Reece, thank you for your effort here...

To me test #1 sounds best...

I've used a cheap MXL 990 as a vocal mic on almost all the songs I have posted on Sound click, with generally very good results...

fantastic feedback guys! keep it comin'!

So when is the big "reveal" gonna happen???

ORIGINAL: Beagle
I was hoping Corey would pop back in the thread since he was also interested in the SP-1 and had mentioned he had used the 990's without success, but looks like he's busy with the dogs! I'll post the results tonite!

Sorry! Out of town for the weekend. I'll take a listen to the clips at home. The options at work are RCS's (Really Crappy Speakers) or RCH's (Really Crappy Headphones). Also, I never said I had used the 990's without success. I said I LOVED them on female vocalists, especially if they're of the thinnish-voice variety. I also like them on screamer rockers. I just didn't like the top end on the wrong voice.

At one point, I had three MXL 990's. I hated the 991 and the... oh shoot... 603? 663? Can't recall... it's the other Pencil mic MXL sells. They both sound like pooh to me. Very harsh midrange. Blech.

Thanks for posting the test, Beagle! Sorry I haven't had a chance to take a listen. I'll do that tonight for sure!

Corey

Ok - well looks like Corey's not going to get to it before it's this old dog's bedtime, so I'm going to go ahead and post the results.

Mic #1 = M-audio NOVA
Mic #2 = MCA SP-1
Mic #3 = MXL 990
Mic #4 = MXL V63M

I've been using the m-audio nova for my recordings lately because I liked it best (before the SP1 arrived). here are some other interesting facts from this test:
MIC__________NOISE__________MAX PEAK OF RECORDING
Nova_________-54.7dB_____________-5.8dB
SP1__________-36.8dB_____________-3.5dB
MXL990_______-54.0dB_____________-2.8dB
MXLV63M______-51.4dB_____________-2.4dB

noise in this respect means: when I had the mic ON, the preamp ON and an audio track armed in sonar, this is the highest peak captured before the recording started. so that includes room noise, preamp noise and mic noise at least.
max peak of recording is what the maximum peak that was recorded by the same volume output into the mics.

Wow there ya go. Well I know I like the mca sp-1 compared to my mics. might have to try that MXL 990 though

Also, tomorrow Im picking up an Alesis(Groove Tubes) am51 up from post office that i won off ebay. Cant wait to try it out-

Yeah, I knew when you guys started giving your opinions on the best one that you'd be surprised at the results. I think I still like my nova best out of the 4, but I might find some uses for the SP-1. I know that when I was at a friends house he used the SP-1 to record some acoustic and it sounded better than his Rode NTK on the acoustic.

Hey, Matt - it's funny but I've never had any problem with headphone bleed like others have had and I push the limits on that! I have a fairly high volume mix in the cans during recording and I use open-back cans and pull one side off so I can hear my voice! I'm not sure why I don't have have any bleed, but it is what it is! I'm not sure what I'm doing different that doesn't cause bleed?

Anyone here have experience with the RODE NT1, or the MXL V-67 ?
I wonder how they'd compare with these mics...

Thaanks again Reece...

ORIGINAL: Beagle

Ok - well looks like Corey's not going to get to it before it's this old dog's bedtime, so I'm going to go ahead and post the results.

Mic #1 = M-audio NOVA
Mic #2 = MCA SP-1
Mic #3 = MXL 990
Mic #4 = MXL V63M

I've been using the m-audio nova for my recordings lately because I liked it best (before the SP1 arrived). here are some other interesting facts from this test:
MIC__________NOISE__________MAX PEAK OF RECORDING
Nova_________-54.7dB_____________-5.8dB
SP1__________-36.8dB_____________-3.5dB
MXL990_______-54.0dB_____________-2.8dB
MXLV63M______-51.4dB_____________-2.4dB

noise in this respect means: when I had the mic ON, the preamp ON and an audio track armed in sonar, this is the highest peak captured before the recording started. so that includes room noise, preamp noise and mic noise at least.
max peak of recording is what the maximum peak that was recorded by the same volume output into the mics.

CRUD! Sorry, Beagle... I got home to an emergency, then had to head out, and didn't even THINK of it before I went to bed at midnight. I'm sorry! I'm a big fat loser.

I'll still take a listen tonight. I might set up my own test with the mics I have. It'd be interesting to see what people think!

Corey

Yeah, the results are a surprise here too. I know you weren't interested in critiques of the setup at first, and I do appreciate the spirit in which your test was intended. However, before any final conclusions are drawn, I feel the need to make some basic points about the limitations of the test, as a reality check (or at least to hopefully add some perspective):

1) Using a speaker, while consistent from mic to mic, will not produce the same soundfield as a real human voice. The 3-D physics of the pressure wave are just plain different, because the diaphragm and aperture are different.
2) The mics will in practice have different proximity effects, which a fixed-distance source will not test for.
3) The physics of 1) and 2) interact with one another, forming a third kind of uncertainty.
4) The source was your voice, pre-recorded. That recording was also taken with a mic (I couldn't see which mic was used for it, sorry if I missed it), and that mic, the surrounding environment, and any EQ applied will influence the test (statistically, it's called a bias).

Looking at your disclaimers in your post, Beagle, I imagine that you were aware of all or at least some of these already. Again, I only say these things as a reality check, and by no means do I intend to be a naysayer. All told, given the circumstances, you probably couldn't do any better that what you did to get a consistent test from mic to mic.

Some suggestions for possible future tests (by Beagle or anyone):

1) Do your source-material recording with a rail-flat omni reference mic (like a Behringer ECM8000 or equivalent), through as clean a solid-state preamp/conveter chain as you can find, with no EQ applied, and preferably in an anechoic box / vocal booth.
2) Run the speaker/mic test at four spacings: 3", 6", 9", and 12". You might want to use a coaxial monitor speaker for the test, to avoid off-axis effects from the tweeter/woofer separation.

[Edited for clarity/typos!]

Fair enough! And thanks again for making the test.

ORIGINAL: losguy
Fair enough! And thanks again for making the test.

Hey, Carlos! Why don't you come over and we'll test everything I own, everything you own, and some stuff I can get on loan? When we're done, we'll have the mother of all tests ready to go! Let's figure out a time/date?

Corey

ORIGINAL: losguy

Sounds interesting, Corey!

Problem is, I don't have that many mics... modern ones are of the Chinese LDC/SDC variety

I do have a few specimens that I've had now for 20+ years... though they're NLA and probably only of academic interest anymore. For example, I've got a couple of mics I picked up at surplus, dynamic omnis that were take-outs from refurbishing the U.S. Congress. (You know, Ax-Man kinda stuff.)

Now, figuring out a time/date is what will really take a college degree... can I keep it in mind and let you know when a block of time pops up? (It may be late Spring (seriously!) before I could get a big block of time together.) OTOH, maybe we could just get together some Saturday to brainstorm and cobble together a test setup. Then you could unleash your awesome mic arsenal on it, as you get time.

Does that sound somewhat doable?

LOL

I was seriously thinking we'd test EVERY mic we two own, no matter how esoteric or worthless, just to get a big pile of info together for people to play with. I do have a lot of mics, but I'm only on the pseudo-mid end. I need a set of KSM44's and the like, and would LOVE to have some Neumann stuff. Luckily, I have access to rent it if I really need it.

I hear you about the scheduling portion, Carlos. I'm in the same boat, and have enough projects going on that getting a Saturday or Sunday to just play will be tough. Sure would be fun though! Informative as well.

Corey

Hey Corey i scored an AM51 off ebay for under a 100- man! It was being sold not to far from Sherman Oaks, in Beverly Hills!

I tried it today. I like the sound. It is very smooth! Not hyped!

Im gonna record my next song with it going through my eureka

nice I like mine hehe