My "vote" goes to the M201 TG, KSM32, and X1 R. Surprisingly, the ribbon sounds the least dark of the three, to my ear, and the most natural (though of course I don't know how your voice really sounds in person). [Edit:] I was listening with the ER4SR today.
With ur future comparisons you should definitely try switching mics in the middle of the paragraph. I always tend to just skip back and forth between two mic comparisons to see how they sound back to back without a pause. Great video regardless man.
@@thedarksidemic looking forward to it. Still not settled on what setup i want to run yet so I just binge videos and get stuck juggling between favorites.
oh man and I am trying to tame my NT1 for a while. When I eq and stuff it ends up making my voice sound sharp. Looks like the higher ends are messing up things. I am definitely looking for that vintage sound.
The NT1a was the first mic I ever bought alongside the M3 when i started Uni, in 1996 😱 - it is a very over boosted high end, sounds very metallic and picks up every mouth noise. Having said that I loved it when I was 17 (the innocence of youth!) capsule change might be worth it for you or just look at something else - those PRoar mics sound awesome for the money.
WOW thanks! I'm looking for a proper capsule for my mic (PG42) bcz it was damaged. Comparing soundings of K47, K67. Wondering if tlm 103's capsule would fit?
im not sure, assuming its the XLR version, according to recording hacks the pG42 uses a 34.9mm capsule (recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/PG42). You can try but the success of capsule replacements, AFAIK, is dependent on the capsule being supplied with the optimal voltage, but maybe a k67 style is worth a try. 3U audio capsules might be worth a look.
It’s just a domed sticker, silver background with black print. Cheap as chips, I think a sheet of 50 cost like £15 from www.stickersinternational.co.uk
Need to do a more in depth look at that one. Most people baulk at the self noise, but i think in practice / real world use cases outside a proper studio thats not really an issue.
The X1R does sound great on your voice here, Mike, unlike in your dedicated video (linked below), in which it sounded whooly, even a little muddy. Did you record from farther away in this "Upgrade your Rode NT1A ..." video? SE Electronics X1R in 60 Seconds: ua-cam.com/video/jgRVcezvKTw/v-deo.html
4:00 That transition stabbed my ears, it's amazing how it is so hard to tame the top end of a microphone without making it sound brittle. I'm thinking of changing the capsule of a Perception 220, but I'm afraid of Aliexpress
it's a bit hit or miss, but some of the better sellers publish response graphs, but also read the user reviews for any potential QC issues. I was considering the Maiku capsule but thats 160 Euros. The mic-parts k47 looks identical to this, whether its the same who knows. i reckon a lot of these companies are just buying bulk from china, then sticking their label on the box. But I am, at heart, a cynic :D
@@thedarksidemic It's alright, I agree with you, I guess even some "high end" capsules from some recognizable brands come from China. Mic-parts should sell their stuff for a little bit less, but then again, there's no competition and at least at their prices, they should deliver good quality stuff since their brand is at risk. I just don't want to spend $40 on a capsule that may be bad, the solution I've been thinking of is to buy an used mic like a Behringer B1 or a Shure PGA27 which I've seen at $60 and I could even push to $40
@@Angelo-vb6dg yiu can get the dachman audio k47 capsule pretty cheap if you’re in the USA but it becomes quite expensive once shipping and import duties are added for us in Europe. I’m waiting on a Warbler MK1 mic coming, supposedly close to original U87i (not that I have one of those to compare:)) but will be interesting to see how it stacks up to the modified Rode. Reviews on the forums are really good.
@@thedarksidemic That's the main issue, I live in South America. I could tell someone to bring it up for me, but condenser capsules are fragile. But I'm going to take your recommendation into account since I've heard good things about dachman audio. Nice, I'll wait for your review on the Warbler, I believe Dan Worrall uses some old prototype of a Warbler and it's one of his favorite mics.
The capsule of a Perception 220 (or P220 or P420) is excellent, the Takstar CTS-1 (or CTS-2 for the multipattern 420), no need to change it. (Swapping in any reasonably priced third party capsule is likely a downgrade or at best a wash.) It just needs better EQ, rolling off frequencies above 9KHz by a few more dB, like Neumann's U87 circuitry does. You can do that in your DAW, or change one (easily accessible) capacitor. There's a thread on it at GroupDIY with a title that has "Perception" and "5-minute mod" in it.
Yeah, it’s seems to take it a somewhere in between a condenser and a dynamic, perhaps more like a dynamic, a smoother one. It’s a nice option or alternative to have v the NT1
@@offplanetfilms from memory it’s much flatter / drier than the warbler mk1, which has a bit more sparkle/sheen in the high end, and possibly a bit more low end heft too. I’ll need to revisit them.
@@thedarksidemic I've been close to buying a Warbler Mk1, but I decided to mod the NT1A instead. I haven't entirely been sold on the Warbler Mk1 just on samples I've heard, but after trying this NT1A mod, I'm wondering if I'm missing something different/special with the Warbler?
@@offplanetfilms ill have a go at a simple comparison at the weekend, it will be good for me anyway to revisit this, I've been caught up on other work the past few months. I think at the outset - both mics sound great but its about how they apply to your source. I tend to return to the M201TG for any kind of voice recording i do, for me, but its a different ballgame if you're doing to for other people.
The new NT1 or the vintage one? I don’t know if it’s worth it for the new one since that mic already sounds great for what it’s doing. I’d just buy a u47 mic and sell that if you wanted something darker. The old nt1 though, that might be worth a try, a few people have modded that mic.
@@thedarksidemic Thank you for your response. I was talking about the black NT1 so I’m assuming the vintage one? I’m looking to either get the black NT1 or a WA-87. What would you suggest?
@@twentyeight1529 The black NT1 is the new one, and its pretty great for the money - it would be hard to improve it with another capsule. WA-87 gets great reviews but i would suggest looking at the 3U Audio Warbler MK1 which is doing a similar vintage U87 sound for much less - incredible component list for that mic and its £200 - ua-cam.com/video/jKSWwqq1xBI/v-deo.html - Warm Audio actually use the same capsules that are made by 3U audio, but charge you 3 times as much :)
@@thedarksidemic thank you for the quick replies! I really appreciate this channel. So in your opinion the 3u mic is better than a WA-87? Based on the performance of the mic or the price? I don’t mind spending extra as I have someone here selling a wa87 for $600 which is lower than retail.
@@twentyeight1529 i've never tried the WA-87 but it sounds decent from the samples i've heard. Most of the 3U audio reviews come from word of mouth from engineers etc , but it will be hard to find sponsored reviews because they don't do any marketing - check out the gearspace thread which dates back to 2015 - gearspace.com/board/low-end-theory/999545-affordable-ldc-microphone-multiple-voicings.html
My "vote" goes to the M201 TG, KSM32, and X1 R. Surprisingly, the ribbon sounds the least dark of the three, to my ear, and the most natural (though of course I don't know how your voice really sounds in person).
[Edit:] I was listening with the ER4SR today.
With ur future comparisons you should definitely try switching mics in the middle of the paragraph. I always tend to just skip back and forth between two mic comparisons to see how they sound back to back without a pause. Great video regardless man.
Yep, agree gonna do that from now on. This is the way. :)
@@thedarksidemic looking forward to it. Still not settled on what setup i want to run yet so I just binge videos and get stuck juggling between favorites.
@@melk333 what are you going to be recording? Podcasts, voiceover, music ?
@@thedarksidemic honestly doing it all, just need a good sounding mic for discord, voiceovers, and potentially streaming with some buds
oh man and I am trying to tame my NT1 for a while. When I eq and stuff it ends up making my voice sound sharp. Looks like the higher ends are messing up things. I am definitely looking for that vintage sound.
The NT1a was the first mic I ever bought alongside the M3 when i started Uni, in 1996 😱 - it is a very over boosted high end, sounds very metallic and picks up every mouth noise. Having said that I loved it when I was 17 (the innocence of youth!) capsule change might be worth it for you or just look at something else - those PRoar mics sound awesome for the money.
WOW thanks! I'm looking for a proper capsule for my mic (PG42) bcz it was damaged.
Comparing soundings of K47, K67. Wondering if tlm 103's capsule would fit?
im not sure, assuming its the XLR version, according to recording hacks the pG42 uses a 34.9mm capsule (recordinghacks.com/microphones/Shure/PG42). You can try but the success of capsule replacements, AFAIK, is dependent on the capsule being supplied with the optimal voltage, but maybe a k67 style is worth a try. 3U audio capsules might be worth a look.
sounds so much better than the nt1a (stock) that I had! I would love to know how you had your own logo badge made!!
It’s just a domed sticker, silver background with black print. Cheap as chips, I think a sheet of 50 cost like £15 from www.stickersinternational.co.uk
Love the Ribbon
Need to do a more in depth look at that one. Most people baulk at the self noise, but i think in practice / real world use cases outside a proper studio thats not really an issue.
The X1R does sound great on your voice here, Mike, unlike in your dedicated video (linked below), in which it sounded whooly, even a little muddy. Did you record from farther away in this "Upgrade your Rode NT1A ..." video?
SE Electronics X1R in 60 Seconds: ua-cam.com/video/jgRVcezvKTw/v-deo.html
Thanks for the comparison
4:00 That transition stabbed my ears, it's amazing how it is so hard to tame the top end of a microphone without making it sound brittle. I'm thinking of changing the capsule of a Perception 220, but I'm afraid of Aliexpress
it's a bit hit or miss, but some of the better sellers publish response graphs, but also read the user reviews for any potential QC issues. I was considering the Maiku capsule but thats 160 Euros. The mic-parts k47 looks identical to this, whether its the same who knows. i reckon a lot of these companies are just buying bulk from china, then sticking their label on the box. But I am, at heart, a cynic :D
@@thedarksidemic It's alright, I agree with you, I guess even some "high end" capsules from some recognizable brands come from China. Mic-parts should sell their stuff for a little bit less, but then again, there's no competition and at least at their prices, they should deliver good quality stuff since their brand is at risk.
I just don't want to spend $40 on a capsule that may be bad, the solution I've been thinking of is to buy an used mic like a Behringer B1 or a Shure PGA27 which I've seen at $60 and I could even push to $40
@@Angelo-vb6dg yiu can get the dachman audio k47 capsule pretty cheap if you’re in the USA but it becomes quite expensive once shipping and import duties are added for us in Europe. I’m waiting on a Warbler MK1 mic coming, supposedly close to original U87i (not that I have one of those to compare:)) but will be interesting to see how it stacks up to the modified Rode. Reviews on the forums are really good.
@@thedarksidemic That's the main issue, I live in South America. I could tell someone to bring it up for me, but condenser capsules are fragile. But I'm going to take your recommendation into account since I've heard good things about dachman audio.
Nice, I'll wait for your review on the Warbler, I believe Dan Worrall uses some old prototype of a Warbler and it's one of his favorite mics.
The capsule of a Perception 220 (or P220 or P420) is excellent, the Takstar CTS-1 (or CTS-2 for the multipattern 420), no need to change it. (Swapping in any reasonably priced third party capsule is likely a downgrade or at best a wash.) It just needs better EQ, rolling off frequencies above 9KHz by a few more dB, like Neumann's U87 circuitry does. You can do that in your DAW, or change one (easily accessible) capacitor. There's a thread on it at GroupDIY with a title that has "Perception" and "5-minute mod" in it.
the beyerdynamic, wow.
I just tried this mod - VERY smooth when run through a UA Volt interface! I prefer it to my Rode NT1 now (It's messing with my head!)
Yeah, it’s seems to take it a somewhere in between a condenser and a dynamic, perhaps more like a dynamic, a smoother one. It’s a nice option or alternative to have v the NT1
@@thedarksidemic How does it compare tonally to the 3U Audio Warbler Mk1?
@@offplanetfilms from memory it’s much flatter / drier than the warbler mk1, which has a bit more sparkle/sheen in the high end, and possibly a bit more low end heft too. I’ll need to revisit them.
@@thedarksidemic I've been close to buying a Warbler Mk1, but I decided to mod the NT1A instead. I haven't entirely been sold on the Warbler Mk1 just on samples I've heard, but after trying this NT1A mod, I'm wondering if I'm missing something different/special with the Warbler?
@@offplanetfilms ill have a go at a simple comparison at the weekend, it will be good for me anyway to revisit this, I've been caught up on other work the past few months. I think at the outset - both mics sound great but its about how they apply to your source. I tend to return to the M201TG for any kind of voice recording i do, for me, but its a different ballgame if you're doing to for other people.
The mod sounded so lovely, full and tight compared to the original sound of the NT1a, but still, my favorites were the M201 TG, KSM 32 and SM7b
Nah i fully get what you mean about the metallic sound im new to this and ive been thinking that thats how i found this video
Will this work on the NT1?
The new NT1 or the vintage one? I don’t know if it’s worth it for the new one since that mic already sounds great for what it’s doing. I’d just buy a u47 mic and sell that if you wanted something darker. The old nt1 though, that might be worth a try, a few people have modded that mic.
@@thedarksidemic Thank you for your response. I was talking about the black NT1 so I’m assuming the vintage one? I’m looking to either get the black NT1 or a WA-87. What would you suggest?
@@twentyeight1529 The black NT1 is the new one, and its pretty great for the money - it would be hard to improve it with another capsule. WA-87 gets great reviews but i would suggest looking at the 3U Audio Warbler MK1 which is doing a similar vintage U87 sound for much less - incredible component list for that mic and its £200 - ua-cam.com/video/jKSWwqq1xBI/v-deo.html - Warm Audio actually use the same capsules that are made by 3U audio, but charge you 3 times as much :)
@@thedarksidemic thank you for the quick replies! I really appreciate this channel. So in your opinion the 3u mic is better than a WA-87? Based on the performance of the mic or the price? I don’t mind spending extra as I have someone here selling a wa87 for $600 which is lower than retail.
@@twentyeight1529 i've never tried the WA-87 but it sounds decent from the samples i've heard. Most of the 3U audio reviews come from word of mouth from engineers etc , but it will be hard to find sponsored reviews because they don't do any marketing - check out the gearspace thread which dates back to 2015 - gearspace.com/board/low-end-theory/999545-affordable-ldc-microphone-multiple-voicings.html
I would buy a capsule from microphone-parts, who knows what you are really getting from a random aliexpress seller!