On Mon, 10 Sep 2007 08:23:28 +0300, "Iain Churches"
wrote:


"Keith G" wrote in message
...

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 9 Sep 2007 21:08:40 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...Comparison.mp3

I only listened on speakers in my laptop, but even that way, number
two sounded pretty shrill in comparison with 1.


Laptop speakers???

I would have thought this comparison represents the ultimate *extreme*
between two different pairs of mics on a price basis, if nothing else -
well worth a pair of headphones, if not burning to disk and playing over
your hifi system!!

(Hint: A price differential of possibly 100:1 !!??)


Morning Don. A few days ago, during a discussion about
Chinese mics, it occurred to me that it would be interesting
to bi-rig a smallish session for comparison with a normal set-up.

I borrowed five Chinese mics model 2000 made by a company
called SCT. (!!) I believe these are the same microphones
sold by Thoman in Germany with the T Bone badge.

Of the five, one did not work at all, and one pair were opposite
phase to the other pair. Putting this right was not difficult, but
the plan for a tree and two outriggers, five mics in all, could not
be realised.

Yesterday, I sent a short segment to Keith by e-mail, for him to
hear the difference, I did not really expect him to post it. This
is copyright material, even though it is only a first rehearsal. I
have asked him to take it down by 1200 hrs UK time.

As you observed, the Chinese sound is dryer, and considerably
brighter (brittle was the word one of my colleagues used) When
the orchestra is playing in sections, this is not too obtrusive until
the violins start to play. One gets the impression they have barbed
wire strings.

It is not difficult to EQ the two tracks to sound similar, (we
tried an inverted bell with a fairly wide Q centred on 3k8) But
the timbre, particularly of celli is still rather disappointing,
Interesting also that the centre image was difficult to establish
with the Chinkies. The RH mic had more gain.

Difficult to estimate the price differential. Probably 100:1 is
close to the mark.

I have a feeling these mics might be very good indeed on pop
piano, with their forward mid range. I have a very good Decca
compressor with which I would like to try with them.

Iain





Did you listen to my equalization? I think it turned out quite well,
but with this mic we might be at or beyond the limit of what can be
rescued. My eq was considerably more complex than the one you tried -
I used the FFT filter in Audition, so I think it has possibly made a
better job of removing those sharp barbs from the strings.

I could have done with some content above 9kHz to do a proper job
though. It all sounded very filtered by the low rate MP3 coding.

I suppose that when you are producing rather than recording music,the
word "bad" doesn't come into it (apart from perhaps unreliability). A
mic is either right or wrong for a job.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com