at the mic? An idea.
The more experience I get, the more convinced I am that if you can’t make it work with a 57, most of the times, it’s your fault...
Yeah, but I've never gotten much out of the kick drum with a 57. That's a tough one.
True that. But then again, that´s one particular use, and with mic placement and some pulteq-style plugin, should be quite close...
You have a good point. I wasn't even considering EQ. I should do a hole song w four 57s and my pultec clones and make a video.
That would be AWESOME!
aaaaand the SM57 wins AGAIN!
Yeah it's solid
Stockpile
Every 57 cheapo copy I’ve ever used is a pile (pyle) of crap. Handling noise and they’re omnidirectional or a ridiculously bad cardiod. Just use a 57
Honestly not a fan of this mod it just makes thing sound harsher
I hear really no diff at all ur talkin about sound waves that people cant tell its never the mic u use its the sound u put in it that makes it right u can use a kerioki mic and mak a mit song its the song not the mics
Just keep practicing and listening.
@@creativesoundlab i want to make a home studio how many channels do i need and what do i need on the cheap to record and what do u recomend for recording
modded pyle is definitly better than 421 its obvious for 421 there is no harmonics in the highs , thats because it sounds muddy , and it cant be fixed by eq cause there is no harmonics there, its bad. u can tweak the modded pyle and make it sound like 421 and make the bass more prominent but u cant do it with 421. i tried eqing these samples and its just awful, at least in tom test . there is no competition for that, its a better mic of course the modded version .... do u still use the modded version ,,,????
You are making a rooky mistake. You should be using the SAME PERFORMANCE to make a correct comparison. So I give this comparison a FAIL. Try it again using proper testing methodology.
that makes the 421 sound like shit
Honestly to me. All you need to worry about with drums is removing the mud. no one actually listens to drums, the only people that do are drummers. if they're on time and sit nice and tight back in the mix. No one cares. I'll never spend money on expensive drum mics if I'm tracking live drums.