Mic Shootout: 10 Dynamic Microphones On Upright Bass - SM57, SM7, RE20, M201, MD421, MD441 and more
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- Опубликовано: 22 июн 2020
- Jump to 8:37 if you want to skip the introduction.
In this video I will show how ten famous dynamic microphones capture the sound of an acoustic upright bass. All mics were recorded in the same position, the bass was on a stand, so it did not move around. There is absolutely no EQ, no compression, nothing. The mics were plugged straight into an RME Fireface UFX interface.
The test is meant to be a blindfold test. Every mic gets a number so you are not influenced by the name of the mic in your evaluation.
Interested in sound comparison of bass strings? Check my String Matrix here:
www.hervejeanne.de/en/string-m...
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Thank you!
Strings:
Pirastro Oliv G & D
Sonores Wraps A & E
Recorded @ D Room Recording Studio 
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Thank you so much for demonstrating the different mic positions.
Thank you for your work,I really enjoyed the video ,I personally own a RE20 ,recoded many suff with it already and love it but I actually kinda like all mics that you used for the video because each one has their own characters
Thanx for a nice comparison review.
This helps!
Now I realized why SM57 is so popular.
Great for it’s price!
This is some real high quality, good content!
Merci beaucoup!
Interesting. #8 was my favorite blindly, and I was happy to discover later it was the MD 421. I knew and had liked the sound of it already from when I tried it in various recording situations in the past (toms and guitar amps mostly), but I did not own one. Funny enough, before watching this video I finally had decided to order one just this morning based on my good experiences with it. So, this was a good reaffirmation that the MD 421-II really does something that my ears like :) Thanks for the great video.
Thank you very much, Stringmatrix for this comparison, it was very helpful to hear the difference between these mics, as you forced the listener to listen, and played the same thing every time! (so many people don't do this). I appreciate your methodical, no nonsense approach to presenting. I am looking for a mic to record double bass in a live jazz ensemble situation, and this has been the most helpful resource on the internet for recording double bass.
Thank you John! The condenser shootout will come in the next 10 days.
Great video! I own an RE20 and like it, but blind, it was my 2nd choice. I liked the #10-the SM7.
Thank you for allowing us to hear the sound quality differences between these mic selections! For live settings, the Beyer Dynamic M201 has a tighter pattern as it is a hypercardioid, so aside from sound quality, this is a consideration for me. Fortunately I also like the sound of it and am wanting to compare it to the sE Electronics V7x, which is a super cardioid. The V7x (V7 is the vocal mic version) is somewhat of a competitor to the SM57 price point so maybe worth checking out for double bass. So many microphones to check out, so these videos are very helpful!
Great! The two mics that I desire the most are actually the ones that I liked best in the blindfold test! #6 and #10.
3 favorites (listened on AKG 712 mastering headphones) Re20, SM7, md441. Very consistent tests, much appreciated.
Thank you!
Thanks for this shootout Hervé! For me the best one was #3 Beyerdynamic M 201.
Thanks!
Much thanks for this concise, informative video! Especially helpful to check out the different microphones with a single organic instrument rather than a wall of Marshalls.
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Thank you! Happy to hear that this test is not only interesting for bass players!
My choices for the top 3 are 5, 6, 1. I got really surprised about the D5S, I thought it was mic number 9 which I placed the last. I own the D5S which is great on vocals (and an SM58 which is fine but not great) but didn't expect it to work with an instrument. Thanks for the content! 😊
Thank you so much, for this video! Great job and very useful.
I like the SM7 and also Beyer. I appreciate the mic placement portion as well I should show this to some engineers! Thanks!
There are so many possibilities concerning the placement. On my next shootout (with condenser mics) I will show a few more variations. And some things might work differently on other basses. But my "basic position" mostly works good.
Excellent comparison & very informative, thanks! I really liked the #1, #3, #5 & as close 2nds #6,#8. I was surprised at the "boomyness" of the RE20 and the SM7. I was also surprised by the somewhat muddy or harshness of SM57, AKG 3500 & AKG D12. Keep it up!
Very good test, exemplary! The blind test is important, but while watching the video I couldn't help but notice that the musician is also influenced by his preference; in the case of microphone number 5, the playing mode was more lively and focused : )
The smoothness of the RE20 and 441 really stood out for me. The SM57 really really surprised me, too…
Fantastic video! I didn't expect to like the SM57 as much as I did.. Also liked the MD421, because it was a bit thicker and it sounds maybe a bit more usable in a mix to me.
On to the condenser mics... :)
Thanks a lot for this work !
My choice are 8, 1 and 7. I wouldn't have bet on those for sure. Thanks for the blind test configuration!
What would be super super useful would be a comparaison of those microphones for a live situation. I mean really closer to the instrument, with a H-Clamp or inside the bridge.
1)How close can they be set up before proximity effect occurs?
2) How much does a loud drum bleeds
3) At what level feedback problems occurs ?
Those questions are way more important for me than to pick the "nicest" sound. Actually I liked them all (but the 9!)
Oddly enough, I enjoyed the sound of your bass through #1 and # 5 and # 7.
I was listening with the idea of studio recording and Live performance.
Out of those 3, I would probably go with the AKG D5 because of the price and what it can deliver. However, I think that # 5 sounded the best. Thanks so much for the video. You got a great sounding bass there.
Thank you for your feedback George!
Liked 7 and 8 the most.
very cool comparison video. it's not much out there with dynamic mics on strings.
I liked the AGK D5 and the Sennheiser MD 421. I liked the D5 because it gave the bass an "attitude." I also liked the 421 because it reproduced the low over tones with excellent clarity. If I was to record this bass I would use a D5 at the basic middle position and a 421 pointing at the bass slightly lower than the D5. Then combine both signals at the mixing desk. That would, to my ears, create a very full and rich sounding voice for this bass instrument.
This was cool. The favorites I picked the first time through (2 and 6) did not survive the second pass. I chose #8, the Sennheiser, because of its full sound through the whole range of the phrases you played. I did go back and listen to the first phrase again with that mic before I decided.
Interesting! The MD441 and the SM57 are also among my favorites. I was really impressed by the SM57, especially bearing in mind that It's a 100 € mic!
I actually preferred the MD21 overall. Good low end without being too boomy and high end without a lot of finger noise. Plus it just looks so cool.
Yes the MD21 is impressive. I just thought that the lows are very loud/present and in comparison the higher register sounds too soft. But the bass has lots of lowend, so on other basses that may be no problem.
Electrovoice RE20 and Sennheisers MD21 are my top choices, but the Shure SM7 and SM57 inch in next..
#5 was the clear winner. Perfect definition and balance between pluck and room tone.
Very interesting. Managed to spot the 57 ;-)
Thanks a lot Harvé. Really nice of you to dedicate yourself to these test and reviews. My favourite was 1 6 8 10 on the first test and the 2nd test 1 3 10, so 1 and 10 get the common favourite. Some of the mics had a nice dense and tight low-mid frequencies which is great in the mix but had too much low frequency picked up making them boomy. I think for those cases it’s good to put them in a position that rejects more low end (I mean very low like 80Hz and lower). I bet either by positioning those mics further up pointing to the finger board can change the best picks for some of the mics. Also the role of EQ is very important. Personally I rather roll off 80 Hz and lower which is the territory of kick drum anyway but choose the one that gives me a nicely dense low-mid and just enough highs to reveal enough overtones of string vibration as a compliment to lows which also adds a sense of air and openness (which can also be done by EQ) rather than picking something more neutral to cover frequencies evenly right off the bat with less dense low-mid that gets lost or sound not well defined in the mix.
Thanks Arya! Well with nearly every mic I will cut or roll off some low frequencies when mixing. you are right that it is also possible to use another mic placement. But going closer to the fingerboard will give you more finger noise and strings slapping on the fingerboard. On some recordings I hate it when the bass has a lot of "click clack" from that - but maybe that's also the player's fault. But I'd rather remain close to the bridge (or pointing to the bridge) with the mic and then I remove the too low frequencies in the mix. (But here everything was linear).
@@stringmatrix Harvé I love experimentation with multi mic mixing. I’m audio engineer and I do those kind of stuff quite a bit. If you end up recording a multi mic recording for one facing the bridge like your dynamic mic demo one facing the lower part of the neck on the G side like your condenser setup and one further up pointing down sort of your ear perspective I can see what kind of blend sounds rich, full, and detailed but without extra noise. I think the one picking the noise may benefit from additional EQ to lower 2k to 3.5k frequencies but let the airiness of higher frequencies to contribute. Please let me know. You can eTransfer your experimentation to my email arbous65@gmail.com
Was looking for à M201 TG test on acoustic instrument. My blind choice went to number 3...
4 & 6, clarity, detail, clean Bass frequency's.
It would be helpful if there were a video of these mics recording upright bass in a room with a piano, and drums playing at the same time. After all, that is one of the main reasons for using such a microphone.
Yes you are right. I also thought of making a video with various mic possibilities (incl. clip mic, condenser mic under the bridge...) in a trio setting. So many ideas, I don't know when I will find time for them!
My choice 7, 8, 1
I like numbers 4 and 3
Man im so glad I found your channel! Great stuff! I am going to start recording some jazz music with my wife, just bass and voice. Would you recommend a dynamic or condenser for the bass in this case? My room is not treated but its a pretty good sounding room with wooden floors. Curious to hear your thoughts!
Thank you! I would go for a condenser. You can also buy a clip mic like ATM 350 or the Audix clip mic and put it on a stand. That's the way I record bass when I want a quick set-up. (And for all the string presentation videos too, and the audios on the string matrix, I use an ATM 35, older version of the ATM 350).
Very nice review!!! Thanks a lot :)
What do you recomend about those mics for live playing?
I didn't experiment a lot with live usage of these mics. And since there are no huge differences, I would go for one that has a reasonable price and isn't too heavy. Using the H-Clamp could be a good idea. So maybe SM57 for a beginning?
Great unbiased video. Thank you. I actually think they all did a fine job. I was not that keen on #10, #9 and #3.. But small margins.
Did you use the high boost on the 441? I think that would be nice.
Thank you! No I don't think I used high boost. I borrowed the mic...
D3500 was my nr1, followed by the MD441 and (surprise!) the SM57. The MD421 was a little disapointing but would have been much better if i wasn't blindfoldet. :-)
I like #1, then #2
MD21 and the SM7
I often say that SM57 is good but overrated. Now I blindly picked the SM57 as my favorite. :D
Hi Hervé, Great job, so nice to see you on RUclips. My question is if you ever had a chance to use AKG D112 mk2? If yes, tell me please about the sound. How would you compare this to the microphones tested here?
Hi Rafa, no I never tried it. I didn't think about trying it for bass because this mic has a very "unflat" response, made to make a kick drum very punchy. So I think the shaping reduces a lot of mid frequencies and emphasizes low and high end. I don't really like this for acoustic bass. But I may be wrong. If I can get hold of that mic, I will try!
Thanks Hervé for your reply.
For me, the best 1 and 10.
Thanks! Yes the SM7 works great!
@@stringmatrix i changed my opinion :) - Sm57, sennheiser md421 and AKG D3500
Great video! Especially nice to hear the different placements. What do you recommend for someone like me who has a hard time standing still when playing? Is the H-clamp any good?
Yes I have an H clamp and it is really good. But I would recommend to use a light mic (in terms of weight). A mic like the SM57 will work!
@@stringmatrixCool! I was pleasantly surprised by the sm57 in the test so that is good to hear. Do you use the same mic placement when using the h-clamp, and do you think it would work in live situations?
@@whitorblius I just did a video to answer this question. I was testing something similar myself yesterday, so I thought I'd share it here on RUclips: ruclips.net/video/-q7-g7fHHjQ/видео.html
Thanks. For me, Number 1 and 3 are in the same ballpark. 3 has a little more information in the bass and 1 in the artikulation range. But both are very clear and deliver nice wood and clarity. Surprisingly is Number 10 also a great alternative. Number 7 has a lot of heights, but the bass has a lot of information there, so with a little cut there it could also be on the top of the list.
Microphone 5 is also very lovely, but not a really great recording microphone with the exception you record alone or in an isobooth. A very great sound.
Did you process the sound of the different microphones a little bit and use it in a real world recording also? If yes, what would be your impression?
Thanks Uli! For the video I didn't process anything. But you were probably asking if I processed the signals when I used these mics in sessions? I didn't use dynamics that often so I can't give interesting infos on this question. My idea was: If I am in a situation, where I would prefer to use a dynamic, maybe if the whole band is in a room, which would be the best choice. My opinions are similar to yours. I was a ittle disappointed be 7 (D3500) but I quite liked 8 (MD421).
The RE20 is probably the best well rounded microphone. The price isn't too absurd and can cover so many instruments. I used to use it for floor toms, vocals, and some bass guitar cabinets. Of course the SM57 is a good mic for its price. How has it stayed $100 for the past 15 years I don't know. But out of all these it was probably my least favorite sounding. Thats not a bad thing though.
RE20 was my favorite hands down. Good bass but clean as well. I have an sm7 which did well, but dang wish I had one :(
Favorites in order
1: 4(RE20)
2: 5(MD21)
3: *TIE* 3(Beyer 201) -and- 6(MD441)
4. 10 (SM7)
Thanks for doing this love the vid!
Great video... thanks a lot for the test! I've tried with my Shure sm57 but my input signal It's a Little bit low...I have to put the mic about 3 cm from the f hole and High level of gain on my audio interface... Do you have any advice?....thanks for your great job!
That's strange. You go with XLR into the interface? Normally you should get a good signal if you put the gain to maybe 50-75%. Something seems to be wrong.
@@stringmatrix thanks a lot for your reply ...yes xlr and 75% of gain...but ratio noise/signal It's a Little bit High...so I have to put the mic so close to the f hole to increase input signal...but naturally the sound become boomy ...but I'll check my mic ...you have a wonderful tone with the sm57 so ...i'd Like to reach the same result! Thanks again
Any choices for ribbon mics? I'm wondering if the figure of 8 pattern might help with rejection of other instruments in a live setting...
I don't have any ribbon mic yet. But concerning your idea for live: yes an FOH engineer that I know always uses a figure 8 (Shure) mounted under the bridge, and he says it works very well in terms of rejection of other sound sources. I will try it sometime.
I kept thinking, These sound ok (though not exciting) in isolation; but how would they cut through in a band mix? When you got to the AKG D3500, I immediately thought: Finally, one with articulation that will be heard through the cymbals!
Oh really? I had the feeling that it sounded a little too thin. But it might work the way you describe it.
@@stringmatrix I don't find you can judge the EQ of a soloed instrument; you need to hear it in the context of the recording's ensemble. Imho, most of these mics give a straight signal whose pitch intelligibility (and high-mid textures) would be over-powered by piano & drums. I think they'd all benefit from EQ for the bass to pleasantly slot into a band mix (the AKG less so).
Is the MD421 the "N" or the "U"
For Violin Live Performance, is it better AT2020 Condenser Mic or SM57 Dynamic Mic ?
That's a difficult question for me since I don't play violin. Even for bass it would be difficult to answer that question, because the dynamic SM57 is perhaps better in terms of feedback problems but the AT2020 could be better in terms of sound definition, but that's all just guessing - I didn't try these mics in live performance.
which preamp did you use for the mics? thx for the video
The microphones were plugged directly into the RME fireface ufx, so it's the integrated RME preamp.
Are there still feedback issues on stage with dynamic mics? It’s unreal to use condenser mic to amplify sound on stage, I think they are for studio only, work great with closed headphones. How is it with dynamic???
You will also have feedback issues with dynamics. I am not a specialist for this topic, I didn't try out mic-amplification too often. I heard of players who use a Schoeps Figure-8 Condenser mic on stage (unter the bridge). Many players use clip mics (I have tests about that on my channel). There are many options but I didn't test them on stage myself so I can't say too much.
@@stringmatrix Thank you. I tried the Prodipe BL21 in a pub (about 6m * 12m) and I was forced to go away from the main sound of the stage and didn't hear amplification of my bass (also I didn't hear all other instruments well). One person said the sound of my bass was in the middle of the room, but I haven't the ability to add volume a little bit more. I will experiment with it further because I can't return it back to the store, I made some scratches on the painted surface)
@@user-gg2wf7yf8i I am not an expert in room acoustics but I heard that either square rooms or rooms where one side is 2x the length of the other side are specially problematic. So this may play a role too. That's the tricky thing when you start using mics for amplification: In one room it may work, in the next room not (because maybe your place is exactly at a point where there is a boost in one frequency and that gets picked up again by the mic). That's a tricky topic!
201, D3500,