10.11.07
Microphone group test - Samson C01, Sennheiser e285S, Shure SM57 / SM58
I decided a little while ago to find out what different microphones sound like, within my limited budget. I’m sure that a Rode Broadcaster will blow me away, but unless I’m gifted one I’m not likely to find out any time soon!!
So I decided to pick up a couple of the most commonly talked about mic’s and put them up against my first buy, the Samson C01.
My test involves the back to back use of all four mic’s through the same mixer on the same settings to get a like-for-like picture. I used the Rudyard Kipling poem “If” as the medium for this test. I like it and it handily has four verses too.
The outcome has, I have to say, made me very happy. The Samson provides me with a good sound (there is a little clipping in the recording, but I wanted to keep everything set the same for the comparison!) and I think gives the nicest representation of my voice.
A good second place was the Shure SM57, I was using this one without any foam wind screen in place but avoided any significant noise as I was talking slightly sideways on to the face of the mic itself. The sound reproduction doesn’t seem quite as deep as the C01 but it’s not far away.
The SM58 comes in a close third. I was actually expecting a little more from this one, but I think that it takes some getting used too. I’ve heard examples (and actually had a play too) of the difference in the type of response you can get from this mic simply by moving closer in to it. It actually does sound really rich when you speak directly into it with you mouth almost touching the grill, but I don’t like that and prefer to be able to move around a little.
The Sennheiser came WAY down. I realise that the model is an old one but given what I know it cost at the time I was expecting something a lot better. I sound like I have a bad dose of the flu! There is no depth at all and it’d take a conscious effort to actually spend any time listening to it. It’s going back into it’s back and will only come out if I have to do bingo calling!
I’m happy with the outcome of my little experiment. It has, of course, led to me identifying a further requirement… I need a vocal strip to sort out some of the background noise and hiss! Ah well, here’s to hoping that the Aphex/DBX/Symetrix fairy smiles down on me! 
J.
Microphone group test - Samson C01, Sennheiser e285S, Shure SM57 … said,
October 11, 2007 at 7:43 pm
[...] John wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt I decided a little while ago to find out what different microphones sound like, within my limited budget. I’m sure that a Rode Broadcaster will blow me away, but unless I’m gifted one I’m not likely to find out any time soon! … [...]