Because I'm a cardio kind of guy and certainly not an omni freak (I'm no swinger!), when you reviewed the 4400, I immediately bought the 4100 and laughed myself sick as I pulled out my credit card. So please, please forgive me for not buying the 4400 even though I have a rule that I have to buy everything you review. "LOOK Honey," I said to my wife, "it's lucky that I'm a cardio guy and not an omni guy because we just saved $150 bucks!" To be truthful, she called me an idiot and said that she would move back with her parents if only they were still alive. Anyway, I agree, GREAT mic!
I was in a similar situation when I was explaining my wife why we need a King Bee in our house - "It's bigger honey. The capsule is different from the little guy (the worker bee) and has a nice transformer inside". She had to comply. In all honesty she is the only one who supports me in my little hobby despite the fact she doesn't understand a thing. Feels great, I am thankful to her.
@@sergeypikalov In full disclosure, there's a good bit of fabrication concerning my wife in my comment, ha, ha. My goal is to see if I can make "The Recordist" laugh, as we apparently share an off-beat sense of humor. But yes, when he reviews something, my credit card is in danger.
Otro video fantástico. Una locura... me encanta! Y la canción... Es fabulosa también. Voy a mirar precio en España de este sE Electronics sE4100. GRacias!
Like always, fantastic review man, love it! Mic B (4100) hear it darker, with my studio headphones. I am not sure, how much the pop screen has influenced on it. Also, it has less noise.
@-theNerd I created a behind-the-scenes step-by-step video of how I made the song featured in this video, as per your request. It’s live for Society Members only right now. I had notified you in a members only post but just wanted to tag you here in case you missed it. Thanks for your suggestion!
Hey thanks! It’s coming soon. But not likely for another month or so. I’m doing the T2 first. But I can give you a spoiler. It’s fantastic! Just like the T2. Great for fast transients and all sorts of recording. Totally recommend!
Se electronics is one of my favorite audio brands. They make such great sounding and great feeling mics. These mics (4100 and 4400) sound great and their se V7 is arguably one of the best dynamic mics out there. I would have picked an se T1 up if I didn't already own the Shure sm27 which is around the same price.
I'm between the se4100 and the Austrian audio oc16. My voice is loud and somewhere between baritone and bass. I intend to use it for rap and blues vocals.
Hey there. Well, honestly you won’t go wrong with either mic. They’re both fantastic. But if it were me, I’d choose the sE4100 because I know it well and because although both mics are made in China, the sE mics are still hand made in a closed factory using their own developed capsules and technology. I’m not sure about Austrian Audio and their practices. I’d say that both mics are similar in the way they smooth sounds. It’s a tough call. Have you tried www.audiotestkitchen.com?
I like the darker side too! But listen again. Are you sure about that? I went both ways. My perception changed a couple of times as I was making this video. Haha. I wonder if I’m really hearing a difference. I am. I know it. But am I? Haha
Living 18 minutes from where Dr. Sam Sheppard resided, I am very familiar with this week's measuring tape story. You know we look forward to that story while clicking on your latest video, right? I am surprised at the price difference for just removing polar patterns. Apparently there is more involved to achieving multiple polar patterns than I expect. So nice to consider the customers who only need the cardioid pattern.
Hahaha. Thanks, man! Gotta love those measuring tape stories! Yes, I am very impressed with the 4100. They did a great job making it more affordable for people.
B is the 4100. You can hear the slight difference between them because in "true cardioid" where there is only one membrane, it remains in more of a cardioid pattern below 200hz. Whereas, with dual membranes, there is parasitic voltage on the backplate even when switched in cardioid and you get more of an omni response in the low, lows. It's slight and for pop vocals you'd filter out all that stuff, but generally true cardioid sounds a slight bit different and is usually also a bit quieter by a db or two. Great comparison!
Hey Captain, Another nice review! I’m not familiar enough to have picked which was the 4400 but, I could hear a difference. I thought the 4100 was brighter.
Hey man! Thanks! I agree. I thought the 4100 was a bit brighter. But you’ll see in the comments here that some think the same and some think the opposite. Haha. I wonder if it really is all in our heads!
@@TheRecordist I write and record original songs and my montra is: Only the listener can determine if it pleases them. I'm in no position to tell people what sounds good! However, relating to this mic, I'm generally a "less is more" kinda guy. So, I prefer fewer options on a mic and, if fewer bells and whistles equals a lower price, it's an attractive piece of gear.
Paused! On my speakers (not monitors), I couldn't hear an appreciable difference. However, once I slapped on Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X's, one thing stood out: the noise floor. If the provided data from sE Electronics is to be believed, the 4400 has a higher self-noise. So, my guess is MIC A: 4400 MIC B: 4100
Hey, I was right! I don't think they sound the _exact same,_ but in my experience, the Stedman popfilter (and most popfilters) knock a little off the high-end, and that's the only difference I am perceiving. Beyond that, without listening critically and _forcing_ myself to hear any difference, they sound so close that my brain will do the rest of the work.
Well done choosing! I went back and fourth. I was convinced the 4100 was brighter. But then that changed when I was editing. I do know that they both behave the exact same when miking instruments. So rounded and smooth My rookie mistake of forgetting the pop filter slightly colored the shootout. My apologies for that one. But honestly, either mic is a great choice!
Thanks for your video! Just wonderful. I liked the information, enjoyed the tape stories, the songs, everything ... a TPS addiction might be developing there, no harmful though. By the way, I expect my SE4400 to arrive next august 19th. Jeesus man, its like waiting my wife to give birth
Hahahaha. Thanks so much! Oh man, you’ve got to wait until the 19th?? I’d just go to sleep until then. I’d say, “sorry everyone. I’m just going to go to sleep until the 19th”. That’s how it’s done. Hahahaha.
Thank your for your video! Love it man. I am thinking of selling my TLM 103 and getting the T2/se4400/se4100. Would that be a dumb thing to do you think? I know this question does not make sense since a mic is picked for a person's voice, still I'd like to know what you think. Thank you again for all the work you've been doing.
Hey thanks very much! The 103 is a nice mic, but very very bright. It needs taming. On the other hand, the 4400/4100 are some of the smoothest mics ever. The T2 is a little brighter but not by much. It has faster transient response. It depends on what you’re doing. For VO work, it’s sometimes important you have an industry standard mic to offer to use for clients. But that’s all about name recognition and less about what’s actually good. On the other hand, for music, if you have a very sibilant voice, the 103 would not be great. What will you be doing with them?
@@EnglishEloquenceMoscow you’re welcome! Andy Serkis (the actor who plays Gollum in LOTR) recently did the audiobook narrations for The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings series, and The Silmarillion on the T2 mic. If you go to Audible and listen to that sample, you’ll crap your pantaloons. What a VO mic! On the other hand, if you’re doing a lot of ads for companies, they may request a Neumann. It’s like on movie sets, many directors will ask if the recordist has a Sennheiser. What they’re asking for is the 416. But the 416 is not the best mic for the job a lot of times (only in bad weather). It’s sometimes more about the name than the actual quality. If I had to choose between the T2 or a 103 and I was an audiobook narrator, I’d choose the T2. But if I did ad copy reads for various clients, I might stay with the 103 and then save for a T2/T1 or 4400/4100 to add to my collection. Hope this helps!
@@TheRecordist I did crap my pantaloons! Especially in the part where we switches to Gollum and back. Hearing his work does give me a pretty solid reason to buy the T2. But when I look at it honestly - the man is hella talanted first and foremost, it's not about the mic for him and I might be wrong here. But the fact that the T2 was picked for the jobs means something still. Thank you for your input. I like your reasoning, I was thinking along the same lines actually - saving for a new shiny T2/4400 is what I will do most likeley. Looking forward to your new videos Nathan! Much thanks for taking your time to help a fella out. Peace!
@@EnglishEloquenceMoscow great plan! And you’re right about his talent. Also the insane quality of his voice! Yet, out of all the mics in that studio (they have a lot of them), they chose the T2. That’s saying something. And you’re very welcome! Good luck!
The 4400 song is special to me. And yes, the 4400 is a killer purchase. This is more for people who can’t afford the $500 price tag but still want that sound. Cheers!
@@userunnamed5204 I do agree, however this could have been possibly caused by the pop filter still being in front of the 4100 during the comparison. Pop filters alter sound more than we realize. Still this might just be an incorrect guess and the 4400 might be slightly more detailed for being the more expensive one and the 4100 was simply tuned to try to simulate it closely.
I do think they’re the same. It’s funny, I could have sworn the 4100 is slightly brighter, yet @userunnamed5204 says the opposite. I have to wonder if it’s in our heads. I DID make the rookie mistake of forgetting to remove the pop filter for the comparison portion. I’ll just say this: When I first recorded the music for the 4400 review, I couldn’t believe how pleasing the sound was on all the instruments. They didn’t need any EQ beyond high-passing. There were no pointy or ugly frequencies. It was then that I knew the 4400 was a very special mic. The same thing happened when I recorded music with the 4100. Instantly everything sounded like a vinyl record (minus noise or scratches and stuff). Smooth and welcoming. This hadn’t happened since the Lauten Audio Atlantis ($2000). I knew at that moment that I’m dealing with the same mic. Same exact capsule. Same guts. 0.7 grams lighter. If I was choosing between them, I would buy the 4100 and put the savings towards a nice preamp or even some plugins. Really cool stuff!
@@drummrboy I used a 2200 some time ago and it was a much brighter mic. Not a bad mic, but brighter. For me, I’d rather use a much smoother mic for overheads. But that’s my own opinion. Others may differ.
Is there? I thought so too. But then some other audio pros listened to a sample I sent them of each mic and they all disagreed with each other in different ways. Haha. It made me think perhaps it’s in my head! Hahaha. Either way, both fantastic mics.
@@badmiddens hahahaha exactly! There must be a small difference, but I bet you could swap these mics in anything you’re doing and no one would be able to tell that you did. Gotta love being a microphone weirdo! Hahaha
A is the 4100 and B is the 4400. The 4100 has a bit more high end and the 4400 has a way of rounding things off at the top end
See that’s what I thought too. The verdict from the audience is split 50/50.
Because I'm a cardio kind of guy and certainly not an omni freak (I'm no swinger!), when you reviewed the 4400, I immediately bought the 4100 and laughed myself sick as I pulled out my credit card. So please, please forgive me for not buying the 4400 even though I have a rule that I have to buy everything you review. "LOOK Honey," I said to my wife, "it's lucky that I'm a cardio guy and not an omni guy because we just saved $150 bucks!" To be truthful, she called me an idiot and said that she would move back with her parents if only they were still alive. Anyway, I agree, GREAT mic!
Hahahahahahahahah! I love it!
I was in a similar situation when I was explaining my wife why we need a King Bee in our house - "It's bigger honey. The capsule is different from the little guy (the worker bee) and has a nice transformer inside". She had to comply. In all honesty she is the only one who supports me in my little hobby despite the fact she doesn't understand a thing. Feels great, I am thankful to her.
@@sergeypikalov In full disclosure, there's a good bit of fabrication concerning my wife in my comment, ha, ha. My goal is to see if I can make "The Recordist" laugh, as we apparently share an off-beat sense of humor. But yes, when he reviews something, my credit card is in danger.
Look forward to the T1 and T2 vids!
So do I! Thank you very much!
Wasn't the difference in the comparison just the pop filter in front of the 4100?
Could’ve been. It was my mistake.
@@TheRecordist we all make mistakes. I made one in 2011 🤣
@@joibjalla HAHAHAHAHA
Otro video fantástico. Una locura... me encanta!
Y la canción... Es fabulosa también.
Voy a mirar precio en España de este sE Electronics sE4100.
GRacias!
Hola! Eso es maravilloso! Y muchas gracias por tus amables palabras! Salud!
Now does the 4400 and the 4400a sound different?
I think they probably sound pretty alike. I’m not fully sure. I’ve never tried the 4400a.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
@@TheRecordist No worries...(Psst...Hey SE, this is your cue...Send it over to him) lol. Great video as always
Like always, fantastic review man, love it!
Mic B (4100) hear it darker, with my studio headphones. I am not sure, how much the pop screen has influenced on it. Also, it has less noise.
I want sure either! I went back and fourth. It may be in our heads. But you’re right about the pop screen. Sorry about that one. Haha.
@-theNerd I created a behind-the-scenes step-by-step video of how I made the song featured in this video, as per your request. It’s live for Society Members only right now. I had notified you in a members only post but just wanted to tag you here in case you missed it. Thanks for your suggestion!
Looking forward for your sE Electronics T1 review, soon or may be getting a matched pair of T1 mics.
Hey thanks! It’s coming soon. But not likely for another month or so. I’m doing the T2 first.
But I can give you a spoiler. It’s fantastic! Just like the T2. Great for fast transients and all sorts of recording. Totally recommend!
@@TheRecordistthanks 👍🏼 man 😊.
Se electronics is one of my favorite audio brands. They make such great sounding and great feeling mics. These mics (4100 and 4400) sound great and their se V7 is arguably one of the best dynamic mics out there. I would have picked an se T1 up if I didn't already own the Shure sm27 which is around the same price.
Also you used the logo of a hockey team from my hometown! The Worcester Sharks
I totally agree! sE Electronics makes some of the best mics in the business!
Did I indeed? Haha. That’s awesome!
I'm between the se4100 and the Austrian audio oc16. My voice is loud and somewhere between baritone and bass. I intend to use it for rap and blues vocals.
Hey there. Well, honestly you won’t go wrong with either mic. They’re both fantastic. But if it were me, I’d choose the sE4100 because I know it well and because although both mics are made in China, the sE mics are still hand made in a closed factory using their own developed capsules and technology. I’m not sure about Austrian Audio and their practices.
I’d say that both mics are similar in the way they smooth sounds.
It’s a tough call. Have you tried www.audiotestkitchen.com?
@@TheRecordist Thank you so much for your time and advice!
For me the B mic has a little darker tone quality. And I like the darker side!
I like the darker side too! But listen again. Are you sure about that? I went both ways. My perception changed a couple of times as I was making this video. Haha. I wonder if I’m really hearing a difference. I am. I know it. But am I? Haha
Living 18 minutes from where Dr. Sam Sheppard resided, I am very familiar with this week's measuring tape story. You know we look forward to that story while clicking on your latest video, right?
I am surprised at the price difference for just removing polar patterns. Apparently there is more involved to achieving multiple polar patterns than I expect. So nice to consider the customers who only need the cardioid pattern.
Hahaha. Thanks, man! Gotta love those measuring tape stories!
Yes, I am very impressed with the 4100. They did a great job making it more affordable for people.
Thanks! Again great song!!!
You’re very welcome! And thanks!
I choose…. Poorly! I couldn’t tell the difference, such a smooth sounding microphone
Hahaha. Agreed! Love the Last Crusade reference there!
Please release The Dentist song from I think an old Octava video 🌬️
Hahahaha. Oh yeah! I remember that one! Maybe I’ll re-record it and spruce it up first. Haha. Cheers!
@@TheRecordist It's my constant fear in the chair
B is the 4100. You can hear the slight difference between them because in "true cardioid" where there is only one membrane, it remains in more of a cardioid pattern below 200hz. Whereas, with dual membranes, there is parasitic voltage on the backplate even when switched in cardioid and you get more of an omni response in the low, lows. It's slight and for pop vocals you'd filter out all that stuff, but generally true cardioid sounds a slight bit different and is usually also a bit quieter by a db or two. Great comparison!
Great ear! I was beginning to wonder if it was all in my head. So many people disagree with each other on this one. Haha. Thanks for watching!
Hey Captain,
Another nice review!
I’m not familiar enough to have picked which was the 4400 but, I could hear a difference.
I thought the 4100 was brighter.
Hey man! Thanks! I agree. I thought the 4100 was a bit brighter. But you’ll see in the comments here that some think the same and some think the opposite. Haha. I wonder if it really is all in our heads!
@@TheRecordist
I write and record original songs and my montra is: Only the listener can determine if it pleases them.
I'm in no position to tell people what sounds good!
However, relating to this mic, I'm generally a "less is more" kinda guy. So, I prefer fewer options on a mic and, if fewer bells and whistles equals a lower price, it's an attractive piece of gear.
@@CaptainMoto agreed! Less is more. Love that. It’s so true. Limit your options, make something great.
Paused!
On my speakers (not monitors), I couldn't hear an appreciable difference. However, once I slapped on Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X's, one thing stood out: the noise floor. If the provided data from sE Electronics is to be believed, the 4400 has a higher self-noise.
So, my guess is
MIC A: 4400
MIC B: 4100
Hey, I was right! I don't think they sound the _exact same,_ but in my experience, the Stedman popfilter (and most popfilters) knock a little off the high-end, and that's the only difference I am perceiving. Beyond that, without listening critically and _forcing_ myself to hear any difference, they sound so close that my brain will do the rest of the work.
Well done choosing! I went back and fourth. I was convinced the 4100 was brighter. But then that changed when I was editing. I do know that they both behave the exact same when miking instruments. So rounded and smooth
My rookie mistake of forgetting the pop filter slightly colored the shootout. My apologies for that one.
But honestly, either mic is a great choice!
Thanks for your video! Just wonderful. I liked the information, enjoyed the tape stories, the songs, everything ... a TPS addiction might be developing there, no harmful though. By the way, I expect my SE4400 to arrive next august 19th. Jeesus man, its like waiting my wife to give birth
Hahahaha. Thanks so much! Oh man, you’ve got to wait until the 19th?? I’d just go to sleep until then. I’d say, “sorry everyone. I’m just going to go to sleep until the 19th”.
That’s how it’s done. Hahahaha.
Captain, I do hope the Nautilus has been well maintained. It is getting on in years!
It’s ship shape! Hahahaha
Thank your for your video! Love it man. I am thinking of selling my TLM 103 and getting the T2/se4400/se4100. Would that be a dumb thing to do you think? I know this question does not make sense since a mic is picked for a person's voice, still I'd like to know what you think. Thank you again for all the work you've been doing.
Hey thanks very much!
The 103 is a nice mic, but very very bright. It needs taming. On the other hand, the 4400/4100 are some of the smoothest mics ever. The T2 is a little brighter but not by much. It has faster transient response.
It depends on what you’re doing. For VO work, it’s sometimes important you have an industry standard mic to offer to use for clients. But that’s all about name recognition and less about what’s actually good.
On the other hand, for music, if you have a very sibilant voice, the 103 would not be great.
What will you be doing with them?
@@TheRecordist Thank you for such a thorough reply! Strictly VO, no music whatsoever.
@@EnglishEloquenceMoscow you’re welcome!
Andy Serkis (the actor who plays Gollum in LOTR) recently did the audiobook narrations for The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings series, and The Silmarillion on the T2 mic. If you go to Audible and listen to that sample, you’ll crap your pantaloons. What a VO mic!
On the other hand, if you’re doing a lot of ads for companies, they may request a Neumann.
It’s like on movie sets, many directors will ask if the recordist has a Sennheiser. What they’re asking for is the 416. But the 416 is not the best mic for the job a lot of times (only in bad weather). It’s sometimes more about the name than the actual quality.
If I had to choose between the T2 or a 103 and I was an audiobook narrator, I’d choose the T2.
But if I did ad copy reads for various clients, I might stay with the 103 and then save for a T2/T1 or 4400/4100 to add to my collection.
Hope this helps!
@@TheRecordist I did crap my pantaloons! Especially in the part where we switches to Gollum and back. Hearing his work does give me a pretty solid reason to buy the T2. But when I look at it honestly - the man is hella talanted first and foremost, it's not about the mic for him and I might be wrong here. But the fact that the T2 was picked for the jobs means something still.
Thank you for your input. I like your reasoning, I was thinking along the same lines actually - saving for a new shiny T2/4400 is what I will do most likeley.
Looking forward to your new videos Nathan! Much thanks for taking your time to help a fella out. Peace!
@@EnglishEloquenceMoscow great plan! And you’re right about his talent. Also the insane quality of his voice!
Yet, out of all the mics in that studio (they have a lot of them), they chose the T2. That’s saying something.
And you’re very welcome! Good luck!
The 4400 music is better but the mics are identical. I bought the 4400 after watching your video.
The 4400 song is special to me. And yes, the 4400 is a killer purchase. This is more for people who can’t afford the $500 price tag but still want that sound. Cheers!
By no mean any of this mics is bad, but they definitely sound different. 4400 is a bit brighter, and so sounds more detailed.
@@userunnamed5204 I do agree, however this could have been possibly caused by the pop filter still being in front of the 4100 during the comparison. Pop filters alter sound more than we realize. Still this might just be an incorrect guess and the 4400 might be slightly more detailed for being the more expensive one and the 4100 was simply tuned to try to simulate it closely.
Nah they're the same. The pop filter on the left changed the tone slightly but they're the same.
I do think they’re the same. It’s funny, I could have sworn the 4100 is slightly brighter, yet @userunnamed5204 says the opposite. I have to wonder if it’s in our heads. I DID make the rookie mistake of forgetting to remove the pop filter for the comparison portion.
I’ll just say this: When I first recorded the music for the 4400 review, I couldn’t believe how pleasing the sound was on all the instruments. They didn’t need any EQ beyond high-passing. There were no pointy or ugly frequencies. It was then that I knew the 4400 was a very special mic.
The same thing happened when I recorded music with the 4100. Instantly everything sounded like a vinyl record (minus noise or scratches and stuff). Smooth and welcoming.
This hadn’t happened since the Lauten Audio Atlantis ($2000).
I knew at that moment that I’m dealing with the same mic. Same exact capsule. Same guts. 0.7 grams lighter.
If I was choosing between them, I would buy the 4100 and put the savings towards a nice preamp or even some plugins.
Really cool stuff!
So, for drum overheads, would you rather use 4100's or 2200's?
For me I’d use the 4400s.
@@TheRecordist Why? I genuinely don't know what the difference is between the 2*** and the 4*** series...
@@drummrboy I used a 2200 some time ago and it was a much brighter mic. Not a bad mic, but brighter. For me, I’d rather use a much smoother mic for overheads. But that’s my own opinion. Others may differ.
there is indeed a subtle difference, at least to MY old man ears
Is there? I thought so too. But then some other audio pros listened to a sample I sent them of each mic and they all disagreed with each other in different ways. Haha. It made me think perhaps it’s in my head! Hahaha. Either way, both fantastic mics.
@@TheRecordist Indeed! We get to the point where the differences in so many of these mics is really only noticed by us microphone weirdos. :)
@@badmiddens hahahaha exactly! There must be a small difference, but I bet you could swap these mics in anything you’re doing and no one would be able to tell that you did.
Gotta love being a microphone weirdo! Hahaha
Mic B is better
But is it? They’re so close that I wonder if it’s in my head!