Rode NT5 or Shure SM81, which to buy for my Zoom H8? - Page 2

LakewoodM32Fan · #16 02-02-2021, 07:16 PM

For all the research I did, mic placement was ranked at the top of the importance by most of the folks who did this for a living. It's the primary reason for seeking out two separate mics. I know some who probably are saying "well by your logic, there's probably only an incremental gain in mic quality over the standard Zoom XY capsule."

Which may be true for all I know, I'm not the expert on mic quality. But what I do know is your spacing, angle and placement are severely constrained by the XY capsule. You have two angles, 90 and 120 degrees to choose from, and that's it. They're attached to the Zoom H8 so where it goes, they both go. Buying separate mics and stands gives me the flexibility to experiment with all manner of distances, angles, etc. to get the best tone possible while still attempting to have the mics reject as much string squeak, soundhole chuffing, etc. as I can. Maybe even capture some room ambience.

I'm definitely looking forward to getting these mics in hand and seeing what kind of an improvement I can achieve.

sdelsolray · #17 02-02-2021, 08:12 PM

There are many serviceable mic placements for recording solo acoustic guitar. Several demos exist on the internet but I found that I learned best from experimenting with them myself, with my gear, in my room, etc.

LakewoodM32Fan · #18 02-03-2021, 12:05 PM

Also Josh and Carson just used the sE8s on this cool video (they also have used NT5s and a whole host of other mics in other videos). Mine can't get here fast enough! Meanwhile, enjoy the video. I've never heard the original, but I'm a huge fan of their cover. And the smooth yet fast capo swaps.

Also note the Harmony Hall cover is...played on Harmony guitars...in a hall. Well played, gentlemen.

keith.rogers · #19 02-03-2021, 01:02 PM

Josh Turner sounds fantastic in those early videos with the original Zoom H2!

He has a couple using one of the sE Voodoo VRx ribbons that has that one in my short list. I’m guessing you’ll be pleased with the SDC pair. They (sE Electronics) seem to be doing good things.

lkingston · #20 02-04-2021, 03:35 PM

Zoom has an extender cable which comes in two lengths if you are happy with the sound of their XY pair. I ended up buying this mainly because I wanted to see the display on my H6 better when I was recording myself. The extender works well.

lkingston · #21 02-04-2021, 03:44 PM

Also, the AT2022 mic sounds about the same as the XY capsule on the Zoom XY cartridge, runs on an AA battery, and plugs into the 1/8” input on the Zoom XY cartridge. I picked one of those up when I saw it come up used on eBay. Like the Zoom XY module, it lets you choose between 90 and 120 angles. I like that I can just clip it into a mic clip on a mic stand. I also like that I can use it directly into my mirrorless camera. The sound is close enough to the Zoom cartridge that it really isn’t an issue which one I use.

As far as sound quality goes, I look at mics as existing on two tiers: good enough for Youtube, and good enough for studio recording. I don’t know that I would use a Zoom XY cartridge or the AT2022 on a studio recording, but they sound wonderful on YouTube videos. The sound quality I get is close to the Josh Turner stuff that several here have mentioned, though I am not the same level of player.

Certainly nobody is going to look at a video using a Zoom or Audio Technical XY mic and think the audio is anything less than stellar.

LakewoodM32Fan · #22 02-04-2021, 08:12 PM

Yeah I have no illusion that I'll be recording in a "professional studio" quality. To be honest, the mics are the least of my problems with that, my limited skill is the first and foremost impediment.

I do believe any of the mics in the price range listed is going to be "more mic than my skill" warrants. As I said earlier, if I get to the point where I'm recording in a pro studio to release my music in a revenue-generating manner...well I will buy the nicest AKG, Neumann, Soyuz, etc. I can at that time.

As is the case with all things in life one eagerly anticipates, it turns out the mics will arrive last. I got my cables and stands today, but the sE8s aren't scheduled to arrive until tomorrow. At least I'll have the weekend to get to know them!

ataylor · #23 02-05-2021, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LakewoodM32Fan

Also Josh and Carson just used the sE8s on this cool video (they also have used NT5s and a whole host of other mics in other videos). Mine can't get here fast enough! Meanwhile, enjoy the video. I've never heard the original, but I'm a huge fan of their cover. And the smooth yet fast capo swaps.

Also note the Harmony Hall cover is...played on Harmony guitars...in a hall. Well played, gentlemen.

Thanks for the share! I saw Vampire Weekend right about a year ago, just before COVID shut everything down a few weeks later. I enjoyed the show a lot more than I expected. Here’s the original:

LakewoodM32Fan · #24 02-08-2021, 03:42 PM

Got a bit of a learning curve to get over, but after an hour or so I'm getting some passable recordings. The mics are excellent, the shortcomings are due to my playing.

Turns out, having to do all the recording, mic set up, etc. yourself, and then jumping back onto the guitar to start playing after you hit record...is not as easy as the high quality YouTubers make it seem. My props to them, it's much harder than it looks, and anyone who can make those videos/audio files seem so smooth and seamless, it's a real tribute to the work they've put behind the scenes.

My one regret was purchasing these cheap mic stands from Guitar Center. They're going back, they're terrible. Luckily I had an old On Stage mic stand which is currently holding the stereo bar that came with sE8s. But I'm returning the pair to GC tonight and trading them in for one higher quality stand which I'll pair with my old On Stage. It was stupid of me to try and save money on the stands. I got what I paid for, and wasted a couple of days wrestling with them.