⏬ SPECIFICATION COMPARISON CHART & HI-RES AUDIO FILES ⏬ edthorne.com/exclusive-content Become a member of my website (for FREE) to access this content.
It is SO great to finally see someone doing a mic comparison who actually understands how to do a mic comparison. Too many people just put 2-3 mics in front of them and then cut between them as they talk, with no regard for how some words will be harsher than others, not to mention differing emphasis, volume, pitch, or even the angle at which they're talking into the mic. It can often be hard to tell how much of the differences are the mic vs the operator, which defeats the entire purpose. It's extremely refreshing to see someone who understands that works and to eliminate as many variables as possible to ensure that identical sounds hit the mics in identical ways as much as possible so that the differences will be from the mics themselves.
Just copped a SD-1. Was looking at the SM7DB, but $250 vs $500(sd-1 is 50 bucks off rn), so went with the cheaper option. Can’t go wrong with either imo. Great vid!
I personally LOVE my sm7b. I have used it for years but I really liked the sound of the SD1. that with the new mic modeling that you can use to shape the tone it might be worth buying.
I definitely preferred the SD-1 overall, followed by the SM57, especially on vocals and guitar. I closed my eyes during the test to remove visual obstructions and I could tell each sample and every time the Dynocaster was played I did not like it. The Dynocaster muffled everything and made the cymbals sound dead and tiny. I assume it could be fixed in post, but in my humble opinion it is best to get things right at the source and in the beginning, therefore making the task easier rather than more difficult.
Thank you. It’s a good mic for many applications. I really want to try the Earthworks Icon but they won’t send me one sooo… no-one will know how it sounds 🤦🏼♂️
Good video. However, I'm probably not the only one who was frustrated to have the dynacaster sandwiched between the two mics I wanted to compare. It's hard to accurately seek different times in youtube to skip the dynacaster. The dynacaster didn't fare well here, and having a muffled lofi sound in between the SD-1 and SM7B takes messes up the comparison part of the brain.
Glad you're is putting so much effort in these tests! I'm not fond of the guitar micing test: even though the mics are positioned in the same distance around the speaker's center, in my experience no two positions in front of a guitar cab speaker sound the same. If you want a fair comparison, record a guitar part, and record the part reamped and with every mic in the exact same position. That way it's more comparable An additional test finding each mics sweet spot on the cab would be nice as well. You did so with the sE drum mics for example, which I really liked, where you played the drums while angeling the mic to showcase the different sounds. Why not doing that with guitar cabs as well? Glad you're doing the work you do! Cheers
Thanks. That's a good shout on the re-amping idea for the guitar. We tried lots of different positions, but the Dynacaster still sounded bad, so I decided it was just the mic on that source. It's interesting how they all excelled on different sources though.
@@EdThorne And that's exactly what I would want to see :) would be great to see and hear you micing the cab with the mic but not being able to find a spot you like. that way we can follow the process and decide if we'd be in a similar position
@@drumsmichael I’m sure some people would find that interesting but I think the video is long enough as it is. From a video performance and audience retention POV I have to make decisions what content to prioritise. I’d say that’s more of a recording technique tutorial than comparison information.
Hello dear friends. First of all Bruce S. was recorded Sm7 on Thriller. Sm7 and Sm7B mics are so different. But Sm7b is a fantastic mic ever. I think ; SE is more colored and this is’nt musically. SD1 is cool, but sm7b is warm and low mids are more stable.
Thank you for a thorough and detailed explanation you put on for the comparisons. Although sound is subjective for everyone, it is helpful for me making decisions for my purchase. Thanks bro!!!
UA have done crazy amounts of Hemisphere of on/off axis/model profiling. I haven’t used it with my SD-1. It’s a solid mic all round. I use the Dynacaster atm for my voice overs and podcast now though 🫣
or just get the t.bone BC 500 .. same as SD-1. Just a bi different tuning. Nothing some simple EQ cannot match. At 1/4 the cost. Its the same mic, just a different mount.
sorry but all these people raving about the dynacaster as being a sm7b killer must have bad ears. The sm7b has more grit and warmth. People try to imitate it but can't recreate it's legendary sound signature. As much as I want something to dethrone it at a more affordable price bracket, we aren't there yet.
I just bought this mic but mine seems to have some issues. The first thing I noticed is the relatively high background hiss I hear when recording something with it plugged into my Goxlr mini. I made sure to match the output volume with my Rode Podmic (they ended up needing the exact same amount of gain to have the same output volume) and I found that the Podmic has practically no background hiss in comparison. I then tried to activate the built in dynamite to see if that would help. I turned on phantom power on my Goxlr, matched the output volume as close as possible and found that the background hiss is now a little less (though still a little more than the Podmic), but then another problem arose. The Dynacaster now distorts when the recorded sound gets too loud even though the meter in my recording software (and the Goxlr itself) tell me the mic isn't clipping (far from it actually). Seems like I'm overdriving the capsule even though I didn't have this problem with the dynamite turned off. Now I'm wondering if I should return the mic to get a new one or if this is normal. Hope someone can help me out!
@@EdThorne so does it have a flat frequency response without the switches thats what imt rying to understand..cause these microphones have huge spectral differences and i dont see the reason unless they have built in eqs
@@EdThorne Well you did mention warrens produce like a pro about 10 times that would be $50 each for each mention 😝. Cheers from across the pond. Watching from Kansas City. I am about to call sweetwater and buy the SD-1 for vocals Would you recommend the Se or the SD-1? You have a new subscriber
⏬ SPECIFICATION COMPARISON CHART & HI-RES AUDIO FILES ⏬
edthorne.com/exclusive-content
Become a member of my website (for FREE) to access this content.
It is SO great to finally see someone doing a mic comparison who actually understands how to do a mic comparison.
Too many people just put 2-3 mics in front of them and then cut between them as they talk, with no regard for how some words will be harsher than others, not to mention differing emphasis, volume, pitch, or even the angle at which they're talking into the mic.
It can often be hard to tell how much of the differences are the mic vs the operator, which defeats the entire purpose.
It's extremely refreshing to see someone who understands that works and to eliminate as many variables as possible to ensure that identical sounds hit the mics in identical ways as much as possible so that the differences will be from the mics themselves.
Thanks. I’m glad someone appreciates my hard work🙂🤘
That Dynacaster sounds absolutely fantastic on Hi-Hat, so clean compared to the other two mics. Also surprised how well these mics sound on snare.
Yeh, man!
Super video as always Ed! Absolute pro. How a TV station hasn't picked you up is beyond me! Keep up the great work!
Haha. You’re very kind. I’ll let you know my secret in private 😜
Solid work here Ed. Mic reviews are tough. Many of us who do this agree. Some great work here and a solid resource for your viewers. Cool mics too ;)
Thanks, Dan. Yeh, hopefully, it's solid evergreen content. Kinda what I'm primarily focussing on these days.
Just copped a SD-1. Was looking at the SM7DB, but $250 vs $500(sd-1 is 50 bucks off rn), so went with the cheaper option. Can’t go wrong with either imo. Great vid!
Good choice!
I personally LOVE my sm7b. I have used it for years but I really liked the sound of the SD1. that with the new mic modeling that you can use to shape the tone it might be worth buying.
S.E when Boosted on low end, vocals were buttery creamy, I want Shure SM7 like bad habit, but need the S.E based on price, Hmmm nice Vid.
Crimson Audio 7UP ...... if you have an SM7b already you gotta try one. Makes the SM7b shine and it was specifically made for it.
I definitely preferred the SD-1 overall, followed by the SM57, especially on vocals and guitar. I closed my eyes during the test to remove visual obstructions and I could tell each sample and every time the Dynocaster was played I did not like it. The Dynocaster muffled everything and made the cymbals sound dead and tiny. I assume it could be fixed in post, but in my humble opinion it is best to get things right at the source and in the beginning, therefore making the task easier rather than more difficult.
Absolutely, the best source audio possible is key.
Fantastic video and great channel man, incredible work. I really enjoyed this video. The SD1 has a peculiar sound that was sometimes hard to predict
Thank you. It’s a good mic for many applications. I really want to try the Earthworks Icon but they won’t send me one sooo… no-one will know how it sounds 🤦🏼♂️
In the Snare drum test there it’s something interesting, the SM7B and the Dynacaster are recording a resonance that it’s not present in the SD1
Good video. However, I'm probably not the only one who was frustrated to have the dynacaster sandwiched between the two mics I wanted to compare. It's hard to accurately seek different times in youtube to skip the dynacaster. The dynacaster didn't fare well here, and having a muffled lofi sound in between the SD-1 and SM7B takes messes up the comparison part of the brain.
I dunno, that dynacaster at no point really did it for me. Goes back and forth from SD to 7b for me, but with the price point... SD it is!
I’m using the SD-1 full time now because of the lower gain requirements and therefor lower noise floor.
@@EdThorne makes sense! why use a dynamic to lose the untreated space only to crank the gain til you got it anyway
Glad you're is putting so much effort in these tests!
I'm not fond of the guitar micing test: even though the mics are positioned in the same distance around the speaker's center, in my experience no two positions in front of a guitar cab speaker sound the same. If you want a fair comparison, record a guitar part, and record the part reamped and with every mic in the exact same position. That way it's more comparable
An additional test finding each mics sweet spot on the cab would be nice as well. You did so with the sE drum mics for example, which I really liked, where you played the drums while angeling the mic to showcase the different sounds. Why not doing that with guitar cabs as well?
Glad you're doing the work you do! Cheers
Thanks. That's a good shout on the re-amping idea for the guitar. We tried lots of different positions, but the Dynacaster still sounded bad, so I decided it was just the mic on that source. It's interesting how they all excelled on different sources though.
@@EdThorne And that's exactly what I would want to see :) would be great to see and hear you micing the cab with the mic but not being able to find a spot you like. that way we can follow the process and decide if we'd be in a similar position
@@drumsmichael I’m sure some people would find that interesting but I think the video is long enough as it is. From a video performance and audience retention POV I have to make decisions what content to prioritise. I’d say that’s more of a recording technique tutorial than comparison information.
Hello dear friends.
First of all Bruce S. was recorded Sm7 on Thriller.
Sm7 and Sm7B mics are so different.
But Sm7b is a fantastic mic ever.
I think ;
SE is more colored and this is’nt musically.
SD1 is cool, but sm7b is warm and low mids are more stable.
SD1 for the win for me
Yeh, it’s nice!
Awesome review!! Really helpful! Thanks 🙏
I'm glad it was useful 🙂 Update, I'm now using the Dynacaster for my videos and Podcast (having used the SD-1 for a while).
After using them for about 2 months I like the sm7b and the dynacaster. The SD-1 just sounds to harsh on the high end to my ears.
I never liked the "trendy" SM7b. So many better options out there.
It's popular because it works. Not trendy. Decently priced. Good for noisy surroundings and always consistent. Used on countless albums.
Thank you for a thorough and detailed explanation you put on for the comparisons. Although sound is subjective for everyone, it is helpful for me making decisions for my purchase. Thanks bro!!!
You’re very welcome. I’m glad the video was helpful 🙂
the uad sd1 is basically a rebranded MUSIC VILLA MV-3
sm7b still the winner for vocal for me
for instrument i prefer other mic from all these 3
@EdThorne: What are you thoughts about the Universal Audio SD-1 in light of the release of the new Hemisphere plugin?
UA have done crazy amounts of Hemisphere of on/off axis/model profiling. I haven’t used it with my SD-1. It’s a solid mic all round. I use the Dynacaster atm for my voice overs and podcast now though 🫣
or just get the t.bone BC 500 .. same as SD-1. Just a bi different tuning. Nothing some simple EQ cannot match. At 1/4 the cost. Its the same mic, just a different mount.
sorry but all these people raving about the dynacaster as being a sm7b killer must have bad ears. The sm7b has more grit and warmth. People try to imitate it but can't recreate it's legendary sound signature. As much as I want something to dethrone it at a more affordable price bracket, we aren't there yet.
I’m inclined to agree.
Nah
SE
I just bought this mic but mine seems to have some issues. The first thing I noticed is the relatively high background hiss I hear when recording something with it plugged into my Goxlr mini. I made sure to match the output volume with my Rode Podmic (they ended up needing the exact same amount of gain to have the same output volume) and I found that the Podmic has practically no background hiss in comparison.
I then tried to activate the built in dynamite to see if that would help. I turned on phantom power on my Goxlr, matched the output volume as close as possible and found that the background hiss is now a little less (though still a little more than the Podmic), but then another problem arose. The Dynacaster now distorts when the recorded sound gets too loud even though the meter in my recording software (and the Goxlr itself) tell me the mic isn't clipping (far from it actually). Seems like I'm overdriving the capsule even though I didn't have this problem with the dynamite turned off.
Now I'm wondering if I should return the mic to get a new one or if this is normal. Hope someone can help me out!
What happened to your Wa2a?
I still have it, it’s in a side car rack to make space for some 500 series gear
Shure sm7b ❤️
Check out the new SM7DB! Active version of the 7b
Why no podmic?
Good question. It's quite considerably cheaper so I doubt it would compete with these mics.
Less self-promotion?
More business awareness?
SM7B still rules.
Se dynacaster IS beter + preamp -€€€
if money is tight. the SD-1 is the one to go. literally close for 100 less.
i dont get it does the uA mic have a built in eq that you cannot switch off?
The mic has two dip switches: Flat/High pass, and flat/presence boost.
@@EdThorne so does it have a flat frequency response without the switches thats what imt rying to understand..cause these microphones have huge spectral differences and i dont see the reason unless they have built in eqs
@@gughffhhghgghghgg1690 you can set both dip switches to flat - making it a flat EQ
@@EdThorne yes did you record them flat?? if so how do they sound so different espesially the dynacster
@@gughffhhghgghghgg1690 All recorded flat, except on vocals. I say all this in the video.
Shure SM7b sad shit next to the sE DynaCaster.
It wasn’t Michael Jackson’s choice . It was Bruce Swedien his engineer and or Quincy jones the producer
Fair comment
And it wasn’t the SM7b, was the SM7 .
NERDS! 😂
Produce like a pro needs to pay you right away.
What for? I do work with them for my podcast and the odd video🤘
@@EdThorne Well you did mention warrens produce like a pro about 10 times that would be $50 each for each mention 😝. Cheers from across the pond. Watching from Kansas City. I am about to call sweetwater and buy the SD-1 for vocals Would you recommend the Se or the SD-1? You have a new subscriber
I mentioned the podcast I do, yeh. I prefer the SS-1, Paul prefers his SE Dynamite.