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Old July 21st, 2011, 03:51 PM   #25 (permalink)
Geoff738
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Toronto
Age: 49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fran Guidry View Post
Level matched same performance clips illustrating the difference would let us hear the differences with our own ears, experience, and needs in mind.

Years of reading descriptions of recording gear on the internet left me thinking that I would hear huge differences between mics like the SM57 and the SM7. When I put them side by side I didn't hear what I considered to be huge differences, or even significant ones. If I still had my SM7 I'd put up some clips and we could discuss the results, but I sold the mic shortly after I bought it.

Would you care to create some level matched same performance clips illustrating the differences?

Fran
Level matching is critical for making comparisons. That should be posted up in plain view and made an inviolable rule in every studio. No argument whatsoever from me on that.

I read the link. Didn't listen though - I'm traveling and I don't think I'd hear much of a difference on crappy laptop speakers. Particularly if there isn't much of a difference. The graphs did show the smoother top and extended low end of the SM7. I was mildly surprised by how close the mids were. I'm going to have to go back and have a peek at what they were doing in the 5-7ish k range that can sometimes drive me batty with a 57.

I did a little mic shootout a while back with 5 or 6 dynamic mics (57 and SM7 included, a 421, 609 and a Senn "tom" mic, an AKG "kik" mic) and level matched as best I could. On a somewhat distorted guitar amp. I think I even had a thread here about it with the audio clips, and the names of the mics - but without Id'ing which was which. I took the clips down but I could probably load them up again. Anyhow, the differences, in that application, in my room, were mostly pretty subtle. I pretty much concluded that any of them would work just fine.

But I'll keep my SM7 for what it does on the high and low end. Worth it to me.

Cheers,
Geoff
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