Can you hear the differences between these mics

[TBman]

I really can't hear much of any differences through my AKG headphones (into my Scarlett 2i4)

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/ch...-mic-shootout/

Is it just me?

[Doug Young]

I hear differences, but they're subtle. Based on what you read on the internet, you'd think there are earth-shaking differences between mics, and in reality, the differences are more subtle, as this test shows. The differences also may show up in different ways - how picky they are about placement, how they react to proximity effect, how they sound off-axis. Also different people have different thresholds for noticing details - one person's mountain is another's molehill. I don't really hear anything in this demo that would get me excited about any of these mics, either - the recordings aren't bad, but none are like "wow, how did they get that sound?" Doing shootouts is hard, they seem to have done it well, but it's a bit different than trying to just make a good recording.

If you want to explore the differences mics make, you might check out the Townsend L22 - you don't have to buy the mic, just go to their site, download the free pre-recorded samples, and then download the free plugin. You can switch between mic models, vary distance, axis, proximity, etc. Very educational. It's an emulation, and may not sound exactly like the mics they're modeling, but the gist of it is in the right direction, and you can get a feel for how much difference there is (or isn't) between different mics and different placements.

[rick-slo]

Few years back there was the "Listening Sessions" website where they carefully compared several high end preamps and lots of high end microphones.
Results was very little differences between the recordings, but then for the most part good gear is supposed to capture the sound that is there, not alter
it to something else.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Few years back there was the "Listening Sessions" website where they carefully compared several high end preamps and lots of high end microphones.
Results was very little differences between the recordings, but then for the most part good gear is supposed to capture the sound that is there, not alter
it to something else.

https://soundcloud.com/prostudioreviews

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by DukeX

https://soundcloud.com/prostudioreviews

Good to see some of it was saved.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by TBman

I really can't hear much of any differences through my AKG headphones (into my Scarlett 2i4)

https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/ch...-mic-shootout/

Is it just me?

Our forum friend Fran Guidry did a nice article comparing low and high priced mics several years ago ,and it's sage advice and well worth the time it takes to read:

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/...oeps-and-rode/

The point isn't that they can't be told apart when critically evaluated, but that a lower priced mic can sound very good with a bit of selective EQ.

The other limiting factor might be which AKG phones you are using. My experience is that headphones are often vastly different, especially based on what they sell for. For example, Sweetwater's seection of AKG phones range between $39 and $1500. There's gonna be a bit of difference between them.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

The other limiting factor might be which AKG phones you are using. My experience is that headphones are often vastly different, especially based on what they sell for. For example, Sweetwater's seection of AKG phones range between $39 and $1500. There's gonna be a bit of difference between them.

What your monitoring environment is will matter a lot. Speakers+room acoustics, or different headphones sound different. I hear all kinds of things in my studio that totally disappear when I play them on my home stereo. I can have two mixes that sound night and day on the studio monitors, and I can't tell them apart on the home stereo.