Aston Element vs EV re20 vs Shure sm7b vs Neat King Bee vs MXL R80
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- My first impression of the Aston Element was that it was "dark," so I thought I should empirically check that by comparing to other mics. The Neat King Bee was added for flavor. My intention was to add the same processing to all the mics to see if it would make them sound more similar; it did not so I did not include it.
#AstonElement #MicReview
RE20 sounded great. I own three of the mics you compared here, including the SM7B and the Aston Element. I like all three of them for various reasons, applications, and users. The RE20 sounds best for my particular voice. I also use it on acoustic guitars, as I like how it makes them sound due to its behavior and construction. The Element is a bit of a novelty for me right now, since it's the new kid on the block and is getting way more attention than other mics right now! I like Aston, owning 4 different models now. I find them to be an innovative company, pushing the envelope and just being unconventional. Very creative company that makes fine mics with very decent price points. I liked your review. Chill, informative and to the point. Nice.
Thanks so much for taking the time to listen and to comment. I too really like the re20, the element too is a novelty for me. I need to commit to using it so I can really determine it's worth and find a place for it. I have other vids planned, I just need to find the time. Stay tuned . . .
One thing that stikes me is how different the Aston microphone sounds from, well the Aston microphone. Your intro/outro and demo sound completely different. I wouldn't have guessed they were the same microphone had you not mentioned it. Goes to show how different one can sound from one day to the next.
My favorite from the demo is probably either the Element or the SM7B. To me they sound similar and clear and smooth. Least favorites for your voice are the RE20 and the MXL R80. These were just too wooly for your voice.
Thanks so much for listening, watching, and commenting. The introduction can be completely ignored from a quality perspective. As I mentioned at the end of the intro my voice was "roached;" maybe a colloquialism I only use? I meant rough and raspy and used up, so discount the intro. The comparisons, as I mentioned, were all recorded simultaneously so my technique was not great, but the distances were not far off of where I would start with each mic. The room however was crap - that's one of my favorite technical terms. The summary was recorded at the end of the edit, my voice was back and I was in a proper recording space. It does speak to a variety of variables AND I'm new to YT - not new to recording, mics, and broadcasting, but being a YT personality is something I am far from perfecting. I probably should have waited for better conditions, space, voice, time, but I wanted to get something out. Maybe I should do a follow-up? The element is smooth, I need to use it more and figure out an EQ curve that remains smooth and clear. Again thanks for listening and commenting I appreciate it.
Great format for a microphone shootout!
I Really need to re-record this comparison. I recorded all the audio at the same time, but I really think all the mics were not given an equal chance to shine. Not all share the same "sweet spot" and deserve their own placement. and distance to maximize their potential.
The Re20 was amazing, it had less noise than anything else! And it sounds so good
I always thought so . . . Everyone . . . well a lot of people, maybe not everyone . . . likes the "legendary" sm7b? In my experience folks bought the sm7b if they could not afford the re20. I have some re20s that have been at my station since at least the 1980s. I will likely do a review of the rare EV PL10 - the little brother of the RE20. www.coutant.org/evpl10/ Thanks for watching and commenting.
The point I was trying to make above is that if you buy a quality made mic (or anything else) it is an investment that will last a long time - you should not abuse your gear either - I bought my favorite headphones in Reading England in 1983; they are on my desk in the office and are still used.
Element sounds amazing
Thanks for watching and listening. I'm going to redo this comparison with more commentary and explanation - peace.
Element seems to win, and your voice sounds great! Do more reviews, we'll watch.
Thank You! I'm a bit crushed at the moment, but perhaps I'll do more reviews, but I'm not on any mic manufacturers radar, the channel is way too small, so I'll need to review the mics I have. peace
Thanks for doing this. I think several of these mics could benefit from some simple processing, like a HPF.
Oh sure - I picked them because they are all considered "dark" except for the King Bee. My voice is also dark which does not help! I have a tenor I work with and he sounds great on a dark ribbon - evens his sound out. I was looking at some video and found christina aguilera, ray charles, stevie wonder and thom yorke from radiohead all singing into the RE 20! Thanks for watching!
Honestly, since the Element now mostly costs $99, that's what I would probably pay for one. The low end/bass is ridiculously strong, I've heard comparisons to the M160 and that had less low end. A friend of mine cut off all the low end at around 200hz to make it workable, but he doesn't use his for spoken word, more for instruments, for which he likes it. I have another friend who used one as a joke for spoken word and it was just insane.
At a hundred bucks? Sure go nuts, you have a wacky mic to experiment with. I hope Aston makes a Mark II that makes the low end way weaker as that could be a decent microphone.
I had a women at the radio station ask me about the element today; I suggested she try it so I could see how it works on a much higher voice. I am going to review an inline filter soon and the Element will be a good test for it - Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@redcabinacoustic-official Sure, I'll be glad to hear how different voices work on one of these.
I really like your videos man. Very simple and straightforward. You must get a lot of compliments on your voice control. It's fantastic! How long you been in the business for? Would you mind sharing some of the techniques as well as tips and tricks that you're using? Out of the mics in the video, which one you'd say is your favorite? Thank you again!
Thank you for the kind words . . . How long? I've been a sound designer for theatre for over 4 decades - acted a bit in my youth - radio for the last 20 years - I teach film production and broadcasting . . . I will answer other questions in a bit - (a student just dropped in) or start a conversation at www.redcabinacoustic.com Thanks for watching and commenting.
OK, I'm back. I have used the RE20 for radio work and like it for that, I have also used it a bit for narration; the ElectroVoice RE20 is my favorite mic for radio. Of the other mics in the video I've used the NEAT King Bee for commercial Voiceover work. I have used the SM7b for some for a bit of radio production, have not used the MXL R80 on my voice, but have recorded others with it, and the Aston Element has been borrowed by a musician friend since I made the video - so I have not used it since. I want to remake this video with each mic being used to its best advantage - look for that one. peace
@@redcabinacoustic-official I will definitely stay tuned for more! Once again, thank you for such a thorough reply. Cheers!
Crazy how the $99 Neat King Bee stands on its own against microphones and setups 5 times its price. Sigh. The end of an era. Discontinued and no longer in stock. The Neat King Bee sounds even better without the honeycomb pop filter and with a standard mesh pop filter instead.
It really is a good mic, the Worker Bee is also a winner. When I e-mailed them a few months ago asking if the mic was discontinued I got the following reply - although the "Official Announcement" may be different . . . Thanks for watching.
"Thanks for your interest in Neat Microphones!
Due to the overwhelming demand for the King Bee microphone, we are currently out of stock. We are in the process of manufacturing new King Bee microphones, however, we do not yet have a date for which they will be available.
Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.
Regards,
support@neatmic.com
The MXL R80 sounded very dull and muddy. Yet experience has shown me that with proper EQ it is very detailed and clear.
I think I made a mistake when I made this and I'm planning to remake. I set all the mics up and recorded one performance through all mics at the same time. I think all these mics probably sound better than this review shows. I'm going to remake this review AFTER I determine the best placement for each mic for my voice in a better room. I will then record the same script through each mic individually and then edit each take together. I think that would be a better way to compare them. Whenever I use an unfamiliar mic I will rehearse with it placed in various positions and with and without a pop shield. Thanks for watching and commenting. peace
Wow. That ribbon mic is dark. Is that a typical quality of that mic type?
WOW! Sorry it took so long to reply - for some reason I didn't see the comment or notification of such. Ribbons, especially old fashioned ones, tend to be a bit more sensitive in the lower registers. Just physics really, those bass frequencies push the ribbon easier with the same volume. This is a very inexpensive ribbon, more expensive ribbons will be smoother overall and have a better top end. To be fair though, my voice is mostly gravel with some mids thrown in. one of the reasons I thing mic comparisons are a bit lacking - you don't know what my voice sounds like naturally - in person. Thanks for watching and commenting - peace
Please what is the best Rode NT2-A or aston microphone
I would think that it depends on your voice and use case - of course. They are very different though? the NT2-A has multiple patterns - it would likely be better to compare the Element to the NT1 based on features. I think, for most people the rode NT2A or NT1 would be better - probably more neutral? But again, it really depends on your voice. What are you using now? Are you podcasting or something else? Thanks for watching - peace
@@redcabinacoustic-official Thank you dear and I wish you good luck. I have already bought Rode nt1a for use in chants and purposeful singing without using musical instruments
@@crazyevents9789 Let me know how you like it. Are you recording or broadcasting or using it for amplification/ reinforcement? I have heard amplified chants, and some recordings - I ask because I am always trying to learn about audio and how people use it so I can help. Where are You located? I have friends from all over and another issue can sometimes be what mics are available in certain regions and countries- since you are using this for voice only remember that room reverberation can color the mic to a great extent - peace
Do you think the Element can be ok for a brass instrument like a trumpet since it's dark (linear medium) and rolls on the high frequencies ? Do you think it behaves like a ribbon in that sens ?
Thanks for watching and asking . . . I think the trumpet could sound great on the Element - the trumpet and brass more generally may sound great on it because they have overtones that my voice certainly does not have. It may mellow out the tone for smokier bluesy tracks. Bandrew at Podcastage usually does reviews with some music - check this out. I know it is not trumpet, but it may help - th-cam.com/video/5CwWjzgHgYw/w-d-xo.html
peace
joe
I took delivery of the element yesterday and today tried it out....
Tomorrow it’s going back...the proximity effect is overwhelming, sounds like I’m singing in a box even when I back off
It’s a terrible microphone, i can’t believe this is what they’ve come up with after all the testing
I watched the vid of the guy who’s in charge and I was quite hopeful as he seems a genuine bloke
I’ve just repackaged it to send back, really disappointing
I tend to agree - with my voice at least. Some folks tend to like it or maybe need it? I'm planning a remake of this vid, but instead of setting up each mic the same, I want to find the "sweet spot" for each mic and tweak it to get the most out of it. My reasoning is that if I was faced with a live or recording situation, I would not treat all mics the same, I think that is a flaw of my review and others as well. We don't arbitrarily choose a distance and direction from which to address the mic. With that being said, time is money and the less you have to do the better.
@@redcabinacoustic-official yeah I agree, although I think that if you have to spend time adjusting eq settings just to get a half decent sound from a mic, there’s something fundamentally wrong
I compared it to my Rode nt1 and also my ADK 51s, the Rode just needed a little bottom end backed off, the ADK has a roll off incorporated and sounds wonderful, I would have used serious time with my equaliser to take out the boxiness
@@earlwebb9032 Yep! I don't disagree, but some folks love it . . .
was this the test mic they sent you or the final aston element?
Thanks for watching and asking . . . I bought this myself. I pre-ordered it and rushed the video so others could hear it and compare it to other popular mics. I should probably redo the video in the new studio, under better conditions, with a more consistent voice, and better mic technique. peace
The Aston Element is a much better microphone, it gives speech and singing soul and all the beauty in the voice. An amazing microphone for ridiculous money.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment - very much appreciated. peace
What did you use for the audio interface?
I used an older M Audio Profire 2626, which is a firewire interface running into a MAC with a firewire to mini-display-port adapter - m-audio.com/products/view/profire-2626
I replied above, but why do you ask are you shopping for one or just curious?