iSK Starlight budget lollipop-esque LDC

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davdud101
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2018/06/02 05:59:05 (permalink)

iSK Starlight budget lollipop-esque LDC

I was blown away at the sound of the mic in the recordings - YouTube videos and such.
 
So last week I sort of impulse-purchased this LDC after reading several raging reviews on it. Fast shipping in a very safe container. It actually comes packaged in a beautiful silver flight case. This mic is BIG - much bigger than any others I own, as tall as 1-and-a-half SM58s, and as long as a 58 is tall if measuring the Starlight from the front of the shockmount to the end of the mount-section. Seeing at is was only $130, you get a LOT more than what you pay for in this package, I feel. I could easily see one paying at least $200 for something like this.
 
So this mic is packaged wonderfully, looks AWESOME, and is pretty heavy to boot - something that often counts when buying budget microphones (not *really* telling, but I can say from my current experience having a mic locker of 6 of my own varied mics plus a couple more that I frequently use, heavier mics, if they aren't simply designed to be tanks, very often just happen to be better quality than lighter-weight mics). The shock mount and suspension system seem well-put together and the pop filter is perfect for this design.
 
Sound: This mic sounds AWESOME. I haven't had a chance to A/B it with the best mic I have access to, but it rivals the next big budget LDC, the MXL990, with no problem. I'd say in comparison, the Starlight has smoother highs, slightly accentuated lows and an overall slightly higher-quality/less edge-prone sound.
I haven't tested extensively on vocals but I can say that on brass, likely from the method I was using, it probably wouldn't be my go-to mic as unless one is going for beautiful classical sound, it doesn't quite pick up the accentuation and brassy brightness that trumpets and trombones produce. The sound of the mic is pleasing, warm and rich but from my tests, it's a type of sound that's best when it's well-suited to the source, and then not really altered too much with EQ afterward.
 
 
I'll probably be posting a mic shootout with a few mics to show how this guy performs. Otherwise, I'm excited to see what possibilities open up with this new microphone!

 
Mics: MXL 990, MXL R80, 2 x MXL Tempo XLRs, Cobalt Co9, SM48, iSK Starlight
Cans: Hifiman HE4XX, AKG M220
Gear: Cakewalk BBL - PreSonus Firepod - Alesis Elevate 3 - Axiom 49
DAW: Win10, AMD FX-8300, 16GB DDR3
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