What's in your mic locker?

[bill5]

Again, simple curiousity. And generally curious about others you may have had, and in general, how much you do/don't like any of them and why... 

[KuruPrionz]

Currently, I'm using 3 mic almost exclusively. 

Shure KSM8 dynamic cardioid - There is no other dynamic cardioid mic on the market that sounds like this one. There is a second, passive diaphragm at the other end of the capsule. If you check the specs, you will see as close to perfect a cardioid patter as has ever been made in a dynamic mic. The frequencies line up amazingly. 

That's one great feature. I think the passive diaphragm may have something to do with the other plus, the proximity effect is very well controlled, almost like an omni-directional mic. The mic doesn't get overwhelmingly bassy when you get close and even more important, it doesn't thin out as much when you back away a little. This is true even when you are singing at an angle, the congruent cardioid pattern means singing back a little ways and from an angle will virtually eliminate plosives and sibilance while not compromising your vocal tone excessively. 

 

I put a Steadman pop filter at an angle in front of the mic and then sing at an angle to both the pop filter and the mic. I do this with all my mics.

 

Next up, Heil PR-40. Another dynamic cardioid microphone, large diaphragm. This one sounds about as close to a condenser mic as you will find in a dynamic. It has considerably more proximity effect than the KSM8, it's good for percussion, acoustic guitar and does a fine job as a vocal mic. A good friend always wants to use it when I am recording his vocals. Same pop filter trick but you do need to be a bit closer to get that rich bottom end in your voice and it plosives/sibilance are less controlled. 

 

Last but not least, I wanted one good large diaphragm condenser mic and in my space I only need cardioid pattern to avoid picking up external noise.

After doing considerable research (and finding put that I didn't need or want the omni or figure of 8 that the Shure KSM44 offers), I learned about Roswell Mics and Microphone Parts. Matt McGlynn is the owner of both businesses and he knows microphones very well. 

Microphone Parts offers kits, I bought the T-67 in the first run, with the Platinum transformer (they are not currently offering that transformer, I expect they will again).

Was a bit under $500 with the premium transformer and shipping. I built the kit in 3 sessions on 3 different days, maybe 5 hours total work time. It worked great the first time I plugged it in, I doubt there is a better cardioid condenser mic and if you want an omni, there is a switch easily accessed inside the mic body. 

If you are a condenser mic user and can solder pretty well, this is the bang for the buck option and everybody would like to have one if they tried it. 

 

Since I mostly record myself and rarely need more than 2 channels with most instruments being run line, USB or ITB, that's enough mics to get any sound I need. 

[Notes_Norton]

Only one, but I'm a live performer, not a recording engineer.

 

Sennheiser MD 421.

 

Decades ago, I was using a Shure SM58 and I thought it made my alto sax sound a little like a clarinet. I went to my local music store, and the owner went to the back, gave me a 421 and said, "Try it on the gig, if you like it, I'll get you a new one". (No deposit, no credit card, just mutual trust).

 

We were playing upstairs at a marina with open windows. A musician friend stopped by and when she got up she said, "What did you do to your sax, it sounds great! I could hear the difference in the parking lot." (Sold).

 

The owner told me to keep it until the new one comes in, and comparing shipping costs to local sales tax, it was a few dollars cheaper than if I bought it from SamAsh or someone else.

 

During the first couple of decades, my singing partner went through 2 SM58s and an AT mic. She now uses a 421 for vocals.

 

They have a nice frequency response, exhibit no proximity effect, and are almost bulletproof, which is handy for doing 15-20 gigs per month including setup and tear-down for each gig.

 

Looking on UTube I see older bands using them for vocals, and I see current bands using them for drums. I suppose because they can take a beating and still sound good.

 

That's my one and only contribution to this thread. I'm sure there are other excellent choices.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

 

 

[KuruPrionz]

1 hour ago, Notes_Norton said:

Only one, but I'm a live performer, not a recording engineer.

 

Sennheiser MD 421.

 

Decades ago, I was using a Shure SM58 and I thought it made my alto sax sound a little like a clarinet. I went to my local music store, and the owner went to the back, gave me a 421 and said, "Try it on the gig, if you like it, I'll get you a new one". (No deposit, no credit card, just mutual trust).

 

We were playing upstairs at a marina with open windows. A musician friend stopped by and when she got up she said, "What did you do to your sax, it sounds great! I could hear the difference in the parking lot." (Sold).

 

The owner told me to keep it until the new one comes in, and comparing shipping costs to local sales tax, it was a few dollars cheaper than if I bought it from SamAsh or someone else.

 

During the first couple of decades, my singing partner went through 2 SM58s and an AT mic. She now uses a 421 for vocals.

 

They have a nice frequency response, exhibit no proximity effect, and are almost bulletproof, which is handy for doing 15-20 gigs per month including setup and tear-down for each gig.

 

Looking on UTube I see older bands using them for vocals, and I see current bands using them for drums. I suppose because they can take a beating and still sound good.

 

That's my one and only contribution to this thread. I'm sure there are other excellent choices.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

 

 

I have a Sennheiser 421, it's taken a beating. I haven't used it enough to get to know it yet. I do know it sounds good. 

That bar across the business end of the mic with the brand name on it? That is a built in "pencil trick", if you put an obstruction across the front of the capsule it reduces plosives and sibilance considerably. Nice feature. 

[surfergirl]

Shure SM48s, which I bought because it's what I could afford, and SM58s. If I had to do it over I wouldn't have bought the 58s. The 48s are just fine for less than half the price. 

[Anderton]

I'm not big on mics, because I don't have to record drums, and I prefer amp sims to amps most of the time. But, I do record a lot of voice, both for singing and narration.

 

A Cloud JRS handles ribbon mic chores. It took me a while to figure out not to get too close  but once I nailed that, it does very well for voice. I also have a Cloudlifter, which is wonderful. (I'm not just saying that because Dave Bryce is involved with Cloud microphones, it's one of those "everyone should have one" things.)

 

An Apex 460 multi-pattern tube mic that I got for cheap. Frankly, it's a older Chinese mic and not that great; people say the 460B is much better. The 460 gets modded a lot to improve performance, although I haven't tried anything yet. However, for some strange reason, it works well with my voice when I want a crisp narration sound that's going to end up playing back through something like a smartphone. This is due to what people consider a flaw, oversized EMI caps that produce a 2-3 dB high-end lift. It's also kind of peaky, but again, that works with my voice. This just goes to show that for some applications, a particular mic can work well in spite of itself.

 

King Bee and Worker Bee condenser mics. I have two of each, and use these for stereo miking on acoustic guitar and ukulele. You have to be careful not to get too close, so you need a room that doesn't have too many reflections.

 

SM58 permanently hooked into my audio interface for testing or when I get ideas, and need to record something without having to get out of my seat.

[Greg Mein]

We have the standard live mics; a couple SM58 and an SM57 along with a couple AKG D880 I like that are relatively equivalent to SM58. For recording I'm down to just a Studio Projects C1 and recently bought a Rode NT1-A. A local studio owner friend of mine sold me the C1 and then later wanted to buy it back but no way!

 

I used to have a couple of the popular cheap condensers; MXL990 and some Nady model but sold them. They weren't bad mics and I wish now I would have kept them, just because they're cheap doesn't mean they suck. If the sound I get from a microphone is bad, it's generally because I suck.

[KenElevenShadows]

15 hours ago, bill5 said:

Again, simple curiousity. And generally curious about others you may have had, and in general, how much you do/don't like any of them and why... 

 

Lawson L251 tube microphone, Shure SM 57s, Sennheiser 421s, Rode NT2 (I have the OG version of this and am one of the first people in the United States to begin using this, so it has this thin wire mesh pop filter over the top that never stays on any more), Audix D6, Heil PR-30, Heil PR-40.

 

The Lawson, Heils, and 421s probably get the bulk of the use. 

 

Because I review items for Photofocus as an author, I occasionally get to keep review items. So it was with the HyperX QuadCast USB microphone. I haven't used this for any musical recordings. However, for voice on podcasts, Nightaxian YouTube podcasts and so forth, it sounds very good.

 

 

 

[Dave Bryce]

Ribbons

AEA 44CXE

AEA Ku5A

Cloud 44A

Cloud 44 Midnight

 

Condensers

Soundelux U195 matched pair

Roswell Mini K47 matched pair

Roswell Colares

Blue Hummingbird

Blue EnCore 300

 

Dynamics

EV RE20

Shure Beta 58

Shure SM59

Blue EnCore 100

 

dB

 

[MAJUSCULE]

Roswell Mini K47

Roswell Mini K87

AKG C451 B (x2)

AKG C414 XLS

Shure SM58

 

Not currently adding to this since my home studio is temporarily out of commission, but would eventually like to add some ribbons and maybe a couple other interesting condensers. Will likely be overkill for my purposes, but what the hell.

[bill5]

  

13 hours ago, Notes_Norton said:

Decades ago, I was using a Shure SM58 and I thought it made my alto sax sound a little like a clarinet. I went to my local music store, and the owner went to the back, gave me a 421 and said, "Try it on the gig, if you like it, I'll get you a new one". (No deposit, no credit card, just mutual trust).

 

That is so cool.....I'm a Senn fan but not familiar with the 421. Huge 935 fan. 

 

10 hours ago, surfergirl said:

Shure SM48s, which I bought because it's what I could afford, and SM58s. If I had to do it over I wouldn't have bought the 58s. The 48s are just fine for less than half the price. 

I have wondered/suspected as much. IMO esp a great idea if buying mics for additional singers.

 

8 hours ago, Greg Mein said:

We have the standard live mics; a couple SM58 and an SM57 along with a couple AKG D880 I like that are relatively equivalent to SM58. For recording I'm down to just a Studio Projects C1 and recently bought a Rode NT1-A. A local studio owner friend of mine sold me the C1 and then later wanted to buy it back but no way!

 

I used to have a couple of the popular cheap condensers; MXL990 and some Nady model but sold them. They weren't bad mics and I wish now I would have kept them, just because they're cheap doesn't mean they suck. If the sound I get from a microphone is bad, it's generally because I suck.

lol - good point, very astute of you. Now more than ever as tech advances, the "you get what you pay for" is so not true in many cases. Some really good stuff even on the low end now.

 

Have you ever used the Studio Projects B1? I've heard good things and eyeing it (the C1 doesn't appear to be available new anymore). The NT1A I've heard can be harsh on the high end, but can't say. 

 

 

[KuruPrionz]

EVERYBODY DOES need a Cloudlifter if they have a dynamic or ribbon (which is also a dynamic) microphone. Great tool. A Catherdal Pipes is more or less the same exact device.

Greg Mein mentions the MXL 990, what got me started on Microphone Parts was winning a contest on a YouTube broadcast for a Microphone Parts upgrade kit for an MXL 990. I had to go buy a used 990 to upgrade! It was pretty good when I started but the kit made it sound fantastic, great upgrade. I also upgraded an MXL 1006bp (Battery Powered) with a different choice of capsule, circuit board and transformer, I had to modify the brackets in the mic but that was pretty easy and the existing holes lined up perfectly. 

Last but not least, Dave Bryce mentions a Shure SM59 and I wish I'd kept mine. Got them both cheap when I was a kid and thought they were kind of wimpy but with a Cloudlifter they might have kicked butt. Wish I knew then... 

 

[Dave Bryce]

4 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

EVERYBODY DOES need a Cloudlifter if they have a dynamic or ribbon (which is also a dynamic) microphone. Great tool. A Catherdal Pipes is more or less the same exact device.

 

Similar, but not the same.  Cloud's technology is patented.

 

 

4 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

Last but not least, Dave Bryce mentions a Shure SM59 and I wish I'd kept mine. Got them both cheap when I was a kid and thought they were kind of wimpy but with a Cloudlifter they might have kicked butt.

 It definitely is an improvement.

 

dB

[Notes_Norton]

23 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

I have a Sennheiser 421, it's taken a beating. I haven't used it enough to get to know it yet. I do know it sounds good. 

That bar across the business end of the mic with the brand name on it? That is a built in "pencil trick", if you put an obstruction across the front of the capsule it reduces plosives and sibilance considerably. Nice feature. 

It's good for pulling mustache hairs too 😮

 

I lose a few a year that way. Fortunately, they grow back.

 

Years ago I subscribed to the treeware magazine Professional Audio Review. It was free for me, as I'm in the biz (Band-in-a-Box add-ons).

 

They did a shoot-out of a number of dynamic mics under $800 (I forget how many mics) and rated them in 6 categories, brass, voice, drums, guitar amp, and a couple of others (again I forget). The 421 came place in every category except micing a guitar amp, where it came in second to a Sony.

 

That was a long time ago, and I've had that mic much longer than that. I bought it around 1985, and treeware magazines have all but disappeared.

 

There might be something better out here, but for an all-around mic, it works for me. I use it for vocals, flute, and sax on stage.

 

Notes ♫

[KuruPrionz]

13 hours ago, Dave Bryce said:

 

Similar, but not the same.  Cloud's technology is patented.

 

 

 It definitely is an improvement.

 

dB

OK, 😇

[bill5]

On 2/21/2023 at 11:26 PM, KuruPrionz said:

EVERYBODY DOES need a Cloudlifter if they have a dynamic or ribbon (which is also a dynamic) microphone.

 

Nah. Nice to have around if you do (for ex. I hear the Shure SM7B is a common example, though I can't say), but not necessary for most mics, really. Of course as always, the devil's in the details...

[KuruPrionz]

1 hour ago, bill5 said:

Nah. Nice to have around if you do (for ex. I hear the Shure SM7B is a common example, though I can't say), but not necessary for most mics, really. Of course as always, the devil's in the details...

Speaking of devils and details, I have yet to hear a dynamic mic or ribbon mic that didn't sound much better using a Cloudlifter. 

Your choice to figure that out but that's my experience. Signal to noise ratio improves considerably, just for one. 

Condenser mics don't need one, the output is usually fairly high and you'd have some hoops to jump through since the Cloudifter uses phantom power but does not pass it through (ribbon mics die if you feed them phantom power). 

[NewImprov]

At the studio I have:

Condensers:

Warm Audio WA47 Tube LDC

2X Warm Audio WA87 mk ii LDC

2X (matched pair) Warm Audio WA84 SDC

AKG C414 TLII, 1990's vintage

2X Lewitt Match 040

 

Dynamics:

Telefunken M80

Telefunken M80S

Lewitt LCT 340
Shure SM7B

Shure Beta 52

4X Shure Beta 58

2X Shure Beta 57

4X Shure SM58

2X Shure SM57

3X Audio Technica AT230 (best tom mic I have used)

Sennheiser E906

 

Ribbons:

Shiny Box ribbon with Cinemag Xformer upgrade

Beyer M260

 

Nobody asked about mic stands, but I gotta put a plug in here for the Tama Iron Works studio series, I have slowly been replacing all the 20/30-year old cheap boom stands in my collection to these, they are a little more than average (about $150 for a tall boom), but they are heavy duty, and have a clutch design that seems like it will last forever. Highly recommended.

 

*Edited to add the Lewitt LCT 340 dynamic kick drum mic, which I just got and have only used once, but I really like it so far.

[OG_Dave]

Let's see here...

 

Dynamics

(1) Electro Voice RE20

(3) Shure SM58

(7) Shure  SM57

(1) Shure Beta 52A

(1) Rode M1

(1) Audix OM5

 

Large diaphragm condensers

Neumann TLM 102 (astoundingly great mic, my number 1 for nearly everything)

AKG C414 XLS II

AKG C214

AKG Perception 200

Avantone CK7

 

Small diaphragm condensers

(2) Line Audio CM4 (gives the new KM84's a run for the money at a fraction of the price)

(2) Oktava Mk012

(1) Shure KSM137 (either sounds great or really harsh depending on its mood)

 

Ribbon

matched pair Royer R10. (I should have bought one R121 or the Rodes, but live and learn. They do get used now and again but I have to use a line lifter for them. Right now I'm using Se Dynamites but have been eyeing the Couldlifters for too long now)

[Anderton]

10 hours ago, bill5 said:

Nah. Nice to have around if you do (for ex. I hear the Shure SM7B is a common example, though I can't say), but not necessary for most mics, really. Of course as always, the devil's in the details...

 

It's not necessary for condenser mics, because they already have preamps and low-impedance outs. And it's not a good idea anyway, because the +48V that powers the Cloudlifter can't be accessed by a condenser mic that needs +48V.

 

But to me, the latter is a selling point. If you have a $$$ ribbon mic hooked up to the Cloudlifter, then you never have to worry about hitting the ribbon mic by accident with +48V. With some interfaces enabling +48V as a group, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a Cloudlifter permanently in line with any mic that would suffer from being hit with +48V. It can also power long cables easily. 

 

Now, to some speculation about the Cloudlifter - I'm sure Dave will set me right if I'm wrong.

 

I assume it presents a higher impedance to dynamic mics. When I discovered how much better guitar pickups sounded when feeding high impedances, I figured I'd see if that held true for dynamic mics. It does - you get more highs, and a more open sound. That's the same kind of sound character you get feeding a dynamic mic through a Cloudlifter, so I tend to think it's raising the impedance and providing gain.

 

If they are messing with the impedance, then they're probably using JFETs for the input stage, which have an inherently high impedance and behave more like tubes anyway. Bipolar tansistors tend to generate the least amount of noise at a "sweet spot" that's not exactly low impedance, but it's not exactly high impedance, either. Remember too that any resistor that's a direct part of the input section generates noise.

 

(Nerd alert: the only way I could get a high enough input impedance from a bipolar op amp was by using the non-inverting input. The tradeoff was that kind of gain structure didn't allow going below unity gain. That didn't matter for a buffer board, but it mattered if you wanted to build in gain, and be able to turn the gain down below unity.)

[bill5]

9 minutes ago, Anderton said:

 

It's not necessary for condenser mics, because they already have preamps and low-impedance outs. 

Again with the caveat of in my experience, it's usually not necessary for dynamics or ribbons either. YMMV.  

[KuruPrionz]

52 minutes ago, Anderton said:

 

It's not necessary for condenser mics, because they already have preamps and low-impedance outs. And it's not a good idea anyway, because the +48V that powers the Cloudlifter can't be accessed by a condenser mic that needs +48V.

 

But to me, the latter is a selling point. If you have a $$$ ribbon mic hooked up to the Cloudlifter, then you never have to worry about hitting the ribbon mic by accident with +48V. With some interfaces enabling +48V as a group, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a Cloudlifter permanently in line with any mic that would suffer from being hit with +48V. It can also power long cables easily. 

 

Now, to some speculation about the Cloudlifter - I'm sure Dave will set me right if I'm wrong.

 

I assume it presents a higher impedance to dynamic mics. When I discovered how much better guitar pickups sounded when feeding high impedances, I figured I'd see if that held true for dynamic mics. It does - you get more highs, and a more open sound. That's the same kind of sound character you get feeding a dynamic mic through a Cloudlifter, so I tend to think it's raising the impedance and providing gain.

 

If they are messing with the impedance, then they're probably using JFETs for the input stage, which have an inherently high impedance and behave more like tubes anyway. Bipolar tansistors tend to generate the least amount of noise at a "sweet spot" that's not exactly low impedance, but it's not exactly high impedance, either. Remember too that any resistor that's a direct part of the input section generates noise.

 

(Nerd alert: the only way I could get a high enough input impedance from a bipolar op amp was by using the non-inverting input. The tradeoff was that kind of gain structure didn't allow going below unity gain. That didn't matter for a buffer board, but it mattered if you wanted to build in gain, and be able to turn the gain down below unity.)

I hear the same things, a good number of already fine mics sound even better and have much more gain before noise with the Cloudlifter. One reason why that matters is you can get back a little and maybe off to the side or above/below. With 20db more quiet gain, you can sing from farther back and not worry much if at all about sibilance and plosives. 

I love my Shure KSM8 but I love it even more through the Cloudlifter. No connection with the company other than buying a used Cloudlifter and acknowledging that it is an excellent tool. 

[Anderton]

I think some

1 hour ago, bill5 said:

Again with the caveat of in my experience, it's usually not necessary for dynamics or ribbons either. YMMV.  

 

I think it depends on the definition of "necessary." Mics were pushing electrons down cables for decades before the Cloudlifter was invented, and the sky did not darken, nor did birds fall from the sky. So in that sense, it's not "necessary." If you consider getting more performance out of mics "necessary," then you might pin that label on a Cloudlifter. OTOH, the first time you blow up a $$$ ribbon mic because you connected +48 to it inadvertently, a Cloudlifter may seem very necessary.

 

It's like a buffer board on a guitar with passive pickups - it isn't necessary, guitars work just fine without one. But, if you want the most high frequencies out of a pickup, or need to isolate the pickups from an effect with a low input impedance, then you might consider the buffer board necessary. 

 

I have a strange-but-true Cloudlifter story. The first time I tried it, I was displeased with the "popcorn" noise that seemed to come out of it. It was very low-level, but characteristic of some semiconductors. Only later did I find out that the problem was with the audio interface preamp. As soon as I plugged into a different audio interface channel, all was well. In fact, all the other 15 mic pre channels worked perfectly. So, what are the odds against plugging into a defective audio interface channel when first testing out the Cloudlifter? Apparently, 16 to 1 

 

 

[summerinstereo]

I've gone through a fair few mics.

 

Right now, I've got a Sennheiser E945 for live work and a Behringer XM8500 as a backup mic for gigs.

At home, I've got a Rode NT1-A.

 

I've had many in the past, but have got rid of some because they just weren't getting used or I didn't really like the sound.

 

I'm happy with everything I have right now and have no need/want to check out anything else.

The NT1-A is a total beast at home, it's a great fit for my voice, perfect for acoustic guitar - people cry about how bright it is, but I don't have issues with it.

The E945 is a live monster. I can't get a nice sound from it at home, but I love using it live - I actually like it so much that it's something I look forward to when gigging, it's a crystal clear mic that does a great job at capturing lower vocals without turning them to mud.

 

At home, it's so harsh it's unbearable. I fully intend on trying it again and sticking with it until I get a nice sound from it here, not that there's any need as the NT1-A is fantastic.

 

I truly believe I have the right mic for me for both live and home situations.

I'm not sure I'd trade them even for more expensive mics, I'm happy with these exact mics and wouldn't even risk trading one for the same model - I've gone through so many mics in the past that I just wouldn't risk messing things up.

[Dave Bryce]

On 2/24/2023 at 12:21 PM, OG_Dave said:

I have to use a line lifter for them. Right now I'm using Se Dynamites but have been eyeing the Couldlifters for too long now)

 

SE Dynamite is not quite the same as a Cloudlifter.  The Dynamite is more of a preamp - it has its own power supply, and adds some noise and color to the signal.  

 

The Cloudlifter direct couples to whatever preamp it's hanging off - essentially becoming an extension of the preamp - and is all about clean, transparent gain, letting you hear more of the actual sound of your mic and less of the sound of your preamp.  Not necessarily "better", per se - sometimes you want the specific sound and color a preamp adds...but it certainly is a nice option to have.

 

 

On 2/24/2023 at 6:20 PM, Anderton said:

Now, to some speculation about the Cloudlifter - I'm sure Dave will set me right if I'm wrong.

 

I assume it presents a higher impedance to dynamic mics.

 

It does.  3k Ohms.

 

 

On 2/24/2023 at 6:20 PM, Anderton said:

When I discovered how much better guitar pickups sounded when feeding high impedances, I figured I'd see if that held true for dynamic mics. It does - you get more highs, and a more open sound. That's the same kind of sound character you get feeding a dynamic mic through a Cloudlifter, so I tend to think it's raising the impedance and providing gain.

 

 

 

On 2/24/2023 at 6:20 PM, Anderton said:

If they are messing with the impedance, then they're probably using JFETs for the input stage

 

You are correct, sir.

 

dB

[OG_Dave]

On 2/25/2023 at 1:29 PM, Dave Bryce said:

 

SE Dynamite is not quite the same as a Cloudlifter.  The Dynamite is more of a preamp - it has its own power supply, and adds some noise and color to the signal. 

Thanks for picking that up Dave - I wonder if we're talking about the same piece of gear.

 

The Se Dynamite DM1 is a FET in-line preamp that runs off phantom power, basically the same as the Cloudlifter CM1 (which is JFET). I haven't picked up on it being either noisy or colored and the marketing doesn't pitch that way. Also, SOS has great reviews of both products. I bought the DM1s because I couldn't justify the extra dosh for basically the same result...>25dB quiet, clean gain for the ribbons. In my experience, they've performed very well.

 

I haven't tried them on dynamics, maybe I should, it's definitely worth a go!

 

I haven't looked into the impedance aspect of either though. Everybody quotes different specs if they bother to disclose and converting is a bloody nightmare. Makes my brain go "ow."

 

[Anderton]

FWIW I couldn't find an input impedance spec for the DM1, only output impedance (135 ohms, so they recommend a minimum 1k load). I couldn't find the output impedance spec for the Cloudlifter. I did notice that it's DC-coupled (thumbs up on that), and is isolated from any noise coming from the source of phantom power (some phantom power sources are noisier than others, which matters with some units like the FetHead).

 

IMHO as an analog circuit designer, it would not be difficult to design something that's similar to the Cloudlifter, and gets you most of the way there. However, it seems to me the Cloudlifter is intended as a higher-end/higher-priced device. For example, I found out the Cloudlifter uses four hand-matched JFETs. I can easily design a basic capacitor-coupled JFET preamp that provides gain, but I don't have the measurement tools needed for that level of detail (which I presume is how it can be DC-coupled, but I may be offbase there).

[Stokely]

I've used a fair number of mics through the years but have only owned dynamics for live use (not counting a Zoom H2 with condensers which I used for home recording for a while.)

My main mic is now a Sennheiser e935 and to my ear it punches above its weight.  It's the best mic I've ever used live and it's more than good enough to make a good home recording as a hobbyist.   A condenser in my untreated room would likely not be a great thing, with the e935 I can get right up on it because it doesn't have the big proximity effect of say an SM 58.

Great all around inexpensive mic.  Most of my band uses one now.  I don't find it harsh for my voice at least (someone mentioned the 945 above) but it does have what I'd call "air" or clarity that the e835 (my previous mic) didn't have.

[Dave Bryce]

23 hours ago, OG_Dave said:

Thanks for picking that up Dave - I wonder if we're talking about the same piece of gear.

 

The Se Dynamite DM1 is a FET in-line preamp that runs off phantom power, basically the same as the Cloudlifter CM1 (which is JFET). I haven't picked up on it being either noisy or colored and the marketing doesn't pitch that way. Also, SOS has great reviews of both products. I bought the DM1s because I couldn't justify the extra dosh for basically the same result...>25dB quiet, clean gain for the ribbons. In my experience, they've performed very well.

Yes, we are talking about the same piece of gear....and yes, the Dynamite is an inline preamp.  Cloudifter is not a preamp - it's a mic activator.

 

The SE Dynamite does not direct couple to the preamp it's being used with.  It has its own DC blocking caps.  That's why it claims that it's always the same amount of gain, where the Cloudlifter varies depending on what's hanging off it.

 

Also, the SE guys in their videos specifically say that the Dynamite adds warmth, which the Cloudlifter does not do. I believe it's because they put in another component to add an extra 3dB of gain.

 

As mentioned earlier, Cloud's process is patented.  No one else can do it the same way.

 

23 hours ago, OG_Dave said:

I haven't looked into the impedance aspect of either though. Everybody quotes different specs if they bother to disclose and converting is a bloody nightmare. Makes my brain go "ow."

 

Also mentioned earlier - the CL1 has a 3k Ohm input impedance load.  There is another one called CLZ which lets you vary the input impedance.  That's the one I use - I love being able to specifically match the correct input impedance for each mic.

 

dB

[OG_Dave]

I just noticed your affiliation with Cloud Microphones. Great company by all accounts.

 

As I'm rarely satisfied with marketing terms like "activator," I decided to look up the patent, which describes it thusly:

 

"A novel microphone incorporates a phantom-powered JFET circuit for audio application. In one embodiment of the invention, a novel phantom-powered JFET preamplifier gain circuit can minimize undesirable sound distortions and reduce the cost of producing a conventional preamplifier gain circuit." So I'm still gonna think of it as a preamp 🙂

 

The patent is quite interesting, especially on the mic side. Gonna have to do some research on "backwave chambers"

 

I totally agree with having variable impedance available though. Certainly makes the device more appealing.

 

btw, I love the name Funky Young Monks. One of my old efforts went by the moniker, "Funky Monk and the Shakedown"