Name Dropping Gear Review: Rode M5 SDC

Name Dropping Gear Review:


Rode M5 SDC - $200 on Amazon

If you listen to the show you know two things about me:

1. I drop gear names, and 

2. I love good cheap mics

So lets start dropping names and get this review on!

Starting off:

My standard set of SDC's for years are what I would call my "Frankenstein" mics. Three different mics all from different distributors, but made by the same Chinese company. They are all the same mic, but different names slapped on them. I got them all in sets with other mics, and once I realized they were fairly well matched, and that the capsules were exchangeable, I went about finding the best combination of bodies and capsules.

This would only last so long as I hated the look of the mics overhead on the stereo bar, and always wondered if anyone noticed. (Nobody said anything so I didn't worry too much.)

But eventually, I found I was ready to upgrade.

First Impressions:

Now I'm a sucker for tiny mics, especially those that sound great. Opening the package for these was amazing, as the mics have a nice matte finish to them.

Fitting them into their mounts is a little bit hard, and I have to warn you to watch out for the grills on the end as they will bend in. I was a little disappointed as I was trying to adjust them and the grill bent in ever so slightly. So watch out for that.

Features:

There is no pad, no roll off on these mics, and I wouldn't want them any other way. They are simple, do what they do well, and are adorable!

With no pad, these would probably not work well for close micing a snare, but they do well for guitar cabinets, if they are not too high in SPL.

Recording guitar in stereo is a no brainer for these guys, they're small so they don't get too much in the way, and I use a stereo bar to keep them exactly in XY pattern.

The main reason I bought these mics were to replace my "Frankenstein" SDC's in drum recordings. I use these in both XY and ORTF configuration. I have naturally dark cymbals on my studio set, but sometimes the wash would get a little too much. These mics are natural, with a nice high end. Not overly hyped at all. Before I would run the Frankenmics into a couple of tube preamps to even out the high end and add some warmth. The Rode M5's achieve that same warmness, and less harsh high end when put through my stock preamps. They are fantasic.

Final Thoughts:

Rode says they used what they learned in building the Rode N5's and brought that knowledge to the M5's. Man did they bring it. Honestly my first choice in new mics was a pair of the NT5's, but the price, size and look of these little guys really caught my eye. I love them. They have a permanent place overtop every drum recording I do, and just sound fantastic.

If you are a home recordist, or need another set of SDC's to work in your mobile or B studio, these are a no brainer!

--Art

The GLS ES-57: Name Dropping Gear Review

Name Dropping Gear Review:


GLS ES-57 - $30  ($50 on Amazon)

If you listen to the show you know two things about me:

1. I drop gear names, and 

2. I love good cheap mics

So lets start dropping names and get this review on!

Everyone knows. And they know well that the number one standard studio mic that everyone has is: the Shure SM 57. Every studio has several, they are workhorses, they never break and they are only $100. Should you have one? Shure! Do I? Nope.

The GLS ES-57 is an inexpensive microphone that hangs with the big boys. A dynamic mic that works equally well on snare drums, guitar, and voice.

First Impressions:

You might need to drop some serious names, and if you do, get your self a whole gaggle of sm57's. But if you're looking for value and quality, save yourself 70% and buy yourself a whole bunch of this clone.

This mic has a nice weight to it, it feels like a good dynamic, and it sounds great. Tons of people have done A/B tests online, so head over to gearsluts.com if you want to compare. But this mic stands on it's own. It has it's own clear EQ curve.

I use this mic all the time on guitar cabinets, and it responds fantastically. Guitar tones from clean to crazy distorted are faithfully reproduced.

This mic has found it's place as my top snare mic. One inch off of the rim, pointed to the center of the head gets me a great snare sound. When I use a four mic setup for drums, then this mic gets me where I need to go.

Lastly, you'll find yourself listening to the mic every week on the podcast. That's right. It is a fantastic vocal mic, especially for speech and voiceovers. While Eric uses the MXL BCD-1 (previously reviewed on this site), I use this $30 mic. The proximity effect is great, and it takes EQ great.

Negatives:

This mic only has negatives, if you really care what other people think about you and your studio. Someone once told me, that it's an ok mic for some situations. Seriously? I use it everyday and get fantastic results. Don't get caught up in name hype. Recognize quality where it is. Get it, get several. You will always find a fantastic place for this jewel of a mic.

Final Thoughts:

I'm a cheap gear name dropper, I know this, and it's awesome to be that. This mic gets used all the time in my studio. While I sometimes think about picking up an SM57, I don't really need one. I've got this guy, and he works great.

--Art

Name Dropping Gear Review: the MXL BCD-1

Name Dropping Gear Review:


MXL BCD-1 - $170

If you listen to the show you know two things about me:

1. I drop gear names, and 

2. I love good cheap mics

So lets start dropping names and get this review on!

This week's mic review is of the MXL BCD-1. A large diaphragm dynamic mic that a simple Google search shows: nobody's using it! Sounds like a perfect mic for me. At $170 I felt I could take a chance on a large diaphragm microphone that could be awesome or terrible.

First Impressions:
Got it quickly from amazon, and realized this feels like a nice mic. Heavy is the first word I would use to describe it. The mount had a hard time actually keeping the mic from rotating, and I struggled to tighten the side screws enough to keep the mic in place. Taking the mic off of the mount, and then re configuring the hardware allowed me to help the mic sit straight where I put it. A small downside, albeit a downside.

I plugged the mic into my interface (a Presonus XMAX preamp) and turned the gain up. It definitely needed more gain to get to a recordable level than say a condenser microphone, but it seemed the XMAX preamp was up to the task. It's a clean microphone that faithfully reproduces voice well. It comes with a hefty proximity effect that Eric loves to use in the podcast (so much so that I have to roll off a little). This is a mic that you want to get right on top of.

Negatives:
The microphone comes with no pad and no roll off switches, both of which would be nice, but neither is truly necessary. I take care of both of these things in my DAW.

Final Thoughts:
I've used this mic in many different recording situations, and become in many ways, my "goto" mic, as I reach for it first when recording Guitars, Bass Drums, Singing Vocals, and Broadcast Vocals. I always have it out and ready on a stand since I know it's going to end up on just about every recording I do. Some of my clients call it my "Golden Mic" because it makes their voice so deep and gorgeous. And I'd have to agree.

So if you've heard the praises of a large diaphragm dynamic mic such as the SM7b or the RE-20, then you will realize the value of an inexpensive, high quality alternative. The BCD-1 fills this need for my studio.

--Art

Name Dropping Gear Review: Joey Sturgis Gain Reduction Plugin

Name Dropping Gear Review

Joey Sturgis Gain Reduction Plugin - $35

Getting that vocal track to sit just right is never been an easy task, but once you get it right, there's nothing better. Right now my vocal chain is rather plugin heavy, so when I caught wind of the Gain Reduction plugin, I thought "Anything to simplify, let's try it out." So lets drop some names and get this review on!

Looks:

First off I love the way this plugin looks. I made a rule to myself a long time ago, that I wasn't going to use a plugin unless the design of it was awesome and this one hits it out of the park. From the distressed look of the faceplate, the rooster style knobs, to the tape labels, this plugin has a great design, I love bringing it up in a session.

Ease of Use:

Four controls... That's it. Slay is the amount of compression. Gain controls volume, and Body seems to be a nice high pass filter. I haven't used the LoFi option, but it does sound good. I just haven't had the right project to try it on. When most compressors can get a bit confusing with attack, release, ratio, knee size and make up gain, Gain Reduction simplifies this and says, "How awesome do you want it to sound?"

Sound:

So how does this thing actually sound? Great. It's meant for aggressive vocals and it definitely colors the sound. But in a good, pushed preamp kind of way. This isn't going to be your goto for a clean compressor, but it will bring your vocals into focus, and help them fit in the mix.

I first tested this on my own voice. I use a large diaphragm dynamic mic (the MXL BCD-1). I was quickly able to recreate my normal three or four plugin vocal sound with the Gain Reduction. But dialing in the perfect sound took no time at all.

I then used it in a session I was doing for a local country band. The vocals were male, and not at all aggressive. Would this work for my particular application? I applied the effect and turned the Slay button on just slightly. I shot for only 4-6 db of gain reduction. Again the vocals just sat well. I applied a little reverb and the vocals were ready to go.

Final Thoughts:

I just like this plugin. It's the reason I watch out for the boutique guys. It sounds good, it's easy to use, and it speeds up my workflow. For $35 it's a great tool to have in your back pocket.

--Art