Earthworks SR117 Review / Test (vs. SM58, AT2010, Beta 87a)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- HQ Audio Of Review: podcastage.com/rev/sr117
Today I review a brand new handheld condenser microphone from Earthworks, the SR117. This mic has a controlled low end, a neutral mid section, and a bit of extension into the treble, but it has a bit of a roll off in the air frequencies.
Buy the Earthworks SR117 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/sr117
B&H Photo: bhpho.to/3oBL4xC
Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/sr117
Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/2i32rd
B&H Photo: bhpho.to/42lcWDF
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/k6g4d
RECORDING SETTINGS:
Interface: Focsurite Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen
Conversion: 24-bit / 48kHz
Gain: ~3:00
Boosted in Post: +6dB
SPECS:
- Polar Pattern: Supercardioid
- Freq Response : 20Hz - 20khz
- Sensitivity: -30.5dB
- Self Noise: 16dBA
- Max SPL: 125dB (140dB with -15dB pad)
- Impedance: 180 Ohms
- High Pass Filter: 6dB/octave at 250hz
- Phantom power: 11-52V.
NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.
00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer
00:22 - What’s in the Box
00:42 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:09 - Specifications
01:19 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
01:38 - Plosive Test
01:49 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:18 - Background Noise Test
02:35 - Untreated Room Test
02:54 - Shock Rejection Test
03:12 - Handling Noise Rejection Test
03:25 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
03:38 - Cup the Mic Test
04:01 - Intro to Comparison
04:26 - Shure SM58 Comparison
04:48 - sE Electronics V7 Comparison
05:08 - Audio Technica AT2010 Comparison
05:32 - Lewitt MTP350 CM Comparison
05:56 - Beyerdynamic TG V70d Comparison
06:22 - Sennheiser E945 Comparison
06:50 - Shure Beta 87a Comparison
07:18 - Earthworks SR314 Comparison
07:49 - Neumann KMS105 Comparison
08:23 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
09:01 - Music Test
10:40 - Pros & Cons
11:44 - Overall Thoughts
13:21 - Recommendation
14:05 - Outro
#Condenser #Handheld #MicReview
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This is my kind of microphone - flat, condenser, good off axis rejection, low handling noise, fantastic build quality, from one of the best microphone manufacturers out there. Shocked that Earthworks makes such as "affordable" microphone. Definitely want one, need one.
Not cheap, but will most likely outlive me.
Thank you for reviewing the SR117 Bandrew!!! Would love to hear you do more singing and guitar playing. Hope you feel better soon!
K&M microphone clip is a nice touch.
Thank you so much EW for putting out the mic, sharing it with me, and for the kind words. I'm feeling so much better now.
Wow im actually impressed how good beyerdynamic sounded, would love to see more tests on it!
I agree,
A lot of those mics I reviewed earlier on the channel may deserve a re-review.
Was going to say the same. I never met a Beyerdynamic mic I didn't love!
Thanks for the really great review.
think the Earthworks SR117 mic is extremely fine grained and silky smooth. They are a dream to EQ and mix. With the right micing and EQ, they produce a really nice vocal blend that is N integrated octaves and harmonies. I can easily pull lead vocals forward for lead/backing segments of songs.
I use the Earthworks SR117 mic along with the Sennheiser e935 and e945 mics for mixing and blending individually miced live vocalists -- up to nine at a time from a pool of about 14 vocal personnel. The vocal lead varies according to song and within songs. Sometimes, there isn't really a lead, just an octaves and harmonies single blended sound, like a small ensemble or choir. This makes getting.a really good blend with a voice or two pulled forward according to lead a part of mixing them.
After experimenting for a couple of weeks I came up with a general use pattern. It's a lot easier to get a good profile before EQ. For me, EQ is not a good cure-all and I don't like depending on it when I can get a better start point from the mic with no EQ by using a different mic.
I use the Earthworks SR117 for female vocalists whose voices are weaker in the midrange and strong in the presence. I have at least three vocalists whose voices are overly present in the Sennheiser e945 mic. Typically soprano and high descant voices. I use the Sennheiser e945 mics for female vocalists with stronger mid than presence. Typically alto and tenor range femail vocalists with weaker presence. The presence boost from the Sennheiser gets them into the blend better than the Earthworks SR117 does before EQ.
For male vocalists in general, a presence boost helps me place them into the blend and mix before EQ better than not having one. I get a more even sounding blend. For male baritone and bass, I use the Sennheiser e935 to decrease the proximity effect that I would otherwise get a lot more of out of the Sennheiser e945. For male tenors, it depends on the presence strength in their voices. I generally use the Sennheiser e945 to get a presence boost because the total vocal profile is such that they disappear in the mix and blend too easily without it. If I had a really strong presence and weaker mid, I might use an Earthworks SR117 for them, but I have yet to encounter that situation.
I use Sennheiser Evolution 9xx series handhelds exclusively with the Earthworks SR117 because they are very fine grained and smooth as well. Much more so than alternatives. With regard to smoothness, I'd put the Earthworks SR117 slightly ahead of the Sennheiser e9x5 mics and definitely ahead of the Sennheiser e8x5 and the Shure SM75 and SM58 handhelds. I also put them somewhat ahead of the Sennheiser e9x5 mics in terms of how easily they can be EQed for most EQ purposes. If I'm looking for a presence boost, I'll take the built in boost in the Sennheiser e9x5 mics over having to EQ a presence boost.
I'm normally very wary of using vocal condensers in a live environment with somewhat reflective surfaces, stage monitors, and a lot of open mics (like 7 to 9 vocalists plus miced acoustic instruments). In my experimentation over a few weeks, I've found the Earthworks SR117 just a manageable with gain before feedback as any of the Sennheiser e9x5 dynamic mics. I'm amazed with that although the tight and consistent polar pattern easily explains why.
I'm recommending the venue add a minimum of 3 to add to their mic locker for the vocalists -- we've been using up to 4 from my personal locker for experimentation. Yup. I liked them so much, I bought another 3 of them for personal use quite quickly after trying the first one only one time.
Incredibly helpful comment!
Absolutely love this comment. Thank you so much for your insight Jalind for sharing your insight and expertise.
Hey James you seem to know Exactly what you're talking about. If I'm wanting to get into House Music my Voice is high tenor strong mids and highs what would you recommend ?. Beta58, SE845 or this Earthworks ? I was told I would need a dynamic mic
As someone who works with recording in my own at home studio, while at the same time having always had a very low budget that slightly changes accross the years, your channel is amazing and everything I've ever wanted.
i really like this and the beyerdynamic. hard to decide between the two. will have to do some more listening. thanks for all your effort on this video - really appreciated the wide variety of mics and the palate cleansers in between!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on it. I appreciate it very much. The Beyerdynamic really seems to be a crowd favorite.
I like this one, it doesn’t have that annoying presence boost like the beta 87a. With modern PEQs on live mix consoles, flatter mics are usually preferable IMO
Yeah. That's what I like about this one and the sE V7. They avoid that presence boost that so many modern mics have.
Oh, honey, you're back!!!!
I think everybody is so happy to hear you again
That's very kind of you. I'm happy to be back.
Earthworks makes some of the best sounding microphones I’ve ever used. They have decided on a purist approach, eschewing the trend of every mic tailored for a purpose. Last I checked, every imaginable use includes basic EQ for enhancement, but try EQing OUT an undesirable response. I’m happy to see you reviewing this.
Yeah in many case they make very unique sounding mics compared to their competitors.
agreed. Designer David Blackmer (DBX too!) was an audio genius so no surprise. the SR mics are absolutely stunning too. Cannot go wrong with any of them.
Thanks for reviewing this. I bought one already on recommendation of an industry guy. I am conflicted seeing critical comments, reminds me of critiques of the DPA2028.. flat, plain, what’s the big deal. Well…You have a blank slate for EQ and effects that also is FAST and natural so vocal fatigue is minimized. So pitch stays better longer, etc etc. It is not always about presence and treble, guys. I can get (and have) that in a $99 dynamic. I will be using this mic as a platform to build from instead of a bar mic plug-n-play. Cheers!
I tend to agree with you...But there's that niggling problem with Earthworks's marketing material. They're billing it as a plug and play bar mic.
@@NickG6489 It is IMHO most definitely not that. For fun I ran it through a familiar PA without any EQ and it was not usable.
@@happyasmongoose I don't disagree with you. I'm using it for my cohost on a radio show and I'm definitely doing a lot of EQ...But it's worth it.
Feel better soon, Bandrew! Great review
Thanks so much!
I absolutely adore the sound of this microphone, personally it's quite pleasing to listen to. This would be fantastic to equalize, too.
That's awesome that the mic fits your preferences. You're exactly right, that's the reason they made it so flat so you can eq it how you want.
OMG!!! That mic is maybe the best I ever heard on your voice. Smooth!
Wow! That is super high praise!
I was thinking about getting a new handheld so this came out at the right time
Earthworks has been reading your mind. Double up the tin foil layers on the hat.
Sweetwater's Black Friday deal: purchase one SR117, get one free. My purchase receipt states two SR117 for the price of one. It is will supplies last, so hopefully you are reading and are one of the lucky few. Crazy deal if I am right and not missing something obvious. Best of luck!
Welcome back bro...w missed you
Thanks so much. Glad to be back.
Take your time and feel better
Thanks so much Dale. I'm back and feeling better.
That jam is sick
Thanks so much!
Beyer TGv70d Best one in the bunch.thx love the way you test back and forth the palate cleanser..
Really glad you were able to determine that you like that one the best. Have a great day and hope you have some good shows or recordings with that gear.
@@Podcastage I watch your videos all the time brought some mic off your demos , Sorry id fail to comment ,and like but will now and I subscribed ,thx my friend.. Boyd
Man, that TG V70d sounded good!
It's a good one, that's for sure.
Love the sound of this one!
Absolutely, It's quite a good sounding mic if you're looking for that more neutral tone to play around with.
@@Podcastage Yeah! I like the sound of it for speaking as is, but like you were saying, it's easily EQ-able too.
Is it just me or do all the earthworks mics sound pretty great? There's just about them to my ear...
So bummed they discontinued the SV33, was really looking forward to you eventually reviewing that one.
Wait!? They discontinued that!? I missed that new. WHAT A BUMMER!
@@Podcastage yea it disappeared off their website in early 2023 and all the retailers show it discontinued.
@@9Blu I bet in the next five years this mic will cost no less than 10k used, maybe even more because it sounds amazing on vocals.
Hello Dear Brother
Its always great to see you review some absolutely amazing microphones and this one is no different, I love how Earthworks is slowly becoming one of the best modern day microphone producing brand, they are however not available here in India yet but someday when they arrive, I am *Shure* to have this one! I think this sounded the best to me, I am a flat sound fan and I love such microphones, however I feel you left out one microphone in this comparison, the Rode M2 is a very very neutral sounding handheld condenser that personally I absolutely love! I think this comparison can go on your Deuce channel someday so people like me can enjoy how it sounds!
Hope you have recovered well and your spirits are high as ever
Take care, regards
Feel better!
Thank you very much Greg.
Hope you're feeling better.
I know I'm one month late, but yes sir, I'm doing much better, thank you.
Hope you are doing better. Hang in there.
It's been over a month, and I'm doing great. Thanks Dick.
the Earthworks SR314 sounds lovely and the KSM-105 is the star. I bough my wife a KSM-104 for her voice and it's great on higher pitched male voices too that need some mid guts boost. Sounds just as good as my original U-77 Neumann LDC so that's impressive for a mic 1/10th of it's price that you can track with right there with the monitors on then and you can take it to the gig for studio sound on stage. I also have a pair of Earthworks SR31 for drum overheads, acoustic guitar etc and they are the most incredible things you'll ever hear.
Very good song. I really like it.
Thank you very much Ducky. Quack Quack!
Was wondering when you'd do this review. I bought two SR117s immediately when they came out before i got to hear them, on the off chance they might sound anything like my SR314. They don't. But they are incredibly smooth in the high mids where most of the pain occurs in live sound. I'm hoping mics like these will be the new normal. Distorted high mid presence peaks feel leftover from a time when vocals just needed to thrust themselves in the mix over loud guitar amps on small stages, quality be damned. These Earthworks definitely need EQ, and they don't work incredibly well on loud untreated stages, but they are great in their own right. The SR117 is what the DPA 2028 should've been.
Very interesting insight, I always appreciate hearing from the people who are using the gear in more professional environments. Thank you for sharing.
Wow I am shocked at how much fuller and more balanced the earthworks sounded than literally all those other hand held mics *maybe except for the Neumann*. And how honky the other budget line brand ones are in comparison
Yeah it's just neutral as heck so it doesn't have that over boosted upper mids and presence that is common on handheld dynamics. It makes it sound more balanced over all. Great sounding mic especially if you want more ability to easily EQ. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
your song sounded like something to do with one of my favourite southpark episodes....pinewood derby. If you haven't seen it... :)
I love your reviews man thank you, great channel it's really helpful!!
I haven't seen too much southpark but that's quite the compliment. Thank you.
@@Podcastage I think they have all episodes free online. If you have 20 minutes one day, that episode "pinewood derby" is like the most complete critique of humanity I could possibly immagine in such a short time!
The Neumann KMS-105 is my new favorite mic.
It is a fantastic mic.
Still a fan of the Lewitt personally. Though I was a big fan of the Sennheiser as well, I tend to like the more neutral soundstage mics they are a bit easier if you have to EQ them in any way.
It's great to have so many options that allow you to pick the sound you prefer. Happy recording.
You said the comparison used a Sennheiser E935 but the page lists E945 - which one was it?
Fast personal preferences: 1st Earthworks SR314, 2nd SR117 and V7 and kms105, 3rd Shure beta87a
Thank you for sharing. The 314 does sound great.
The insistence of Earthworks on a pancake-flat response curve makes them one of the best mic manufacturers in the world. I wish there were more who had the same philosophy.
It's absolutely rare to find a mic with such a flat FR.
Swear I watch these more for the mini songs than the actual review 😂😂😂
how does it compare to the Electro-Voice RE 520 ? Thanks for the review!\
+1 here, RE520 is fantastic mic
Sorry Covid got you. Missed you. Do we get a Bandrew moustache soon? Hope you feel better PRONTO
Thanks Hannah. I'm all better now, and doing so well that I can say that there will not be a Bandrew Mustache in the near future. Haha.
Can you do a review of the Sennheiser Profile USB, AT2040USB and Rode X XDM-100 reviews? Thank you!!!
I have the profile, the 2040usb and the podmic usb. I do not have the XDM-100 so I won't be reviewing that.
I'm really curious how this mic sounds with off axis cymbal bleed in it. I feel like dynamics mostly make the bleed sound horrible while everytime i've used a DPA D:efacto the bleed sounds great. It's like turning up an extra overhead instead of hearing ugly cymbal bleed in the vocal mic.
That's a great question. I unfortunately do not have drums or cymbals to test mics on so I'm not able to assist there or answer that. I hope someone who does record drums is able to get their hands on it and make a demo online.
6:43 Finally we can hear your natural voice...
I'm embarrassed that I didn't catch this in editing and shift it back down to sound normal. Now you know how my native tongue sounds.
@@Podcastage : No worries, Batman!
I actually thought it sounded fantastic on the acoustic when you played more softly.
Can you please help me choose which to buy for my home studio to sing: akg p120 or mxl 770 or mxl 990? Thanks a lot!
I can't really help you decide because you're going to have to decide which mic you prefer the sound of the best. Which one do YOU like the sound of?
@@Podcastage I am really greatful of your tutorials and already decided to get the rods nt1 5th gen. Its much more versatile and it has a more of warm and neutral sound which I prefer. So, Thank you!
Can you review the sterling audio st150
I don't currently have plans for that. I do have the ST159 which I will eventually review though. Thanks for the suggestion.
Awesome again! What mics would you say has the voice of God? Lol
There are plenty of mics that do it well. MA201 FET is pretty good because it has a little bump in the low end but it doesn't become overly muddy and it maintains some clarity. I also really like the U67 when you get right on top of it, and the se4400a comes to mind as a mic I really enjoyed when the proximity effect was working on it.
Surprised that you haven’t done the new Sennheiser usb mic yet..
I hate reviewing USB mics because they take so much longer to do. I bought the profile though and will eventually be reviewing it.
I bought one from an online retailer the mic go to silent in the 3rd day
1st day worked well but in the 2nd day produced abnormal sound & in 3rd no sound at all.😢
That's terrible news. I'm really sorry to hear that. I'm guessing that the retailer has a return policy where they'll accept a return. Earthworks also should honor a warranty and replace it. That's never fun though when you get a new mic encountering something like that. I hope they can resolve it quickly for you.
how this happened? Any sort of moisture?
Rayhayes Rd-1 most people don't know it my favourite for singing, i have shure sm 58 and sennheiser e835 they just can't match the Rayhayes Rd-1 sound for singing and live performances no feedback compared to shure and sennheiser.
Cupping handheld comparison?
I don't have a video covering that available.
I need the full version of that song
Maybe one day I'll actually get around to recording fun versions of the good review songs.
@@Podcastage lesbereal, you ain't got no time for that. You already working crazy hours 🤣
sE and Sennheiser!
They are both pretty good, that's for sure.
4:27 7:19 7:52 8:28
Hey Bandrew,
It turns out people's voices change as they age.
To ensure a fair comparison from video to video, please can you also ensure you remain the same age for the rest of your existence? - Hopefully this isn't too much to ask. 🙂
I wouldn't be working a day job if I had this tool hidden in my back pocket. I'd be selling it for billions of dollars!
What?! Earthworks makes an affordable mic?
Yeah. Pretty stoked to see EW entering this price bracket.
The shure sm58, the lewitt mtp and the sr117 sounded the best to me
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
This or a Nuemann KMS 105?
I prefer the KMS105. But it’s like $550 more expensive than the earthworks, so that makes sense.
I'm replying because I need to respond to everything, but as I said from my personal account, I prefer the KMS105.
I 'harumphed' indignantly when I saw their freq response chart - how can a $200 mic be ruler flat from 20hz to almost 10k?! But danged if it doesn't actually _sound_ like that plot. ~:^o!! I _still_ don't see how it can be that flat down to 20hz (use it for pipe organs!). But it's impressive enough from the guitar's low E up to 10k.
I'm not convinced the graph is completely accurate below 150 or 200hz because I hear a roll off. Perhaps it is accurate, but measured at a close up distance instead of 1 meter away.
@@Podcastage A very dubious business, a company claiming a certain (impressive sounding) low response - so effected by distance. Even then: how is there one distance when the plot looks like an ironing board?? Dubious at best.
In my experience, this mic is tricky to work with. It can be way too thick and warm in the wrong situation. Does not work for our close-singing female vocalist at all, unless you really bump the highs
Thanks for sharing your experience with this thing. I know this may sound weird, but I think that' what they were going for. The response of this is really neutral so that you can easily apply EQ to get the sound that you want. So bad adding those highs you're getting a nice clean high boost. But if the mic just doesn't work for your situation, that's also really good information to have. Thank you again for sharing.
Hey, pls, can u check one of the best mic in Russia, ARK, this mic built by one man, this is really very good mic at this price (~450$), proud of this mic♥
Hey. Thanks for the suggestion, I had never heard of Ark, and can't really find much about them online except a few Ebay listings for some karaoke mics.
I don't know why but this microphone sounds off/wrong to me.....hard to listen to me.
Neutral is not something everyone is going to like. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it. Always fascinating to hear.
I like it for Andrew, but particular with Spoken word.
Very interesting. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. It was fun to test.
It's alright but quite overpriced. For half the price it would be an okay option.
The Audio-Technica and Beyerdynamic both completely smash it in terms of sound for less money.
But thanks for the review Bandrew!
Happy to offer the review and samples so that you're able to make a determination on if it's worth it for you or not. Happy recording.
Did not enjoy this one at all... Interesting you said it has flat mids, because the mids were hard to bear and honky.
The mids are flat, but because it has a roll off in the low end which limits proximity and it doesn’t have a presence treble or air boost, it makes the mids sound more dominant compared to what we’re used to hearing because the low end and the presence treble air frequencies aren’t going to over power what is going on in the mids.
Sounds muffled to me.
It rolls off some of the air frequencies, and compared to the other mics it doesn't have a big presence and treble boost which will make it sound a bit more muffled because it doesn't have a 5+dB boost in the upper end.
dang, I wish you had a femal singer to test all your microphones on
Looked like you were about to fall out of your chair.
I was at the time. I was just coming down with Covid while I recorded the body of the video, and just recovering from it when I was filming the conclusion.
No direct comparison to DPA2028? Shame on you, dude :D
Yeah. I don't have one, so I couldn't include that comparison.
@@Podcastage I am sure thay your DPA dealer will be able to loan one for test, just ask them
EUR 329 in Germany...
Wow that conversion seems a bit off to me. There must be some additional import fees and taxes.
@@Podcastage This is the price of Thomann (biggest musical instrument/audio store in the EU) if you order it to an address in Germany. Shipping and VAT already included.
2725цкеншзхрлжэхцкеншзхэ🎤ячсмтьбюрлджэхфарлжэхцуеншзхрлжцуеншщзхрлжэхеншзх
Sorry I don't understand. Google translate can't even translate this.
@@Podcastage do not worry, is a mumbo jumbo with no meaning
Hey Bandrew!
Hey Joe! See what I did? I copied you, but in doing so, I quoted a Jimi Hendrix lyric. I'm so clever.
Very nice. (Now patiently waits for Bandrew to review a Stam Audio mic at some point but will most likely won’t happen anytime soon)🥲🥲🥲
Yeah, sorry Kenneth, I don't have any stam microphones at this time.