How amazing that you are playing throughout the whole video without any articulation changes, so we can just hear the tonal differences of the microphones. I don't even mention the levels. Basically, I wonder how you played every take almost perfectly identical like the one before, whilst interchanging microphones each time and setting them up. Surely, I want to emphasise your consistency at playing guitar like this over a bis amount of time. I totally appreciate your work. Just an amazing comparison video!! I don't think that I can find any better one out there. :)
I don't think for acoustic forward parts that you can beat that sound. I do think they'd be a bit too bright in context with a vocal and I can see why a more subdued one like the ribbon mic would work great in that situation.
One of the best microphone comparison videos I've seen. The chapters help compare like against like; for example ribbon against ribbon or stereo pair against stereo pair. Way to go Mike!
This is the best guitar mic comparison video out there. Thanks Mike! I second the motion on an available download of the audio so we can hear what it sounds like before TH-cam gets ahold of it.
Great work, as usual! I thought your editing with this video was fantastic, blending in each tone so you can REALLY hear the difference. Sometimes you hear mic comparison videos and the different samples aren't really back-to-back so it's a little harder to hear the subtle differences.
They C-2 sound terrible and at their price point it will be easy to cut the excess highs, but difficult to recover the lacking low and low mid with cheap plugins or cheap digital mixers.
My favourite is the Neumann KM184. It's, by far, the best sounding on its own and it sounds great when paired - it's very distinctive. Awesome mic. Is it worth the price tag? Yes, if one can afford it, definitely yes. Having said that, the Shure SM57 sounds great across the guitar's frequency spectrum, very balanced, but has very little detail in comparison. It would be my second choice from the set.
i liked the austrian audio cc8 the most, it was the cleanest and most neutral one. Every other mic had some kind of "flavour" or own footprint/boost/cut to it that you necessary dont always want. Clear winner for me. It gives you all the freedom in the mixing stage to shape the sound.
I seem to like the stereo pairs of small condenser mics the most. CC8 and KM184 sounded great but the Rode NT5 also! I also loved the ribbon VR2 and KM184 combo.
My personal favourite for acoustic guitar is the AKG c414 XL11 - which is why I bought one. It's also amazing on just about everything else too. I tried the Austrian Audio OC818 as well - but it was just too 'tubby' in the lower midrange, and a shelving low-cut simply didn't rectify that. Don't get me wrong, it's a great mic - but I definitely preferred the sound of the 414.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this. I have a pair of xlii and wanted to give a pair of OC818 try and see if I should sell my xlii. But to my ears the oc818 sounds a bit scooped in the lower mid. I would hardly call it "flat/smooth". But I'm trying to decide if that is true or it's because I'm just used to and prefer the xlii' sheen at the top. Haha. The dual output is tempting tho!! Especially for m/s technique having one mic to capture both L/R stereo image is pretty darn cool.
@@CreativeSauce Even when playing. And that quickly becomes a real problem when you add EQ and compression. And ofc when you record more quiet sources. Nonetheless, it doesn't sound bad in solo :)
Yeah but actually when you upgrade to better tier mic you get soooo much More cleaner Voice that everyone needs but still as a Guy Who has family and is on an average salary ATM, The cost of an actual good mic Is honestly way over My head Even tho i want to upload stuff at somepoint, The actually sounding better mic Is at same price range than like My TV or half My car i'm using. Appreciate all The effort you made making this video. Makes me realise stuff better, you just cant pick something cheap for Recording and expect IT to sound amazing
One of the best mic comparisons on Acoustic Guitar out there! I have a matched pair of CC8's and LOVE THEM, along with the sE-VR2. I've used X/Y CC's as well as the VR + CC and they work wonderfully.
Stereo mic'g definitely add spaciousness to the sound. Before getting beyond halfway through, I remained impressed with the Shure SM57 dynamic mic. I have only ever recorded with these and have been happy with the results. However, once you compare that sound to the higher end mics, the SM57 begins to sound "thin". Thanks for the effort to do this comparison.
Also proves that recording a solo instrument really benefits from a stereo pair of mics. Definitely prefer small diaphragm as they actually sound warmer yet more detailed at the same time. Would’ve liked to hear the 414’s as a pair in XY. Overall I’d say my favorite was the Austrian Audio matched pair!
Top video. The Neumann pair sounded clearer and more acoustic, however, I will be sticking with my Sm57 and AT2020 which were at least on par with some of the more expensive mics.
SM57 provides me with the most familiar acoustic guitar sound, not surprising considering how many time-honored recordings have utilized it. Sometimes less is more, there's no guarantee an expensive mic will make a raw acoustic sounds great.
Nicely done comparison. The winners were CC8, 414, and 184's. Personally went with a pair of used 184's. Buy once and cry once!! I love em and happy with my choice. Did hurt pressing that cart button. The next level mics were way too much $$ for me to justify. The 184's were already a stretch for me.
_Brahhh-vo._ The AA CC8s were the first to really convey something that is approaching feeling like "being there". The KM184s deliver an idealized sound - one that everyone is familiar with due to its use in so many decades of popular recordings.
for stand alone on this guitar and picking style, the C2s are my favourite, and for a more fuller mix i'd use the C2s in stereo and the SM57 for the central sound I think that would be an amazing blend.
The best for last :-) Neumann KM 184 is a clear winner. Imo, it's well worth the price. So natural and great sounding on all frequencies. But the Behringer wasn't too bad either!
Hi Mike, love what you"re doing. Regardless of the price, my first choice would be the pair of Neuman KM 184 (but would I pay for it ?), my second choice is the SM57. Great idea to compare these mikes.
The Keumann KM 184 was my favorite sounding but way out of my budget. The pair of Rode NT5s was my second favorite and closer to what I could afford. Thanks for the video.
it was a wonderful video. the comparison was also very interesting. what i missed was the XY from the SM57, as i think it would have been only fair and would have better represented the dynamic range that the mic can record. i also find the house brand from thomann, the t. bone SC 140, to be a good choice in the cheapest range. bone SC 140, a good choice. unfortunately, my favourites were not featured in the video, the soyuz 013 FET and the schoeps CMC 6 and the MK 2H capsules. yes, these two mics are not of the cheap variety, but worthy of attention in studio use. i'm already curious about what the next video will be and look forward to it.
It is funny how EVERY microphone comparison has a very expensive instrument that sounds awesome. I'd love to see how expensive and cheap microphones sound on a cheap instrument which the majority of people have.
The stereo image of all the pencils sort of distract from the mono mics. I thought all the mics sounded farily solid that any of them could be used for a home recording. Possibly even a pro recording if the right preamps are used.
I’m pretty sure the active part of the vr2 ribbon mic is only to boost signal and has nothing to do with its frequency response. The VR1 has pretty much the same frequency response curve.
Love your finger style sound of that track. Could listen to that all day. All mics sound good but have slightly different flavours. I use a sm57 or cad GXL1200 condensor mic on my acoustics. The sm57 is a slightly thinner sound while the CAD is warmer. I sometimes record with both mics together and pan hard left and right. 😀
Very useful comparison! If only using a single mic (not pairing), they could all be made indistinguishable with a little EQ'ing - especially if it's going to be sitting in a mix with other instruments. Jim Lil has basically proven what nonsense expensive mics are. Highly recommend checking him out.
Of the more expensive mics I preferred the Austrian Audio CC8, but the Behringer C-2 was good enough for me and fits in my budget. In the '80's I bought a pair of Behringers. They are still working fine and all I need.
I only liked the XY condenser mic version no matter the brand, they all sounded good, so you helped me realize I need the XY microphone combination for the recording. Thanks
I'm surprised at how, well, good they all sound. It seems more a matter of taste than better or worse except for the Behringer's noise floor. Quite honestly, I've never seen or heard a Behringer anything that didn't have some sort of issues with it. Thanks for this comparison! I'm using an ancient pair of Insignia bluetooth cans which seem to work astoundingly well. They are my goto, down-and-dirty listening cans. Very clearly distinguising between all of the mikes.
I was surprised at how good the cheap pair of Beringer were. But I was also surprised at the three Rode NT1A, which didn't seem to have the clarity I was expecting from such a renowned budget mic. Then again, I guess it may be a good all round mic and just not ideal for guitar. I believe that it is known for its lack of inherent noise? A question I would like to ask though is, how much of the tonal difference between these could be levelled with good EQ? Thanks for the comparison!
Hello. I'm replying in this recent vid comments section so you'll see it. I'm actually referencing "How To Program Drum Patterns" which was uploaded Aug 25, 2021. The below is posted there; included it here too for your quick read. Great info! If I may bring to your attention though, there is something 'overlooked / missing' in your beginner's tutorials (for noobs to Cakewalk / DAWs in general, such as myself,) that probably seem so second nature to yourself and others to not bear mentioning, but they very much do need mentioned. I'm talking about the basic on-screen keyboard/touchpad/mouse commands that meaes stuff happen. For example, near the end of this vid you made drumbeats disappear. How did you do it? Was it right click > enter? Was it double click on that piece of info and it was an automatic delete? Was it a keyboard command? What?? Same thing with a track. I got rid of all the info in a guitar track but have no idea how to 'eliminate' that track. Is there a trash can it can be dragged to or is it as simple as right click > delete? I don't know, and I can't seem to find answers in documentation. How did you / does one mark beginning and end to a section so it can be copied-and-pasted? And is there more than one way to do it? It's little things like these that seem to get glossed over in the tutorials. And that makes me feel like I should somehow already know this stuff. But I don't know it, which in turn translates to frustration and loads of wasted time, which makes me want to bag this whole thing and keep recording on tape / in analog. What I'm asking is for basic commands help from the get-go. The Cakewalk documentation "might" be ok, but since they've stopped showing the icons and in-documentation examples (the boxes are still there but show no information within) it's all pretty useless for us Average Joes / Josies. Would appreciate your consideration in future tutorials (or maybe a vid on basic commands alone,) thanks. BandLab's lack of examples in Cakewalk documentation is making learning the DAW wayyy harder than necessary. It reminds me of an indicator of what a lot of companies do when a big change is a-comin' -- such as downsizing, the closing of a division, being bought out or going under for examples. To me it doesn't make sense to continue releasing updates yet not updating the examples portion of documentation. Feels like keeping old users happy while discouraging new users. Regardless, through omission it's made things noob difficult for that reason alone.
I have some super cheap mics all the way up to my Shure KSM-32 which cost me around $750. Sometimes a cheap $20 narrow band lavalier mic is all you need to slot into a gap in the mix.
The all around sounds of each mic was really nice. The higher end mics, to me, sounded the same as the mid priced. I particularly liked the Austrian Audio cc8 at 479. It seemed to more tone then then lower prices mics, but hunt in there with the big boys. That being said, the audio Technica at2020 sounded pretty incredible for the price.
Unquestionably the KM184 but very closely followed by the 414. Also a better comparison would have been to use one of each mic, mono, followed by a pair of each, stereo!
I look mainly for pairs. I find the 2 in the middle (NT5 and CC8) to be very boxy. The KM184 sounds very natural, but it has a little too much bass for my taste (which can probably be corrected with an EQ). As for the C-2 (the cheapest one), It would probably be my favorite if it had a bass to go with it as it sounds a bit thin, but otherwise very natural.
Hey Mike, thumbs up. reading the comments so far it proves the fact you please everybody. I guess peeps use different headphones speakers and get different results. I was just usig my normal laptop and the everyday wireless jbls. I could have gone to my studio and used the studio phones. I'm lazy at times. Tha said I heard much differnce between most of them, only thing stood out to me was a lack of bass punch. there were frequesies on a cojuple that just irritated. kind of like I always get in my stuff haha. you just did a basic setup to show people differenc so I am sure you could have maxed each to get better sounds. That said I ask doe it matter asking is basic sounds compair well. I mean would not a comparison the the best achievable sound be more useful. This however would be an unrealistic goal as once again each has dofferent equipment and in reality a different idea of what the best sound is. Kinda make the point of the video meaningless yet its so entertaining. I dont know how many options you could have added. I dont know if different guitars could have changed the results. so many vairbles. so many options. I have mics you did not use as others mentioned. I will never have some you have. and the sond I look for not being able to achieve is based on recordings done in studios and mastered by the best. Then you have the options on modelers attempting to tell your sm57 its a royer ribbon. room shape and accoustics. seems no two people will ever get the same sound. I think that those people who basically said they were all except the camera useable were very correct. Who was the famous jazz guy who used a stella plywood twelve string? I am sure the sound was not great but he made it his. same with the mics or anything. The real question is can you make what you have yours? Mike you make the vidoes yours.
I own two of these. I don't hear any real difference. Posibly slightly clearer in the high price range. I got to the end of the video and wanted to learn more about #1 $49 features. Thanks
I own the Behringer C-2 pair, and they are a no-brainer. They do have low output, which leaves them a little noisy at a proper gain setting, but I have recorded an acoustic in xy and they sound very good. They have a hpf, and a pad. It's crazy not to get them at the price. They also come with a stereo bar.
@@CreativeSauce The Shure SM57 and the AT2020, relistening to everything again, I still can't find an appreciably difference. Do you have a clear winner?
Audio Technica was interesting, it will deliver and get the job done. But for me it's always Neumann. If you can afford 'em just get them. You can rely on them with just about anything.
Awsome use of chapter feature, couldn't tell anything from the shure upwards, not sure if thats youtube messing with the end result .. or I need better ears
Well there really is no way we can truly compare these as they are all run through youtubes compression! I will say that I believe the cheap microphones can do a great job for most recordings. The high end may no doubt give better range and provide a overall better sound in a studio, but most people won't notice anything by the time they listen to it as they will probably only hear it on lower end equipment anyway! So unless you have money to burn and just want to show off how much you have, save your money !
Neumann KM184 single - sounds the best to me, Rode single sounds second best, Audio Tennica AT-2020, Shure SM 57, then a bunch after that. I am hearing that I prefer single mic, which is interesting.
Every gear comparison should be done this way
How amazing that you are playing throughout the whole video without any articulation changes, so we can just hear the tonal differences of the microphones. I don't even mention the levels.
Basically, I wonder how you played every take almost perfectly identical like the one before, whilst interchanging microphones each time and setting them up.
Surely, I want to emphasise your consistency at playing guitar like this over a bis amount of time. I totally appreciate your work. Just an amazing comparison video!! I don't think that I can find any better one out there. :)
Thats magic
Wow!!! I am surprised about how well the ol' SM57 sounds. Very focused.
I use condensers, but I never go to a gig without a 57 as backup
My SM57 definitely doesnt sound that well... But could be my room, my playing, or my audio card.
those neumanns, either solo or pair are just SO far above all the other mics!
I don't think for acoustic forward parts that you can beat that sound. I do think they'd be a bit too bright in context with a vocal and I can see why a more subdued one like the ribbon mic would work great in that situation.
One of the best microphone comparison videos I've seen. The chapters help compare like against like; for example ribbon against ribbon or stereo pair against stereo pair. Way to go Mike!
Excellent comparison 👏 The Neumann KM184 pair was my favorite.
Thank you!
Agreed. For a single mic, the 414.
I have a few AT 2020's in use. It is a very versatile microphone. Choir, acoustic guitar, overhead on drums. It never lets you down.
It wouldn't matter what mic you used, it would still sound good. Nice piece you played.
This is the best guitar mic comparison video out there. Thanks Mike! I second the motion on an available download of the audio so we can hear what it sounds like before TH-cam gets ahold of it.
Great work, as usual! I thought your editing with this video was fantastic, blending in each tone so you can REALLY hear the difference. Sometimes you hear mic comparison videos and the different samples aren't really back-to-back so it's a little harder to hear the subtle differences.
The C-2 actually sound pretty good ... the KM184 sound way to sensitive to me. Rode NT5 pair was probably my favorite.
They C-2 sound terrible and at their price point it will be easy to cut the excess highs, but difficult to recover the lacking low and low mid with cheap plugins or cheap digital mixers.
My favourite is the Neumann KM184. It's, by far, the best sounding on its own and it sounds great when paired - it's very distinctive. Awesome mic. Is it worth the price tag? Yes, if one can afford it, definitely yes.
Having said that, the Shure SM57 sounds great across the guitar's frequency spectrum, very balanced, but has very little detail in comparison. It would be my second choice from the set.
Just gotta say it like Jerry Seinfeld does 🙂
Really helpful and clear shootout - thanks Mike. I left thinking the Behringers punched way above their weight.
True Graham
i liked the austrian audio cc8 the most, it was the cleanest and most neutral one. Every other mic had some kind of "flavour" or own footprint/boost/cut to it that you necessary dont always want. Clear winner for me. It gives you all the freedom in the mixing stage to shape the sound.
Nice work Mike. I really enjoyed jumping between samples. Very helpful.
I seem to like the stereo pairs of small condenser mics the most. CC8 and KM184 sounded great but the Rode NT5 also! I also loved the ribbon VR2 and KM184 combo.
Same
The sdc & ribbon combo didn’t come close to sounding as open and transparent as the SDC stereo pairs.
00:00 Intro
00:45 Behringer C-2 (Pair)
01:02 Shure SM57
01:19 Audio-Technica AT2020
01:35 Rode NT5-S
01:52 Rode NT1-A
02:13 Shure SM7B
02:30 Rode NT5 (Pair)
02:46 Austrian Audio CC8
03:03 sE Electronics VR2 Ribbon
03:20 Neumann KM 184
03:36 Austrian Audio CC8 (Pair)
03:57 AKG C414 XLII
04:14 Neumann KM 184 + sE Electronics VR2 Ribbon
04:31 Neumann KM 184 (Pair)
Great job, Mikey! The takeaways for me were the improvement that the Behringer mics had over the cam mic, and the ribbon mic was really good, too.
Love the SE ribbon and the 414
One of the best comparison vids I seen. I guess the answer is taste. Some sweet some savoury. But... creatively all useful.
Glad you liked it!
super interesting! And I didn´t expect to hear such differences. Thanks a lot.
My personal favourite for acoustic guitar is the AKG c414 XL11 - which is why I bought one.
It's also amazing on just about everything else too.
I tried the Austrian Audio OC818 as well - but it was just too 'tubby' in the lower midrange, and a shelving low-cut simply didn't rectify that.
Don't get me wrong, it's a great mic - but I definitely preferred the sound of the 414.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this. I have a pair of xlii and wanted to give a pair of OC818 try and see if I should sell my xlii. But to my ears the oc818 sounds a bit scooped in the lower mid. I would hardly call it "flat/smooth". But I'm trying to decide if that is true or it's because I'm just used to and prefer the xlii' sheen at the top. Haha. The dual output is tempting tho!! Especially for m/s technique having one mic to capture both L/R stereo image is pretty darn cool.
Hard to compare, but one thing that struck me was how well the Behringer compared to much more expensive mics.
I have to agree. For someone on little budget, its a no brainer. However, I must say, the noise level when not playing was noticeable.
@@CreativeSauce Even when playing. And that quickly becomes a real problem when you add EQ and compression. And ofc when you record more quiet sources. Nonetheless, it doesn't sound bad in solo :)
Yeah but actually when you upgrade to better tier mic you get soooo much More cleaner Voice that everyone needs but still as a Guy Who has family and is on an average salary ATM, The cost of an actual good mic Is honestly way over My head Even tho i want to upload stuff at somepoint, The actually sounding better mic Is at same price range than like My TV or half My car i'm using. Appreciate all The effort you made making this video. Makes me realise stuff better, you just cant pick something cheap for Recording and expect IT to sound amazing
This was great.. I would love to see a video of your top 3 from this list
One of the best mic comparisons on Acoustic Guitar out there! I have a matched pair of CC8's and LOVE THEM, along with the sE-VR2. I've used X/Y CC's as well as the VR + CC and they work wonderfully.
Sm57 sounds great! 👍🏼
Stereo mic'g definitely add spaciousness to the sound. Before getting beyond halfway through, I remained impressed with the Shure SM57 dynamic mic. I have only ever recorded with these and have been happy with the results. However, once you compare that sound to the higher end mics, the SM57 begins to sound "thin". Thanks for the effort to do this comparison.
Amazing comparison!! were you just going direct into your interface or did you have a preamp?
Hi Matt. It was direct in.
@ very cool man
Very useful demo guys. Would appreciate some pick work next time to hear how the percussives fare
The Austrian audio pair did very well, the Neumanns at end were nice as well ;-)
Agree, and both very different.
I just bought the Rode NT5 Pair.glad to see how it sounds compared to everything else. I’m really surprised by the Behringer though!!
I also ordered one NT5-S, I think it's one of the best I've heard in this price range
Awesome video and amazing playing, have to love it! ❤
Also proves that recording a solo instrument really benefits from a stereo pair of mics. Definitely prefer small diaphragm as they actually sound warmer yet more detailed at the same time. Would’ve liked to hear the 414’s as a pair in XY.
Overall I’d say my favorite was the Austrian Audio matched pair!
Top video. The Neumann pair sounded clearer and more acoustic, however, I will be sticking with my Sm57 and AT2020 which were at least on par with some of the more expensive mics.
solid budget combo!
Vielen herzlichen Dank für diesen wundervollen Vergleich. Ich werde mir zwei Neumänner zulegen, das KM184 ist einfach wunderbar.
SM57 provides me with the most familiar acoustic guitar sound, not surprising considering how many time-honored recordings have utilized it.
Sometimes less is more, there's no guarantee an expensive mic will make a raw acoustic sounds great.
Nicely done comparison. The winners were CC8, 414, and 184's. Personally went with a pair of used 184's. Buy once and cry once!! I love em and happy with my choice. Did hurt pressing that cart button. The next level mics were way too much $$ for me to justify. The 184's were already a stretch for me.
Agree. The CC8 was a beautiful tone.
Let me guess, the next level mics were the Schoeps? If they were included here, I have no doubt they’d come out the clear winner.
_Brahhh-vo._
The AA CC8s were the first to really convey something that is approaching feeling like "being there". The KM184s deliver an idealized sound - one that everyone is familiar with due to its use in so many decades of popular recordings.
for stand alone on this guitar and picking style, the C2s are my favourite, and for a more fuller mix i'd use the C2s in stereo and the SM57 for the central sound I think that would be an amazing blend.
The best for last :-) Neumann KM 184 is a clear winner. Imo, it's well worth the price. So natural and great sounding on all frequencies. But the Behringer wasn't too bad either!
I really like the Ribbon.
Hi Mike, love what you"re doing. Regardless of the price, my first choice would be the pair of Neuman KM 184 (but would I pay for it ?), my second choice is the SM57. Great idea to compare these mikes.
Hard to beat the C-2 pair for price and sound. Those are also great on cymbals and rack toms.
Very interesting video! I can't imagine the possibilities when combining some of them, that must be epic!
Ive always preferred a single mic on an acoustic, nothing sounds better than that KM184 on its own
Another video I didn’t know I needed 😊
:)
You're right. Are $1500 mics worth it? No.
@@peteandpuy Right.
Until you NEED 'em.
That's why real studios have 'em.
Great vid..no bs intro and yapping❤
I have the AT2020 and love that detailed warm sound, just a shame it picks up so much ambient noise if you dont have a good acoustic space
The Keumann KM 184 was my favorite sounding but way out of my budget. The pair of Rode NT5s was my second favorite and closer to what I could afford. Thanks for the video.
it was a wonderful video.
the comparison was also very interesting. what i missed was the XY from the SM57, as i think it would have been only fair and would have better represented the dynamic range that the mic can record.
i also find the house brand from thomann, the t. bone SC 140, to be a good choice in the cheapest range. bone SC 140, a good choice.
unfortunately, my favourites were not featured in the video, the soyuz 013 FET and the schoeps CMC 6 and the MK 2H capsules. yes, these two mics are not of the cheap variety, but worthy of attention in studio use.
i'm already curious about what the next video will be and look forward to it.
It is funny how EVERY microphone comparison has a very expensive instrument that sounds awesome. I'd love to see how expensive and cheap microphones sound on a cheap instrument which the majority of people have.
The stereo image of all the pencils sort of distract from the mono mics. I thought all the mics sounded farily solid that any of them could be used for a home recording. Possibly even a pro recording if the right preamps are used.
I’m pretty sure the active part of the vr2 ribbon mic is only to boost signal and has nothing to do with its frequency response.
The VR1 has pretty much the same frequency response curve.
C414xlii sounded really nice
Love your finger style sound of that track. Could listen to that all day. All mics sound good but have slightly different flavours. I use a sm57 or cad GXL1200 condensor mic on my acoustics. The sm57 is a slightly thinner sound while the CAD is warmer.
I sometimes record with both mics together and pan hard left and right. 😀
I've heard good sounds on acoustic from the NT-1A, a tad too sibilant on vocals but just right for acoustic guitar FWIW
Yes, for a mic known for its brightness, I felt some others were more harsh than the N T1-A
Excellent demo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Very useful comparison! If only using a single mic (not pairing), they could all be made indistinguishable with a little EQ'ing - especially if it's going to be sitting in a mix with other instruments. Jim Lil has basically proven what nonsense expensive mics are. Highly recommend checking him out.
My favorite was the Behringer! Shocking. I'd just add a little low/mid with an eq.
I like the AKG 414 the best.
Shure SM57 sounds amazing and might actually be the best one to me
Hey Mike how about letting us download the audio file so we can listen to him in our own Studio
Good idea - I shall work on that tomorrow :)
Of the more expensive mics I preferred the Austrian Audio CC8, but the Behringer C-2 was good enough for me and fits in my budget. In the '80's I bought a pair of Behringers. They are still working fine and all I need.
Great review! Thanks
oh now there's a white at2020.. nicee
Which sound was most accurate of the guitar as per your experience with it?
I only liked the XY condenser mic version no matter the brand, they all sounded good, so you helped me realize I need the XY microphone combination for the recording. Thanks
I'm surprised at how, well, good they all sound. It seems more a matter of taste than better or worse except for the Behringer's noise floor. Quite honestly, I've never seen or heard a Behringer anything that didn't have some sort of issues with it. Thanks for this comparison! I'm using an ancient pair of Insignia bluetooth cans which seem to work astoundingly well. They are my goto, down-and-dirty listening cans. Very clearly distinguising between all of the mikes.
Nice video Mike .
1: Rode NT5 (Pair) 2: Behringer C-2 (Pair) 🤔🤔
The pair of Rode NT5's siunded best.
The berhinger sounded good , not enough low mid i think though. Different placement would help
Km184. Also liked the Austrian Mics
2:49 AAC8 single
3:20 KM184
super great!! thank you!
i really liked the austrian audio pair
I was surprised at how good the cheap pair of Beringer were. But I was also surprised at the three Rode NT1A, which didn't seem to have the clarity I was expecting from such a renowned budget mic. Then again, I guess it may be a good all round mic and just not ideal for guitar. I believe that it is known for its lack of inherent noise?
A question I would like to ask though is, how much of the tonal difference between these could be levelled with good EQ?
Thanks for the comparison!
Sorry for my ignorance…how is the reverb set? I’m clueless..
Would have loved to listen to ML2 in there.
what microphone stand were you using for recording with 2 mics?
Hello. I'm replying in this recent vid comments section so you'll see it. I'm actually referencing "How To Program Drum Patterns" which was uploaded Aug 25, 2021. The below is posted there; included it here too for your quick read.
Great info! If I may bring to your attention though, there is something 'overlooked / missing' in your beginner's tutorials (for noobs to Cakewalk / DAWs in general, such as myself,) that probably seem so second nature to yourself and others to not bear mentioning, but they very much do need mentioned. I'm talking about the basic on-screen keyboard/touchpad/mouse commands that meaes stuff happen. For example, near the end of this vid you made drumbeats disappear. How did you do it? Was it right click > enter? Was it double click on that piece of info and it was an automatic delete? Was it a keyboard command? What??
Same thing with a track. I got rid of all the info in a guitar track but have no idea how to 'eliminate' that track. Is there a trash can it can be dragged to or is it as simple as right click > delete? I don't know, and I can't seem to find answers in documentation.
How did you / does one mark beginning and end to a section so it can be copied-and-pasted? And is there more than one way to do it?
It's little things like these that seem to get glossed over in the tutorials. And that makes me feel like I should somehow already know this stuff. But I don't know it, which in turn translates to frustration and loads of wasted time, which makes me want to bag this whole thing and keep recording on tape / in analog.
What I'm asking is for basic commands help from the get-go. The Cakewalk documentation "might" be ok, but since they've stopped showing the icons and in-documentation examples (the boxes are still there but show no information within) it's all pretty useless for us Average Joes / Josies.
Would appreciate your consideration in future tutorials (or maybe a vid on basic commands alone,) thanks. BandLab's lack of examples in Cakewalk documentation is making learning the DAW wayyy harder than necessary. It reminds me of an indicator of what a lot of companies do when a big change is a-comin' -- such as downsizing, the closing of a division, being bought out or going under for examples. To me it doesn't make sense to continue releasing updates yet not updating the examples portion of documentation. Feels like keeping old users happy while discouraging new users. Regardless, through omission it's made things noob difficult for that reason alone.
I have some super cheap mics all the way up to my Shure KSM-32 which cost me around $750. Sometimes a cheap $20 narrow band lavalier mic is all you need to slot into a gap in the mix.
The all around sounds of each mic was really nice. The higher end mics, to me, sounded the same as the mid priced. I particularly liked the Austrian Audio cc8 at 479. It seemed to more tone then then lower prices mics, but hunt in there with the big boys. That being said, the audio Technica at2020 sounded pretty incredible for the price.
In the double mic setup, what is (are?) the mic holders called, and how much do they cost??
Unquestionably the KM184 but very closely followed by the 414.
Also a better comparison would have been to use one of each mic, mono, followed by a pair of each, stereo!
I look mainly for pairs. I find the 2 in the middle (NT5 and CC8) to be very boxy. The KM184 sounds very natural, but it has a little too much bass for my taste (which can probably be corrected with an EQ). As for the C-2 (the cheapest one), It would probably be my favorite if it had a bass to go with it as it sounds a bit thin, but otherwise very natural.
the cc8 might be the most natural microphone in this lineup with plenty of headroom for EQing without losing detail and quality.
Including the Beyerdynamic MC 930 here would hav given the Neumann KM 184 a run for the money. Very nice demo👍🏻👍🏻
Behringer c2 😮👌👌👌
Hey Mike, thumbs up. reading the comments so far it proves the fact you please everybody. I guess peeps use different headphones speakers and get different results. I was just usig my normal laptop and the everyday wireless jbls. I could have gone to my studio and used the studio phones. I'm lazy at times. Tha said I heard much differnce between most of them, only thing stood out to me was a lack of bass punch. there were frequesies on a cojuple that just irritated. kind of like I always get in my stuff haha. you just did a basic setup to show people differenc so I am sure you could have maxed each to get better sounds. That said I ask doe it matter asking is basic sounds compair well. I mean would not a comparison the the best achievable sound be more useful. This however would be an unrealistic goal as once again each has dofferent equipment and in reality a different idea of what the best sound is. Kinda make the point of the video meaningless yet its so entertaining. I dont know how many options you could have added. I dont know if different guitars could have changed the results. so many vairbles. so many options. I have mics you did not use as others mentioned. I will never have some you have. and the sond I look for not being able to achieve is based on recordings done in studios and mastered by the best. Then you have the options on modelers attempting to tell your sm57 its a royer ribbon. room shape and accoustics. seems no two people will ever get the same sound. I think that those people who basically said they were all except the camera useable were very correct. Who was the famous jazz guy who used a stella plywood twelve string? I am sure the sound was not great but he made it his. same with the mics or anything. The real question is can you make what you have yours? Mike you make the vidoes yours.
How did you get that SM57 so loud? Any preamp?
I wondered that too.
VR2 and KM184 are the best by far..!
Although I prefer the two KM184s, one thing's for sure: they're not 32 times better than the two C2s; only their price is.
Yup, diminishing returns :)
sm57 is just amazing at that price
But I wish you put a comparison for mobile phones audio recording quality. Which mobile phone records the best audio ?
I own two of these. I don't hear any real difference. Posibly slightly clearer in the high price range. I got to the end of the video and wanted to learn more about #1 $49 features. Thanks
Oh, which two?
I own the Behringer C-2 pair, and they are a no-brainer. They do have low output, which leaves them a little noisy at a proper gain setting, but I have recorded an acoustic in xy and they sound very good. They have a hpf, and a pad. It's crazy not to get them at the price. They also come with a stereo bar.
@@CreativeSauce The Shure SM57 and the AT2020, relistening to everything again, I still can't find an appreciably difference. Do you have a clear winner?
Akg so amazing😮
Audio Technica was interesting, it will deliver and get the job done. But for me it's always Neumann. If you can afford 'em just get them. You can rely on them with just about anything.
Awsome use of chapter feature, couldn't tell anything from the shure upwards, not sure if thats youtube messing with the end result .. or I need better ears
Cheers Keith. Make sure you listen on decent headphones or monitors :)
Well there really is no way we can truly compare these as they are all run through youtubes compression! I will say that I believe the cheap microphones can do a great job for most recordings. The high end may no doubt give better range and provide a overall better sound in a studio, but most people won't notice anything by the time they listen to it as they will probably only hear it on lower end equipment anyway! So unless you have money to burn and just want to show off how much you have, save your money !
Have you ever tried to use a pair of NT1a in an X pattern? I think you will find it is surprisingly similar to using a pair of Neumann KM184.
by X pattern, I mean focusing the diaphragms in an X...
Will try at some point thanks !
what makes it difficult is the micplacement that doesnt seem to be exactly the same...
Neumann KM184 single - sounds the best to me, Rode single sounds second best, Audio Tennica AT-2020, Shure SM 57, then a bunch after that. I am hearing that I prefer single mic, which is interesting.