Shure VP88 Stereo mic

[Rob Reedijk]

I just picked up a Shure VP88 mic and I thought that I would share some
initial impressions. I don't see this mic discussed very often.

The VP88 is a stereo microphone built around an MS configuration. It
has a forward facing cardioid capsule and a side address figure 8 capsule.
It can either output direct M S outputs or a stereo output with
3 different degrees of width (determined by the relative level of the
side component). There is an HPF switch. The mic is a condensor
which can be powered by phantom or an internal 6v battery.

This is a mic with a bit of a confusing sense of identidy in that I am
not sure if it wants to be an ENG mic, or a studio mic. Maybe that
is why it had remained a bit obscure. It runs for about $1200 CAD which
means I figure you can get one in the States for about $700-800 USD. I
got mine used for about a quarter of that.

I have used it for a couple of things. I recorded a tenor (with piano)
audition tape for an opera using it, and then also did some quick female
vocal tests.

The mic has a very nice midrange to it. This part of the piano sounded
quite good. The low end, however rolls off too much (and this is without
the low-end roll-off switch engaged). It is also a bit peaky in the
presence to 10K range. The off-axis response seems to be very weird.
Also, it is quite noisy for a mic in that price range.

I am interested in the potential of also using this as a forward facing
cardioid mic (guitars, other instruments) and as a side address
bi-directional (vocals, brass). the tests for this were okay, but the
weird off-axis colourations make this a bit tricky.

The electronics of this mic make it a bit of an underachiever. Has anyone
ever had theirs modded? It might be nice to see what David Josephson
could do with it.

Anyone else want to share their thoughts on the VP88?

Rob R.
Ici Radio Canada.

[Andy Carrell]

thanks for the review, robert....i'd be interested to see how it sounds
as a stereo drum overhead mic.....

andy

<:>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on"...
Dean Martin

[Twist Turner]

I picked one up really cheap with the idea I would just turn it over on
ebay. I ended up liking it and keeping it.

I"ve only had time to try it as drum over heads and I really like it. I
pulled my KM84's down, and the Shure is now my overhead mic of choice.
I have a low ceiling and a very small space so maybe that is why it is
working better for me I don't know. All I know is that it I got better
drum sounds with that as my overheads then with either my KM84's or my
AKG451's using a great river mic pre.

Twist Turner
http://members.tripod.com/~Twist_Turner/index.html

[Benjamin Maas]

"Andy Carrell" <SUNK...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:7277-3AD...@storefull-298.iap.bryant.webtv.net...

> thanks for the review, robert....i'd be interested to see how it sounds
> as a stereo drum overhead mic.....
>
> andy

If you want to hear a VP-88 on drums, you can go to my website... I have an
example of a jazz kit mic'd with one... Out in front of the kit as the only
mic used... (as I have talked about at great length on this group)

It is on the listening page: http://www.fifthcircle.com/listen.html under
"Example 3: Jazz Sextet"

--Ben

--
Benjamin Maas
Fifth Circle Audio
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.fifthcircle.com

[Bob Ross]

Rob Reedijk wrote:

I think the reason it gets short shrift (is that the right term?) for studio
work is definitely because it has a steeper LF rolloff and it's noisier than
most other stereo condensers. Still, I've found it useable & useful. Steve
Folsom turned me on to using it as a drum overhead, where the positioning is
determined entirely by listening to the M output while the drummer plays
snare drum exclusively. From 2 or 3 feet directly over the skin you have a
snappy, poppin' snare sound...bring in the S channel (or switch over to X/Y)
and there's yer whole kit. Badda-boom, badda-bing.

Also makes an *adequate* piano mic. Not my fave, but quick & dirty.

/Bob Ross

[Harry Lavo]

I considered buying one recently, but after studying Shure's response curves
I decided against it. It is just too rolled off in the bass to be a general
purpose room mike....Its got reasonable but not smooth high end...so maybe a
cymbal mike is its best use. Shure promotes it as an ENG mike and "for
choral use".

My guess is the AT 822 makes at least as good an overhead for about half the
price. It really does seem to be a mike that "just doesn't fit".

"Rob Reedijk" <ree...@hera.med.utoronto.ca> wrote in message
news:9b4ia2$27b$1...@news1.chem.utoronto.ca...

[Twist Turner]

You pick your mic's by reading the response curves?

I buy mine my listening to them. The Shure actually sounds good for drum
overheads. I roll off the bass on the overheads anyway so who cares?

I also tried it as a room mic and it seemed to work ok for that application
too,

Since you are recording why not buy your mic's buy listening to them and
auditioning them, not reading the tech. spec's and deciding that it won't
sound good because the response curves are not to your liking. How do you
know it has a smooth high end without hearing it?

Harry Lavo wrote in message <9b5hud$j63$1...@bob.news.rcn.net>...

[Harry Lavo]

I was simply surveying the field for promising stereo room mikes for live
recording, these came up on eBay at a decent price, and I was tempted to
take a chance and just buy outright. But there were others that seemed more
promising to focus on - mostly higher quality. I'll be renting a few of
them to see which I like best and then eventually buy the one's I like best
even though it will probably stretch my finances. You have to start
somewhere, and I've got enough experience to have some idea of what a
too-high and too-sharp rolloff curve sounds like in reality when it comes to
the sound picked up in a room.

"Twist Turner" <twi...@flash.net> wrote in message
news:wKvB6.1524$qA4.46...@newssvr10-int.news.prodigy.com...