Best Small Diaphragm Condenser Mics: Ultimate Shootout [Updated Audio]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ค. 2024
- Join Justin Colletti as he compares the best small diaphragm condenser microphones on drums, guitars and more. Featuring the JZ BT 202, AKG C 451B, Shure SM81, Neumann KM184, Schoeps MK4, sE Electronics sE8, and Rode NT3.
Big thanks to JZ Microphones for helping make this shootout possible. Check them out at jzmic.com
Thanks also to drummer/engineer Chris Swist and guitarist/engineer David Ross at Evenfall Studio: / evenfallstudio
Note: In the original version of this video, one of the drum examples near the end was mislabeled. This replaces that video.
Check out the Mics here:
JZ BT 202: imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
AKG C414B: imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
Shure SM81 :imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
sE Electronics sE8: imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
Rode NT3: imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
Neumann KM 184: imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
Schoeps MK4: imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
Earthworks SR25: imp.i114863.net/c/3177824/794...
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#condensermic #recordingengineer #studiomicrophone #recordinstudio #studiomic #condensermicrophones #condensermicrophone #justincolletti #sonicscoop #shooutout #roundup #comparison #micshootout #miccomparison #microundup
0:00 Introduction and Overview
5:44 Lineup: Mid Priced Small Diaphragm Condenser Mics
6:27 Tasting Notes: Mid Priced Small Diaphragm Condenser Mics
8:00 JZ BT 202 Compared to Black Hole BH-2 on Voice
8:40 How We Did The Test
10:11 Comparison: Mid-Priced Small Diaphragm Condensers
10:20 JZ BT 202: Drums
10:45 AKG C 451B: Drums
11:11 Shure SM81: Drums
11:37 sE Electronics se8: Drums
12:04 JZ BT 202: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
12:33 AKG C 451B: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
13:02 Shure SM81: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
13:32 sE Electronics se8: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
14:02 Rode NT3: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
14:31 JZ BT 202: Classical Guitar
14:59 AKG C 451B: Classical Guitar
15:26 Shure SM81: Classical Guitar
15:53 sE Electronics se8: Classical Guitar
16:20 Lineup and Tasting Notes: High End Small Diaphragm Condenser Mics
18:24 Comparison: High End Small Diaphragm Condenser Mics
18:32 JZ BT 202: Drums
19:00 Neumann KM184: Drums
19:28 Schoeps MK4: Drums
19:56 Earthworks SR25: Drums
20:21 JZ BT 202: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
20:51 Neumann KM184: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
21:19 Schoeps MK4: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
21:50 Earthworks SR25: Acoustic Guitar (Steel String)
22:20 JZ BT 202: Classical Guitar
22:48 Neumann KM184: Classical Guitar
23:16 Schoeps MK4: Classical Guitar
23:44 Earthworks SR25: Classical Guitar
24:13 Your Thoughts? And Mine.
24:39 How the JZ BT202 Fits In
25:55 Small Diaphragm Condenser Benefits - เพลง
Thanks Justin for updating the audio. Respect for your professionalism!
Thanks for checking it out! Much appreciated.
-Justin
Thanx for the demo! Very good shoot out here. I appreciate how transparent you were in our opinion and your explanation of "different" when referring to the JZ's. I've been using a decent pair of SDC's for the past years and have been pleased with them, but much like other options out there, they are on the brighter side. I find myself having to doctor down the frequencies in order to glue the overheads in the mix. After your video and listening on multiple sound sources, I think the BT 202's could comfortably sit in the vintage category for tone. I specifically use a 60's style tape plugin that is perfect for mellowing out overtones in brighter overheads, that sounds a lot like what the JZ's are doing naturally. However I am hearing something in the midrange that I believe could be problematic on OH in a dense mix. Especially a mix where everything is fighting for a piece of the midrange.
That bump also gives the cymbals a kind of crushed/ crispy tone that is reminiscent of older 60's and 70's drum mixes. I do have a pair of 202's on order, and especially after this video I am curious how they will fair for my uses.
Awesome to hear! Once you've used them for a little while come on back and give us your take on how they are performing for you. Would love to hear about your experience with them!
Thanks for the comment,
-Justin
Yes, thank you for all the transparency and fairness of the comparison.
The Schoeps & the BT 202 was my picks.
The JZ sound great! Wish the Lauten la120s were on here. Been looking at both of these. Great as always Justin 🤘
Thanks for checking out the video! Would have loved to compare the Lautens too. We were trying to mostly go with mics that were readily available and super common, without ending up with a dozen or more mics to try. But if we could have done more, they would have been on the list for sure!
Fortunately, since we compared to such common mics, if you can find a comparison of the Lauten to some of the most common models here, you should be able to get a pretty good sense of how it compares to the JZ.
Very best,
Justin
Well, I ordered a pair of JZ bt202’s and have been demoing them extensively. After trying them on multiple sources I can say I think you nailed this sdc shootout. I really wanted the BT202s to be my go to overheads, but sadly they are exactly what I was expecting. That’s not to say they couldn’t make a fantastic pair of OHs, but they have a specific tone to my ear that sounds similar to recorded cymbal tones of the 60s and 70s. Mellow in the top end, but present in the upper mids. These are in no way a bad set of mics, the build quality and stereo field is phenomenal. Where bt202’s really shined for me was on an old full mahogany Guild acoustic. Beautiful woody tones that were very natural, almost folky. The natural frequency of the JZs opened up a lot of room for a nice airy vocal and some lofi drums. I could see the 202’s easily earning their way into any mic locker. No they won’t be used on every session, but once you hear them you will know exactly where they go to work.
The AKG C414B is amazing but picks up everything so you better have the correct space to record in. At the other end of that is the Shure SM81 that does a good job of zeroing in on the instrument and providing a focused mix friendly sound.
The BT 202 sounds remarkably like my old records of Andre Segovia on classical guitar.
That was EXACTLY my first impression as well!
-Justin
Do you know what they used on those records? If you mean the early to mid 1960 ones, those sound warm, thick and very musical to my ears...
Nice video! Could you do large diaphragm condensers next? Things like the tlm 103, u87 ai, ksm 32, etc? It's so hard to get an idea what mic would suit my voice, especially as a ton of the sound demos on youtube are in untreated rooms!
Thank you for making my mind up! I've been contemplating where to head for a balanced but crisp SDC for acoustic guitar and "honest" OH duty and I find that the AKG C451B ticks all the boxes, I want a pair of mics as a contrast to my normal, darker LDC's on OH (drumkit, rather) which I love and use almost all the time. I like the Shoeps but the price difference (5x!) does not make sense to me, maybe for classical recording, lower self noise, exchangable capsules etc. The JZ sounded quite harsh to me, it didn't tickle my fancy. It's also interesting how the Neumann (in the updated audio) really focuses, emphasises even, the snare in a way that neither e.g. the AKG or Schoeps does. Not in a bad way but just goes to show that you need to pick the correct mic for the instrument and esthetic you're going for, nothing new really. 😂
So glad to be useful! Unfortunately, you have expensive tastes-Your two favorites are among the priciest of the bunch :-) But they are very good.
Yes, if you are going for a brighter sound in the same price range the AKG is a great option too. But like you said, I think any of these could be usable in the right context.
Thanks again for sharing your take,
Justin
very good shootout! Like the 1. schoeps MK4, 2. km184 and the SE (surprise) the JZ has really a different and interesting sound, but it colors to much for my liking, your conclusion is very precise! Thanks a lot
km84 will be even better than the first two, but also will cost as the first three together (if you are looking for one in excellent condition) 😪
Generally, the BT202 compares favorably with all the other mics tested.
I just listened the video on my new mbp, may be not the best ref. but I noticed before wile checking other samples, that I heard things (more clear) that I never heard on my studio monitors... my impression; pretty much all, except for the Shoeps and earthworks, sounded tape recoded, a bit further away, wile the JZ even felt like coming from a old cassette tape, wile missing the noise. strangely enough, I had the same feeling with the Neumann. Your right, that can be very handy wen you like to get that kind of feeling. with the drum part the first thing that got me, was the quicker transient of the schoeps, for me more rhythmic and realistic, wile the others sounded a bit more woolly, what I also hear on the guitar, most people call that warm ore soft. I like more the crisp and clear. I hope you have time to test with the mics with more distance to the source and let us hear that.
I wonder how much is due to room and pattern differences. I was surprised...
* How little I liked the AKG. I've used it in larger rooms where perhaps the upper mids don't stack as much. Here they seemed to on the drums.
* How much more "hi fi" the Schoeps and Neumanns were on the guitars. They seemed to "reach in" to the instruments a bit more.
* How the JZs seemed to be noisier. But it was apparent on classical guitar that they seemed to pick up more of the room.
So, overall, while some people here have expressed a dislike of the JZs, I wonder whether they have a wider pattern which gives them an upper-mid push from room reflections. It would be very interesting to hear them (well, all the mics) in a larger room.
The first drums, I liked the JZ. It was the best at picking up the subtle taps on the ride(?) cymbal on the left.
The first steel guitar, it was a tie between the JZ and the Rode. With both, it was easier to pick out each note on both ends. The others sounded 'muddy' on the low end and more indistinct.
The first classical guitar, I had a hard time discerning between them. Nothing stood out with no clear (HA!) winner.
I didn't have a chance to listen to the higher-end mics. Great transparent and concise review and testing!
Thanks so much for the detailed feedback! Loved to read your take on it.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop -- No problem, brother. Stay safe!
Sticking solely to the mid-range mics, the SE Electronics mic sounds noticeably brighter than all the others. I preferred this mic on classical guitar, but it was my least favourite on steel string. I didn't hear a huge amount of difference among the other mid-range mics - with the exception being that the 451B always seems to accentuate fingerpick, plectrum and finger-on-string noise in a very detailed-sounding (pleasing) way.
Great shootout, all were lovely. Using km84 and Telefunken m260 here with beautiful results. Always interested to find other colors. In addition to what we just heard, i am wanting to compare with several Ribbons, the Lauten and the Slate SDC VMC. Violet also makes some interesting offerings. Maybe can do a SDC shootout part 2?
I also really like the Lauten Audio LA-120s. For the price they’re really quite good, come in a solid wood case, swappable cardioid and omni capsules, hp and lp filters and darrel thorp loves them. They definitely levelled up my recordings when I picked them up.
I'd love to hear those. I really like the Lauten stuff. Some very good values there.
-Justin
The SE mic was a pleasant surprise. The Schoeps really is in a class by itself though. I have been using KM184s for years and I thought they were a close second (especially on drums), but the Schoeps were my favorites on every single source. Maybe it's time to sell some other mics...
FWIW, the JZ sounded interesting, and I can certainly imagine putting them up for a particular sonic signature, but the very high end sounded "electret-y" on my headphones. ...sort of a zizzy sound, especially on the "tick" of the hi hats. Great comparison though. The reality though, is that a phenomenal sounding recording can be made with any of these mics. The player, the instrument and room will all have a much greater affect on the sound than any one mic vs any other. Thanks!
Almost exactly my thoughts. The Shoeps is pretty incredible, and the SE was quite a surprise. It sounds much more expensive than it is.
Very good mic comparison.
The Samar MG20 has a similar body shape to the JZ BT-202, but the Samar is transformer coupled in contrast to the transformerless JZ (which sounds beautiful here on steel string). I think the JZ hinders these Sabian cymbals from doing their thing, but could work splendidly on dark vibey/washy cymbals. Thank you for the video!
Thanks for the great comment and for sharing your thoughts!
-Justin
Have the Samars. Are the JZ or Samar somewhat copying the other?
I know you're going to get it justin you are the best
I don't know if I am the best, but I'm trying my best! :-)
-Justin
The best small diaphragm condenser mics I've ever heard are the rode TF5s matched pair do not underestimate these mics they are amazing!
This video made me want Neumann KM184s
A comment for the algorithm...
Thanks Justin!
Thanks for doing your part anon! 🫡 😄
-Justin
The JZ was a bit too dark for my tastes. I’m thinking that if I’m using a small condenser mic, I’m wanting lots of high-end content. One can always reduce top end harshness with EQ.
Based on that philosophy, I tended to prefer the AKGs in the budget group and the Neuman and Earthworks in the high-end shootout.
Agreed completely - this solidified my preference (sound and wallet) for the sE8
The Earthworks SR25 has an amazing sound quality, a lot of noice, but a beautiful sound.
Out of the bunch…What is the general opinion for recording acoustic steel or nylon guitar?
Well that changed a lot. I'll paste my original comment, but first I gotta say wow that mic is unique. Charming flavor of warmth to it. I kind of liked the shure too, just didn't happen to mention it the first time. But I bet that jz would be overkill when I crash the 24" Giant Beat. Still, very nice indeed. So, keeping in mind that it's no longer true, here is my original observation:
On my system it sounded a lot like the Neumann. So that's good. Pretty remarkable how different some of them are from each other! I did an "Into White" by Cat Stevens cover with a dirt-cheap, no-name small diaphragm condenser, because it was all I had around. I was really impressed with it for vocals and think they're vastly underused just because there's a larger design. Larger doesn't necessarily mean better . . . or at least that's what my wife often has to tell me LOL
Thanks for sharing your take Craig! And yes, SDCs for vocals are totally underrated :-)
-Justin
As usual, the Schoeps is the most natural and lifelike to me. My first choice for most things. The JZs sound hyped to me in the 4-5kHz range, which does not correlate with their posted frequency response graph. Good for some things to help stand out in a mix, but a compromise as well. Overall not really impressed with them. The sE was a surprise to me like others have mentioned. I could see myself using those for some things. I have a lot of experience with all of these mics except for the JZ and sE, and I like the 451s and 184s as well, both of which I'd choose over the JZs.
On classical guitar, KM184 appears to be the less noisy...
Great shootout. But one fantastic mic is missing: Austrian Audio CC8!! You gotta check these out!
I love the Austrian Audio stuff I’ve tried so far. If they want to send some mics over, I’d be eager to check them out.
-Justin
Also BeesNeez LuLu FETs.
is the JZ B202 an omni directional mic?
It is cardiod.
-Justin
You were right thst the JZ is the most different sounding out of all of them. The mids are very forward but it felt a bit bass light. It wasn't really my cup of tea. I definitely fall into the KM84 camp. This sounds nothing like it. By comparison, the JZ made the others sound a bit scooped, but the reality was the JZ is just very mid-rangey.
I like the sound of these JZs, but compared to the higher end mics on guitar (classical especially), they seem very noisy
The classical guitar sounded great in that room from a distance.
justin in the end it may be possible for this year or it is already for the next the engineer jason cheese?
We are talking about it for this year. There’s a chance it might be 2024 instead, but are giving it our best shot for 2023.
-Justin
Sonically, the BT 202 is an upper class mic. It can fully compete against Neumann & Co and is no worse at all. I think I will buy a matched pair to have a complement to my other small diaphragm condensers. At least for when I want to feature a warm, full, midrangey tone. They might as well get my go to's, as they offer something that I really like. It's great that JZ has gone kind of a new sonic way, which I guess is not so easy with something stablished and classic as a small diaphragm condenser.
Awesome to hear! Glad you liked them so much.
-Justin
Thanks for this mic shootout.
JZ mics on sale right now, so I thought I'll have a listen to them. Unfortunately the JZ mics are not my cup of tea. Especially on the drum recording I do hear a boost (somewhere in the 2-4k range?) that I don't like at all. But I'm glad to hear that my decision from years ago to purchase the se8 was a good one. I like them a lot on my recordings. Also like them a lot in this shootout (very similar to the Neumann). Also I was lucky to get a pair of old, made in Austria AKG 451in mint condition. They are quite bright and sometimes too much in the top end (don't like them in this drum recording) but overall very good mics. The Schoeps Mk4 are super clean and show a lot of detail - probably my favourites for classical music. The Earthworks are nice but I don't get the hype about them.
The sE is good. Though it is certainly the brightest mic of the bunch here to my ears! The JZ is the darkest.
This however, is not how JZ mics in general sound. Their SDC has an entirely different Sonic profile from their LDCs, each of which sound pretty different from one another.
I’ve compared them all. Here’s a playlist :-)
th-cam.com/play/PL3yghKGBjggQzWbWpDuiNj83iIuTGB_Kk.html
-Justin
@@SonicScoop Interesting 🤔 to me the c451 are the brightest sounding. 😅 Anyways, these JZ may not be may favourite, but I know the black hole mic from JZ, and that's awesome. With the discount that's on right now, it's an absolute no-brainer. Best mic you can get in that price range!
Although the Earthworks sounded the most noisy, the SR25 sounds fantastic with percussion, even across the spectrum. The SR25 was too noisy with the guitars, better go with the earthworks SR30. The Schoeps did great with guitars. The nuemanms and the Jay Z's sounded like Squidward with a deviated septum ngl... but I like how quiet the Nuemanns are when it came to the classical guitar. Thank you for the shootout!
For the drums, I like the JZ and the sE Electronics for that smooth, old-school sound. the sE had a bit more top end, but still quite warm compared with the AKG and Shure, which sounded more open and modern to me. For the steel string guitar, I thought the Shure was the most balanced choice. I didn't like the AKG because it accentuated the sound of the strings way more than the sound of the body of the instrument (if that makes sense). I didn't like the sE because it went too far the other way, with a sound that was too dark imo. The JZ was quite good in taming the string sound and bringing out the guitar body sound, but then I heard the Rode and liked that one best. It had a bit more high end and clarity than the Shure. For the classical, I thought the JZ sounded best. I didn't like the AKG, it seemed not to be focused on the right part of the spectrum for the instrument. the Shure and sE were also pretty good.
For the comparison with the high-end mics, I still like the JZ's sound for snare drum, but I might want to put something else on a hi-hat, like the Schoeps. I thought the Neumann sounded best on the steel string guitar, and the Schoeps was the best for the classical guitar, thought I thought the Earthworks was pretty good too.
Awesome notes, thanks for the great comment!
I totally hear what you mean about the 451 accentuating the strings more than the body. Sometimes that's good on classical guitar, depending on variables, but it's never been my first choice for steel string.
And totally hear what you mean about the JZ accentuating the body in a nice way. It gave me an instant "Segovia" kind of feeling on classical guitar, and was good at softening the strings on steel string, and giving the snare a certain fatness.
I'd really echo so much of what you say here, except I'd probably characterize the sE as "bright" rather than "dark". But that might just be a difference in how we use those words and what we think of when people say them.
Very best,
Justin
@@SonicScoop I get what you mean about the sE being "bright", but to me it's still a bit "closed" sounding like the JZ, whereas the AKG and Shure seemed way more "open" sounding. It's hard to put sound into the right words.
Sure, I get that. For me “openness” signifies a softening in the midrange… almost a slightly “scooped” sound, while “closed” might be a more forward or prominent center midrange.
That’s how I use those words, but it’s all a bit subjective I suppose!
Thanks,
Justin
Give that algorithm a good kicking.
Haha, thanks for checking it out!
-Justin
Wow JZ kills.
Nice, glad to hear you are liking it!
-Justin
I really like how the snare sounds on the BT202. It definitely had the smoothest sound and most natural of the bunch. SM81 was probably 2nd on OH's. I seemed to notice the biggest differences on the snare when listening to the different mics. Most of them gave the snare too much of a popcorn sound. Was most disappointed in the KM184's with what I expected from reputation. The Schoeps sounded great on the 12 fret acoustic position. It seemed to reduce the tubbiness of the guitar. I'd put the BT202 a very close 2nd on that one. Didn't like the NT3's at all. The distance mic on the classical guitar was much more subtle in the differences but the KM184 stood out to me as the worst sounding of the bunch, IMHO. It added a touch of mid honkiness especially noticeable on the second phrase. The Schoeps was very pleasant sounding on this sample. BT202 was also good. I would definitely give the BT202's a look as a contrast the the 451's, Sm81's, and the SE1a's I currently have. Could also be used in place of my 414 BULS's.
Thanks for sharing your take!
-Justin
AKG C451 IS THE ABSOLUTE WINNER, JUST LISTEN TO THAT SNARE SOUND. AMAZING NATURAL TONE!
Here to rectify the mistake and do our little part to beat the algorithm. Or at least, not letting it win. We can't beat the algorithm. Anyway, cheers Justin!
I just don’t get why they only sell a stereo pair like… some people wanna buy it just for mono acoustic instruments
BT 202 too noisy on classical also the akg and the earthworks all too high noise floor.
I thought the schoeps was underwhelming I thought it the most usable
Schoeps rules
it is a good competitor but still love the Schoeps MK4....
A great mic if you have 4X more to spend!
-Justin
@@SonicScoop here in europe 3x more but still really a lot! The set of bt 202 here is €1000 and a set mk4 is €3000.
Is it 3 times the price i don’t know…
Also wonder what they do on violin, cello and wood winds like clarinet and oboe. I know the mk4’s all do them well. But i have to say the classic guitar was impressive for the BT 202
Vanguard Audio Labs V1
13:40 - 21:04
It looks like a coffee tamper to me. Nespresso capsule
Telling your own conclusions about one particular microphone is a mistake everyone should avoid because this steers the listeners perception of sound to favor that microphone.
This is basic psychology that they teach on marketing classes.
In the end this turned out to be an advertisement after just 3 minutes instead of it being a comparison.
24:41 "They just instantly sounded how i expected them to sound."
Yes, this kind of test is a biased one because people are told what microphone they are listening and it is affecting their perception on sound.
But. I'll still give my opinion.
JZ best captured the ride bell. Yes, it was overall best on that but otherwise i didn't like them at all. The worst of the bunch clearly.
C 451 for hats (like i've liked it for almost 3 decades), KM 184 for rest of the cymbals (my nr 1 choice for almost 2 decades) and Schoeps Mk 4 for acoustic guitar (classical, overhead style). Well, i've like that one too for maybe 25 years.
I was biased too and found my own favorites to be still the best. It's called confirmation bias.
It’s a mixed bag: Yes, confirmation bias is a real thing. However, objective differences that we can distinguish by ear and articulate are also a real thing.
Being able to better determine real differences by knowing want to listen for it because you have been told is a real thing. But at the same time, imagining differences that aren’t even there, based on what you’ve been primed with, is also a real thing.
I think it is also telling that, even after mentioning all of this, your own personal instinct is to share the differences you heard :-) Which I welcome!
It can definitely be a useful exercise. Is this the perfect exercise? Is it the only exercise? No. But it’s the exercise we are doing here now. And it’s a useful one.
Is it a good idea to do blind listening exercises too? Absolutely! Very much so. Especially when it comes to relatively minor or controversial differences.
I hope that makes some sense,
Justin
Only Bandrew can tell about this mic.
JZ sounds like it was recorded via BlueTooth 😂
Even a simple moving-coil like Beyerdynamic M201 will sound a ton better.
Is it just me or are "instrument microphones" a social construct? Obviously you don't want to be singing into a kick mic unless maybe you mod the hell out of it first, but otherwise a good all-rounder "instrument" SDC with a good pop shield seems to pretty consistently sound amazing for speaking and just fine on singing. Some of them are too bright, but not all, and EQ is a free action anyway.
For me is the result is this:
1. Numann
3. Shoeps
3. Rode NT3 (surprise - I own a pait of RODE NT2000, they are fantastic, but I did not knew, RODE NT3 can very good compare to Neumann and Shoeps)!
JZ 202 is not for me, it has very dark sound, I recotd only an accoustic music (classical music at all), so I need the prsent clear sound, so I need not to equalize or "manage" it in postprocessing. This is the reason, why I mostly prfer Neumann over all other mics in this comparsion. (BTW and I own a pair of DPA 4011 and Nothing compares to y.. them...) 😀
BT 202 was actually the worst sounding one in this comparison because of harsh narrow high mid frequency peak. I don't know why it's like that because all JZ LDCs sound great (I own two V67s and one V12 and love them) but here even cheaper Se8 sounded smoother in the high mids. Schoeps sounded the best - the smoothest and the fullest. For SDCs I would pick anything else over BT202 unfortunately.
BTW good to see you fixed Neumann drum example Justin! Now we can hear all of the differences properly :)
Thanks for sharing your take. The Schoeps is a gorgeous sounding mic. Remarkably low noise too. Unfortunately, it’s at least like 3X more expensive than anything else on this list! 😅
-Justin
First proclaim that the listener must form his own opinion and than, before we can even form an own opinion praise JZ and say what kind of details one should listen to. Sorry, but that kind of shootout is of little value, because the listener is already being manipulated in a certain direction. Good commercial for JZ, though!
I think I praise ALL of the mics in the roundup :-)
But I do spend more time talking about the JZ, because 1. It’s more unfamiliar to people 2. It sounds totally different than anything else in the category and 3. They are sponsoring the video :-)
I think these differences are significant enough that you can easily come up with your own favorites by doing the listening test. And there are chapter markers in here, so you can easily skip my remarks and just listen to the mics.
If my commentary on how these mics sound was so powerful, and I really did make the case for JZ over and above all the other mics so convincingly, then why isn’t everyone in the comments choosing them as their favorites, instead of having different people having different favorites?
Listen to the mics and trust your ears. No matter what I say about them, they sound how they sound. And they all sound recognizably different.
Hope that helps!
-Justin
No Oktava MK 012??? They´re the BEST!!!! Unless you spend $1300 for Neumann 184´s!!!!
Oh yeah, people used to talk about those all the time years ago when they first came out. And I remember know there was a company that had a whole business modding them. They seem to have a little less visibility these days for some reason? Would love to hear them against some of these in person.
-Justin
@@SonicScoop I‘m a studio engineer with a successful business. I watched a shootout on TH-cam of Rode NT 5‘s, Neumann 184‘s, and Oktava MK 012‘s. I heard the difference from the Rode NT5‘s. They were much brighter. But, I heard no difference between the Neumann‘s and the Oktava‘s. I’m also a professional drummer, and was looking for a good pair of overheads. I would have bought the Neumann‘s had I not heard the Oktava‘s in that shoot. A well known club in Berlin, Germany. where I played regularly had a pair of AKG‘s. I brought my Oktava’s to my gigs, and all 3 x sound men that work at the club wanted to buy them. They also heard the difference. I‘m not saying any of these mics aren‘t good. I just wondered why the Oktava’s weren’t included in the shootout. Of course the Neumann 184‘s weren’t either.
Well that’s certainly a ringing endorsement!
We did feature the KM184 though. It’s in the second half of the video :-)
@@SonicScoop I´ll be sure to check the second half of the video then. :) By the way, I love your reviews, and I´m planning on adding a JZ 67 to my mic collection. :) Keep up the great work.
I have a pair modded by Langston Masingale. They are wonderful, but are a back up to Beesneez LuLu FETs.
Not biased in anyway then? Appalling.
How would the audio samples themselves be biased? Please explain!
Thanks,
Justin
Another paid off reviewer
A couple of things:
1. Unlike so many channels, we always disclose when we partner with a brand (Also, this isn’t a “review”. It’s a mic comparison. And it should be useful regardless of what mic you’re most interested in.)
2. The format is a completely accurate and fair back to back comparison between this and other mics in its class.
In that context, what do my opinions and affiliations matter? You can just hear it for yourself and come to your own conclusions.