I've seen you people comment on other videos, as well and I always find your comments tasty. Lewitt take note, whatever you're paying your marketing people it's worth every penny.
The expensive setup sounded a little bit clearer solo'd but for all intents and purposes I couldn't tell a difference in the mix. Really cool way to show that you don't need to break the bank to get great sounds.
Honestly if anything to my ears this goes to show how much a good mix matters! The cheap mics still sounded great in my ears and I would take them any day of the week with that sound on hand.
Hi, the expensive set does sound better (to my ears) but not 30x better. I prefer a brighter open sound and the expensive mics deliver just that. But I think you can push the affordable mics in that direction too and the difference will be minimal if any at all. So, how was mixing these tracks? Was it 30x easier to mix with expensive mics? :) Great video, though. Thank you and keep it up! BR, M
I think when listening back, I would bet for the cost of one of those 1040s (about $3500) you can achieve a similar result to what Glenn had with the expensive setup. Keep the snare top and the tom microphones the same, upgrade to the more expensive kick microphone, and use the matches to pick up hi hat and snare bottom, while adding the LCT AIRs as overheads in the flat position (which have a similar top end response to the 1040's in the warm response, even if I'm sure the amplification circuit will make a small difference). That's closer to $500 to get similar gains in a rock/metal recording/mix that would probably be worth it, and keep the extra $25k on making sure there's a computer and interface that can handle 12-16 inputs for a full band AND have enough money left over to pay rent or mortgage payments for a year or so.
sounds like two kinds of good to me but if you jump between 2:36 and 9:33 back and forth there is a very clear difference there, the expensive mic's are much better, the detail and control and still got all the power.... very nice
those riffs are AWESOME! The drums are good too, but man, that riff is amazing, and the drummer was on point with everything. Great work! Gotta love this stuff.
I appreciate your videos like this! The cheaper setup worked well and a lot of drummers can get a pretty good sound for not a lot of cash. Strong work on this one, Glenn. 🤘
1:57 and 8:52 for comparison that includes the tom fills, which is where I think the expensive setup really shines. I’d bet the room mics are the single biggest part of that.
I remember once someone asked Steve Albini what the secret to recording drums with Dave Grohl was - and he said "put Dave Grohl in front of a kit. Throw a microphone on it." The idea was that Dave is such a solid drummer that the equipment wasn't so important. You were probably going to get a good recording regardless of the setup. There's definitely a difference between the setups, but they both sound pretty good. I suspect that when it comes to drums, the tuning and technique are going to be significant - I had a lot of trouble recording drums until I learned how to... you know... tune them. And balance the volume of my cymbal v. shell hits.
What would be interesting to see if you use the cheaper mic kit and then combine with saturation plugs ins and see how close you can get the expensive setup. Cause the main difference I hear is that added saturation.
Wow going overboard but we know the truth and you are right not much of a difference. I dont own a lewitt. I use akg 414's, sure and I love the Audix mics for some reason I cant get away from them. I am interested in the Lewitt. I have saw some other reviews and the tube mics sound really good and ofcoarse they are really pricey so I might go for a lower priced one for now just to get one in my mic locker. Thanks for the video and comparison.
Pretty cool to shoot these out. The expensive setup definitely had a more defined attack and high end presence. That said the cheaper set did sound amazing for the money too.
I use Glyn Johns' technique all the time! I run a couple of Open Mics in town, and it just always works! I regularly have other techs complimenting the drum sound, and I love getting to blow their minds, telling them I'm only using 3-4 mics... (Some drummers hit the snare hard enough that I don't always need the snare, in small venues, so I don't always need that mic...) Something I've noticed, though, is that the heavier the band, the more I want close-mic'd toms, usually on the resonator side, since I have all the attack I need, I only need low end. It just seems that the low end gets more and more lost, the heavier the band gets. Obviously, if you can only afford so much, do what you can... But getting the low end of the toms panned to where you can hear them in the Glyn Johns setup is super satisfying... And, since we've all heard this technique on so many albums, it has a familiar, vintage sound, and I can still deliver the modern low end I want out of the toms, making it a great combination!
I gotta say in the context of this groovy stoner metal song I preferred the cheaper setup. Def more articulation and transients with the expensive setup though. Either way, it sounds rad. Lewitt is light years beyond their competition. I won a 640 TS in one of Warren Huart's mix competitions and I have yet to find a way to make it sound bad. Thanks, Glenn!
Before finishing watching I just want to say 30k in microphones is just ridiculous, considering the cheap ears that will listen to the end product. Now I will go watch.
The difference is there but I don’t know if I would say expensive is better in this context. The clarity on the more expensive setup was really nice and definitely had a modern sheen especially in the attack on the shells. The cheaper set up was slightly more subdued in the 4khz-8khz range which I felt gave more focus on the low end.
With drumset, it really comes down to these: 1. Kit placement 2. Mic placement Drumeset really needs to be against a wall or in a corner. To produce lower frequencies. AND adjusting the mics in or out only a couple inches can produce harmonic effects, less distortion, and capture more bass response.
Really enjoy Mic Setup behind the scene videos! It's neat bc even though I'm neither sound engineer nor musician, I just really enjoy sound recording in general and have fun recording and experimenting with the results afterwards. So tricks like centring the the kick and the snare in the stereo image to avoid issues, keep them in a zone that'd be easier to mix as mono are gold. Love stuff like that! Writing this makes me think the sound community could have more acoustics/microphone/recording tricks videos in general! xD Nice one! Thanks for sharing! Super nice that you keep consistently showing that interested ppl don't need to spend thousands in order to make stuff happen with decent sound!
I noticed the sonic difference between mics. The cheaper setup still sounded good I thought, though somewhat "modified", where the big setup was a great "organic" drum and cymbal sound. So when you see some of the larger kits drummers play this can give you a bit of indication what goes into the entire cost. Great sound room too. Thanks Glen!
that second set is picking up more of the sustain which is why it sounds more open. You might be able to get that effect with the cheaper set using a transient designer.
I am sure there is a major quality difference, but I still say good songs matter most. The early Sabbath albums were recorded on the cheap in record times. And they still hold up very well because the songs are great and timeless. If you want to sound at your best, feel happy to splurge, you are after all making something that should stand the test of time. But make sure that what you are recording is worth the expense. The world doesn't need yet another cookie cutter dimeadozen metal album.
I really don´t notice that much difference. Maybe my hearing is not that "trained" but I did noticed the reverb on the toms that made them sound huge and of course the acoustics on the room helps a lot. I remember Glenn saying that not always expensive gear is the solution to a great mix ... anyways, great video, cheers from Mexico!
First thing I noticed as a drummer, which can have a huge effect on the sound, is cheap heads. This drum is very nice, but the Tama drumheads on them suck. Change it out for better Remo or Evans drumheads and the difference will be huge!
Loved this video. The camera man and crazy amount of edits going over the kit was so awesome. Pair that with your enthusiasm...you can definitely tell this is what you're most passionate about. That 4pc kit looks cool af. If i ever recorded anything...i wanted to use the G.J. technique with mics you've praised over the yrs (the lewitt matched O.H's, samson cs, and samson Q kick) that i could afford lol. That's still the plan, and I am really looking forward to checking that set tested. Anyway...GREAT video.
To my ears, yes, there is a difference. Bass drum, snare and cymbals better with the expensive setup. But I thought the toms sounded a bit flappy - I liked the tom sound better with the cheap rig! (I'm aware I have weird ears... :) ) Given that I do not and never will have 27k to drop on mics, I think the quality I could hear from the cheaper setup was absolutely A1 OK and I would not bother remortgaging my house to get the expensive stuff!
Insight mate, unless you are going to incite a riot! 🙂 Totally agree with your comment, it's tips and tricks I subscribed for, lately, they've been a little thin on the ground. 🙂👍
Very cool! Love comparison videos. You should do more of them. Say for example, vocal mics. Tips on how to record different styles of vocals and vocalists would be killer too!
If you listen to the end of the expensive drum tracks, you can faintly here Glenn say fuck. I love studio chatter, it reminds me that actual people were behind the track, and it is something I would not be afraid to include in the final mix.
Fantastic video! I still need a bit more ear training to fully grasp all the sonic advantages/disadvantages. The question that popped in for me was what typed of acoustic treatment is this?
Any chance of hearing the unprocessed audio for the two mic ups? Its one thing to hear processed audio without knowing how much processing and how long it took to get that sound, and entirely another to hear raw audio. The cheap kick sounded like ass, but the cheap tom mics sounded way better than MD421s (which I'm not a fan of). Generally the more expensive setup was much more vibrant and open, but not $26k worth of vibrant and open.
Something doesn't sound right on either of these performances. Dynamics are weird, cymbals sound dull and quiet, and the expensive mic performance has what sounds like flams on the toms here and there... Maybe two takes played simultaneously? Or some hardware processing that wasn't delay compensated? Definitely will have to download the multi-tracks and see what I hear! Thanks so much for putting this test together, and for making the multi-tracks available!
Hi Glenn, I am not sure if you intended to do this, but you included the Reaper project files in the archives you uploaded. Is Element - Bass the plugin that is providing that amazing bas tone that we have been hearing for the past several months?
I really prefer the cheaper setup on toms/kick, I bet if there were a snare bottom mic in the cheap setup then I'd prefer that sound too. That said, there was no comparison in the overheads- wow!
Were the drums more clear and pronounced with the expensive set up? Sure. But the minimal grand set up would work fine. It's all about how you use the tools. Not the tools themselves. Those 1040 mics are pretty fuxking stellar tho. Lewitt set a bar again
The most significant gap in sound is on the overheads and the snare that are WAY warmer and richer (the LCT 140s are very bright tho, even compared to other OH mics). Otherwise, it doesn't make a difference worth the price to me
the cheaper sounded great! (more snare definition and stuff), the expensive were great on the toms and kick, but i didn't like the boxiness on the snare
Expensive mics are great if you have them, but to me it’s more important to know how to use them. I watched a drum mic kit shootout on UA-cam where the control group was all sm57s. I was a bit surprised at how good the 57s were on the kit, not the best but unexpectedly good. I chalk it up to the engineer and their know how. Just my two cents.
I remember a time when $27k worth of mics on a drum kit would have seemed absurd to me when my entire studio was worth far less. This video made me want to add up the cost of a typical drum mic set up for me, and it's pretty similar to the expensive kit here. With the signal chains and preamps in place it far exceeds that. I suppose I'm lucky to do what I love while using fantastic equipment.
No doubt they do! Different wood types certainly make a difference in acoustic instruments. On electrics? There’s no clear evidence. Including my own tests.
@@SpectreSoundStudios thanks, imagine doing an spectral analysis, seeing the reverberation time and decay of different drum shells,everyone talks about how birch has a short decay and mahogany low end but I don’t think anyone has done signal analysis to see how truth those statements are
Stupid n00b home recording question: When recording with a MIDI drum machine, do you plug it directly into the computer or do you plug it into the audio interface? I honestly don't believe I've ever seen anyone actually mention this, and I'm about to pull the trigger on a MIDI controller/drum machine. Thanks in advance for the 411, guys.
Might it have been "better" to set up all the microphones at once so that the performance was only done once, eliminating any variation in the player's performance?
to be honest. they sound the same to me. The difference is the effects. Not a fair test though because you used effects on the more expensive ones. With today's mixing programs you can make the cheaper one's sound more expensive. Maybe the difference is the more expensive mikes are for live performances? All i do is add reverb and it makes it sound a lot better.
I've drummed with DT770's before, their isolation is terrible! You have to crank it so loud you'll blow out your eardrums! How is he playing with these?! I own two DT770M's for that purpose (They isolate more than Vic Firths!) yet he's using the faux-suede-pleather earcups and apparently hearing the music just fine.
I normally have an in-ear system that I use during tracking, but they broke just before I had to get to the session, so I use what was available! The DT770s are not to my liking for tracking as well, but it was what they had!
One of the big differences between cheap and expensive mics is the frequency response in the high end. Some microphones have peaks and dips in the high frequencies instead of a smooth response; that makes the mics sound harsh, with certain frequencies jumping out. Take, for example, the Austrian Audio CC8 small diaphragm condenser. I bought a pair and used them as drum overheads. They're pretty dark mics, but their high frequency response is really smooth; I gave a judicious EQ boost to the top end on the overheads and got a beautiful, smooth, sparkly sound! But if a mic is harsh on top, EQ can possibly help, but it won't fix it. If it's harsh due to distortion, it's not fixable. The other benefit to expensive mics is their clarity; basically, this is how well the mic is able to resolve quiet sounds in the presence of larger sounds. I've heard side-by-side comparisons of VERY expensive mics (Telefunken Ela-M 251) with much less expensive mics (Telefunken AR-51). The easiest way to put it is the less expensive mic sounded like a mic on the instrument; the VERY expensive mic sounded like the instrument, and resolved much more detail in that instrument.
To my bad ears the biggest benefit of the more expensive rig was that the cymbals came through a little brighter and natural but then again I’m listening to this video through a $65k wide room system.
To be honest, I kind of prefer the cheaper setup. The expansive sounds objectively better but for a Stonerrock/Doom song the cheaper setup gives a cool vibe and sounds less overproduced to me.
Probably the wrong genre to do the comparison with as I much preferred the cheaper ones here but I can imagine on pretty much any other metal genre the expensive would be better.
@SpectreSoundStudios Hey glen, I'm trying to get a demo put together for my band and I'm very new to recording. I'm using the Roots amp sim and i cant seem to find a hissing in the back of the tone. its not there when your playing but its shows up bad during sustained notes any advice would be helpful. also, fuck you from kentucky
Get the drum tracks for FREE here: spectredigital.com/lewitt-drum-tracks-giveaway/
The lack of metal in our studio was disturbing. Thanks for stopping by and changing that.
🤘🤘🤘🤘
🤘🏽Muhahaha
No worries, any time!
Had a blast and once again thank you for the great hospitality!
Happy to make this a yearly thing haha ;)
I've seen you people comment on other videos, as well and I always find your comments tasty. Lewitt take note, whatever you're paying your marketing people it's worth every penny.
🤘🤘😂😂🤘🤘
The expensive setup sounded a little bit clearer solo'd but for all intents and purposes I couldn't tell a difference in the mix. Really cool way to show that you don't need to break the bank to get great sounds.
Many thanks for letting me play bass on this track! (:
Honestly if anything to my ears this goes to show how much a good mix matters! The cheap mics still sounded great in my ears and I would take them any day of the week with that sound on hand.
How this video doesn't have more views is beyond me, AMAZING comparison and I deeply appreciate it Glenn!
Hi,
the expensive set does sound better (to my ears) but not 30x better. I prefer a brighter open sound and the expensive mics deliver just that. But I think you can push the affordable mics in that direction too and the difference will be minimal if any at all.
So, how was mixing these tracks? Was it 30x easier to mix with expensive mics? :)
Great video, though. Thank you and keep it up!
BR, M
this
Yep. The more you pay for a mic, the more diminishing returns you get on sound quality. A mic can only sound so good
I think when listening back, I would bet for the cost of one of those 1040s (about $3500) you can achieve a similar result to what Glenn had with the expensive setup. Keep the snare top and the tom microphones the same, upgrade to the more expensive kick microphone, and use the matches to pick up hi hat and snare bottom, while adding the LCT AIRs as overheads in the flat position (which have a similar top end response to the 1040's in the warm response, even if I'm sure the amplification circuit will make a small difference). That's closer to $500 to get similar gains in a rock/metal recording/mix that would probably be worth it, and keep the extra $25k on making sure there's a computer and interface that can handle 12-16 inputs for a full band AND have enough money left over to pay rent or mortgage payments for a year or so.
1:58 and 8:52 (for quick comparisons of just the drums)
sounds like two kinds of good to me but if you jump between 2:36 and 9:33 back and forth there is a very clear difference there, the expensive mic's are much better, the detail and control and still got all the power.... very nice
Loving the track you've done for this full mix! That real doomy groovy goodness is seriously my cup of tea!
those riffs are AWESOME! The drums are good too, but man, that riff is amazing, and the drummer was on point with everything. Great work! Gotta love this stuff.
Thanks! We were going for full takes so I really overprepared for the song haha.
I appreciate your videos like this! The cheaper setup worked well and a lot of drummers can get a pretty good sound for not a lot of cash. Strong work on this one, Glenn. 🤘
1:57 and 8:52 for comparison that includes the tom fills, which is where I think the expensive setup really shines. I’d bet the room mics are the single biggest part of that.
I think this video went unnoticed by the algorithm
I'm working with Austrian Audio, and I'm quite impressed with the clarity and natural sound
This is the stuff we want to see! Keep ideas like this coming!
I remember once someone asked Steve Albini what the secret to recording drums with Dave Grohl was - and he said "put Dave Grohl in front of a kit. Throw a microphone on it." The idea was that Dave is such a solid drummer that the equipment wasn't so important. You were probably going to get a good recording regardless of the setup.
There's definitely a difference between the setups, but they both sound pretty good. I suspect that when it comes to drums, the tuning and technique are going to be significant - I had a lot of trouble recording drums until I learned how to... you know... tune them. And balance the volume of my cymbal v. shell hits.
What would be interesting to see if you use the cheaper mic kit and then combine with saturation plugs ins and see how close you can get the expensive setup. Cause the main difference I hear is that added saturation.
i was wondering exactly the same thing
EQ would be the biggest difference as the mics have a different frequency response.
Adding saturation would not change that
Well done on the weight loss. You look great Glenn.
Shoutout to Reaper dilligently recording in the background!
I know the drums are the focus here, but I gotta know what's going on with the guitars and bass. Those tones are sick 🤘
The ultimate drum video! Love the performance!
Wow going overboard but we know the truth and you are right not much of a difference. I dont own a lewitt. I use akg 414's, sure and I love the Audix mics for some reason I cant get away from them. I am interested in the Lewitt. I have saw some other reviews and the tube mics sound really good and ofcoarse they are really pricey so I might go for a lower priced one for now just to get one in my mic locker. Thanks for the video and comparison.
Pretty cool to shoot these out. The expensive setup definitely had a more defined attack and high end presence. That said the cheaper set did sound amazing for the money too.
I use Glyn Johns' technique all the time! I run a couple of Open Mics in town, and it just always works! I regularly have other techs complimenting the drum sound, and I love getting to blow their minds, telling them I'm only using 3-4 mics... (Some drummers hit the snare hard enough that I don't always need the snare, in small venues, so I don't always need that mic...) Something I've noticed, though, is that the heavier the band, the more I want close-mic'd toms, usually on the resonator side, since I have all the attack I need, I only need low end. It just seems that the low end gets more and more lost, the heavier the band gets. Obviously, if you can only afford so much, do what you can... But getting the low end of the toms panned to where you can hear them in the Glyn Johns setup is super satisfying... And, since we've all heard this technique on so many albums, it has a familiar, vintage sound, and I can still deliver the modern low end I want out of the toms, making it a great combination!
I gotta say in the context of this groovy stoner metal song I preferred the cheaper setup. Def more articulation and transients with the expensive setup though. Either way, it sounds rad. Lewitt is light years beyond their competition. I won a 640 TS in one of Warren Huart's mix competitions and I have yet to find a way to make it sound bad. Thanks, Glenn!
Before finishing watching I just want to say 30k in microphones is just ridiculous, considering the cheap ears that will listen to the end product. Now I will go watch.
I suspect the speaker in my iPhone is the weakest link…
I showed my wife these mics and she gave me the biggest you’re not funny stare I’ve ever seen. Those things look sick as all hell and sound amazing ❤
The difference is there but I don’t know if I would say expensive is better in this context. The clarity on the more expensive setup was really nice and definitely had a modern sheen especially in the attack on the shells. The cheaper set up was slightly more subdued in the 4khz-8khz range which I felt gave more focus on the low end.
Definitely hear the difference. How the detail across the spectrum, particularly in the high end, just comes though so nicely in the mix.
With drumset, it really comes down to these:
1. Kit placement
2. Mic placement
Drumeset really needs to be against a wall or in a corner. To produce lower frequencies.
AND adjusting the mics in or out only a couple inches can produce harmonic effects, less distortion, and capture more bass response.
Really enjoy Mic Setup behind the scene videos! It's neat bc even though I'm neither sound engineer nor musician, I just really enjoy sound recording in general and have fun recording and experimenting with the results afterwards. So tricks like centring the the kick and the snare in the stereo image to avoid issues, keep them in a zone that'd be easier to mix as mono are gold. Love stuff like that! Writing this makes me think the sound community could have more acoustics/microphone/recording tricks videos in general! xD Nice one! Thanks for sharing! Super nice that you keep consistently showing that interested ppl don't need to spend thousands in order to make stuff happen with decent sound!
I noticed the sonic difference between mics. The cheaper setup still sounded good I thought, though somewhat "modified", where the big setup was a great "organic" drum and cymbal sound. So when you see some of the larger kits drummers play this can give you a bit of indication what goes into the entire cost. Great sound room too. Thanks Glen!
that second set is picking up more of the sustain which is why it sounds more open. You might be able to get that effect with the cheaper set using a transient designer.
I am sure there is a major quality difference, but I still say good songs matter most. The early Sabbath albums were recorded on the cheap in record times. And they still hold up very well because the songs are great and timeless. If you want to sound at your best, feel happy to splurge, you are after all making something that should stand the test of time. But make sure that what you are recording is worth the expense. The world doesn't need yet another cookie cutter dimeadozen metal album.
The whole drum kit on the Van Halen debut album was recorded with only sm57s. And it sounds amazing.
Lewitt definitely makes some good drum mics!
This was a superb vid. Love t comparisons. Cheers🍻
I really don´t notice that much difference. Maybe my hearing is not that "trained" but I did noticed the reverb on the toms that made them sound huge and of course the acoustics on the room helps a lot. I remember Glenn saying that not always expensive gear is the solution to a great mix ... anyways, great video, cheers from Mexico!
First thing I noticed as a drummer, which can have a huge effect on the sound, is cheap heads. This drum is very nice, but the Tama drumheads on them suck. Change it out for better Remo or Evans drumheads and the difference will be huge!
Loved this video. The camera man and crazy amount of edits going over the kit was so awesome. Pair that with your enthusiasm...you can definitely tell this is what you're most passionate about. That 4pc kit looks cool af. If i ever recorded anything...i wanted to use the G.J. technique with mics you've praised over the yrs (the lewitt matched O.H's, samson cs, and samson Q kick) that i could afford lol. That's still the plan, and I am really looking forward to checking that set tested. Anyway...GREAT video.
To my ears, yes, there is a difference. Bass drum, snare and cymbals better with the expensive setup. But I thought the toms sounded a bit flappy - I liked the tom sound better with the cheap rig! (I'm aware I have weird ears... :) ) Given that I do not and never will have 27k to drop on mics, I think the quality I could hear from the cheaper setup was absolutely A1 OK and I would not bother remortgaging my house to get the expensive stuff!
Agreed, except I have to admit I didn’t hear all that much difference for the snare and kick.
Be interested to look at the difference between inexpensive and expensive mic pres too.
That is a beautiful sight... great job Glenn and Lewitt!!
Not sure the drum kit at church will benefit much from the upgrade but I sure heard the difference.
I love this Glenn! I always appreciate your incite on studio tips and tricks! Rock on!
Insight mate, unless you are going to incite a riot! 🙂
Totally agree with your comment, it's tips and tricks I subscribed for, lately, they've been a little thin on the ground. 🙂👍
Very cool! Love comparison videos. You should do more of them. Say for example, vocal mics. Tips on how to record different styles of vocals and vocalists would be killer too!
Awesome song, thing I'm gonna go listed to some Kyuss.
Thanks!
If you listen to the end of the expensive drum tracks, you can faintly here Glenn say fuck. I love studio chatter, it reminds me that actual people were behind the track, and it is something I would not be afraid to include in the final mix.
Very sabbath
Mic under the ride? That was a new one for me. TY
Fantastic video! I still need a bit more ear training to fully grasp all the sonic advantages/disadvantages. The question that popped in for me was what typed of acoustic treatment is this?
Should have did a bare-bones three Mike set up for the cheapo’s
Tamastar Classic, not to be confused with the Tama Starclassic :) sorry, had to do that one!
This video is like a massive Lewitt advertisement good lord
Amazing video, what a fantastic studio! Both sets of mics sounded great, just different!
Rock on :) Good morning already!
The Audio was a little bigger and clearer but there definitely wasn’t a 29,000 dollar difference. Had to watch it a few times to notice a difference
Any chance of hearing the unprocessed audio for the two mic ups? Its one thing to hear processed audio without knowing how much processing and how long it took to get that sound, and entirely another to hear raw audio.
The cheap kick sounded like ass, but the cheap tom mics sounded way better than MD421s (which I'm not a fan of). Generally the more expensive setup was much more vibrant and open, but not $26k worth of vibrant and open.
The tracks are available for download, please enjoy!
I love the full mix on this video! If it’s part of a full song, then what is the name and where can I listen to it in the entirety?
Thanks! It's a song I wrote specifically for this demo. I had multiple requests already for a full version, so will be working on that!
Good tone control on each mic works the best for cheap mics. And Im talkin plastic dj mics too
I really need to get to Austria!
Both setups sounded nice!
You look good, Glenn! Great video.
Thank you kindly
Could u do a review on the shure pga 7 piece kit? Kinda wanna hear how they sound in a metal mix
Something doesn't sound right on either of these performances. Dynamics are weird, cymbals sound dull and quiet, and the expensive mic performance has what sounds like flams on the toms here and there... Maybe two takes played simultaneously? Or some hardware processing that wasn't delay compensated? Definitely will have to download the multi-tracks and see what I hear! Thanks so much for putting this test together, and for making the multi-tracks available!
This makes me wonder how much money they spent on the in utero drum sound, if I remember 30 plus more mics
Hi Glenn,
I am not sure if you intended to do this, but you included the Reaper project files in the archives you uploaded. Is Element - Bass the plugin that is providing that amazing bas tone that we have been hearing for the past several months?
Joeyyyy!!! ❤
Krenaaaaar! 😁😁
Question of the century (not related to this video...):
Is gain "the amplification of a signal"?
or
Is gain "distortion"?
I really prefer the cheaper setup on toms/kick, I bet if there were a snare bottom mic in the cheap setup then I'd prefer that sound too. That said, there was no comparison in the overheads- wow!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Were the drums more clear and pronounced with the expensive set up? Sure. But the minimal grand set up would work fine. It's all about how you use the tools. Not the tools themselves. Those 1040 mics are pretty fuxking stellar tho. Lewitt set a bar again
Great demo Glenn
The most significant gap in sound is on the overheads and the snare that are WAY warmer and richer (the LCT 140s are very bright tho, even compared to other OH mics). Otherwise, it doesn't make a difference worth the price to me
the cheaper sounded great! (more snare definition and stuff), the expensive were great on the toms and kick, but i didn't like the boxiness on the snare
I'm a guitar player but I wonder which is the most important parameter between a drum shell, drum head or microphone for recording drums?
Expensive mics are great if you have them, but to me it’s more important to know how to use them. I watched a drum mic kit shootout on UA-cam where the control group was all sm57s. I was a bit surprised at how good the 57s were on the kit, not the best but unexpectedly good. I chalk it up to the engineer and their know how. Just my two cents.
Great cymbals!
I remember a time when $27k worth of mics on a drum kit would have seemed absurd to me when my entire studio was worth far less. This video made me want to add up the cost of a typical drum mic set up for me, and it's pretty similar to the expensive kit here. With the signal chains and preamps in place it far exceeds that. I suppose I'm lucky to do what I love while using fantastic equipment.
Please Glen, make a video to see if tone wood makes a difference in drums, put those Starclassic against your Masters Maple Gum
No doubt they do! Different wood types certainly make a difference in acoustic instruments. On electrics? There’s no clear evidence. Including my own tests.
@@SpectreSoundStudios thanks, imagine doing an spectral analysis, seeing the reverberation time and decay of different drum shells,everyone talks about how birch has a short decay and mahogany low end but I don’t think anyone has done signal analysis to see how truth those statements are
I was waiting for this video and didn't even know it..
Stupid n00b home recording question: When recording with a MIDI drum machine, do you plug it directly into the computer or do you plug it into the audio interface? I honestly don't believe I've ever seen anyone actually mention this, and I'm about to pull the trigger on a MIDI controller/drum machine. Thanks in advance for the 411, guys.
Answers depends on the drum machine and DAW.
Might it have been "better" to set up all the microphones at once so that the performance was only done once, eliminating any variation in the player's performance?
We only had so many inputs & stands
@@SpectreSoundStudios I figured it was a "not enough equipment" issue.
Nice video! I definitely learned a lot from this, so thank you. I'd like to see a video of you recording drums with 2 mics if at all possible.
There's a link at the end of this video where we do it with 4 mics!
@@SpectreSoundStudios I'll watch it soon. It'd definitely be helpful for me.
@@SpectreSoundStudios wow, I learned something new, thanks, Glenn!
Did you add anything to the drum mix to compare the mics?
to be honest. they sound the same to me. The difference is the effects. Not a fair test though because you used effects on the more expensive ones. With today's mixing programs you can make the cheaper one's sound more expensive. Maybe the difference is the more expensive mikes are for live performances? All i do is add reverb and it makes it sound a lot better.
No. Same mix style. Download the tracks & hear for yourself
I've drummed with DT770's before, their isolation is terrible! You have to crank it so loud you'll blow out your eardrums! How is he playing with these?! I own two DT770M's for that purpose (They isolate more than Vic Firths!) yet he's using the faux-suede-pleather earcups and apparently hearing the music just fine.
I normally have an in-ear system that I use during tracking, but they broke just before I had to get to the session, so I use what was available!
The DT770s are not to my liking for tracking as well, but it was what they had!
@@TheOnlyJoeyYT I am very very impressed; that would be hard to hear and you were amazing anyway!
Is it just me or can you not hear the cymbals on either version? But especially the inexpensive version.
Could the cheaper mics be eq’d to sound more like the expensive ones?
One of the big differences between cheap and expensive mics is the frequency response in the high end. Some microphones have peaks and dips in the high frequencies instead of a smooth response; that makes the mics sound harsh, with certain frequencies jumping out. Take, for example, the Austrian Audio CC8 small diaphragm condenser. I bought a pair and used them as drum overheads. They're pretty dark mics, but their high frequency response is really smooth; I gave a judicious EQ boost to the top end on the overheads and got a beautiful, smooth, sparkly sound! But if a mic is harsh on top, EQ can possibly help, but it won't fix it. If it's harsh due to distortion, it's not fixable.
The other benefit to expensive mics is their clarity; basically, this is how well the mic is able to resolve quiet sounds in the presence of larger sounds. I've heard side-by-side comparisons of VERY expensive mics (Telefunken Ela-M 251) with much less expensive mics (Telefunken AR-51). The easiest way to put it is the less expensive mic sounded like a mic on the instrument; the VERY expensive mic sounded like the instrument, and resolved much more detail in that instrument.
Definitely sound good, but most of us don't really have $30grand just laying around to drop on these...
To my bad ears the biggest benefit of the more expensive rig was that the cymbals came through a little brighter and natural but then again I’m listening to this video through a $65k wide room system.
To be honest, I kind of prefer the cheaper setup. The expansive sounds objectively better but for a Stonerrock/Doom song the cheaper setup gives a cool vibe and sounds less overproduced to me.
Probably the wrong genre to do the comparison with as I much preferred the cheaper ones here but I can imagine on pretty much any other metal genre the expensive would be better.
cheap mics, expensive preamps vs expensive mics, cheap preamps next lol.
30000 in canadian dollars is like 5 dollars so thanks lewitt for making such affordable mics
I mean yeah there's an obvious improvement with the $27k setup but man, I dunno if that degree of improvement itself justifies an extra $26,000 :V
uhhhh...I think I heard some phase issue on EXPENSIVE MICs, have someone felt the same?
Fairies wear boots and you gotta believe me..
@SpectreSoundStudios
Hey glen, I'm trying to get a demo put together for my band and I'm very new to recording. I'm using the Roots amp sim and i cant seem to find a hissing in the back of the tone. its not there when your playing but its shows up bad during sustained notes any advice would be helpful. also, fuck you from kentucky
Faires wear boots and ya gotta believe me