Audix VX10 vs. Sennheiser e865 -- How to test a mic?

[D. Lemon]

How do you test a mic? I was wondering if there are little tests you guys do
to compare microphones.

Fortunately, I got a great deal on these two mics so I'm comparing. There is
a definate difference and to put it too simply, set flat the VX10 is very
clean, the e865 is warmer and it requires quite a bit more gain.

I immediately loved the VX10. I have since grown to like the e865 more than
originally. It seems the VX10 would easily set great on top of any mix, but
the e865 would make a nice (nicer?) recording. Bear in mind this is without
any EQ.

What specifically does a higher-end microphone excel at?

Thanks. Dan

[A. & G. Reiswig]

I had a Neumann KMS-105 that I really liked...nice and "warm" sounding. But
in performance, it tended to become muddy when I would get too close to it.
That's something I do sometimes for effect. While I still had the 105, I
got a VX-10 and an AT 5400(?) and made track recordings of them and listened
to the results through good monitors. That told me what I needed to know,
and I ended up selling the 105. YMMV.

George Reiswig
Song of the River Music
"D. Lemon" <dssl...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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[D. Lemon]

"A. & G. Reiswig" <NOSPAM...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:9fulc.19871$sK3....@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...

> I had a Neumann KMS-105 that I really liked...nice and "warm" sounding.
But
> in performance, it tended to become muddy when I would get too close to
it.
> That's something I do sometimes for effect. While I still had the 105, I
> got a VX-10 and an AT 5400(?) and made track recordings of them and
listened
> to the results through good monitors. That told me what I needed to know,
> and I ended up selling the 105. YMMV.
>

I saw that ad for the 105 on Harmony Central I think. I almost called you on
it.
Thanks for that simple tip - makes sense. It's hard to keep switching back
and forth and focus completely on listening while singing at the same time.
Thanks. Dan

[A. & G. Reiswig]

Mics are a very personal thing: what suits one voice may not suit another.
Find the one that works best with yours, pay attention to *how* you'll use
it (i.e. test it the same way you'd use it, with all the various techniques
you will use), and let your ears be the judge.

George Reiswig
Song of the River Music

"D. Lemon" <dssl...@comcast.net> wrote in message

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[Ty Ford]

[[ This message was both posted and mailed: see
the 'To' and 'Newsgroups' headers for details. ]]

On Mon, 3 May 2004 12:16:05 -0400, A. & G. Reiswig wrote
(in message <9fulc.19871$sK3....@nwrddc03.gnilink.net>):

> I had a Neumann KMS-105 that I really liked...nice and "warm" sounding. But
> in performance, it tended to become muddy when I would get too close to it.
> That's something I do sometimes for effect. While I still had the 105, I
> got a VX-10 and an AT 5400(?) and made track recordings of them and listened
> to the results through good monitors. That told me what I needed to know,
> and I ended up selling the 105. YMMV.
>
> George Reiswig
> Song of the River Music

George,

Thanks for confirming my discovery about the AE5400 and KMS 105.

I find using the pad and the lo cut BOTH for live gigs works pretty darn
well, especially with vocalists who like to sing "lips on" the mic.

Is the pattern of the AE5400 tight enough for you?

Regrds,

Ty Ford

[A. & G. Reiswig]

Hee hee! ...actually, Ty, I bought the Audix. I thought the AE5400 was
pretty good, and almost as detailed as the Neumann (which is a GREAT mic
when you're in the sweet spot), but the Audix had more of what I wanted: it
lets me work the microphone between as far as a foot or so out to right on
it, and it doesn't get as muddy as either of the other two. It responds
well to vocal dynamics. It also had better pop protection than the 5400.
That surprised me a bit, since the Audix seems to lean more toward a
hypercardioid pattern, the AT more toward cardioid. I thought I'd get more
pop out of a hyper. Smaller diaphragm, maybe. It was more expensive than
the AT, but it was worth it to me.

The AE5400 does have the pad and rolloff switch that Ty mentions, which is a
nice feature. The Neumann has a rolloff that is fixed, as does the Audix.
And the Audix's isn't much of a rolloff from their published specs! To me,
this is just more evidence that you can't buy a mic based on the specs. And
if you have the ability to put your own rolloff on the mic via your mixer or
mic pre, you needn't worry as much about those features.

Another benefit was that the Audix makes a passably good acoustic guitar mic
when the grille is removed. That's something else that surprised me about
the Neumann: my KMS-105 didn't seem to like any sound sources other than
vocals. I've heard that there is a fair amount of variability in the
KMS-105, but that's a little hard to swallow given their pedigree. I would
be less surprised to find variability within the same model of AT mics.

For anyone else reading this, don't take my word for it. I was really
surprised to find myself disagreeing with Ty, whose opinions I respect a
lot. I've read a lot of his helpful posts, and where his experience and
mine overlap, I almost always agree with him. I suspect that this is simply
one of those cases of tastes being different or of finding a mic that fits
MY voice and may not do as well on others. I do recommend that people try
the AE5400, since it is a very good deal...as long as it sounds good on YOUR
voice. The message, as usual, is TRY IT YOURSELF. I do think it is really
helpful to record different mics and play them back, and also to have others
listen to the results who are familiar with your voice.

George Reiswig
Song of the River Music

"Ty Ford" <tyre...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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