Stephen -- in America, it's customary when criticizing other people's guitar playing, that we insert the phrase "I think that", "I prefer" or "in my opinion", phrases that was conspicuously absent from your original post. You were stating that a particular playing style results in an OBJECTIVELY mediocre tone production. I think you're wrong. I LIKE the tone production of the player on session 5. I think it's GOOD.

Neil Young RULES, Al Dimeola SUCKS. That's Commandment number one in my guitar bible. See where I'm coming from? Let me put it this way ... an abundance of feeling vs. an abundance of technique. Are you starting to understand?

I don't care if you're the most credentialed, studied, awarded, adored guitarist on the planet, YOU don't get to decide what is objectively good or bad or mediocre. The slightest bit of humility would go a LONG WAY, bro. Try on the abbreviation "IMO" sometime -- it will look good on you.

Hey, I'm really not all that sensitive, I'm just very generous with insults when I encounter pomposity and statements that are intrinsically self-glorifying. Really, your statements would be so much easier to take if you weren't implying with every word that you're such an expert. Even an "it's been my experience that...." or "from what I've encountered over time" would help to cut this overriding pomposity that permeates your post. Just a suggestion.

David Tobocman
www.edgewisemusic.com

quote:

---

Originally posted by dtobocman:
...Neil Young RULES, Al Dimeola SUCKS...

---

Well, methinks you have that backwards, but I know what your're saying.

BTW Dan, That's a catchy little tune. I might just have to break down and learn it. Did you make it up?

Yikes, a net policeman has arrived.

--
Stephen Boyke

Hi Dan,

I was just checking out the session and having a problem with the right track being downloaded... i.e. When I clicked Track 21 I would get track 22, click track 28 got track29.

Thanks for the session,
Carl

Carl Mateo

"Big White House"
www.cdbaby.com/carlmateo

Hey Dan,

I guess you already knew about the ID tags...

"posted 05-12-03 02:05 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
marktaw, I put the MP3's in a slightly different order so that all the tube mics would be at the end. The MP3 filenames are in the correct order.

This is the first I'm hearing about the ID3 tags after tens of thousands of downloads of Session 5.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll put everything in its proper ID3 order when I repost the session at 320 bitrate."

Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions

Carl Mateo

"Big White House"
www.cdbaby.com/carlmateo

Hi Dot, I really liked the SE z5600 on this take, what's your opinion of this mic? Have you ever tried it as a single drum kit overhead?

alba, I think it's a good mic.

Don't remember if we've used it on OH's.

Dan Richards
The Listening Sessions
The Project Studio Handbook

First post.
Dot, let me thank you for the efforts you've been deploying so far in doing The Listenning Sessions. It is of a great value to see how each piece of gear can show its strenghts/weaknesses in a particular situation.
Of course, those tests are not perfect (re: Fletcher's comment) BUT they are a pretty good indicator of what could work or not.
For instance: I particularly enjoyed the Lakeland Bass test (my fav. is the Phoenix DRS-2) where I discovered that the M-Audio Tampa is simply amazing on bass. Now will the TAMPA work as well on other sources? I have no clue but AT LEAST I know that $400 piece is wonderful on bass gtr.
Also, I now remember (and feel better about it ... no it wan't only bc of my limited skills) why I ditched the Rode NT1!
That's how valuable your test are to me, thanks again for doing this.

Keep it up!

RaGe

Hi RaGe, the Tampa is a good unit for general use. There's a recent topic on the Tampa here.

Glad you're getting something out of the recordings!

Dan Richards
The Listening Sessions
The Project Studio Handbook

Part of what nailed my decesion to buy an AKG414 ULS the other day was based on this listening session

I thought the 414 ULS really did well on this one. I've always known they are great acoustic mics (amongst other app's of course) but guess I needed a little reassurance

Dan, I'm really curious as to why the CAD M-179 doesn't enjoy more attention from users. I'm pretty new at this game and I'm trying to get my ears educated. It seems to me that this mic stands up very well against the others. It's multi-pattern omni, sub,card, hyper and fig 8, and the self noise spec is one of the best. It's also priced very agressively. I've got 3 right now and wouldn't mind a few more. What am I missing here? I'd love to hear your opinion of it.
Thanks,
Bop

I posed this question to a friend of mine who doesn't participate on this forum, with a link to the shootout page. I thought some of you might find his response interesting, if not educational.

quote:

---

I like the sound of the CAD M-179. Its also one of the better ones. Very rich sounding. It does however, have a bit of what Rob B calls the "Shure condenser smilely face syndrome". A lot of the budget large diaphragm mics are going for an overly rich and flattering sound but end up with a lack of midrange detail. The CAD isn't nearly as bad as many but seems to lean in that direction. Rich lowermid/bottom that loses a bit of definition and becomes slightly boomy, slight lack of mid range and upper mid detail but a smooth ultra high end that doesn't extend real far but does add nice high detail. In terms of the notes themselves, the bass strings tend to jump out and you get a smooth attack of the fingernails but the middle strings get lost sometimes and tend to lack harmonic detail. In comparison the 4050 has a very linear sound and harmonic definition to all the strings, if not quite as flattering and slightly hard (a characteristic of AT mics). I wasn't happy with the Neumann either. The Oktava fairs about what I would have expected - a bit murky in the mid- but doesn't seem quite as rich and extended in the bottom as I have come to expect from it. The tube version has a much more detailed mid and richer sound.
Just my humble and somewhat biased opinion. The CAD does sound really nice and is certainly one of the better ones, and great for $300.00 Cdn.

---

Ciao,
Bop

Bop, the M-179 is a good mic. It happens to also be a very useful mic for people who have rooms that aren't acoustically amazing, because the M-179 has good rear rejection, and so it doesn't pick up as much of the overall room sound as many other mics.

I'd just like to thank the people who made the recordings of the acoustic guitars, and the listening sessions in general. I have no faith at all in music reviews, in sound on sound and future music, and most publications. I think microphones and monitors are such personal choices, and it is so difficult to go into a shop and test them, you also get such mixed results. Music shops are not acoustically ideal

I have always been looking for a low/middle sounding acoustic guitar sound, similar to the early Joni Mitchell albums in the 60s. To this end i have fallen in love with the ADK A51 TC, it has so much warmth and charachter. I also love the clarity of the 414 Buls.

Does the ADK mic have a much lower output than the 414? Is it a reliable make?

I really appreciate these sessions, i was going to go and buy a neumann tlm 193 which is similar i guess to the tlm 103 which i own, and was a real let down in this test. This has really given me food for thought, and potentially given me the sound i have been looking for for years.

Stephen

Just got a chance to listen to this on the monitors...4047...all the way. The 414s and 4050 a close second. 4040 did well, too. Hmm...think I like AT mics?

quote:

i was going to go and buy a neumann tlm 193 which is similar i guess to the tlm 103 which i own, and was a real let down in this test.

I assume you mean the 103...I can assure you that the 193 sounds NOTHING like the 103. It's downright murky dark, IMO. Sounded amazingly similar to an vintage M269 I rented...albeit, once you start EQing, you can tell which one's $5k and which one's $900. But, my point is--nothing like a 103.

I've used my 193 overthat years on everything from drums...room...kick...to amp cabs...to acoustics...to shakers...to vocals...I don't think it will ever leave my cabinet. Because it's my "harshness killer"...anything giving little ear spikes--cymbals, tamborine, screamy vocalist, sizzly guitar amp--put it on there, and it's magically gone. Unless I find another mic that darkly forgiving that has a more linear low end, that is...

With no EQ, it will sound a bit muddy-particularly if your guitar is boomy. I don't know if I'd recommend it for acoustic specifically...SDCs do better, IMO. But, it does OK.

Hi everyone...DOT thanks so much for those listening tests...
I've been debating on the CAD M179and you finalized the deal I've read great reviews on this mic and I appriciate those test they are very helpful.

I have a few of the mics on that list...I know some were discussing the ADK 51....If yo want a very nice ADK mic get the ADK A-51s (type V)...It sounds much better IMHO than the ADK 51 TS IMHO and after several recordings using it. I was amazed at this mics performance.

The MXL mics you tested were pretty accurate as to what you tested. I did not like these mics...

I've been debating for a week on the CAD M179 but after listening to your test I had to get it so I just placed my order.

Again thanks for that hard work and the time you put into thoses tests....

ken

I did find something odd...
When I was listening to the track I just seen that it stated it was track 22 was 23 ( SE Electronics Z3300 ) is this an error ... I hope not I just placed my order...

Looks like all the tracks are mis-labeled...They say example: Track 22 when d/ling but when playing the file id say track 23.....

ken

Forget the id#, MuzicMaKen. All the track names and #'s match. I changed the order so that all the tube mics would be together.

DOT thanks for that info....
Your tests proved the reviews correct I thought the M179 had a warm nice sound I'm glad I ordered one...Think I'm gonna sell my MXL's I have a couple dupes I've never used

Again thanks for your hard work in those tests...

ken