Cognitive dissonance?
 

These rough and ready 'test clips' are recorded with two different mics, one
of which only arrived today and cost about *four times* the price of the
other, so is obviously much better; the only question is which is it - A or
B..??

(The mics stay with the same letter throughout and the 'Piano' clips are a
finger walk up and down the keyboard only - due to a badly buzzing 'string'
making tunes impossible atm!)

Have fun!

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...son-ClartA.wav

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...son-ClartB.wav


http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...son-PianoA.wav

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...son-PianoB.wav


http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...rison-SaxA.wav

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...rison-SaxB.wav


Answers on a postcard, but no fees will be paid, no contract is on offer....

(As usual, I will reveal all if/when someone has had a go at it! :-)

Cognitive dissonance?
 

"Keith G" wrote in message
...

These rough and ready 'test clips' are recorded with two different mics,

Meant to say recorded *simultaneously* with two different mics - one on one
channel; the other on the other channnel, needless to say!!

Cognitive dissonance?
 

Keith G wrote:

These rough and ready 'test clips' are recorded with two different
mics,

Meant to say recorded *simultaneously* with two different mics - one
on one channel; the other on the other channnel, needless to say!!

Not a lot in it, but B has the edge for me. I get the impression it's
resolving more detail.

Cognitive dissonance?
 

On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:23:32 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:


These rough and ready 'test clips' are recorded with two different mics, one
of which only arrived today and cost about *four times* the price of the
other, so is obviously much better; the only question is which is it - A or
B..??

I'll have a listen later.

But more important things first. If YOU can't tell, obviously the
more expensive one has to be packed and returned asap. Most retailers
give you a week to return goods, no questions asked, don't they?

Cognitive dissonance?
 

"Wally" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:

These rough and ready 'test clips' are recorded with two different
mics,

Meant to say recorded *simultaneously* with two different mics - one
on one channel; the other on the other channnel, needless to say!!

Not a lot in it, but B has the edge for me. I get the impression it's
resolving more detail.



OK, Wally - noted, many thanks! I'll reveal all in due course.

Still got your MR2? Swim's has gone now - she got 60 quid for it!! :-)

Cognitive dissonance?
 

Well, B is brighter. Maybe a bit too bright. But that's why mixing
desks and DAWs have eq. Bright can be useful, as long as the mic
responds graciously to eq when you don't want that instrument to cut
through.

It might be interesting to eq each sample until it sounded "best",
THEN compare. If anyone else wants to try, I suggest they access
them through the root web page:
http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/showntell/show.html

That way it's easier to intercept and save the files before they open
in your default player! Otherwise you have to go digging around in
Temporary Internet Files, which is tedious.

You really need to do something about that key noise on the
instruments!

Cognitive dissonance?
 

"Laurence Payne" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:23:32 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:


These rough and ready 'test clips' are recorded with two different mics,
one
of which only arrived today and cost about *four times* the price of the
other, so is obviously much better; the only question is which is it - A
or
B..??

I'll have a listen later.

But more important things first. If YOU can't tell, obviously the
more expensive one has to be packed and returned asap. Most retailers
give you a week to return goods, no questions asked, don't they?


That's not what it's about, Laurence; I'm as chuffed as a chuffed person
with both mics, but my opinion isn't important - I know which one sounds
best because I know what they cost (see Subject Line!) and, asitappens, I
like them both!!

But I've done some checking and the 'cheaper' mic isn't quite so cheap any
more (first bloody time I've ever had an *investment* in audio gear!), so
the expensive mic is only about 2.5x the cheaper one!

OK, OK - one of the mics is a dinky little Neumann TLM102 which arrived
today:

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...mannTLM102.jpg


The other is my trusty Oktava MK-319.

http://www.moirac.adsl24.co.uk/shown...ktavaMK319.jpg


What I'm after finding out is what *others* think of the comparative sound
and, I guess, whether the Neumann is in any way immediately
'outstanding'..???

Cognitive dissonance?
 

"Laurence Payne" wrote in message
...
Well, B is brighter. Maybe a bit too bright. But that's why mixing
desks and DAWs have eq. Bright can be useful, as long as the mic
responds graciously to eq when you don't want that instrument to cut
through.

It might be interesting to eq each sample until it sounded "best",
THEN compare.


Hmmm, I didn't want to get into all that just yet (if ever) - right now, I
just record the stuff! If it needs to do more than simply provide 'instant
replay/playback' for Swim Bo at this stage, then the *producer* concerned
can sort it out!! (And he knows who he is!! ;-)

(I actually tried a little reverb on the sax the other night and we both
thought it sounded worse!! :-)


You really need to do something about that key noise on the
instruments!


Next step, having made my mic selection, is to concentrate on placement and
I hope that will help with key noise (I don't like it either) - after that
it's down to the 'artiste'....!!

Now, enough about me - let's talk about *you* for a while - how's it going
with the old Trom Bone?

Had a bit of a wheeze through it yet?

:-)

Cognitive dissonance?
 

Look at this:
http://www.auym23.dsl.pipex.com/show/show.html

Same bit of music on mics A and B. The only way I can explain such a
discrepancy in the volume envelopes is if the mics were MUCH too close
to the clarinet. That would explain the excessive key noise too.

Want to try again with the mics at least a couple of feet back? That
might give something more meaningful.

Cognitive dissonance?
 

On Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:10:29 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:

I know which one sounds
best because I know what they cost

Shouldn't there be a smilie after that? :-)