[KevWind]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

Again, my question is a sincere one, and with all with all sincere questions, it must come from ignorance. Your list above are all causes for there to be different sound qualities produced, but what would be their manifestations on the ear if not in different EQ profile and ADSR? Is there some overtone series being generated that was not there in the original sound source? Something else I'm missing?

Also I just occurs to me that pickup patterns are another significant practical difference, and one that may not be able to be removed from this discussion, even though my original question is based on listening to microphone comparisons and hearing mostly EQ as the distinction.

In my ignorance and probably degraded hearing, I hear EQ as being much more than half of what I hear when I listen to a mic A vs. mic B comparison.

I realize that amplitude response (ADSR) curves are there too, particularly in pure comparison tests with a single sound is recorded to one track with no effects and compared, but that in a final mastered recording I suspect these differences become even smaller compared to the EQ differences.

I realize questions are easy and answers are hard, but given the cost of a good microphone locker I'm wondering if it's possible to fake it to the degree than few can tell.

I see Bob has once again brought some great info to the discussion (and he posted while I was slowly typing my reply)

First I never assumed your question was anything but an honest sincere question. I simply think that some of the assumptions you are basing it on are misplaced and or not totally accurate.

First to clarify so everybody is on the same page..... you are not hearing "EQ" differences between mic's, EQ is process you apply to the sound of a mic or other sound source , equalization is not inherent in the tonal quality of a mic. You are hearing the sum total tonal differences, which do include but are not simply limited to, frequency response differences.


While certainly EQ is used to alter frequency response, EQ is simply a process of increasing or decreasing volume/level at a specific frequency, or a specific band of frequencies. But again tone is more complex than simple volume differences

So if we step back for a minute and propose "If what you are saying were accurate" then with a good EQ you could then supposedly make any guitar sound like any other guitar. I think you would find this is not case.

While you might be able to get frequency responses closer with EQ between mics or guitars, I think there is still going to be tonal differences .. again just my opinion.