Ordered a Lewitt 441 flex yesterday from Sweetwater. This guys thoughts on your mics was a big part of my choosing that mic. Looking forward to using it.
If you are building a home/project studio to record live groups, using basic dynamic mics and then working to improve your engineering skills will serve you better than wasting tons of $$$ on fancy mics. Mic placement is THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL to develop. A SM58 can be a miracle if you are recording vocals in a crappy room. Indeed the Audix stuff also works pretty damn fine
I've known about cardioid patterns for decades, but never really thought about it before. It's heart-shaped and the term literally starts with "cardio-".. Thanks Warren!
The R10 is magic on acoustic guitar. It's not an R121 at half the price, but it's still got it's own sound that delivers. Cool room mic for drums, too.
The refexion filter isn’t about blocking sound from getting into the mic. It takes out some of the room tone by not allowing as much of the voice to reach the room and bounce around. I use something similar called The Mic Thing. Really helpful in an untreated home studio. Important to get the distance right cause it can make the voice super dry and unnatural even after adding reverb.
Warren, I’ve been watching your videos for a little while now and it’s amazing to hear your perspective on studio recording and gear. For the sake of everyone, please keep up what you do. These videos take time and effort but they are a dream come true for guys like me looking for a perspective on home studio gear from someone with experience like yourself.
I really appreciate all these home studio vids. I'm just in the process of getting started down this journey. Navigating all the gear options out there is overwhelming. I really value your opinions.
Dynamics in hyper-cardioid being useful is why I really like the Aspen Pittman Designs DT-1 because it is a medium capsule condenser with a hyper-cardioid pattern. Best of both worlds. And it's not expensive. My best mic so far for my vocals is my R-10.
The LCT 540 was very impressive - especially on Guitar but voice was nice as well . I wish I had a C12 or even a semi- clone or one , and recently bought a WA U47 which I love ! Shout out to the classic Shure SM57 and SM 58. I wish I had a matched pair of neuman 84 s but those SE 's were impressive . My favorite mic I have used was the Neumann TLM 170R . It sounded great on almost any voice or even Sax .
Multipattern options instead of the 414 also include the Lewitt 441 Flex (I wish they made a 540 tier version), but at that next price tier, I am really impressed by the Austrian Audio OC818. A pair of those will have any studio in great position.
Listening to the variety of microphones, used in this video, showed me what I’ve personally questioned in my own mind for years, that high dollar mics, for the most part are not necessary for high quality recordings. I have put to use, many of the microphones such as the Mojave 201fet’s and I love them on everything! Again thank you for the informative video and education on affordable home studio microphones!!!!
As a low budget amateur, I've been having a great time with the Behringer XM1800S dynamic mics, which you can get (from Sweetwater) in a three pack for $45. I am definitely not any kind of expert, but they've been working great for my hobby stuff and recording jam night with my buddies. They are metal and solidly built - at least I haven't broken any yet.
@@Producelikeapro I realize you said in the video that you were featuring 'forever' mics and these likely don't qualify. However this lets me get multi-track close-mic recording of our sessions, when if I had to spend even as little $100 per microphone it wouldn't happen at all. That's valuable to me.
Without processing, I think the Mojave sounds really fantastic and is probably my favorite of the more "mix ready" mics here. The Atlantis with a nice Pultec-style EQ doing a bit of a high lift would be something really nice though - lots of great body and weight there!
@@Producelikeapro Thanks. 1st pick would be the Mojave 201 as well. It just has a really nice sound without any EQ. 2nd pick would be the Lewitt 540. On this particular recording I would used the Mojave on gtr with the Lewitt on voc. 3rd, I was surprised at the sound of the sE 7 though and I shouldn't be because I have used their Gemini mic on vocals a while ago. 4th and 5th would a toss up with the Lauten and the Royer.
I was looking for a good all round, large diaphragm condenser mic in the hope of getting my home studio sounding more ‘boutique’ and less ‘boudoir’ about fifteen years back, when I was still living in the UK and when high street audio providers Digital Village still had physical stores. They steered me towards what was then the newish SE 4400a. I always loved it for its versatility and whilst its not my very, very favorite vocal mic it probably is at that price point. No complaints. I think it was about five hundred English pounds then. Our friends at Sweetwater are currently listing them at about $500 today. They attract good reviews for sounding great and being well made. What sets them apart from some of their peers is that you can switch between four different polar patters, plus there are two bass cuts. Nice case, really good shock mount. There is of course lots of fierce competition at that price and these days it difficult to go very wrong. But some say SE’s 4400a is one of the best large diaphragm condensers out there for under $1k. A condenser to consider. I did have an R10 and would definitely recommend one of those. Especially for what they cost. But the producer/engineer who made my last record loved it so much I couldn’t bare to take it away from his studio and ended up swapping it with him in return for mixing the record! Oh well, it’s still at his studios for the next time and at least it’s being used as much as it deserves. Maybe when I’m feeling flush I’ll buy myself another one!
For a "57-beater", I can recommend the Sennheiser e906. It's similar in sound to a 57, but has slightly less of a presence peak and the frequency response extends a bit higher and lower. It is small, lightweight and flat, handy for gigs as you can hang it by the cable in front of the cabinet.
Good mic, I’d definitely recommend anyone to try both and see what they like, the e906 might well win out in a lot of cases. I prefer it definitely on guitar cabs.
@@richardmcarthur40 I'm more in the live sound realm, but I love a good Sennheiser on a cab (906 OR 609) vs a 57. I personally own two 906's, and ironically, zero shures yet. I also own two Se7's, and I've used them live for pure acoustic guitar (no DI) before. Tricky due to the stage monitors, but it sounded great.
Damn agree, and killer paired with a Ribbon Mic on Guitar Amps. I use this one instead of a 57 (that I've also owned, even for much longer than the 906) and I definitely prefer the 906 !
For anything acoustic I love my Gefell M295. Read up on Gefell and you’ll learn about its history with Neumann. When the wall went up and divided Germany, the Neumann factory was on the east and was renamed Gefell. When the wall came down the same factory still existed and was still producing mics. These days Neumanns are actually made by Sennheiser. Regardless of all that, the Gefell M295 is a small diaphragm mic with a nickel diaphragm, while almost all mics these days use gold sputtered Mylar for the diaphragm. The solid nickel gives this mic an extremely accurate tone.
From where I listen(and thru what I listen with, LOL) I liked the Mojave and the Lewitt.... On another note, when I worked in a rehearsal studio in the late 70s, mics for our sound reinforcement system (BGW power and JBL speakers) , were SM57s , SM58s, Beyer 500s and a couple of 55SW Shures that we rolled in a towel for the kick drums(inside)...LOL again !!!!! Great video, thanx, great work....
I have little experience with microphones. I enjoyed the Lauten Atlantis very much on her voice. Beautiful sound, very balanced, full and detailed. My favourite on the guitar was the Lewitt 540. It doesn't have the body and detail of other more expensive options but captures the overall sound of the guitar with enough detail and a nicely crispy top end (a bit too harsh on the vocals, if I remember well).
In my limited mic experience compared to you guys, if I could choose 1 microphone, It would be the Townsend Labs L22 to use with the Sphere modeling software.
Now this was a fantastic video!! I'm a big big big sE guy owning 7 of their mics. I was happy to hear the sE7 held it's own against the much more expensive mics. The Mojave sounded the smoothest to me. Linda's vocal mic is the sE Z5600a II and hardly any EQ is needed.
That Lauton... is just stunning. Totally out of my budget or even needs, but at least now I have a dream mic to aspire to, I guess. I've been trying to teach myself home recording since the pandemic began and have been using an Aston Spirit for the past year - and been extremely pleased with it. Before that I was using an Ear Trumpet Myrtle that I was lucky enough to borrow from my bandmate after the Rode M2 I had went on the fritz. They're both fantastic mics in my opinion. To my ear, the Myrtle has a really smooth or blended sound that just sounds like the acoustic instrument in the room without any processing. The Aston has a more detail, with distinct bass, mids, and especially treble - so there's more to play with and draw out with EQ, etc, if you want. Also, fwiw, they both look fabulous. The Rode M1 pales in comparison for recording purposes, but it's a practical workhorse. Pop a battery in for phantom power and the windshield shield that came with it and it's a great live outdoor mic that I've used to pick up guitar/banjo and my vocals to great effect. The screen keeps popping off mine in transit - even in it's hard care - and that's messed up the wiring, but I'm hoping to get it re-sautered and glue or tape the dumb screen on so it won't come off.
So I own all of the Lauten mics, and if you're looking for a mic that gets you the same quality result it would be the Mojave 201 FET or the 301 FET (same mic, just more polar patterns and pad.) The Mojave cost roughly half of the Lauten. I own both, and I use them both.
@@legacyShredder1 Intriguing! I'll have to look into those Mohave mics, thanks for the tip. What do you think of the more affordable black series that Lauten makes?
@@wychwoodmusic The Lauten black series are great microphones, and studio workhorse mics. They found ways to cut costs that are more on the aesthetic side than the functional side. For example they all have the same basic look to them which they can do large numbers at 1 time, and since they're black they can do it cheaper than the electro-powder coated buffed brass mics. They also limit the extra features that costs a lot to make such as multiple polar patterns, multiple pads, and the more extravagant features like having multiple circuits for different colored sounds. All-in-all the black series mics are great, and I don't think of them as cheap although they are more affordable. It's one thing to cut costs with how something looks, but it's entirely different when something is made crappier. (Also Mojave mics are made by David Royer who makes Royer microphones. He's a genius.)
@@wychwoodmusic Oh yeah, forgot to mention the Lauten LS-208 and the LS-308. Those two are extremely well designed and special mics. It would be impossible for me to explain thoroughly what makes them special. If you ever want to take a chance on a mic the LS-208 is fantastic.
Upgraded to a se2200e large diaphragm condensor which gave me some much freedom with recording acoustic guitar, I can easily sit across the room and still get great results, whereas before I would have had a dynamic mic right up to the body of the guitar and that would be my only option for a decent result. This has been a huge upgrade for my home studio at a very affordable price to me.
Was well impressed with the SE7 wow. Which was a surprise as I once had an SE220 and it was a horrendous mic. So since avoided anything by SE but hearing the SE7 has changed my mind about them. Currently got an SM7b, Neumann KM84, TLM 103 & TLM67 Hoping to get a FET U47 one day
I have to agree with the Lewitt 540S. If you are going to make the jump up from the $300-500 dollar range to something more, this is the one you want. It is still priced near $700, if you can get it. And I am glad I did because they seem to be at or near sold out most of the times I look. But yeah. These are not just very clear, and silent, but of the most versitile mic's I've ever used. And that is an understatement. I still use some other mics for other things, but it seems this one is getting to be the Swiss Armyknife workhorse of the collection. For the price, I just don't think it can be beat. The one thing next on my list, is to simply get another one of these for a pair. JMHO.
I'd put the Se and Royer R10 in a stereo pair panned with delay on guitar, and the Mohave for the voice with a bit of limiting or compression on the voice, - as that performance seemed to capture a lot of feeling , vocal connection between notes on soft parts and angst that wasn't on the other tracks. Perhaps it was just the performance but That the mic picked up really well !! Such a nice feeling. Beautifully done. Ovation. print done ... oh maybe with the rest of the song too :)
I own a pair of the Lauten LA120s, the cardioid capsule sounds awesome on my violin, out of all the mics I've tried so far, I've had the best results on it. And both the omni and cardioid capsules sound really good on an upright piano, I'd really recommend anyone who hasn't tried it to do so!
Im just a Hybrid Head....LOL....I love combining, Digital, with Analog Stem Track Looping with Sudio One Pipe Line..Acustica Audio then running my Vocals and Mix through my Analog Rack.....from Vocals, To Mixes, to Instruments you will always have more control over "your sound" being a Hybrid Digital / Analog Engineer
I hate the sound of 58,57, when I want distortion I’ll add it later, they were real useful back in the day when PA’s were lacking in midi, but we are now in 2022 and not 1972….I like my recordings to be as near to the original, so for snare Beyer M201 for example, just been mentioned being used for snare, or the Sennheiser 900 series and my go to dynamic mic is the new(ish) Sennheiser 435/445, just try it, for live vocals I think it’s so realistic and honest, have had so many comments from singers that basically said that it’s the first time they have heard their voice and not the mic/monitor and my vocal recordings are dual with sE Gemini dual tube and sE RNR1 (Rupert Neve ribbon), would love to have a matched pair of the RNR1’s, for a ribbon mic the top end is pristine and so silky,it’s not cheap but worth every centsometimes using the Sennheiser as mic for the monitoring but also mix it into the two sE mics as well….
Im thinking of going with the LA120 for in the home studio versus the sE or the Lewitt. Outside their sound, I am loving the extra omni capsules you get with those. Really under rated! I also agree with the R10. It's my favorite Royer too!
I love all my Mics, but my OC818 (1000€) and my Prodipe ST-1 MK2 Lanen (129€) are my fav! It looks to me that price is less important than the way it pleases my ears! 🙂
Great video. The woman at the end is quite an artist and performer, and the demo really shows the differences between the microphones. That Lauten Atlantis looks like quite a beast, but sounds really good on her voice and guitar. I liked the Royer too, although you could have brightened her up quite a bit by performing into the back side of the mic. Great stuff.
I have the LCT 040 matched pair, I use these on acoustic guitar and drum over head. I also have two sE V7's and use them for really aggressive vocals and snare and kick and cabs. I have a MXL 990 and use that for vocals but I think I might get a Lewit LCT 540 S after listening to this. I didn't mind the sE sE7 on the guitar but as bit breathy for vocals but at that price wow I'm impressed, Might have the get a pair of these too. My wallet loves and hates you Warren haha. As always thankyou for what you do.
With my ordering yesterday of a Lewitt 441 flex yesterday from Sweetwater of course my choice of mics over the years follows your suggestions just about spot on. Made me feel good about my choices over the years. I’d very much like to have a Royer R10 ribbon but out of my price range. I bought an sE ribbon mic that doesn’t make my voice great but does make it sound the best it could be. Enjoyed the video and the voice of the lady singing. If I were to mix it for me I think I would cut most of the background music. Her voice doesn’t need it.
I use sE Electronics mics a lot. They are perfect for commercial recording "on a budget", witch is exactly what I do. I have three SE4s, SE5, SE2300 and V3. Also used to have X1R and X1S (entry level ribbon and condenser), they are great too, but I had to sell them to buy other mics. I made the whole tracks using only sE microphones, and they do sound very good.
@@richardmcarthur40 You mean 2200A. It is cardioid only. Great choice for vocals, sounds really expensive. My 2300 is the same, it also has omni and figure-of-eight modes. Fantastic microphone for everything.
Great video Warren as always!! The only advice i can give you is to split the comparison part in the end in a separate video of its own because it's kinda hidden at the end of this video right now
AKG D5 is similar to SM57. The AKG 414 has selectable patterns that makes it pretty versatile. Roswell makes some really nice low cost entries as well.
I have a lot of matched pairs of SDC's, but I bought a pair of Lewitt LCT 140 AIR's after watching your video on them and I use them along side my Neumann KM 184's, AKG C451's, my Oktava MK 012's and other pricier choices, but they sound great and stand up to any of those mics.
This is a great series. So many mics to choose from now with many new brands punching way above their weight. It's good their is more choice but bad when you have to choose between them.....ha ha.. Sweetwater reminds me of a sweet shop and I would be the kid in the sweetie shop for sure. Great video, thanks very much
I like the sE7 on Guitars and the Mojave on Vocals ! Thank you @Warren , still has to try more Mic’s that mostly people use too it will be nice , like the Rode NT’s and Neumann’s etc .. great video
Since you have shown a lot of your home studio build/set up (monitor-desk and so on) could you show us a vid on your iso booth build (dimensions) or treatment therein?
Just get a sE RNR1 on demo, you will not want to give it back, all the things a ribbon has and none of the disadvantages, clean wonderful level, a top end up there with a top condenser, like I wrote in my comments I would love to have a matched pair, have used it in mid/side setup with the Gemini, now that was organic drum sound with a side high end that is just silky as hell, bit of a pain to set up given the size of both the mics but when you get it right it’s as if you are sitting behind the kit…
My fav sounding mic from this video is the Lewitt LCT 540, which is just as well given that I’ve just bought a pair of Lewitt LCT 441 flex mics - untested so far…
you guys HAVE to try the SE X1R on guitars, especially with a 57. It’s better than a 121! It’s a more midrange sound than a 121. It really deserves to become a guitar standard. I really think y’all need to try more Warm Audio mics, more personality than the competition imo.
For the vocal track the Lauten FC-387 was perfect but for the guitar the Se7 was best. The Se7 is a great value mic and would have worked for vocal just fine with a little editing after.
Warren I'm so surprised you guys didn't try out any Warm Audio microphone. Is it because they are making clones of high end microphones. Or you just don't fancy them
Dream mic would probably be a pair of AKG C414's. With that many polar patterns, and having two of them, they seem like they'd be extremely versatile. My current setup is all Behringer. Simply because they're mics are the only ones within my budget. My favorite right now is their C-1 cardioid condenser.
YEEEES! I await the video about the Voodoo and the R10s, I´m really interested in a pair of any of those mics specially to use as overheads! I would also love to know your opinion on the Shure KSM32, have you used it? Regards from Spain
Great video once again! I bought a pair of t.bone SC1100''s to use as overheads and for vocals (some claim they're 414 clones) but I got tired of two separate stands for the quite heavy mic's. I was gonna get a pair of Røde nt5's, but the salesman said that the SE 7's are better and in the same price range (170€), so I got those. Happy to see a pro getting them and it'll be fun to hear your thoughts, since I couldn't find many reviews online.
I'm only listening on a cheap speakers in bed, rather than on my Genelecs, but the Mojave and Lewitt sounded almost exactly the same. Is there a reason why one shines over the other? Different use cases or situations?
Do you recommend accumulating new microphones for a studio or adding some of the classics? I’m a beginner and have an accumulation of types. I have Three AKG C28b and a C60, are these more of a risk for failure, both mic and recording because of 70+ year old tubes and power supplies? I’ve made some from kits plus Chinese MXLs more high end mics that actually work well in my locker. There are also some classic Electro voice and Shure.
strong video and a great overview ! thanks for the effort. cool cool ( btw, i bought a Lewitt 441 right after watching a video of yours, still love it)
MA 201 fet might just be the best fet based mic i've heard. much better than the SE 2200....and I'm a fan of that mic since it's about all i can afford....and oddly, better somewhat than the Warm 47 jr. also barely in my price range.
Lewitt was far better than the others. I adjusted the the monitor out eq while listeing and it required the least and sounded the best with just a little eq, Mojave was also good, but a bit essy when eqd
Hi Warren, great video again! Stam Audio is a company worth taking a look at, not only for microphones, but definitely also for microphones... they make great replicas of the all time classics at an affordable price. One of my favorite mics I own is their SA47 MK , an "exact replica" of the well known u47 tube microphone... it's absolutely amazing
Hey Warren, fantastic Video, as always. I never saw Telefunken microphones on your channel? Is there a reason for that? Or did I miss them? Love the TFs and the M82 on Bassdrum.
If you’re running a commercial studio, where you have other engineers coming and going, the U87 makes a statement and the build quality is second to none
Do you know what there was so much signal noise with the Royer and none of the others? Was that just the result of pushing a high gain setting for the ribbon?
What are some of your favourite or dream microphones for your studio? Share below!
Dream microphone? A Bock 251 or a Soyuz 017. I also really like my Josephson C42s and DPA 2006a pair.
Advanced audio versions of u47, 414.
Any of the top-line Brauner, Neumann or Telefunkens.
My top 3: townsend sphere L22, AEA R88 and rc314 earthworks
@@thomasvandalen7103 thanks ever so much for sharing!
Hi Warren. Really awesome video! We are so happy that everybody can now buy some LEWITT mics from Sweetwater! Thanks for the shoutout 💚
YES!! We are all excited that Lewitt are in Sweetwater!
I have a LeWitt LCT 940. Thank you for making such a workhorse condenser mic. Highly recommend it.
@@eugenemichael9833 🙌thanks for the kind words!
Ordered a Lewitt 441 flex yesterday from Sweetwater. This guys thoughts on your mics was a big part of my choosing that mic. Looking forward to using it.
Has anybody used Lewitt Dynamic mics live? Do they make a stage condenser mic? REMARKS / RECOMMENDATIONS PLEASE?
If you are building a home/project studio to record live groups, using basic dynamic mics and then working to improve your engineering skills will serve you better than wasting tons of $$$ on fancy mics. Mic placement is THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL to develop. A SM58 can be a miracle if you are recording vocals in a crappy room. Indeed the Audix stuff also works pretty damn fine
I've known about cardioid patterns for decades, but never really thought about it before. It's heart-shaped and the term literally starts with "cardio-"..
Thanks Warren!
The R10 is magic on acoustic guitar. It's not an R121 at half the price, but it's still got it's own sound that delivers. Cool room mic for drums, too.
It's a wonderful mic! I'm a big fan!
The refexion filter isn’t about blocking sound from getting into the mic. It takes out some of the room tone by not allowing as much of the voice to reach the room and bounce around. I use something similar called The Mic Thing. Really helpful in an untreated home studio. Important to get the distance right cause it can make the voice super dry and unnatural even after adding reverb.
I have a home studio. I love my cloud and royer ribbons but I recently picked up the lewitt 940 and 1040. Love them!
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
Warren, I’ve been watching your videos for a little while now and it’s amazing to hear your perspective on studio recording and gear. For the sake of everyone, please keep up what you do. These videos take time and effort but they are a dream come true for guys like me looking for a perspective on home studio gear from someone with experience like yourself.
Thanks Daniel for that wonderful comment! I really appreciate it! You’re very kind indeed
I really appreciate all these home studio vids. I'm just in the process of getting started down this journey. Navigating all the gear options out there is overwhelming. I really value your opinions.
Dynamics in hyper-cardioid being useful is why I really like the Aspen Pittman Designs DT-1 because it is a medium capsule condenser with a hyper-cardioid pattern. Best of both worlds. And it's not expensive.
My best mic so far for my vocals is my R-10.
The LCT 540 was very impressive - especially on Guitar but voice was nice as well . I wish I had a C12 or even a semi- clone or one , and recently bought a WA U47 which I love ! Shout out to the classic Shure SM57 and SM 58. I wish I had a matched pair of neuman 84 s but those SE 's were impressive . My favorite mic I have used was the Neumann TLM 170R . It sounded great on almost any voice or even Sax .
Multipattern options instead of the 414 also include the Lewitt 441 Flex (I wish they made a 540 tier version), but at that next price tier, I am really impressed by the Austrian Audio OC818. A pair of those will have any studio in great position.
Listening to the variety of microphones, used in this video,
showed me what I’ve personally questioned in my own mind for years, that high dollar mics, for the most part are not necessary for high quality recordings. I have put to use, many of the microphones such as the Mojave 201fet’s and I love them on everything!
Again thank you for the informative video and education
on affordable home studio microphones!!!!
As a low budget amateur, I've been having a great time with the Behringer XM1800S dynamic mics, which you can get (from Sweetwater) in a three pack for $45. I am definitely not any kind of expert, but they've been working great for my hobby stuff and recording jam night with my buddies. They are metal and solidly built - at least I haven't broken any yet.
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
@@Producelikeapro I realize you said in the video that you were featuring 'forever' mics and these likely don't qualify. However this lets me get multi-track close-mic recording of our sessions, when if I had to spend even as little $100 per microphone it wouldn't happen at all. That's valuable to me.
Without processing, I think the Mojave sounds really fantastic and is probably my favorite of the more "mix ready" mics here. The Atlantis with a nice Pultec-style EQ doing a bit of a high lift would be something really nice though - lots of great body and weight there!
Thanks ever so much for sharing Melissa!
@@Producelikeapro Thanks.
1st pick would be the Mojave 201 as well. It just has a really nice sound without any EQ. 2nd pick would be the Lewitt 540. On this particular recording I would used the Mojave on gtr with the Lewitt on voc. 3rd, I was surprised at the sound of the sE 7 though and I shouldn't be because I have used their Gemini mic on vocals a while ago. 4th and 5th would a toss up with the Lauten and the Royer.
I was looking for a good all round, large diaphragm condenser mic in the hope of getting my home studio sounding more ‘boutique’ and less ‘boudoir’ about fifteen years back, when I was still living in the UK and when high street audio providers Digital Village still had physical stores. They steered me towards what was then the newish SE 4400a. I always loved it for its versatility and whilst its not my very, very favorite vocal mic it probably is at that price point. No complaints. I think it was about five hundred English pounds then. Our friends at Sweetwater are currently listing them at about $500 today. They attract good reviews for sounding great and being well made. What sets them apart from some of their peers is that you can switch between four different polar patters, plus there are two bass cuts. Nice case, really good shock mount. There is of course lots of fierce competition at that price and these days it difficult to go very wrong. But some say SE’s 4400a is one of the best large diaphragm condensers out there for under $1k. A condenser to consider.
I did have an R10 and would definitely recommend one of those. Especially for what they cost. But the producer/engineer who made my last record loved it so much I couldn’t bare to take it away from his studio and ended up swapping it with him in return for mixing the record! Oh well, it’s still at his studios for the next time and at least it’s being used as much as it deserves. Maybe when I’m feeling flush I’ll buy myself another one!
For a "57-beater", I can recommend the Sennheiser e906. It's similar in sound to a 57, but has slightly less of a presence peak and the frequency response extends a bit higher and lower. It is small, lightweight and flat, handy for gigs as you can hang it by the cable in front of the cabinet.
Good mic, I’d definitely recommend anyone to try both and see what they like, the e906 might well win out in a lot of cases. I prefer it definitely on guitar cabs.
@@richardmcarthur40 I'm more in the live sound realm, but I love a good Sennheiser on a cab (906 OR 609) vs a 57. I personally own two 906's, and ironically, zero shures yet. I also own two Se7's, and I've used them live for pure acoustic guitar (no DI) before. Tricky due to the stage monitors, but it sounded great.
Damn agree, and killer paired with a Ribbon Mic on Guitar Amps. I use this one instead of a 57 (that I've also owned, even for much longer than the 906) and I definitely prefer the 906 !
Agree on 906. The 609 is not so great. Beyerdynamic tg201 is also a 57 upgrade on almost everything.
@@TimMilliken haven't seen/heard the Beyer mic but I'm certainly willing.
Hey Warren! I’d like to hear your opinion on Warm Audio microphones. The prices seem fair considering the mics they’re recreating.
For anything acoustic I love my Gefell M295. Read up on Gefell and you’ll learn about its history with Neumann. When the wall went up and divided Germany, the Neumann factory was on the east and was renamed Gefell. When the wall came down the same factory still existed and was still producing mics. These days Neumanns are actually made by Sennheiser. Regardless of all that, the Gefell M295 is a small diaphragm mic with a nickel diaphragm, while almost all mics these days use gold sputtered Mylar for the diaphragm. The solid nickel gives this mic an extremely accurate tone.
From where I listen(and thru what I listen with, LOL) I liked the Mojave and the Lewitt....
On another note, when I worked in a rehearsal studio in the late 70s, mics for our sound reinforcement system (BGW power and JBL speakers) , were SM57s , SM58s, Beyer 500s and a couple of 55SW Shures that we rolled in a towel for the kick drums(inside)...LOL again !!!!!
Great video, thanx, great work....
Loving the Atlantis! it's very smooth!
It's a wonderful mic!
I have little experience with microphones. I enjoyed the Lauten Atlantis very much on her voice. Beautiful sound, very balanced, full and detailed. My favourite on the guitar was the Lewitt 540. It doesn't have the body and detail of other more expensive options but captures the overall sound of the guitar with enough detail and a nicely crispy top end (a bit too harsh on the vocals, if I remember well).
In my limited mic experience compared to you guys, if I could choose 1 microphone, It would be the Townsend Labs L22 to use with the Sphere modeling software.
Now this was a fantastic video!! I'm a big big big sE guy owning 7 of their mics. I was happy to hear the sE7 held it's own against the much more expensive mics. The Mojave sounded the smoothest to me. Linda's vocal mic is the sE Z5600a II and hardly any EQ is needed.
I think the one take away I got from this video is wow, I really need to check out Lauten Audio mics. That mic sounds absolutely fantastic!!
That Lauton... is just stunning. Totally out of my budget or even needs, but at least now I have a dream mic to aspire to, I guess.
I've been trying to teach myself home recording since the pandemic began and have been using an Aston Spirit for the past year - and been extremely pleased with it. Before that I was using an Ear Trumpet Myrtle that I was lucky enough to borrow from my bandmate after the Rode M2 I had went on the fritz.
They're both fantastic mics in my opinion. To my ear, the Myrtle has a really smooth or blended sound that just sounds like the acoustic instrument in the room without any processing. The Aston has a more detail, with distinct bass, mids, and especially treble - so there's more to play with and draw out with EQ, etc, if you want.
Also, fwiw, they both look fabulous.
The Rode M1 pales in comparison for recording purposes, but it's a practical workhorse. Pop a battery in for phantom power and the windshield shield that came with it and it's a great live outdoor mic that I've used to pick up guitar/banjo and my vocals to great effect. The screen keeps popping off mine in transit - even in it's hard care - and that's messed up the wiring, but I'm hoping to get it re-sautered and glue or tape the dumb screen on so it won't come off.
So I own all of the Lauten mics, and if you're looking for a mic that gets you the same quality result it would be the Mojave 201 FET or the 301 FET (same mic, just more polar patterns and pad.) The Mojave cost roughly half of the Lauten. I own both, and I use them both.
@@legacyShredder1 Intriguing! I'll have to look into those Mohave mics, thanks for the tip. What do you think of the more affordable black series that Lauten makes?
@@wychwoodmusic The Lauten black series are great microphones, and studio workhorse mics. They found ways to cut costs that are more on the aesthetic side than the functional side. For example they all have the same basic look to them which they can do large numbers at 1 time, and since they're black they can do it cheaper than the electro-powder coated buffed brass mics. They also limit the extra features that costs a lot to make such as multiple polar patterns, multiple pads, and the more extravagant features like having multiple circuits for different colored sounds.
All-in-all the black series mics are great, and I don't think of them as cheap although they are more affordable. It's one thing to cut costs with how something looks, but it's entirely different when something is made crappier.
(Also Mojave mics are made by David Royer who makes Royer microphones. He's a genius.)
@@wychwoodmusic Oh yeah, forgot to mention the Lauten LS-208 and the LS-308. Those two are extremely well designed and special mics. It would be impossible for me to explain thoroughly what makes them special. If you ever want to take a chance on a mic the LS-208 is fantastic.
@@legacyShredder1 Sweet, thanks for the thorough and knowledgeable replies, I really appreciate it.
that Royer really softened the slight harshness in the upper mid - a good match it seemed for her tone. thanks for the comparisons.
The Lauten is a fantastic mic. We prefer it to our U87ai.
Upgraded to a se2200e large diaphragm condensor which gave me some much freedom with recording acoustic guitar, I can easily sit across the room and still get great results, whereas before I would have had a dynamic mic right up to the body of the guitar and that would be my only option for a decent result. This has been a huge upgrade for my home studio at a very affordable price to me.
Was well impressed with the SE7 wow. Which was a surprise as I once had an SE220 and it was a horrendous mic. So since avoided anything by SE but hearing the SE7 has changed my mind about them.
Currently got an SM7b, Neumann KM84, TLM 103 & TLM67
Hoping to get a FET U47 one day
I have to agree with the Lewitt 540S. If you are going to make the jump up from the $300-500 dollar range to something more, this is the one you want.
It is still priced near $700, if you can get it. And I am glad I did because they seem to be at or near sold out most of the times I look.
But yeah. These are not just very clear, and silent, but of the most versitile mic's I've ever used.
And that is an understatement.
I still use some other mics for other things, but it seems this one is getting to be the Swiss Armyknife workhorse of the collection.
For the price, I just don't think it can be beat.
The one thing next on my list, is to simply get another one of these for a pair. JMHO.
A new mic that's 700.00 and is astounding is the UT Twin 87. Great mic period.
Thanks ever so much for sharing!
I'd put the Se and Royer R10 in a stereo pair panned with delay on guitar, and the Mohave for the voice with a bit of limiting or compression on the voice, - as that performance seemed to capture a lot of feeling , vocal connection between notes on soft parts and angst that wasn't on the other tracks. Perhaps it was just the performance but That the mic picked up really well !! Such a nice feeling. Beautifully done. Ovation. print done ... oh maybe with the rest of the song too :)
I own a pair of the Lauten LA120s, the cardioid capsule sounds awesome on my violin, out of all the mics I've tried so far, I've had the best results on it. And both the omni and cardioid capsules sound really good on an upright piano, I'd really recommend anyone who hasn't tried it to do so!
Im just a Hybrid Head....LOL....I love combining, Digital, with Analog Stem Track Looping with Sudio One Pipe Line..Acustica Audio then running my Vocals and Mix through my Analog Rack.....from Vocals, To Mixes, to Instruments you will always have more control over "your sound" being a Hybrid Digital / Analog Engineer
Ive been using a Lewitt Pure for my Vocals......with Acustica Audio Lava and Navy 2 Vintange Brit Neve Strip....Game Changing Combo.....
I hate the sound of 58,57, when I want distortion I’ll add it later, they were real useful back in the day when PA’s were lacking in midi, but we are now in 2022 and not 1972….I like my recordings to be as near to the original, so for snare Beyer M201 for example, just been mentioned being used for snare, or the Sennheiser 900 series and my go to dynamic mic is the new(ish) Sennheiser 435/445, just try it, for live vocals I think it’s so realistic and honest, have had so many comments from singers that basically said that it’s the first time they have heard their voice and not the mic/monitor and my vocal recordings are dual with sE Gemini dual tube and sE RNR1 (Rupert Neve ribbon), would love to have a matched pair of the RNR1’s, for a ribbon mic the top end is pristine and so silky,it’s not cheap but worth every centsometimes using the Sennheiser as mic for the monitoring but also mix it into the two sE mics as well….
Im thinking of going with the LA120 for in the home studio versus the sE or the Lewitt. Outside their sound, I am loving the extra omni capsules you get with those. Really under rated!
I also agree with the R10. It's my favorite Royer too!
Agreed! I have a pair, and they are really great sounding mics! Recording violin in stereo sounds really good on them.
I love all my Mics, but my OC818 (1000€) and my Prodipe ST-1 MK2 Lanen (129€) are my fav! It looks to me that price is less important than the way it pleases my ears! 🙂
Great video. The woman at the end is quite an artist and performer, and the demo really shows the differences between the microphones. That Lauten Atlantis looks like quite a beast, but sounds really good on her voice and guitar. I liked the Royer too, although you could have brightened her up quite a bit by performing into the back side of the mic. Great stuff.
sE’s are awesome… I’ve used the high end and the budget ones and no complaints there
32:30 - Eric you're a genius! Love it
I have the LCT 040 matched pair, I use these on acoustic guitar and drum over head. I also have two sE V7's and use them for really aggressive vocals and snare and kick and cabs. I have a MXL 990 and use that for vocals but I think I might get a Lewit LCT 540 S after listening to this. I didn't mind the sE sE7 on the guitar but as bit breathy for vocals but at that price wow I'm impressed, Might have the get a pair of these too. My wallet loves and hates you Warren haha. As always thankyou for what you do.
With my ordering yesterday of a Lewitt 441 flex yesterday from Sweetwater of course my choice of mics over the years follows your suggestions just about spot on. Made me feel good about my choices over the years. I’d very much like to have a Royer R10 ribbon but out of my price range. I bought an sE ribbon mic that doesn’t make my voice great but does make it sound the best it could be.
Enjoyed the video and the voice of the lady singing. If I were to mix it for me I think I would cut most of the background music. Her voice doesn’t need it.
I use sE Electronics mics a lot. They are perfect for commercial recording "on a budget", witch is exactly what I do. I have three SE4s, SE5, SE2300 and V3. Also used to have X1R and X1S (entry level ribbon and condenser), they are great too, but I had to sell them to buy other mics. I made the whole tracks using only sE microphones, and they do sound very good.
I have two X1a's and they work well on a lot of sources. Also have V7's. Great cabinet mic.
I have a 2002A (I think) I’m always impressed by how often people pick that as their choice on vocals Again’s some much more expensive stuff
@@richardmcarthur40 You mean 2200A. It is cardioid only. Great choice for vocals, sounds really expensive.
My 2300 is the same, it also has omni and figure-of-eight modes. Fantastic microphone for everything.
@@alexeysmirnovguitar yes! That’s the one. I’d be tempted to get the multi pattern one on the basis of how good the cardiod is
Great video Warren as always!!
The only advice i can give you is to split the comparison part in the end in a separate video of its own because it's kinda hidden at the end of this video right now
Totally agree with your point at 14 min; there has never been a better time to be involved in this hobby/industry.
Thanks ever so much Drew!
AKG D5 is similar to SM57. The AKG 414 has selectable patterns that makes it pretty versatile. Roswell makes some really nice low cost entries as well.
I looked away from the monitor during the comparisons. I actually turned my head she sang using the Lauten Atlantis.
I have a lot of matched pairs of SDC's, but I bought a pair of Lewitt LCT 140 AIR's after watching your video on them and I use them along side my Neumann KM 184's, AKG C451's, my Oktava MK 012's and other pricier choices, but they sound great and stand up to any of those mics.
This is a great series. So many mics to choose from now with many new brands punching way above their weight. It's good their is more choice but bad when you have to choose between them.....ha ha.. Sweetwater reminds me of a sweet shop and I would be the kid in the sweetie shop for sure. Great video, thanks very much
I own the Lewitt 540s. It's a great mic!🙂
Thanks ever so much!
Wonderful test, For me the Mojave is the best! TY
I like the sE7 on Guitars and the Mojave on Vocals ! Thank you @Warren , still has to try more Mic’s that mostly people use too it will be nice , like the Rode NT’s and Neumann’s etc .. great video
Great video...I love variety in my microphones..Lewitt, Stellar X3, Neumann, Rode EV among my faves.
Since you have shown a lot of your home studio build/set up (monitor-desk and so on) could you show us a vid on your iso booth build (dimensions) or treatment therein?
man, this wonderful guy from sweet waters has always a 2x speed on his voice! Great video thank you :)
Just get a sE RNR1 on demo, you will not want to give it back, all the things a ribbon has and none of the disadvantages, clean wonderful level, a top end up there with a top condenser, like I wrote in my comments I would love to have a matched pair, have used it in mid/side setup with the Gemini, now that was organic drum sound with a side high end that is just silky as hell, bit of a pain to set up given the size of both the mics but when you get it right it’s as if you are sitting behind the kit…
I have the 040s as well very good on overheads - love the low profile size
My fav sounding mic from this video is the Lewitt LCT 540, which is just as well given that I’ve just bought a pair of Lewitt LCT 441 flex mics - untested so far…
you guys HAVE to try the SE X1R on guitars, especially with a 57. It’s better than a 121! It’s a more midrange sound than a 121. It really deserves to become a guitar standard. I really think y’all need to try more Warm Audio mics, more personality than the competition imo.
Thanks for sharing, useful info to get started with microphones.
For anyone looking at a ribbon mic, the Golden Age Project R1 MKII is ridiculously affordable and sounds the business.
For the vocal track the Lauten FC-387 was perfect but for the guitar the Se7 was best. The Se7 is a great value mic and would have worked for vocal just fine with a little editing after.
Warren I'm so surprised you guys didn't try out any Warm Audio microphone. Is it because they are making clones of high end microphones. Or you just don't fancy them
Record almost everything i have in an AT2020... Can't beat the sound for the price!
Dream mic would probably be a pair of AKG C414's. With that many polar patterns, and having two of them, they seem like they'd be extremely versatile.
My current setup is all Behringer. Simply because they're mics are the only ones within my budget. My favorite right now is their C-1 cardioid condenser.
YEEEES! I await the video about the Voodoo and the R10s, I´m really interested in a pair of any of those mics specially to use as overheads!
I would also love to know your opinion on the Shure KSM32, have you used it?
Regards from Spain
Yes! I used a pair of Shure KSM32's as room mics on an Aerosmith Album and they sounded FANTASTIC!! Great mics
For her, I think the Royer on voice and the SE on guitar.
I like the Lewitt and the Mojave.
Thanks ever so much for sharing
Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU! The timing of this is pure fate :)
Great video once again!
I bought a pair of t.bone SC1100''s to use as overheads and for vocals (some claim they're 414 clones) but I got tired of two separate stands for the quite heavy mic's.
I was gonna get a pair of Røde nt5's, but the salesman said that the SE 7's are better and in the same price range (170€), so I got those.
Happy to see a pro getting them and it'll be fun to hear your thoughts, since I couldn't find many reviews online.
I'm only listening on a cheap speakers in bed, rather than on my Genelecs, but the Mojave and Lewitt sounded almost exactly the same. Is there a reason why one shines over the other? Different use cases or situations?
pair of Beyer 160 hypercardiod Ribbosn were used "When the Levee Breaks"
Absolutely!
Do you recommend accumulating new microphones for a studio or adding some of the classics? I’m a beginner and have an accumulation of types. I have Three AKG C28b and a C60, are these more of a risk for failure, both mic and recording because of 70+ year old tubes and power supplies? I’ve made some from kits plus Chinese MXLs more high end mics that actually work well in my locker. There are also some classic Electro voice and Shure.
What is the consensus on the Warm Audio microphones?
My current keepers: Shure KSM44A, Warm Audio WA251, Warm Audio WA84 stereo pair, AKG214 stereo pair, Sennheiser e906’s, Shure SM7B, Shure SM58’s, AKG D5’s, SE Drum Mic Kit.
What do you use your Shure KSM44A on? Thanks...
@@rjb7569 Vocals, acoustic guitars, room mic on electric guitars, wind type instruments, violin, cello etc. Excellent all rounder.
@@FransJCMartins
Thanks for the info!
The sE7 has a pad and HPF and is 4 db quieter than the Lewitt LCT040... Also a smoother frequency response...
strong video and a great overview ! thanks for the effort. cool cool ( btw, i bought a Lewitt 441 right after watching a video of yours, still love it)
For ribbons…. The ALDER AUDIO H44 beat out my royer R10’s … both are fine microphones
MA 201 fet might just be the best fet based mic i've heard. much better than the SE 2200....and I'm a fan of that mic since it's about all i can afford....and oddly, better somewhat than the Warm 47 jr. also barely in my price range.
You just gave a stellar review of the Austrian Audio OC 16. Why not not choose it here?
Lewitt was far better than the others. I adjusted the the monitor out eq while listeing and it required the least and sounded the best with just a little eq, Mojave was also good, but a bit essy when eqd
Hi Warren, great video again! Stam Audio is a company worth taking a look at, not only for microphones, but definitely also for microphones...
they make great replicas of the all time classics at an affordable price. One of my favorite mics I own is their SA47 MK
, an "exact replica" of the well known u47 tube microphone... it's absolutely amazing
Super info! So we’ll done. Thanks so much!✊🏼✨
Adding the Lewitt 540S to my wishlist 👍
S8 are really really hecking high end boosted though from what I saw this far
Hey Warren, fantastic Video, as always. I never saw Telefunken microphones on your channel? Is there a reason for that? Or did I miss them? Love the TFs and the M82 on Bassdrum.
Not sure if you ahve used the Cascade FatHead Ribbons.
I did Rich for a mono room mic on Joey Kramer's drum kit and was very impressed!
geat review .....the Royer is duuul !
Seen a number of your mic videos. Hardly ever seem to hear Rode come up. Wondering why that is. Just a thought.
Hi warren, what do you HONESTLY think about the U87Ai? Worth it? Or not?
If you’re running a commercial studio, where you have other engineers coming and going, the U87 makes a statement and the build quality is second to none
However, of course there are many other affordable options if that is not a concern
I have one, honestly it's a little overpriced but it really does make everything sound a little better without having to tweak EQ etc.
@@wrenchposting9097 thanks for sharing!
@@Producelikeapro thank you for the prompt and honest reply Warren. Long time follower and fan from India. 🙂🙂
The Lewitt 540 is flat with a huge bump at above 10K that brings on sibilance.
please check the vr2 too it is the active version curious if the active part does change the sound and how it will compare to vr1
Have you used a Shure KSM 32 on vocals? They call it a medium diaphragm condenser. Described as having a smooth non hyped top end.
Do you know what there was so much signal noise with the Royer and none of the others? Was that just the result of pushing a high gain setting for the ribbon?
Not shown here MA 200 or 300 one of my favorites.
In terms of your shootout, it sounds to me like the sE7 wins on the gtr and the Lewitt 540 S wins on her vox.
i love my ATH4050 mic and my LA320 tube mic
Thanks ever so much for sharing
Audix D6* kick mic. Great mics.