I got here within 50 seconds of upload and already saw someone thumbed down. Bet they really had a thoughtful, nuanced reason for doing so after obviously watching the whole video.

@h1de

3 жыл бұрын

For real.

@WIMPY86

3 жыл бұрын

Sometimes the butt hurt of last week becomes the thumbs down for life lol

@redcomn

3 жыл бұрын

Saw 16m video, press dislike just bc

@lil_pan46

3 жыл бұрын

All engagement is good engagement.

@WIMPY86

3 жыл бұрын

@@lil_pan46 Hear hear. Still subscribed so he can dislike daily LMFAO!

I really appreciate the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reading

“No one out there really wants to hear me sing” Oh no, that’s where you’re wrong. We would love that.

@martin-1965

2 жыл бұрын

I got up to make a coffee and the acoustic guitar part started and I thought "Holy cow, Glenn can really play that acoustic wow!" and then saw it was Christian lol (ps: I'm sure Mr Fricker can play some mean acoustic but was busy screaming at clouds at the time :p). As to hearing him singing - utterly agree, want to hear that 👍 as he can embarrass all these wannabee screamos with his deep, sonorous voice from the bowels of hell. Oh yeah, I loved the Samson mic on the acoustic guitar - just liked the balanced and tight sound it collected.

I swear, everytime I see a vid posted from y'all regarding budget tier gear that's worth our time it feels like Christmas. Keep it up we all appreciate it!

Glen using Hitchhikers Guide to the galaxy for ALL his voiceovers is my FAVORITE THING!!! thank you so much Glen.

I've owned a Samson C03 (C01 with extra features) for several years and it's a great mic. Used it on vocals, guitars, drum room... it just works.

Heya Glenn! I'm a small time jazz guitarist that mostly focuses on live performances and instruction. I know next to nothing about recording and I find your videos both educational and highly entertaining. You've given me a peek into what it's like in the studio and I just wanted to say I appreciate your content. Thank you for all the work you've done and are doing to put this information out there. I appreciate you!

Old guy learning Daw recording here , Enjoy the cheap gear stuff. Still love my 57s and 58s from 80s,90s ish when we did live sound Thanks for this and congrats on the Sweetwater deal .

hey Glenn, I have my towel and am going Hitchhiking... Great book, and thanks for all the fish.

Great and test and review. I finally bought a PGA181 a few months ago and will be adding at least one more to my kit. Can't wait to use them on horns and percussion.

Ive been using the AKG P120 for 12 months now and I can say that mic kicks ass!!! Great for vocal tracking!!

The same day you uploaded the Samson CS1 Mic Video i went straight to amazon and bought one, and im glad that i did. It's a shame they dont make those anymore (probably were too good for the price) because now i cant live without it. Even owning a Shure SM57 & 58, That is still my main vocal mic. Thanks glenn, keep doing this amazing job, Cheers from Puerto Rico.

@bahamasc

2 жыл бұрын

this. I don't know how we got a hold of the CS1 but glad we did it sounds very nice. I think the SM48 probably works for someone looking for a 40ish dollar mic that sounds good.

Love that you're reading Douglas Adams! Greetings from Greece and a very warm Fu!

Thanks for this, looking to buy a mic and I’m new to this and your word is one of the few that I trust so thanks!

Hey Glenn, thank you so much for doing this vid!!!! I've been watching you for the last 5 years and when recording my drums for KZread, I've gleaned a lot from your channel. I was looking for an inexpensive pair of mics for my overheads and I think I'm going with the PGA181. I appreciate all the time and effort you put in on your vids. Thanks again. Marcus 😊❤

I was at a local pawn shop here in North Jersey and saw the Samson C01 for $30 and said fuck it, lemme' take a chance. We ended up using it in the middle of two floor tom's to pick both of them up, rather than two mic's because we only had 10 inputs to work with on my new album. We engineered it ourselves - I rented a big tall wooden cabin in the middle of the woods of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and we just banged the album out in a handful of days... Here is the result: kzread.info/dash/bejne/rKCNo8-YXdWbn9I.html

@johnnyq1233

3 жыл бұрын

I could see it there between the floor and lower tom! The sound was good and I liked the song! You guys rock!

@RobbyBloodshed

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnnyq1233 thanks so much, man!

@ChiefMouse

3 жыл бұрын

Love that song! :)

@RobbyBloodshed

3 жыл бұрын

@@ChiefMouse thank you dude!

@andrewt836

3 жыл бұрын

I really liked the Samson it was my fav out the bunch.

I actually really liked the Shure and sE. would love to hear your thoughts on 12 Gauge Microphones! Haven’t seen anybody do a heavy video on them yet. The Black 212 is my new go-to for drum overheads

I have the AKG P120 in a shockmount and articulated arm mount, it definitely helps with the resonance issues. Love it!

P120 sounded either best or great on everything imo, with honorable mention to the Samson which has a very appealing character in the upper mids that sounds godly on vocals and guitars but the microphone has somewhat high self noise in applications where it matters. Shure didn't stand out to me. Excellent video thanks!

@jmonty2005

3 жыл бұрын

agreed with the AKG P120

@From_A_Diverging_Timeline

3 жыл бұрын

The p120 is great. I have one. I choose it over the at2020 cuz it has a 20db bad and high-pass filter. I agree with Glen its not a good voice over mic. It has a pretty high noise floor. It can make do, but there are better options, but its great for music and vocals.

@monsirto

2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more. Great company and they make decent cans too..

Hi Glenn. Thanks so much for your videos. I like them all because of your style (no bullshit and fun at the same time). A very special thanks to your gear reviews: I bought the Kali LP-6 after all you said about them and I'm sooo happy about them. Thanks so much for your advice. I got the chance to to compare them against some Genelec and Yamaha at the shop and indeed liked them better because they were not too bassy or too middy, they seemed to well preserve the full spectrum. Regarding this set of comparison for mikes I'd definitely go for the Samson because it seemed a bit more preserving the mids and high ends than the other ones, for vocals. For versatility, your choice on shure indeed. For people like me who are hobbyist it's really great to get advice on improving our set up with a budget in mind. Thanks for sharing.

I don't know why but, is it just me or Glenn just can make any microphone work in his favor? I loved the demos on all mics to be honest.

I’m glad you covered this! I’ve actually been looking for a mic that isn’t gonna break the bank. Thanks!

@SpectreSoundStudios

3 жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

Great recomendation, bought the Samson and it's awesome

Great video. I own both the sure and Sampson mics you are testing. I like them both for overhead drum applications they work great for me.

New Bad News tee G-Money?? Imogen you were stoked to get it!! Samson was my fav of the bunch and thank you very much for the reviews! Great acoustic sound - would love to watch a more detailed video on your acoustic guitar tricks and tips!

I love that you're reading Douglas Adams! You obviously know where your towel is

Great video! Love the channel btw, definitely a huge help for amateurs like me. Any chance there will be a list of mics around the $200 - $300 range coming soon? Keep up the great work!

i LOVED your bloopers. Hilarious. Thanks for sharing that.

Thx glen🤘 love the gear reviews🤘

Holy shit, I have a samson C01 and I can never make it sound as good as you did. I was thinking of getting another mic but this was a reality check. Thanks Glenn!!

Don't waste your money, you don't need a mic at all. You scream louder enought so I can hear you from here in Spain if I open the window when you're shooting a vid. Keep it up! 🤘

Thank you for putting this together, and Hail Sagan!

The T-bone SC400. €50. 60 with a popkiller. Sounds great and works well for recording acoustic guitar, clean vocals, growling vocals and doing voiceovers for video games. At least these are all where I have experience with! So anyway I highly recommend it when you don't have a lot to spend!

Very helpful video. Thanks Glenn

For just a bit more the Lewitt Audio 240 Pro is an awesome option. I have the 440 Pure as my main vocal mic and it's been an amazing addition to my home studio.

@RadOo

3 жыл бұрын

I was given the LCT 240 Pro and I am satisfied 666%

LOL, brilliant choice of voice over reading material!

I bought my PreSonus M7 for $15 at a pawn shop - I got great sounds out of it.... It's not just the tool it's the artist as well that creates the magic.

@valentinroux7448

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you ! That's what I keep telling my girlfriend but she keeps telling me that the Magic is highly subjective

Have used 2 of the Samson C01's as drum overheads and they worked great!

This was an incredibly useful video. I thought the AKG & sE sounded the best in terms of width of spectrum with lows and highs. The Shure and Samson had nice wide middle which is I’m guessing is good for vocals.

Hi Glenn, In regard to this video, I just wanted to let the community know that it is ABSOLUTLEY possible to get a decent sound with less expensive mics! Design and mic placement were the main factors that I had to consider when I owned my basement home studio, so I did the following: I experimented with a few arrangements, but eventually, I designed the layout so that the drums and amps were in the middle of the room on a makeshift stage, in typical concert set up, with a cardboard/wooden layer underneath them. Then I placed the recording equipment behind the stage so I could easily see what was going on. My signal chains consisted of the following: Guitar > Fender Champion 100 > Sterling audio SP30 Bass > Peavy Minx 40 watt > Sterling audio SP30 Drums > Sampson DK707 Drum Mic 7-Piece Kit (Mic'd Kick, Mic'd Snare, and 2 Overheads) Room Mic (Sterling Audio SP50 - Placed about 3-5ft in front of the drum set. This mic also works great for vocals and acoustic stuff like Ukulele.) All of this ran into a Behringer UMC1820 and then into my laptop. The combination of the insulation on the ceiling, the dead sound (no to very little reverb) of the room itself, and the cardboard (maybe?) provided an already good live sound and after taking some time to find the best placement for the mics - the studio was ready to record. I recorded everything live during recording sessions and I found that the mics themselves provided great isolation with little bleed when listening to the individual tracks. The tracks have little or no EQ, as I was trying to go for a more raw sound, but even so, I think that my set up produced a definitely usable result. If anyone is curious, I can also provide links to my mixes and the photo documentary that I made of the building of the studio. Rock on, Glenn and thanks for everything that you do on this channel! You definitely inspired me! Best regards, Nicholas

I owned the C01 and it's usb sibling for years now. No complaints here! I dig the Shure but, like you said, axis is a bit finicky... Cool video, thanks!

Loving the Hitchhiker's Guide voice overs! I think in the Presonus line of mics you need to plan on spending closer to $150. I have the PX-1 (largr condenser) and a matched pair of PM-2's (pencil mic condensers) that work quite well. Truth be told I never used them on cabinets, mostly on acoustic guitar and sample captures. The PX-1 does pretty well with voice overs and vocals.

Love the Hitchhiker reading!

+1 for the P120 - it's been my go-to for recording bass cabs (and the occasional upright) for years now!

Hey Glenn. Thank you for your content. I have been away from recording for quite a long, long time. Your videos have helped spark a renewed interest. I have both the PreSonus M7, from the bundle pack, and the SE X1a from another bundle. Got the X1a earlier today. I actually remembered this video. Rewatched to get a second opinion from my own. They both do well for my needs at this point, but I think I may use the M7 for something else and the X1a as my main vocal mic. Keep up the good fight.

I wasn't ready for that acoustic to end. I could listen to that all day.

@halvach1998

3 жыл бұрын

Sounded great, but for the purposes of Mic comparison, it would've helped if he played the same thing for each mic....

The Shure PGA181 is one of my favorite picks for Snare, highly underrated in my opinion, never really used it on other sources (other then on a Viola once), so cool to hear it in another context! Always a fan of the SE Electronics stuff, so the X1a is probably my 'overall' pick of the choices, though I am now curious about using the Shure for other sources!

I honestly enjoyed the SE electronics mic quite a bit on all sources.

@michaelschuberth7802

3 жыл бұрын

spot on, sE is a hidden gem in the world of mic

@andycooze9810

3 жыл бұрын

Me too... Terrific tracking sax especially

@joerojas5448

3 жыл бұрын

The sE mic does sound good. Kristian Kohle has a dedicated video with sE mics.

@digiscream

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, I thought it was more detailed than all the others. I've been toying with getting one since they came out, but (until recently, when I klutzed it onto the floor) my SE 2000a has been doing the job admirably. Seriously tempting now.

@higltypig

3 жыл бұрын

me too - sounded best to me

Loving hearing you read hitchhiker's!!

I like the low end of the sE x1A

My first condenser mic was a Samson c01, picked it up used for $40. Wasn't expecting much but was surprised at how great it sounded. Another good budget mic is the Audio Technica at2020.

what an informative vid. Must have been a beast to produce! thanks Glenn

@SpectreSoundStudios

3 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it!

Love your choice of text to read GLEN!

I’ve got the AKG P120 and I absolutely love it!!!

Love your channel Glen

I've been using the akg p120 for years. I love it so much (even though it's not my preference) it's a great cheap mic.

Somehow I liked the X1-A the most for voiceover. It seems to record a quite warm sound, making everything sounding less harsh - which makes it less suitable for drums or guitars. But for voiceover, I'd consider it. Thank you for the comparison.

Love the Taylor sound !!

Have had the Samson CO1 for years and I love its versatility. But my main vocal mic is the Rode NT1-A.

@nekoroms

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah samson sounded pleasing to the ear whatever thing Glenn threw at it.. So great choice for the "record anything" type of a person with tight budget

I'm surprised you didn't do the AT 2020, but still, this is a very good video

Dude, I love you for reading Hitchhiker's Guide

I had a pair of the 181's for drums and wasn't feeling them so i got some 414 xls. totally worth it

Love the Hitchhiker reading!!!!!!!

I use the AKG P120 for micing my cab and it sounds fantastic combined with a dynamic mic.

I really like that shure on acoustic and voice over.

Cool Sweetwater! Big time KZreadr!1 Sweet video thank you!! I appreciate you for doing these videos. They are very helpful.

i own the AKG P120 and Glenn was absolutely right about the sensitivity to shock and vibration, but its is a really good mic, very crisp. Really liked the Samson C01 as well, a pretty good allrounder. and talking about the shure, more often than not, you can just buy a shure product blindly and it will be good.

Fuck yes! I loved the last chopping block video, so glad to see this series supported

I can honestly say that Douglas Adams has never tried too sell me a mic before... but I'm glad he did! I had my eye (ear?) on that AKG as it always seems to get glowing reviews. After your review, Glenn, its a hard NO from me for that mic. You always seem to save me money, Mr. Fricker. Thank you!

@dannyboi9552

3 жыл бұрын

I love my p120!

@ochd1502

3 жыл бұрын

@@dannyboi9552 me too 😂

This was really good! Unforunate it arrived a bit late for me but later on I can try to flip what I have and change it :)

The guitar and the band recordings were awesome. Highly entertaining.

as user of C01 since 2012 i'm proud having it on my own arsenal

The translation actually helped a lot! Did you use drummers language? Awesome video !!!

Great video, thanks

I’m currently using the AT2020 and a rode nt1 for my vocal mics depending on the voice. I like them both. I used the P220 for a few years as well as the p120. All GREAT mics at any price point for the most part. My favorite of the bunch has been the NT1, and you can find those for around $100 at pawn shops all day. I actually take NT1 over TLM 102-103 and every U87 clone I’ve ever used. Best bang for buck you can get, especially when paired with an SSL channel strip on an Apollo, or even the Avalon..pure gold.

Thanks for the review! Got the AKG P420 which I guess is very similar to the P120 but has switchable pickup patterns. I can confirm it's quite sensitive to shocks but the P420 comes with a shock mount which helps a lot. Wouldn't use it without that I gotta admit. Also I don't know how it reacts in a drum room with all the shocks from loud drums and kick pedals...might be a deal breaker. I use it for recording acoustic guitar, works well for that.

Glen, I think a lot of us would love to hear you sing. It might be terrible (or not, who knows until you do). If it does suck, I'm sure it would be comedy gold. On a more serious note, it's actually really good practice to sing everything you play. It helps strengthen the link from brain to instrument, also being a little uninhabited about singing helps get musical ideas across to bandmates. Theres no need for everyone to have a great voice, but if you can keep a tune it's a massive aid to musicality in general.

I've been using an AKG P220 for about 15 years now on my guitars and I've always loved it. The 120 is definitely just a little more slimmed down. Honestly you can absolutely just by some thick foam from Amazon and fix that resonance issue. Or a shock mount like he said. That line all use the same capsule so they will sound great for whatever you're using it for.

I've had a Samson C01U for over a decade now. It works.

Love the Hitchhikers Guide ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I've been using the Samson C01 for years now since I started making music a few years ago. Still great.

I've had a 2020 for years, just got the C1 ... nice for acoustic guitar, vocals, etc... also just got the mxl990... its wonderful.

For guitar cabinet mics, the Audix i5 is an insanely good option. It's somewhat an SM57 clone, but it has its own distinct characteristics that make it worth looking at if you want something slightly different. Pairing it with a 57 can give you some really good results

I was looking for a $100 mic and I was thinking "Man, I wonder what would Glenn recommend" and then this video popped up xd

I would add the Behringer C-3 to that list, because it's one of a handful of mics I know below $100 that offers figure 8 and thus gives you the option to set up a Blumlein pair. I love to have that option available and the increased cost with other options gets pretty steep.

@snotvlek4721

3 жыл бұрын

Behringer B1 deserves a spot on this list too I think. I've bought it used for €40 and it sounds good on vocals, it has a bit of an exaggerated 'shine' to it but overall it sounds very pleasing

Wow! Thanks for this Edit: I was thinking on starting too record videos playing instruments without having to rely on my phone, so I really appreciate the timing of this video \m/ stay awesome Glenn

I picked up a used Co1 and it's a solid mic, cost me not very much, and it's a solid performer. Always, always check out used quality gear when shopping on a budget. Only new parts of my setup are the cables and the DBX286s channel strip.

Glen, my man, I watched this ages ago, but recently took your advice and bought a Shure PGA181 to mic my guitar cab.... I just came back to say THANK YOU! The sound is sweet as fuck, and for only $130 CDN! I have yet to try it on vocal recording, but I have a feeling it is gonna also be just as great. Thanks for your honest reviews, keep up the good work!

Excellent show and very informative. Can I ask you shoot-out some mikes for kick drum and bass cabs. Thanks man.

I like the brightness of the Sampson over the Shure. Sounds fantastic.

I know it was mostly due to the performance but PGA181 on acoustic guitar sounded like magic to me

You are so reading Douglas Adams. Cheers!

Nice quotes from one of my favorite books. Great comparison for future reference. Sent on an unremarkable blue marble from an unfashionable corner of the galaxy.

I would love to see you review some MXL mics!

Recorded my first album using the Samson C01, and now recording the second album with the same mic. Pretty satisfied with it. I also don't have a hard on for expensive gear anyway.

Thanks, i needed to have an honest review on the Samson mic, i've heard good things about it. The AKG IMHO is maybe just a bit better but for the application a bit of extra brightness is required (old ears) so the Samson fits the bill perfectly.

@rainbowkrampus

3 жыл бұрын

I've got a few samson mics and I'm always worried that whatever the next one is might be a dud due to the price. But so far none of them have disappointed. There's almost certainly a bit of luck involved as QA and build/components goes out the window at this price point. But when you get a good one it's going to do the job and you won't be nearly so concerned if you're carting it around to different places.

Mics that are proven over time that cost less than $100 (at Sweetwater): Shure SM57 and Shure SM58.

@dbackscott

3 жыл бұрын

We’ve got a few SM-58s that have been used for at least 11 years (probably over 20 years) and still sound great.

@CreativeMindsAudio

3 жыл бұрын

Facts, but all of these are condensers.

@Juice_boxtv

3 жыл бұрын

Rode m3 is a great 57 replacement if you need a condensor ;)

@swingset1969

3 жыл бұрын

This isn't about dynamics. Those are great mics, for an entirely different purpose.

@joachimwawra1654

3 жыл бұрын

Dont waste money... u can get equivalent for 15? Bucks... believe it or not.... behringer xm8500 but thats the only behringer mic i recommend ^^

Hey there from the future! Just watched your mic comparison, and you know what? I've been wielding the AKG P100 since 2015, mostly for vocals and voiceovers. Now, here's a funny twist - every single test you ran, AKG triumphed in my personal hit parade. Why? It seems owning the thing made it sound sweeter every time. I guess I fell for that classic cognitive bias we all suffer from, where our eyes hijack our ears. I mean, I had a session with a fancy and really expensive Soyuz mic once, and it mangled my voice so bad I needed to chainsaw the EQ to get it back to life. But my AKG? Straightforward and clean? or at least it seems to me. This video of yours was a reality check for me - reminded me to challenge that bias every time. Sure, the Shure and SE Electronics were cool too, but who's kidding? AKG is the real rock star here, lol. Great video by the way, but next time I'll need a blindfold to truly hear!

“If you’re young and you’re still I’m school...” You really hit the nail on the head there

I'm a newbie, but I've owned the AKG P120 for several years now. I've found that it tends to compliment higher toned voices, like mine, better than the competitors. Personal opinion.