Great video as always! I've been curious about UA's mics ever since they first hit the scene! Haven't seen too many videos about them, so it's nice to see a deeper dive :) Cheers!
Thanks for checking out the video as always! Really appreciate it! Ive seen more on their sd-1 (the sm7b lookin thing) than any others. This was a pleasant surprise. Thought they did really well on piano and they’re good for a tight fit.
This was a really good video. I too was surprised by no specs (anywhere) on these mics. Very odd, in my opinion. Glad to hear your thoughts on them, as well as some situational uses posted. Thanks! Well done.
I tried these on overheads for a tour last year. Was not impressed so I went with something else. But I agree with what you said. They will not kick out my goto mics, but will absolutely work if you just need to throw something up. Thanks for the review.
Thanks for your comment! I have recently found that the SP-1s are not RF shielded properly. I have a rough issue with a local radio station. Using these mics during the day when the station is broadcasting, the stations programming comes though loud and clear.
Sounds like I’m in the minority. I actually like and use these on a daily basis. I own more expensive mics, but these are nice and balanced to my ear and I don’t hear anything strident or unusable in the midrange. When I put them up on a guitar or mandolin they just do what I expect them to. No surprises - keeps the workflow going.
They're not "BAD" mics, they do the job that they're intended to do. I just don't feel they exceed any kind of standards where I feel I would choose these over some other mics that are in the closet. Curious if you use any of the mic models or do you use them without the hemisphere plugin?
@@meistudiony No modeling here. But interestingly, as I pulled out the mics yesterday, BOTH of my stereo set are making a super weird underwater burbling-like background noise. I spent about a 1/2 hour troubleshooting my patch bay and preamp/comp, plus my snake, then the board channels, then finally tried one of my warm audio mics and the noise was gone. So. I revise my statement above, and I'd say they sound great, but the quality is questionable at least on my pair.
Great history lesson! Didn't know how far back their legacy went. The SP-1s look really nice on your white mic stands. They seem to sound more like the SM81s than the KM84s to me, with a slight midrange scoop and high treble boost. Maybe a tiny bit of fizziness in the upper frequencies but nothing like most low-cost boost circuit SDCs. It might be fun to throw one of those into the next shootout for comparison (behringer c2 or samson c02 perhaps). Not much to complain about with the sE5's either, at least on the bass. The plugin models left me feeling a little cold - not really much difference in the mic sounds really. Maybe acoustic guitar would reveal more in those upper frequencies. The proximity/axis control is pretty impressive, I would use that as a standalone plugin on some tracks rather than reaching for a highpass filter - wonder how many bands or variable Q parameters they are using to achieve that effect.
I really liked seeing the frequency curve shifting while turning the axis pot. You could see the KM84 is supposed to be almost perfectly flat with a slight off axis angle around 20°. It's good to know. I love the KM84 and this generic SDC + plugin EQ trick doesn't make it a KM84 of course :-)
So i tried to clone the curve using pro Q3 (fab filter). Got REALLY close. Almost a null. Had some stuff missing out of the top end. The bass was a total null. Took about 12 bats to get close to the 84.
That was a very interesting video. Thanks a bunch for going through the trouble of using plugin doctor to check what the processing is on those mic sims. I think you said it well at the conclusion, there's already so many of these pencil condenser on the market, and at 350 they have serious competition. For that price you can get a pair of NT5s or sE8s. It's a really weird strategy by UA, I'm not sure what market they're really targeting with the SP1. Honestly I feel like one might be better off buying MXL603s for dirt cheap off ebay and test the capsules until you start getting pairs.
Get some 603 or t-bone sc140 if you are in europe. Just replacing a few capacitors on the circuit and they turn to get a real smooth top end. for 100$ a matched pair you can't go wrong.
@@meistudiony I have 2 pairs of sc100 II and a pair of sc140. They got better over time. I replaced some capacitors for WIMA or panasonic and polystyrene as mentioned on groupdiy forum and got a smoother top end than km184. I use them as overhead , sometimes on snare top and bottom for gentle playing and also on HH. Just grab a pair for 110usd you cannot go wrong :-)
I'm always impressed how good the SM81 is. The UAD sounded muddy and distorted in the upper midrange, so not really usable for professional work in my book.
I gotta say, I was definitely disappointed with the SP-1's. Even with the software emulations... they're just not really something I've seen myself reaching for for anything. The 81 continues to be my go to for hi-hat, ride spot mics, acoustic guitar and a number of other things. Thanks for watching!
They are not that bad, I prefered the SP-1 on the guitar compared to the KM184. They are definitely playing in the same league as the MXL603, T-Bone SC1x0 and siblings, so too expensive for what they really are. A matched pair of T-Bone SC-140 is 110USD, they seem to have a smoother top end compared to the SP-1 and I use them all the time but... no fancy EQ plugin :-) Thanks for the great review, I really like your "Mic Locker segment" !
Cool. Thanks for the info. Tbone has some REALLY inexpensive models as well. Im picking up some stuff from thomann soon for a video challenge were doing in december.
@@meistudiony forget about the cheaper SDC called EM700 or something like that. They have high self noise and freq response is bad. I tried their ribbon mike rb500 and really liked it on guitar cabinet, drum room and front kick drum. Also I have a sc1100 large condenser and it's a really good one. It doesn't have the mxl hard top end. Good luck with those mics! Hope you'll enjoy them. Can't wait to see your take on that.
@@meistudiony If you wanna do Thomann mics, get their RB500, the ribbon motor in it is very good, it is just sadly matched to a really low quality transformer. It's a very easy upgrade to a LL2915 , or any other high quality transformer with a similar ratio. Russel Technologies even made one with a p48 powered amp in the base to turn it into an active ribbon mic. As you asked before the sc140s are good. They're a matched pair of bright sdcs for 100 bucks, with pad and HPF. I used them on overheads a few times and they're okay. They weren't mine sadly, otherwise I would have swapped the circuits to a modified schoeps, or a Schoctava with rolloff. The SC400 is a good platform for modifying it if you can find one for dirt cheap second hand. Just toss the circuit away and replace it with Neumann-style positive feedback type, or again schoeps with EQ. You can also buy mic capsules from Thomann, including a double sided k67 style. Good if you like diy or to experiment. I've also had a MB60 as a talkback mic for years, and it sounds amazing for the price (3 for 35 euros). I took it apart to fit and Alice based electret stage mic in it's chassis recently and found out it has a neodymium cartridge. I took it out and I'm currently in the process of fitting it to a lollipop-style chassis to make a e609 style cab mic out of it, as before I dissasembled it I've used it a fair amount for high gain guitar amps. In general I don't think I've ever been truly disappointed by a thomann mic or product? With them you always get a lil more than what you paid for.
@@tallmccartneymusic i had the rb100 (royer lookin one) in the cart at checkout. Have an interesting theme lined up for december that this will fit into nicely!
Is the KM84 emulation close to the real thing or not really? I have a KM184 that I was planning on selling to purchase this matched pair, but I don’t know if I’ll regret it. I have the Slate ML2 and it’s REALLY close to the AKG C451b that it’s emulating. I’m hoping the SP1 is REALLY close to the Neumann. Would you say it is?
To be honest, these are not my favorite SDC's by a long shot. The "emulations" are just eq curves that are adjustable from the software, you're not missing out on anything. Do they sound BAD, no... do they sound great... no. The warm audio, to me, was definitely closer to the original KM84 than these with or without the software.
Best km184 in acoustic guitar. thanks for the video!
Great video as always! I've been curious about UA's mics ever since they first hit the scene! Haven't seen too many videos about them, so it's nice to see a deeper dive :)
Cheers!
Thanks for checking out the video as always! Really appreciate it! Ive seen more on their sd-1 (the sm7b lookin thing) than any others. This was a pleasant surprise. Thought they did really well on piano and they’re good for a tight fit.
This was a really good video. I too was surprised by no specs (anywhere) on these mics. Very odd, in my opinion. Glad to hear your thoughts on them, as well as some situational uses posted. Thanks! Well done.
Thanks as always for checkin it out. Appreciate it!
I tried these on overheads for a tour last year. Was not impressed so I went with something else.
But I agree with what you said. They will not kick out my goto mics, but will absolutely work if you just need to throw something up.
Thanks for the review.
Thanks for your comment! I have recently found that the SP-1s are not RF shielded properly. I have a rough issue with a local radio station. Using these mics during the day when the station is broadcasting, the stations programming comes though loud and clear.
@@meistudiony Oh, really. That's super interesting. Thanks for that. Will watch out for this if I ever come across these again.
Sounds like I’m in the minority. I actually like and use these on a daily basis. I own more expensive mics, but these are nice and balanced to my ear and I don’t hear anything strident or unusable in the midrange. When I put them up on a guitar or mandolin they just do what I expect them to. No surprises - keeps the workflow going.
They're not "BAD" mics, they do the job that they're intended to do. I just don't feel they exceed any kind of standards where I feel I would choose these over some other mics that are in the closet. Curious if you use any of the mic models or do you use them without the hemisphere plugin?
@@meistudiony No modeling here. But interestingly, as I pulled out the mics yesterday, BOTH of my stereo set are making a super weird underwater burbling-like background noise. I spent about a 1/2 hour troubleshooting my patch bay and preamp/comp, plus my snake, then the board channels, then finally tried one of my warm audio mics and the noise was gone. So. I revise my statement above, and I'd say they sound great, but the quality is questionable at least on my pair.
Great history lesson! Didn't know how far back their legacy went. The SP-1s look really nice on your white mic stands. They seem to sound more like the SM81s than the KM84s to me, with a slight midrange scoop and high treble boost. Maybe a tiny bit of fizziness in the upper frequencies but nothing like most low-cost boost circuit SDCs. It might be fun to throw one of those into the next shootout for comparison (behringer c2 or samson c02 perhaps). Not much to complain about with the sE5's either, at least on the bass.
The plugin models left me feeling a little cold - not really much difference in the mic sounds really. Maybe acoustic guitar would reveal more in those upper frequencies. The proximity/axis control is pretty impressive, I would use that as a standalone plugin on some tracks rather than reaching for a highpass filter - wonder how many bands or variable Q parameters they are using to achieve that effect.
I really liked seeing the frequency curve shifting while turning the axis pot. You could see the KM84 is supposed to be almost perfectly flat with a slight off axis angle around 20°. It's good to know. I love the KM84 and this generic SDC + plugin EQ trick doesn't make it a KM84 of course :-)
So i tried to clone the curve using pro Q3 (fab filter). Got REALLY close. Almost a null. Had some stuff missing out of the top end. The bass was a total null. Took about 12 bats to get close to the 84.
That was a very interesting video. Thanks a bunch for going through the trouble of using plugin doctor to check what the processing is on those mic sims.
I think you said it well at the conclusion, there's already so many of these pencil condenser on the market, and at 350 they have serious competition. For that price you can get a pair of NT5s or sE8s. It's a really weird strategy by UA, I'm not sure what market they're really targeting with the SP1.
Honestly I feel like one might be better off buying MXL603s for dirt cheap off ebay and test the capsules until you start getting pairs.
Get some 603 or t-bone sc140 if you are in europe. Just replacing a few capacitors on the circuit and they turn to get a real smooth top end. for 100$ a matched pair you can't go wrong.
I was about to grab a pair of the t.bones. Have you used them?
@@meistudiony I have 2 pairs of sc100 II and a pair of sc140. They got better over time. I replaced some capacitors for WIMA or panasonic and polystyrene as mentioned on groupdiy forum and got a smoother top end than km184. I use them as overhead , sometimes on snare top and bottom for gentle playing and also on HH. Just grab a pair for 110usd you cannot go wrong :-)
Universa audio sp 1 or rode nt5, thanks great channel
Røde without a doubt.
I'm always impressed how good the SM81 is. The UAD sounded muddy and distorted in the upper midrange, so not really usable for professional work in my book.
I gotta say, I was definitely disappointed with the SP-1's. Even with the software emulations... they're just not really something I've seen myself reaching for for anything. The 81 continues to be my go to for hi-hat, ride spot mics, acoustic guitar and a number of other things. Thanks for watching!
Thx for making the video. I'm really courious about the warm 84-s on acoustic guitar. Anyway the AEA preamp sounds fantastic.
They are not that bad, I prefered the SP-1 on the guitar compared to the KM184. They are definitely playing in the same league as the MXL603, T-Bone SC1x0 and siblings, so too expensive for what they really are. A matched pair of T-Bone SC-140 is 110USD, they seem to have a smoother top end compared to the SP-1 and I use them all the time but... no fancy EQ plugin :-) Thanks for the great review, I really like your "Mic Locker segment" !
Cool. Thanks for the info. Tbone has some REALLY inexpensive models as well. Im picking up some stuff from thomann soon for a video challenge were doing in december.
@@meistudiony forget about the cheaper SDC called EM700 or something like that. They have high self noise and freq response is bad. I tried their ribbon mike rb500 and really liked it on guitar cabinet, drum room and front kick drum. Also I have a sc1100 large condenser and it's a really good one. It doesn't have the mxl hard top end. Good luck with those mics! Hope you'll enjoy them. Can't wait to see your take on that.
@@meistudiony If you wanna do Thomann mics, get their RB500, the ribbon motor in it is very good, it is just sadly matched to a really low quality transformer. It's a very easy upgrade to a LL2915 , or any other high quality transformer with a similar ratio. Russel Technologies even made one with a p48 powered amp in the base to turn it into an active ribbon mic.
As you asked before the sc140s are good. They're a matched pair of bright sdcs for 100 bucks, with pad and HPF. I used them on overheads a few times and they're okay. They weren't mine sadly, otherwise I would have swapped the circuits to a modified schoeps, or a Schoctava with rolloff.
The SC400 is a good platform for modifying it if you can find one for dirt cheap second hand. Just toss the circuit away and replace it with Neumann-style positive feedback type, or again schoeps with EQ.
You can also buy mic capsules from Thomann, including a double sided k67 style. Good if you like diy or to experiment.
I've also had a MB60 as a talkback mic for years, and it sounds amazing for the price (3 for 35 euros). I took it apart to fit and Alice based electret stage mic in it's chassis recently and found out it has a neodymium cartridge. I took it out and I'm currently in the process of fitting it to a lollipop-style chassis to make a e609 style cab mic out of it, as before I dissasembled it I've used it a fair amount for high gain guitar amps.
In general I don't think I've ever been truly disappointed by a thomann mic or product? With them you always get a lil more than what you paid for.
$90 ribbon mic from t.bone 👌
@@tallmccartneymusic i had the rb100 (royer lookin one) in the cart at checkout. Have an interesting theme lined up for december that this will fit into nicely!
Is the KM84 emulation close to the real thing or not really? I have a KM184 that I was planning on selling to purchase this matched pair, but I don’t know if I’ll regret it.
I have the Slate ML2 and it’s REALLY close to the AKG C451b that it’s emulating. I’m hoping the SP1 is REALLY close to the Neumann. Would you say it is?
To be honest, these are not my favorite SDC's by a long shot. The "emulations" are just eq curves that are adjustable from the software, you're not missing out on anything. Do they sound BAD, no... do they sound great... no. The warm audio, to me, was definitely closer to the original KM84 than these with or without the software.
Will definitely keep my Neumann KM184 in that case! Thank you very much!