U87 Vs Gemini II Vs MXL V67i - Mic Shootout on vocals
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.ค. 2017
- MXL V67i
Amazon UK - amzn.to/2mYi0wl
Amazon US - amzn.to/2G1HT6Y
sE Gemini II
Amazon UK - amzn.to/2DzZ2Gu
Amazon US - amzn.to/2F2utqf
Neumann U87Ai
Amazon US - amzn.to/2G3ld6f
Today we've got a tiny amount of time to compare two well-known vocal mics (and throw in a curveball as well).
Comparing a Neumann U87Ai (£1900), an sE Electronics Gemini II (£900) and an MXL V67i (£170).
The cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" was hastily thrown together, since the mics used in the next few videos were on hire and time was limited to make repeatable results.
The 3 mics were placed as close together as possible with the capsules aligned to be the same distance and angle from the vocal performance.
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#NeumannU87 #Comparison #sEElectronics
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3:46 4:11 4:35
2:53 3:11 3:28
I enjoyed your performances so much that I kept zoning out and forgetting to pay attention to the mic comparisons!
Great Review! I've used Neumanns in the past to record vocals, but due to budget constraints on my last album, I had recorded in a home studio with a $500 Octava microphone and bagged it very quickly for an MXL V67i I picked up on Amazon for $70. It has now become my favorite microphone and I used it on 3 tracks on my last album and definitely blew away the Blue Bluebird Large Diaphragm mic we used on the other 4 tracks and that mic was nearly $600. I think you would be hard-pressed to find any microphone for under a $1000 that could beat The MXL V67i for vocals.
I like the presentation of this video, refreshing, and relaxed.. Great Mics, them Neumanns.. never liked sE mics much, and only just got an MXL V87 to try out.. quite impressed so far.
Great Video man! i love the highs on the Neumann, and i always wanted the gemini II too ^^ so yeah it was exactly what i needed
I'd go for the Gemini II, full rich sound with a slight high end boost. Love it!
I've got this mic. What impedance level on my preamp should I put for it?
High, 2k should be good? For condensers it’s not a big deal
@@adamsteelproducer sweet, 2k it is. Thank you!
yes and very 3d! try some NOS Telefunken ECC83 tubes ;)
The most noticable difference to me is not in the frequencies, but in the dynamic response. The Neumann seems to capture a more balanced volume in your loud and quiet parts, and is less affected by distance. The other two, had a more dynamic volume, the quiet parts were quieter, and the loud louder, and seem to be affected by distance more, so you may have to do more compressing on those than with the neumann. If what I'm saying is true, than the neumann is perfect for good acoustic rooms where it would capture everything in that room, but for uncontrolled environment, maybe the other mics would capture less of your surrounding, and more of the close up.
Outstanding vid! Right off though I noticed the other two mics lack the shimmer of the Neumann, which is no surprise ordinarily. What I would suggest though is trying that again with an MXL 770.
I was going to comment the exact things that you noticed, but your review was straight on point :D (U87ai is way smoother, has much more rich mids, better top-end, while on the cheaper mics the top-end is quite harsh, and the gemini is scooped on the mids - actually I think the v67i is better than the gemini. Definitely a great deal of a microphone that mxl)
MXL is grwat for the price BUT it seems it'd need more de-essing after processing. Any mic chosen will work adequately - the processing will make them essentially the same
Precise comparison! The Neumann U87 still is the Holy Grail for me. Why?
Besides being excellent for drum overhead and other instrument applications, the shine of the U87, in my view, is its delivery of a result closer to the real sound of the voice for two reasons: 1) less electric sound aspect of the recording, ie, less harshness, more balanced overall and harmonically rich; 2) volume and sound pressure dynamic nuances are captured with more detail. What a mic! Two downsides, though: 1) High price; 2) Not best for most live applications.
Great review...Lookn fwd to Gemini mk2
All mica sounded great I just grabbed the MXL V67g HE and I'm happy with it the V67 really holds its own!
Johnny Savage hi is it noisy, the self noise how u deal with it man, do u use noise gate in v67g
Johnny Savage I bought one recently too after a lot of research . It’s been such a nice addition .
No, it’s not noisy and I still use it!
Hey Adam, I'm happy I came across this video. I was looking hard a the sE Gemini II. I think you convinced me to look into something different. On another note.......man it would be great if you could make your tracks available for the David Bowie song you did here in the Produce Like A Pro's academy. Warren I'm sure would love to be to have them. I don't believe he has any David Bowie tracks. You did such a great job with Rush's Tom Sawyer. I had fun mixing it. Thank you!
Thanks mate great vid
mxl was so surpriseing . fantastic i cant bleave. thx for this video
Con qué cápsula se hizo la grabación en el MXL ¿con warm o bright?
It's an acoustic phenomenon, that after listening to a bright sound source, you perceive the darker one as slightly dull. The Gemini was disappointing, due to the lack of consonant attack in the lower midrange. Who knows, maybe the MXL will combine well with preamps such as the 1081s? Thank you for your unbiased assessments!
The MXL wins I've been using the U87 for years the MXL cuts threw the mix before processing the MXL has more character and emotion I've seen these microphones but never did the research on this mic great video Thanks
Gemini sounds full and with greatest dynamics. U87 sounds compressed, and I think delicate details were missing or flattened down. MXL is very nice, but I prefer Gemini for its dynamics, better harmonic responses. For guitar amps, we usually talk about headroom, and it's quite similar. U87 sounds hot and nearer the ceiling, while Gemini is still at 30%.
I thought it was very interesting that in all three comparisons you reached across your face and lifted your glasses and touched your right eye with your index finger. Talk about mirror image comparisons, LOL.
I guess you didn't want two of the demos to sound different encase you didn't reach for your eye in those two, LOL.
Very good demo, and good singing also!!
In this shootout as well as some others online with the Gemini - the Gemini just sounds compressed in the upper mids and doesn't "breathe" as much on the top end. It's like it hits a ceiling of what it can reproduce or something - While that can feel like "warmth" - it loses some (often important) detail, articulation, sparkle, air - whatever you want to call it. None of these mics sounds "bad" - and while the MXL does seem to retain more high end detail than the Gemini - it's slightly harsher than the U87 - there is a smoothness to the way most Neumann mics "introduce" the top end that I think is missing from the inexpensive mics. The Gemini might sound nice on a vintage "crooner" type of voice - imparting that smooth mellow character - but for more strident sources it seems you would want to retain more high end detail. IMO, in this "shootout" the U87 would still be my choice, the MXL probably second and the Gemini last - with another voice, I might have liked that character of the Gemini. I liked the vocal by the way - it's a challenging timbre that challenged the mics IMO. YMMV. :-)
You have quite the voice and a nice approach to music
I don't think that the Gemini is scooped in the mids - it's simply that it's increased sensitivity in the high and lower frequencies cause that perception.
It's actually pretty flat in the mid frequencies.
I have an unmatched pair of U87s which I bought long ago, but listening to this... I think the MXL is killer for the price point. Does the u87 sound better? I mean, it has to because it costs 20 times more, right? Well, on this recording I honestly couldn't tell the difference. The way to tell for sure would be listen to the original tracks without being down-converted on the vid, but for anyone other than an audiophile, who cares?
I feel like it’s a bit harsher in the high mids and on sibilants but in the mix it’s really nice. Nothing some de-essing can’t tame.
I agree. I love my nicer mic's and own lower end stuff like Rode and MXL for overheads and just to have extra condensers... but damn, the difference is so subtle. If it were a blind A/B/C I don't know if I could tell. "Diminishing returns" is a term that comes to mind. Also reminds me of the article that Sound on Sound did 6 or 7 years ago where they released like 6 audio files recorded on different preamps... Neve, API, Avalon, etc ... and they threw in an ART Pro MPA ii for shits and giggles. Asked readers what sounded best without telling them which was which. The votes were all over the place, but the Art ended up getting the most votes LOL. So, yeah... it's not expensive gear that's the gold standard (also Bon Iver recording his first album that he thought was just "demos" on a single Shure SM57... it's not the gear kids... get prolific).
How dose the other side of the capsule sound
$80 MXL did a great job !!! Even when had the worst positioning of the 3. And taking in consideration the Newman U87 is more than 2k and Gemini II is about 1K... The winner hands down is MXL. if you change the MXL capsule it would sound even better...
for anyone nitpicking "clearer mids", "harsher", "smoother" etc etc. Let's face it: They all sound VERY similar. And once that vocal is in a mix, the differences disappear. Even if it was straight up just voice / acoustic guitar... not even an engineer would hear your song and notice or criticize anything. They sound very identical. Write/record MORE... fuss about gear LESS.
great voice
why we heard also double tracks reocrded before?
Hey, you failed to tell us what the level differences were.. How much did you have to boost of cut each level to match them... Thats important.
Also I thought the highs on the v67 were more pronounced, The Gemini sounded best on your voice to me, the mid low came across well brought a little more body...The difference was not worth paying $3,200 I own a TLM 103, I will soon hear the difference.I will by a v67 just to have.
Well, if I already didnt have a U87 Id look at one of the others. I have a couple of MXLs and use them for some stuff but when you pull up the Neuman its worth the difference in price if you can afford one.
Although I tend to agree, it’s important to note that the difference is fairly subtle to all but the most trained ear, and the cost is about ten times as much. The U87 deserves its place as a worldwide standard, but that’s not to say the lower prices mics aren’t hot on its tail...
I just got the mx67 and everyone tells me it sounds better on thier end in interviews and zoom conferences
The U87AI definitely has a presence boost. The Gemini by comparison sounds a little recessed in the mids.
Most people can't tell the difference in mic's from the 700.00 range and up. I think it's crazy to lust after high end mic's when a great preamp has a lot more to do with the finished sound. I can listen to these comparisons with my cheap Sony $12.00 headphones or my Sony digital MDR-V6 studio set that on sale are 100.00 plus. Then I can really hear the difference. Save your cash for a good pair of name brand digital studio headphones. I've had mine for over 20 years and still use them and see them in use at many top studios around the world. You deserve it and they will make you an expert judge.
Sorry, preamps are virtually useless on sound, if they are clean and clear. There have been MANY null-tests done with split microphones between Behringer pre-amps (8299, X32, etc...) and top studio out-board preamps. Other than impedance differences, the sound, down to .01%, is cleaner and truer on the modern solid state gear. Pre-amps can color instrument DIs and passive ribbons, and can provide specific coloration per specific preamps, but even a Behringer pre-amp manufactured in the last 10 years will provide as clean a signal as you can discern.
@@twobitpunk8416 ARE U 4 REAL ?
Man, that mxl v67 sounded so close to the Neumann with a top end boost. Nothing you can't fix with an eq or a de-sser. Honestly I'd go for the v67 cuz I like that breathy top end quality and the 3000$ difference to me sounds trivial.
I've been using the mxl v67g for like 10 years now. It does pretty well, it does have a decent amount of self noise though.
@@DjR3aper I got it recently and it sounds phenomenal on vocals and guitar, never heard anything that sounds that rich in that price
@@adithyasatheesh127 Glad you're enjoying it.
I love my MXL V67
I have a MXL
V 69
Mogami Edition
The V67i had a surprisingly full bodied sound. The U87 takes the cake, but that's no surprise. I like the V67i over the Gemini though. Gemini was harsh and thin :(
spot on. the Neumann smacked in fullness and depth. If you can swing your voice in there, then its gonna come out covered in fairy dust. Buying one tonight.
If you think this is good you should hear the MXl V67i tube 🤴🏾✨ it’s a c12 with a mxl badge … u need a nice room though
Nice comparising. Nice singing by the way. I dont like the Gemini it has ugly highs. At a blind test i would have said its the chinese mic. The Neuman is simply on spot lows, mids and highs. I dont know why manufacturer not simply recreat that sound curve lol. The MXl surprised me. Sounded better on your voice than the gemini.
This shootout was a long time ago and maybe I missed it, but did you use the MXL on the warm (wrm) or bright (brt) setting?
Warm
@@adamsteelproducer Thanks!
The best sing along ever😆
To me most noticable are differences on top. MXL has most aggressive top, too harsh and uncontrolled for my taste, would probably need more deesser. Neuman is really soft and controlled on top and could probably be boosted nicely. Gemini is somewhere between both. I think in mix you could do the most, in an easiest way, with Neumann. Just boost highs and you are almost there. Gemini is quite pleasant too, but a bit brighter. MXL is perfectly usable, just add more deesser than on the other two, and you're fine.
just avoid any processing of the highs on the MXL
Which setting were using on the V67i the warm or the bright? Great vid, thanks
Warm
@@adamsteelproducer Hey, cheers!
The Gemini has a weird sort of sizzle in the high end. I don't like it at all. The MXL surprisingly sounds pretty good but the U87 beats them both
2:56 3:31
Listen to when the vocal tracks are stacked, THAT is where the harshness of the cheap mics reveal themselves.
The green mic was higher so your higher frequencies were getting out more. All in all I liked the green mic better
Not true, that's a camera angle thing. The 3 mics were equidistant from the singing position. Also, if the green mic was off axis, physics tells us that the high frequencies would be less, not more
MXL 🔥🔥🔥
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5:53
U87 is way way better more huggy warm less sharp on highs
Gemini is easily the best!
MXL is great for the price point.
The SE mic is louder then other then the 2.
Neumann is smoother then all.
Which makes it a lot easier to EQ without getting harsh.
The sE wasn’t louder, the meters were checked at tracking. It may come across louder due to harmonic content
@@adamsteelproducer thx for replying.
To it sounded louder for some reason.
I wasn't looking at meters. However that's how it felt.
yeah the sE definitely more full than the others because of the tubes, for modern rap vocals this thing will shine@@garyshirinian
@@chrisrios802 thx for replying
The u87 is soooo much better. Way more balanced
The U87 wins because it has a more focused frequency response and a uniform timbre at varying distances. The frequency response for male vocals needs to be cohesive from bass to mids which is where the Gemini falls short.
Also the consonants where stronger with the 87, hence it will be easier to incorporate the track into a denser mix. The Gemini's timbre varied and occasionally the tone drifted into 'tinny' territories. The MXL sounded thin, It simply bares weak fundamentals relative to harmonics. But it had surprisingly thick sounding consonants.
wow pro review, sir.
in my personal opinion.... the mxl blows both of these mics out of the water. especially with the right interface & mixing software!!
But in reality the other mics are still better
But better how? Higher price tag? You don’t hear that in a mix. We get so stuck on brand and price that we often forget what we’re looking for
Hop Pole Studios I’ll agree, but we don’t got to admit them other mics are superior even if it’s just by a little. Them high prices doesn’t justify how these “High-end” mics sounds, true enough but it’s all relative to the next person. I have heard good $100 mics that can rival $1000 mics, but yeah you’re right, music is a feeling regardless of the mics as long as you got a good audio interface etc...
the sibilance is awful on the rest. U87 shines
MXL and U87 sounded more similar, the Gemini has a tiny bit of harsh hi sss's where the other two dont. MXL was a tad bit less mid clarity but very close to the U87. $150...come on. Your in a bedroom too so the mic is better suited.
Who’s in a bedroom? Have you seen my studio your video?
Oh man! Gemini! ♊️
Thoughts on the Neumann TLM103?
It’s a microphone. It’s well made, but IMO a waste of money considering it’s a transformerless design that sounds fairly sterile compared to a lot of offerings- and especially since the Slate ML1 is out and costs less
Hop Pole Studios Thanks for your reply. I’m fairly new to buying microphones (exception of the standard sm57). What are your preferred microphone choices if so don’t mind me asking? I’m looking to build my mic collection & need to find a nice condenser for electric/acoustic guitar & vocals.
Depends on what you’re looking for I guess, if you’re not on a super high budget the Aston Origin is truly amazing for its price, but if you can get a Slate ML1 at the Black Friday pricing under 500 dollars/pounds it’s the best mic you might ever get in that price range
Hop Pole Studios Thanks I appreciate your help... I’ll definitely check out the ML1. I know it’s hugely subjective, but is it better to pair a Dynamic (like a 57) with a Condenser or Ribbon mic? I’ve read Condensers & especially Ribbons are quite sensitive/fragile so I would have thought close micing a loud speaker would be a concern? Also do you have an opinion on the Se Z5600a ii tube microphone? Many Thanks
Pair them? What on? I do that on guitars because I like the blend. Ribbons and especially condensers aren’t nearly as fragile as people would have you believe, modern condensers can withstand a nuclear blast... and the sE mic is ok but a bit dark, and saturates in a way I’m not a fan of under high volumes- I do have a Gemini though which is much brighter
The v67i is $700 It's ok
Where are you living? It’s less than a third of that in the Us
*I'm a professional actor, **do7.pl/NMicrophone2** but only a semi professional voice over actor so take this review with a grain of salt. I worked with my Rode NT1A and NTG1, plus my Avantone CV28, before upgrading to this. Despite being nearly 2x as expensive as my prior mics this seems to be the most affordable Neumann, and I purchased it to better record deliverable audio tracks rather than just auditions. For voice over work it surprised me in a couple ways, as most reviews focus on music, or singing, and I didn't know what to expect.For non-musical voice work this sounds perfectly transparent; my slightly nasally, energetic male voice sounds good on it, with little added color. There is some proximity effect close in but generally I was shocked at how honest the character was. This will not give you that voice of god movie trailer voice (like EV RE20 or high end shotgun mics), and it will not forgive bad technique like a dynamic mic (Shure sm7b). What it did do that surprised me was forgive my DIY studio. I didn't even have a shock mount for the first few tests and I couldn't tell a difference once I got **one.It** has a built in pop filter but I did get better results with an external one as well. The mic didn't come with a shock mount which I think it should for this price, but then again, I didn't need it. I will be selling my NT1a and Avantone, and using the TLM 102 full time.*
U87 звучит лучше всех очень ровные сибилянты по сравнению с другими буквами в пении, Gemini II сибилянты завышены и явно выделяются из общего фона звуков, MXL V67i -отвратительные пластиковые сибилянты которые в три раза громче остальных звуков в голосе певца, данные микрофон не годится для профессиональной записи голоса.
Странный вывод. А на чём Вы слушали? По мне - сибилянты у него в пределах разумного. (Мониторы Tannoy Reveal 6) Есть такие приборы - деэссеры называются. Не слыхали? А это вообще улыбнуло: "данные микрофон не годится для профессиональной записи голоса." При наличии прямых рук "для профессиональной записи голоса" годится даже Behringer C-1. Неоднократно проверено. В миксе Вы не отличите данный Neuman от MXL, особенно в мультимедийную акустику.
NEVER EVER MXL
That sounds like a strong reaction. Any reason?
@New Videos Upon Donation Request the MXL V87 is super quiet.. and. really? telling someone they have 'so much to learn' usually means that YOU have... LOL...
@New Videos Upon Donation Request good for you.. you have an opinion.
What do you think of the MXL
V 69
Mogami Edition
Major Tom 2:53 .. 3:10 .. 3:28