I love it when mic designs are crafty on the inside. It's almost like a vintage watch. Outside some boutique mic shops, barely anyone is doing that anymore.
Thank you, this is very useful. I was looking specifically for a high quality conference/event microphone that captures the voice well, so it's a positive that the proximity effect is reduced as inexperienced people will be handling it. The alternative was the Neumann KMS 105 which perhaps sounds marginally better, but is said to have much more proximity effect. I agree that the SR40V sounds amazing.
You are very good at reviewing mics. It's the honesty that got my watch the whole video through. I am not saying you are not entertaining to watch but people who watch reviews like this should pay more attention to the critiques from people with knowledge about what being reviewed. I particularly don't like reviews that repeating what the manufacturer said about their product. I need an honest opinion even if it's subjective. And you delivered it. I really appreciated the info. Nice work and thank you!
Hello everyone from Russia! I wanted to say thank you very much for the great work you are doing. I admire your timbre, thanks to it many microphones sound better and show their best side. I myself own an e965, but now I’m trying to choose between the e945 and KSM8, sometimes I also look at the KSM9, but this one is the same 965. The problem is that it's hard to tune the 965 live, and I want to keep the tone low for the listeners. There is another 58 betta, but I don’t like it at all. I only take it as a backup microphone. Thanks again!
I didn’t have time to watch this video in one sit down, but I’m sure glad that I had time here and there to watch the whole review. Best microphone review I’ve ever watched.
love to watch you! like no other gear talk !! its obscene to be so fascinated by gear! i still feel a bit ashamed when I'm into gear! but with you its pure joy!!! italian leather!!!!!! thanks ! btw i bought the earthworks and I'm extremely happy with it! and i removed the grill already !!!!
Outstanding reviews. One learns so much from these. Would love to see a comparison of the Shure KSM9 to the Earthworks SRV40 (and Neumann KMS105). Thanks
So gooooood, nice to see someone relaxed and relatable with knowledge. Also reminds me of Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords which is a large positive there for me.... I play with my band mainly on electric guitar whilst singing and use multiple pedals including vocal effects pedals. I'm hoping the KSM8 will work for me as I'm looking down a lot and then up and jumping around and my vocal technique is sometimes not at the forefront...Im going to dive in I think, move on from the SM58 and SM57 I usually use
As you were testing this microphone I could see your un-comfort with the pattern, and distance, compared to what you normally use. I feel your pain as, I have learned to work my live and studio vocal microphones, and I know them well, and the KSM8 through me for a loop. It took me a few hours of working with it till I found that if you back up a bit (about 4 inches), and gain up the preamp, the mic comes into it's own. And from that distance, with the right gain, the sweet spot is bigger, and the proximity effect is really controllable, you can move 45 degrees to the left and right without a significant drop in volume or tone. As for the handling noise, I have been working 250 gigs a year with a Beta 87a, and I can say without a doubt, compared to that mic, the KSM has higher handling noise and is way more susceptible to plosives. I think these are true short comings on this mic. All that said, while you were complimenting your Earthworks microphone, a fine one indeed, I felt the Shure bested it in tone for certain parts of your voice, especially when you were saying it wasn't giving you enough low end, because when you were in the right spot the KSM8 sounded great. And on your outro song the tone was totally balanced as you were using your ears to find the right spot. The first hour I spent with the KSM8 almost mirrored your experience note for note, but now my opinion is changing. With this mic comes a learning curve, and as I mentioned, one of the keys is preamp gain, as in, solo the channel with the mic at about 4 to 5 inches away to optimize it, as un-natural as that may seem. The low-end will be much more defined. I really like your channel, but I thought in this case you might, like to compare notes to what I've found. I am a professional full-time musician. with professional production/engineering skills, and I own many upper end (+$3000) microphones and preamps so don't think this is coming from a 13 year old you tuber with his first mic and computer:)
Thanks for your comments and observations, it's always good to have another opinion/experience. I like the KSM8 but think it a pity it's so expensive, that alone will put many people off.
@danielweldon I totally agree with you. When i first used it i thought it had a beautiful depth to it but lacked a consistency when moving positions. However recently i turned up the volume and used it and was totally blown away with the response. The depth and clarity is incredible but the plosives can be a bit of a problem. I've cut an extra foam piece in and it's helped a lot. I really think it's a beautiful mic and once a few minor issues are sorted it's definitely a winner
Very interesting mic. Shure really has stepped away from the old SM58 sound... it sounds smooth, and detailed enough for most people, although whether it will tempt the "belters" away, I doubt, but an interesting development. I can see this maybe appealing to jazz vocalists, and many other styles where "grit" is not the main requisite. Yet another well made review of an intriguing mic.
Wow, I really thought the KSM8 did everything well for your voice, very natural and present without exaggerating anything. You might have to work a bit harder to get an overcooked bass proximity effect, but there's enough there for most sane purposes. I want one!
great review, I have the utmost respect for the SM58, but these 2 mics made it sound cheap and nasty. They have done a good job on the shure with the bottom end roll off, I thought it was just part of nature the proximity effect. Sound rejection from the sides and back looked pretty impressive also. Have you compared this with the Neuman KMS 5? The Neuman is slightly cheaper in price. Great review, you have a new subscriber.
Aarifah holding the mic to the side at an angle so that breath can escape without hitting the mic grill thus controlling plosives. The voice is captured but not the breath.
It’s thin and back, and becomes boomy and so proximate it’s almost in your head when close. Looking at the sine wave phasing, I saw why. Going off axis fixed some of the muddy boom, but the phasing got worse. We hot rid of ours after 3 weeks, as it was way too quirky. We are currently evaluating an Earthworks 314 and so far like it a lot better.
@@xavibsa I couldn't agree more. They are very different in many ways. However, outside of price, which can be a limiting factor in many situations, the architecture of the 314 and the SR40V (for example) are high off-axis rejection oriented, making them suitable for many situations where you'd normally have to move to a dynamic like the KSM, a SM58, etc. Obviously, it depends on the singer, sound you are going for and many other factors, but I have used many different mic's over the decades, from Neumann, Shure and SONY to Earthworks, Lewitt and Slate more recently; and from a productivity, flexibility and time saved in mixing and mastering, mics like the Earthworks have saved me so much time and effort-- and thereby money-- that I cannot justify or afford mics that I had to work around before. For example (and it blew me away the first time I experienced it), when I moved over to the DK7 Earthworks mics from Sennheiser, Audix and Shure's, I found I hardly ever have to dial in my drums, and other than saturation, compression and FX (i.e. the creative side of post), I am virtually done once recorded; as I have eliminated the issues with EQ, spill, having to re-trigger, creative side chain fixes, etc. Similarly, being able to move to creative mic choices after the session has made me a HUGE fan of the Slate and Townsend. I wish I could say the same for many of my older architecture mics, or which the KSM8 is in most ways, but I can't. However, just selling a few Neumann's and one C800 paid for a lot of gear that I'm thankfully much more creative and productive with.
@UCuLhDfyiQvXhwyVpC_a9sGA Are you talking about the studio context? It's not the same studio or live context. Anyway look at that singer with the KSM8 and tells me if it's not sound very good. th-cam.com/video/g0KK25lhAbE/w-d-xo.html
@@JaredSchumaier - superior rejection, much better clarity and dynamics than the commonly used Shure SM’s, the Sennheiser e-series, or the EV live dynamic mic’s.
Hello, Anton! I think you make the excellent mic videos! You have a video about Shure KSM8, but your review about Shure KSM9 would be very interesting for me, and for many people!) Will there ever be such a review? Thanks!
PLEASE MAKE A COMPERATION VIDEO FOR CONDENSER MICS LIKE. SHURE KSM9/ NEUMANN KMS105/ DPA D FACTO II ELEGANCE. IF YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THEM. THANK YOU, YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST!!!!
Hey Mr Browne...Trinidad and Tobago here again....what do you connect your dynamic mics to for clean gain...I ask, because it's a know fact, that dynamic mics require a great deal of gain to be heard clearly....but there is the issue of self noise , preamp noise floor , when the gain us too high.....so I really need to know from you, what do you use to get that clean , noise-free sound from dynamic misc, without post processing....and....what type of mixer is that you are using
Hi Antoine, I don't find it a problem as most gear since the 80s has plenty of gain for all modern low impedance dynamics - even ribbons are catered for, albeit with gain at maximum. We are entering an era of dynamic mics with neodymium magnets and these have a higher output but nobody is making stuff that an SM58 can't drive as that would be folly. I use run-of-the-mill Mackie stuff as 'Sound On Sound' reviews say the pre-amps are very good and they know their stuff - they sound good to me too. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, yours and Trinbago.
Hello, Anton. Would you recommend KSM8 for voice over? I have a Neumann TLM102 but the room reflections are making it hard to work with. Cannot treat the room because I'm renting. Thank you.
It's er, nice but not 500 bucks worth of nice ;) I too like to use that bit of that proximity - intimacy... Which it's still got a bit OF but ... Hmmm You really like that Earthworks, don't you ?
Pick up a good condition Beyerdynamic M88 (not TG) and you'll have highs to 20 KHz and bass to 30 Hz with proximity (though you'll need to be careful). Job done!
@@AntonBrowne Gadzooks! Mic hints - I'm rebuilding from near nohting right now after vicious illegal eviction, lost some NICE stuff - so its fixing busted 57's and the odd Chinese Condenser here - but I'll keep my eye out for one - thanks!
I love it when mic designs are crafty on the inside. It's almost like a vintage watch.
Outside some boutique mic shops, barely anyone is doing that anymore.
What a review, what a dude, what a mic hahaha best review. Thank you for existing and explaining in such detail and clarity!
My pleasure!
You are, I think, my favorite person.
PandaThiefChannel +1 (seems a great idea to study singing with such a coach)
You are the best Mr. Antone. Every single mic review that I've seen from you covers all the problems with mic. Great!
Glad you like them!
Thank you, this is very useful. I was looking specifically for a high quality conference/event microphone that captures the voice well, so it's a positive that the proximity effect is reduced as inexperienced people will be handling it.
The alternative was the Neumann KMS 105 which perhaps sounds marginally better, but is said to have much more proximity effect. I agree that the SR40V sounds amazing.
You are very good at reviewing mics. It's the honesty that got my watch the whole video through. I am not saying you are not entertaining to watch but people who watch reviews like this should pay more attention to the critiques from people with knowledge about what being reviewed. I particularly don't like reviews that repeating what the manufacturer said about their product. I need an honest opinion even if it's subjective. And you delivered it. I really appreciated the info. Nice work and thank you!
Hello everyone from Russia! I wanted to say thank you very much for the great work you are doing. I admire your timbre, thanks to it many microphones sound better and show their best side. I myself own an e965, but now I’m trying to choose between the e945 and KSM8, sometimes I also look at the KSM9, but this one is the same 965.
The problem is that it's hard to tune the 965 live, and I want to keep the tone low for the listeners. There is another 58 betta, but I don’t like it at all. I only take it as a backup microphone. Thanks again!
I didn’t have time to watch this video in one sit down, but I’m sure glad that I had time here and there to watch the whole review.
Best microphone review I’ve ever watched.
I think I like the ksm8, proximity effect reduction suits your voice as it's already deep and bassy.
love to watch you! like no other gear talk !! its obscene to be so fascinated by gear! i still feel a bit ashamed when I'm into gear!
but with you its pure joy!!! italian leather!!!!!! thanks !
btw i bought the earthworks and I'm extremely happy with it!
and i removed the grill already !!!!
omg, so I just found this channel, not only are you awesome, great voice, great reviews but man, even a MS trackball explorer?!!!?.... just amazing!
Outstanding reviews. One learns so much from these. Would love to see a comparison of the Shure KSM9 to the Earthworks SRV40 (and Neumann KMS105). Thanks
Standing Ovation Sir you got Class and talent !!!
that was probably the best review vid I've seen . You're too cool . Thanks Mr Browne
If I was able to create a super special awesome uncle, you would be the one 😂 You're very entertaining while giving a perfect comparison review, thnx!
Thanks! 😃
This was amazing, thanks for the review! Great singing! Would love to have some vocal lessons with you, your students are lucky! :)
So gooooood, nice to see someone relaxed and relatable with knowledge.
Also reminds me of Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords which is a large positive there for me....
I play with my band mainly on electric guitar whilst singing and use multiple pedals including vocal effects pedals. I'm hoping the KSM8 will work for me as I'm looking down a lot and then up and jumping around and my vocal technique is sometimes not at the forefront...Im going to dive in I think, move on from the SM58 and SM57 I usually use
Fantastic microphone comparison / review.
As you were testing this microphone I could see your un-comfort with the pattern, and distance, compared to what you normally use. I feel your pain as, I have learned to work my live and studio vocal microphones, and I know them well, and the KSM8 through me for a loop. It took me a few hours of working with it till I found that if you back up a bit (about 4 inches), and gain up the preamp, the mic comes into it's own. And from that distance, with the right gain, the sweet spot is bigger, and the proximity effect is really controllable, you can move 45 degrees to the left and right without a significant drop in volume or tone. As for the handling noise, I have been working 250 gigs a year with a Beta 87a, and I can say without a doubt, compared to that mic, the KSM has higher handling noise and is way more susceptible to plosives. I think these are true short comings on this mic.
All that said, while you were complimenting your Earthworks microphone, a fine one indeed, I felt the Shure bested it in tone for certain parts of your voice, especially when you were saying it wasn't giving you enough low end, because when you were in the right spot the KSM8 sounded great. And on your outro song the tone was totally balanced as you were using your ears to find the right spot.
The first hour I spent with the KSM8 almost mirrored your experience note for note, but now my opinion is changing. With this mic comes a learning curve, and as I mentioned, one of the keys is preamp gain, as in, solo the channel with the mic at about 4 to 5 inches away to optimize it, as un-natural as that may seem. The low-end will be much more defined.
I really like your channel, but I thought in this case you might, like to compare notes to what I've found. I am a professional full-time musician. with professional production/engineering skills, and I own many upper end (+$3000) microphones and preamps so don't think this is coming from a 13 year old you tuber with his first mic and computer:)
Thanks for your comments and observations, it's always good to have another opinion/experience. I like the KSM8 but think it a pity it's so expensive, that alone will put many people off.
I agree, Shure just dropped the price $100 on the KSM8, but that’s still $150 more than the Beta87A.
@danielweldon I totally agree with you. When i first used it i thought it had a beautiful depth to it but lacked a consistency when moving positions. However recently i turned up the volume and used it and was totally blown away with the response. The depth and clarity is incredible but the plosives can be a bit of a problem. I've cut an extra foam piece in and it's helped a lot. I really think it's a beautiful mic and once a few minor issues are sorted it's definitely a winner
Very interesting mic. Shure really has stepped away from the old SM58 sound... it sounds smooth, and detailed enough for most people, although whether it will tempt the "belters" away, I doubt, but an interesting development. I can see this maybe appealing to jazz vocalists, and many other styles where "grit" is not the main requisite. Yet another well made review of an intriguing mic.
Thank u so much for your effort making this video so informative,, Happy New Year🥳
Your reviews are always fantastic! Thanks
You sipping the wine with the monocle is the Godliest thing i've ever seen.
a wonderful video, a luxury experience of black knitwear and matt blank metal highlighting. sumptuous.
The KSM 8 sounds great on you! Man, maby I should get rid of my backup mics (sm58) and get a ksm8. My main vocal mic atm is the Sennheiser e965.
Wow, I really thought the KSM8 did everything well for your voice, very natural and present without exaggerating anything. You might have to work a bit harder to get an overcooked bass proximity effect, but there's enough there for most sane purposes. I want one!
great review, I have the utmost respect for the SM58, but these 2 mics made it sound cheap and nasty. They have done a good job on the shure with the bottom end roll off, I thought it was just part of nature the proximity effect. Sound rejection from the sides and back looked pretty impressive also. Have you compared this with the Neuman KMS 5? The Neuman is slightly cheaper in price. Great review, you have a new subscriber.
Good idea for a comparison, thanks.
Awesome monacle!
Thanks, but never mind the monocle (simply half a pair of glasses), was the review helpful?
@@AntonBrowne Yes, I purchased an SR40V.
VERY nicely done. Thanks!!
I dig the monocle!
Anyone knows what microphone technique video he references at 13:25?
Aarifah holding the mic to the side at an angle so that breath can escape without hitting the mic grill thus controlling plosives. The voice is captured but not the breath.
Thank you. By you taking it apart it i was able to spot a fake before I pirchased.
It’s thin and back, and becomes boomy and so proximate it’s almost in your head when close. Looking at the sine wave phasing, I saw why. Going off axis fixed some of the muddy boom, but the phasing got worse. We hot rid of ours after 3 weeks, as it was way too quirky. We are currently evaluating an Earthworks 314 and so far like it a lot better.
You can't compare both mics.Ksm8 is dynamic and cost half of the SR314 that is condenser.
@@xavibsa I couldn't agree more.
They are very different in many ways. However, outside of price, which can be a limiting factor in many situations, the architecture of the 314 and the SR40V (for example) are high off-axis rejection oriented, making them suitable for many situations where you'd normally have to move to a dynamic like the KSM, a SM58, etc. Obviously, it depends on the singer, sound you are going for and many other factors, but I have used many different mic's over the decades, from Neumann, Shure and SONY to Earthworks, Lewitt and Slate more recently; and from a productivity, flexibility and time saved in mixing and mastering, mics like the Earthworks have saved me so much time and effort-- and thereby money-- that I cannot justify or afford mics that I had to work around before.
For example (and it blew me away the first time I experienced it), when I moved over to the DK7 Earthworks mics from Sennheiser, Audix and Shure's, I found I hardly ever have to dial in my drums, and other than saturation, compression and FX (i.e. the creative side of post), I am virtually done once recorded; as I have eliminated the issues with EQ, spill, having to re-trigger, creative side chain fixes, etc. Similarly, being able to move to creative mic choices after the session has made me a HUGE fan of the Slate and Townsend. I wish I could say the same for many of my older architecture mics, or which the KSM8 is in most ways, but I can't. However, just selling a few Neumann's and one C800 paid for a lot of gear that I'm thankfully much more creative and productive with.
@UCuLhDfyiQvXhwyVpC_a9sGA Are you talking about the studio context? It's not the same studio or live context. Anyway look at that singer with the KSM8 and tells me if it's not sound very good.
th-cam.com/video/g0KK25lhAbE/w-d-xo.html
@@amdenis how is the SR40V in live situations?
@@JaredSchumaier - superior rejection, much better clarity and dynamics than the commonly used Shure SM’s, the Sennheiser e-series, or the EV live dynamic mic’s.
Great review I need a live mic and this has help tremendously than you sir and than you Mr. Manual, brings it home!
I think I have a mic addiction , I could buy them all day long 🤪
Kenny same here lol
@@Dylanklinemusic ha ha must be the best kind of addiction to have
Kenny agreed haha!
How is the feedback vs SM58 ?
Hello, Anton! I think you make the excellent mic videos! You have a video about Shure KSM8, but your review about Shure KSM9 would be very interesting for me, and for many people!) Will there ever be such a review? Thanks!
Great product!!!!
Nice mic.
PLEASE MAKE A COMPERATION VIDEO FOR CONDENSER MICS LIKE. SHURE KSM9/ NEUMANN KMS105/ DPA D FACTO II ELEGANCE. IF YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THEM.
THANK YOU, YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST!!!!
Wow I got an ASMR effect from the talking part!
So Cool !!
That was so Cool
Hey Mr Browne...Trinidad and Tobago here again....what do you connect your dynamic mics to for clean gain...I ask, because it's a know fact, that dynamic mics require a great deal of gain to be heard clearly....but there is the issue of self noise , preamp noise floor , when the gain us too high.....so I really need to know from you, what do you use to get that clean , noise-free sound from dynamic misc, without post processing....and....what type of mixer is that you are using
Hi Antoine, I don't find it a problem as most gear since the 80s has plenty of gain for all modern low impedance dynamics - even ribbons are catered for, albeit with gain at maximum. We are entering an era of dynamic mics with neodymium magnets and these have a higher output but nobody is making stuff that an SM58 can't drive as that would be folly. I use run-of-the-mill Mackie stuff as 'Sound On Sound' reviews say the pre-amps are very good and they know their stuff - they sound good to me too.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, yours and Trinbago.
Sir where does the battery go ?
Hello, Anton. Would you recommend KSM8 for voice over? I have a Neumann TLM102 but the room reflections are making it hard to work with. Cannot treat the room because I'm renting. Thank you.
What mic pre are you using?
good info
sounds like a mic they use at the bbc, it has that radio broadcast quality je ne sais quois
It's er, nice but not 500 bucks worth of nice ;)
I too like to use that bit of that proximity - intimacy... Which it's still got a bit OF but ... Hmmm
You really like that Earthworks, don't you ?
Pick up a good condition Beyerdynamic M88 (not TG) and you'll have highs to 20 KHz and bass to 30 Hz with proximity (though you'll need to be careful). Job done!
@@AntonBrowne Gadzooks! Mic hints - I'm rebuilding from near nohting right now after vicious illegal eviction, lost some NICE stuff - so its fixing busted 57's and the odd Chinese Condenser here - but I'll keep my eye out for one - thanks!
Would be interesting to see how you choose your women!!! I swear a few one line jokes like Jimmy Carr and you would beat him hands down!!
can u do telefuken m80 what do u think of that mic mr manual
Easy to feedback and sounds thin and way too bright. Had to send it back as it didn’t work well in live situations.
Edgy and spiky is good...
Picks up earthworks speaks super low into it “Authority.”
is a mic. female?? you say she!!
english is not my mother tongue !!!!
Hi Mario, it's an English thing (and maybe other countries too) we refer to cars, boats as 'she'. I think it's a sign of affection/interest.
AB
mario7frankielee this annoys me and I’m English
Peace and love from Bristol, England