Microphone Preamp Comparison Test #2 - Cello
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- Test #2 of our A/B preamp tests. This time we were joined by Mayumi on her cello, playing ultimately a multi-track performance for Pauly J´s tune - "Maybe Sometimes". We recorded through a Chandler Limited TG2, a Chandler Limited Germanium, a Chameleon Labs 7602, a Focusrite Red 6, a Grace Design 201, a Sound Devices MP-1 and the onboard preamps on the TC Electronics Konnekt 24D and the Yamaha 02R. It was an interesting selection of preamp types and price ranges. Watch the video below to hear the differences and what we thought about each of the preamps. We welcome feedback and comments.
Very well done demo. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your results.
I was immediately atracted by the Grace sound without knowing the final veridict, both Chandlers works good to me.
Same here.
Wow, lots of strong opinions here. Personally, I'd like to thank you for your work with this video. The preamps all had their unique coloration, and it really came though. This is one of the only videos where a Red series is compared. I just placed an order for the Red 1 500, and these videos helped me make a more informed decision. Again, thank you. Also, keep making music - don't listen to the trolls on here. You created something to the best of your ability, and that is all that matters as an artist. Keep going!
Yeah, I wasn't expecting the end 'mix' either! :-/
Up until that point though i was thinking beautiful test/demo, beautiful playing and beautiful Mayumi! ;-)
Thanks for sharing!
Both Chandlers for me on this one. I agree, they don't sound like an exact representation of the original but I love the coloration of both.
I liked the Germanium more because the transformers were personally tuned by Wade Geoke. He used an audio spectrum analyzer to locate phasing issues in the upper frequencise. They removed the phasing problems and it opens up the highs more than the TG2. It is subtle, but hearing them back-to-back it's easy to hear the variances.
I love these kinds of vids. big ty :)
The Grace is superior. I will be purchasing one soon. I had an amp built by Mike G. himself before Grace Designs was born. It was superb!!
Yup ! i got the m 101, I'll tell you when you get this, i don't think there's a pre amp that can go to 60db without noise.You'll be blown away how clean it is.
Surprised people seem so harsh on the end mix. I thought it was awesome! Love hearing the recording in context.
I'm really glad I stumbled upon this. I'm half Japanese and born in Japan so it was nice hearing both languages haha, but in all seriousness I am recording my own music right now and I need a war sounding pre-amp for it. REally nice upload.
Easy to fix any of those stems. Mixed into the drumming you would never know ! You could mix that song and you would never tell which was which ! On the Cello alone you might tell which was which, in a blind test on a raw file, but if the stem was worked on in the blind test you would need a scope to tell if you can ! The new tools are fantastic !
@doowopdiddler. We work for ourselves. Own the gear ourselves - were interested in comparing our own gear then got our geek on and made a video. Glad you enjoyed it. Seems to swing wide both ways here in computer lala land.
Nice video, guys!
Focusrite RED and Chandler TG2. No surprises there.
to me the Grace Design sounds the best, very balanced but with a nice bottom end to feel the body of the cello without compromising definition, others did sound a bit metallic and thin
That Yamaha O2R is brutal. I remember using those stupid boards when I was in school for audio back in the early 2000s. Ugh!
Headway's "The Band" is the best for Cello on tone, warmth and convenience, at decent volume levels without feedback.
holy bonfire! wasnt expecting the final mix to be like that! it destroyed the whole cello playing if you ask, taste is taste i guess :D but nice tests, shows you need a neutral and a colored preamp in every studio ;)
it'd be amazing if you would release one with another acoustic instrument 🙏
Your room and that cello sounds great. Very dry sounding room. What interface did you record through?
The Yamaha 02R is on par with the Mackie, Behringer etc. But of those mentioned the (original) Mackie is the slightly better choice above the Yamaha too. . The Mackie Onyx version is actually quite good.
Grace 1:38 TG-2 2:32 Cham 1:00 Focus 0:43 Germ 2:50 MP-1 1:56 TC 3:43 Yam 4:02
Hi thanks a lot for the very nice video. I was listening for the purest sound and in the end i liked so much better the processed sound ... i mean the one with reverb and delay added. So maybe the search for the cleanest is not so important in the end ? Regards, gino
I'm really curious to see a comparison between Grace Design m201 and Schoeps VSR 5. That would be very interesting...
Hello congratulation this is very interesting videos thank you guys
when you going to do a test with vocals?
Within the first two comparos these guys already lost me. The 7602 sounded way more real and dynamic. The Focusrite was very shut-down, over-controlled, dark and bland. With the 7602, you had a real cello in the room, and the way it delicately tracks the last bow to fade-out was beautiful. As is the case with so many "audio" guys, the only vocabulary they have to describe sound tends to revolve around frequency balance adjectives - bass to mid to top.
What about dynamic contrast? What about the way a unit tracks the changes between loud and soft? What about the level to which the moment to moment harmonic complexity is homogenized as opposed to allowed to flow through?
+Huxxy great points here
The dynamics of the performance were best captured by the Focusrite and Chandlers; both offering the greatest bass extension and balanced tonal response up through to the high frequencies.
In common terms, they "breathed the best.", offering a natural sounding reproduction of the performance without any loss or hype.
Your point about tails speaks more to her performances... which were inconsistent to say the least.
Love the preamp shootout part of this video! The end result I found was too busy and percussion heavy, taking away considerably from the cello's organic beauty. Just an opinion.
Guys , You should include the BUZZ Audio pre and GML too
Man....I must suck, cuz they all sound the same to me. Damn you comparison videos.
-zoink
I really liked the lady. She's purdy.
She is pretty.
VTB1 or Art Tube MP Studio V3 ??
Nice Cello, weird music at the end fucked it up hahaha
ahah no sens! Why trying to have a natural sound with that kind of final product?
At least we learned a bit about that chains. Thanks!
Haha! yes it is!
Was a good shoot out, other then the final production, awesome gown do you do Kung Fu , or did you watch too many chuck Norris films,? Jokes aside I think this was informative.
Welcome to Karate Movie Soundtrack Studios
Flea!
Why the fuck are you guys using LOGIC!!! I'm just kidding, I use it too
I really liked the Germanium and the beautiful cello playing, didn't like the result at all, I'm sorry... too much reverb, delay etc. Very ghastly.
Mics are too close and the room is not suited to the instrument, hence the nasal sound of all the examples. You can see by the amount of splosh you put on in the end that you are really looking for a more diffuse and ambient sound, so why not go and capture one!
I hardly hear any difference... :p
no difference on 720p, so.. yeah waste of money for small studios
Try 1080.
There are critically different, but I agree waste of money for small studio. 1 vintage analog mixer is better than one expensive pre.
to much comp in the song
the end result was total trash. Why add all that crap to a live cello ? If you wanted garbage like that just play a keyboard with a cello sound. The tc and the our were flat, cheap, lifeless , garbage pre amps. I found the Chandier too grabby. The Grace Designs was light years above the rest.
I really think this "music" is .... uninteresting, to be polite. And the cello never sounded good, probably mostly due to poor microphone placement: Right above the strings is just about the worst place!
Agreed...and what kind of stereo effect can you get when you place both miss 2" apart ?
There is no difference between any of these....
This is a worthless test. Try it again, but with recordings, and no information as to which is which. Double blind testing is the only valid protocol here. You've wasted a lot of time.