18 Cheap Large Diaphragm Condenser Vocal Mic Test

UPDATE SEPT-19 - here's a link to a zip file containing the clips: bit.ly/2fgLkOC (251 MB - 18 clips of dry unprocessed mono vocals and 18 clips of stereo w/ music and light processed vocals but NO EQ, 44.1, 24 bit WAVs) NOTE: To Download click down arrow in the upper-right corner
Rode K2 Tube Mic - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
Behringer C-1 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL 880 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
M-Audio Nova - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
CAD GXL2400 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL 550 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
Rode NT2000 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL V63M - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL 2006 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL R80 Ribbon Mic - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL V67 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
Samson C01- • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
Sterling Audio ST51- • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL 3000 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL 990s - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL 2001 - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
MXL V69 Tube Mic - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
Rode NTK Tube MIc - • 18 Cheap Large Diaphra...
Recorded with Digidesign PRE into Digidesign 192 Analog to Digital clocked with Apogee Big Ben at 44.1 khz 24 bit into Pro Tools 12.8.1 HD 2010 Mac Pro with Digidesign Native HD card. Plugins used Waves Renaissance Vox, L2 and H-Reverb - no EQ. Clip-gain was used to raise +2 to +7 DB. Original song Always and Forever chorus copyright 2014, JTA Music.

[@DannySchneible]

The MXL v69 stood out to me with some real nice sound. crisp, clear, glistening tone.

[@auggiebendoggy]

Fully agree. The Rode ntk sounds pretty smooth too. But that v69 sounded balanced.

[@sandoeslim57]

Facts the MXL 69 is the one!!

[@AlikhanImagery]

Same!! v69 popped out the best in my opinion

[@Hebrew816]

Wow not just because I own one but the v69 did stand out better

[@enriqueortega1003]

exactly

[@ZakRahman]

To those complaining about the backing music. Three points: 1. He has made the clips available to download. 2. It shows that *in context* it is very difficult to tell the difference. 3. All that matters is what comes out of the speaker. Your listeners don't care if you're using a USB microphone or a 4000 neumann. All the best :)

[@hegotgame9347]

That's what I was saying.

[@GeorgeMaddaloni52463]

Exactly! Is there really a way to tell the difference between a $3600 mic or a $100 mic in a finished recording? I mean providing the skills of the engineer are there. I highly doubt it. If the finished track sounds good then it is good! Kudos to Justin for taking the time to make this video.

[@MrmelodyUs]

The idea was to hear the Microphone reproduction of the voice!

[@drogers0033]

The Rode mic's blew the MXL away the last NTK tube was by far your best man !!

[@MaximusAdonicus]

I'll just basically reiterate what most have said: The MXL V67 and V69 stood out as the best! And the quality of Behringer C-1 surprised me! The ribbon mic sounded dull as hell. Everything else was pretty much similarly okay. The 200$ and 500$ mics didn't sound ANY better than the cheaper ones!

[@EckertAndras]

12:16 great sound!

thanks soooo much for this comparisions there are sooo many mics on the market but many channels only review the best known ones but it is hard to get a review on lesser known ones

[@survivor030406]

I apreciate the work that was involved making this video. I would like to see a remake without the heavy bass and strings. A mid tempo blues shuffle would be good.

[@simaojoseph]

Yeah Scatman style.

[@bandsonline]

Thank you for this wonderful video. There was a ton of work that was put into it and it shows.

[@Justin1524]

Thanks for the kind words! This was all fun to put together and I think it proves you can get great sound with just about any of these low cost mics. You might like to try downloading the wav file clips here: bit.ly/2fgLkOC

[@GamerToday]

@@Justin1524 best comparison for any mics online ive seen over the years. You have a wonderful singing voice as well. Its like Phil Collins in terms of your range and how you go to the high notes. You really should do more videos along these lines or just in general. 16 mics in 1 day must have been murder half way in to keep doing the song and i might say you sang almost everytime very consistently which is rare to see on youtube for comparison. Your clearly trained. Even id struggle doing 16 takes all those mics wow that would take some effort.

[@harvesteroftone5473]

The behringer sounds surprisingly good. Almost as good as the V67

[@eweeparker]

this is the blahblahblah ##. "I could never live without you, I never want to be without you. You and I will be together, always and forEvaaaahhh. And if I ever feel I can't go on, I'll look to you and I will be made new. Take my hand we'll be together always and forever. "

[@sambalsamurai9672]

First I thought you were just another audio engineer, untill I heard the passion and the talent that in your singing :) Nice review, with so much options Im more lost than I have nailed down what I wanted lol :D

[@zentralitoaudio3431]

MXL v69 sounds really good :D I'm impressed! even listening directly from youtube

[@randommann6240]

Thanks. Good job, that's a lot of mics to test! Surprisingly they all sounded pretty good.

[@Justin1524]

Thanks you might like to try downloading the wav file clips here: bit.ly/2fgLkOC

[@HotBadBoyMagnifico]

And the winner is...the MXL V69. Thanks for the video.

[@YakDiezel]

CAD , RODE NT2000, MXL V67, SAMSON C01, ST51, AND THE RODE NTK. I expected the rode mics of course even the sterling but CAD and SAMSON were surprising. great job cool song too.

[@matijatatomirovic3351]

A lot of these are basically the same mics, same capsules and circuits rebranded by different companies. M Audio Nova and Sterling Audio ST51 are the same mic in different housings. Those two use the same capsule as Manley Reference, if you ever get the chance to shoot them out against Manley i promise you will get shocked how close they are! Most of MXLs are the same mics with slight variations. Great video, thanks.

[@johng5261]

how do you know the nova and st51 are the same? I thought the m-audio nova was a bit heavier

[@jasonvoorxeeshonestreviews1395]

Amazing test. K2 was the best then V69 and NTK. R80 Ribbon is good in its own way. Pretty nice results there, and thanks for the clips, will get better impression after listening directly and analyzing in audio tools.

the mxl v67 at aroun 8:40 stood out for me and the v69 at around 12:30 thanks a lto for thsi test, perfectly made, great performance and i get it was a lot of work so thanks a lot man!!

[@MeTuLHeD]

I think what is MOST interesting is how the majority of the mics are more alike than different...which is to be expected I suppose given their price tags and the fact that most of them probably contain the exact same Chinese sourced components. However, there were a few notable exceptions...both good and bad. Exception 1 - MXL R80 - It possessed all of the typical ribbon virtues...a smooth and non-spitty top end and a lower mid forward presentation which gave this singer a chesty/throaty character. Exception 2 - Samson C01 - Thisssss one had glaring sssssibilance. Exception 3 - MXL V69 - This one was a revelation. It's like someone took away a veil in front of the mics. Of course, that could be down to an overly bright forward tonal balance? I just know it had a sound signature and character distinctively different from the rest. Possibly the tube?

[@JohnDoe-yl4so]

Thanks so much for doing this dont know you was burning out a lil bit but you still got it out i personally have used the Samson condenser c01 that mic is super great on vocals..

[@teachlearner5089]

Great video. Love to hear more about your gear overall and see a video tour. Thanks for posting and best wishes.

[@fredbissnette3104]

The green 67 mxl sounded fantastic

[@BigKarl519]

Thank you, always and forever.

[@weaktearecords]

Thanks a lot, this is super helpful. It gives me way more faith in MXL. The V67 and V69 sound great. I wasn't impressed by any rode mic. I thought even the behringer C1 beats the rode mics. The Behringer B2 Pro seems like an awesome mic for the price

[@francoisBonin-phils]

did not see any B2?

[@JaredJayLemon]

Thanks for showing the results in the mix - considering that's what ultimately matters for my vocal mics, it's nice to hear how each one handles a voice in context. Thanks for the great work (and this song has been stuck I'm my head nonstop)!

[@Justin1524]

Jared Jay Lemon thanks - differences are mostly subtle, you can do a lot with even the cheapest mics!

[@tyson1ize]

yea true

[@kodigo4661]

Man put the real song on KZbin I love this song !

[@jmch6359]

I think it's obvious the tube mic captures more subtle details - even if they do crackle a little, it still absolutely blows away the competition. Guess I have to shell out for one of those too.

[@Hebrew816]

I am now so proud of owning the MXL Mogami v69

[@Invitational2]

They all sound exactly the same. My mind is blown!

[@ivane1168]

Thank you! I hear slight deviations of the frequency response(excluding ribbon one, that's really deaf), and huge S/N difference especially between 1st and 2nd example. I think need to leave more silence time to evaluate the S/N, which mostly makes difference. For a demo purpose, even $20 condenser is fine, however, for a music production they are too noisy(maybe $20 mic + noise reduction is ok as well but not for a vocal jazz of course). PS: where it was possible, I found silence and measured S/N(data was normalized for voice over =0db): Rode K2 Tube Mic 66.3db(A) Behringer C-1 55.8db(A) MXL 880 69.4db(A) M-Audio Nova 62.9db(A) CAD GXL2400 66db(A) MXL 550 70db(A) Rode NT2000 70.8db(A) MXL V63M MXL 2006 72db(A) MXL R80 Ribbon Mic MXL V67 68.6db(A) Samson C01 61.6db(A) Sterling Audio ST51 68.9(A) MXL 3000 71db(A) MXL 990s 62.3db(A) MXL 2001 MXL V69 Tube Mic 61.6db(A) Rode NTK Tube MIc 65.4db(A)

[@WoLfBeATZ-]

WHEN YOU UPGRADE THE TUBE INSIDE THE V69 IT WILL EVEN OUT PERFORM MORE EXPENSIVE MICS !

[@Justin1524]

That's interesting. Can you recommend a tube? Thanks for replying!

[@DrUmSensitive]

I think you should have sang a little bit closer to the mic, this way many sound just identical, and I suspect it has to do with the position of the mics in respect to your mouth. Also, to my great surprise, the Behringer C1 sounded GREAT! Just what "the doctor ordered" for recording your vocals! I loved it!!! I used to own two (wanted to use them for overheads) but one of them was faulty so I returned them both (without even thinking about it, they were so cheap even new, back then...)

[@rawencrow]

weird but behringer c-1 put you on another level..i never thought i would like a behringer mic..but sounds best to you

[@old_romans]

The MXL V67 seemed really great for the price, but the K2 does stand out.

[@nathanread7980]

finally someone who can provide a link to uncompressed audio files! Thank you!

[@upandrunninproductions6167]

I could only hear a different in two. The v69 stood out, and the ribbon mic I didn't like. The rest sound the same to my 👂. Thank you sp much see 200 dollar price tag doesn't mean a thing

[@okay1904]

Thank you. Nice demo/comparison

[@jonathankingsofficial]

Hearing your voice is so awesome!!! 🤘🤘

[@kurtwieting]

Amazing review. Boy did you just save a lot of people a lot of work.

[@sillystoic9252]

Damn loved it, shows you that you can do it with almost any mic .

[@torbenhellborn3175]

Yes, thanks a LOT . . I agree with NoMoreWords in asking for a dry signal test or "the blues" . . as more as you in the beginning said you would also do a dry signal test . . but thanks again

[@el_conde_doku]

very good test, I think the rode is the best and the mxl v69 very good sound

[@sarielmusic92]

Man you sing very good and the song is so nice........a real pleasure for my ears and my soul mannnnn God bless you the smooth of the MXL V69 is the best.......;

[@krissothegreat.3119]

either your mixing is bang on . or them mxl mics are very pleasing

[@SakaNick]

behringer c1 always on my heart.. and my pocket :v

[@LanceisLawson]

The V67G is my choice I have one and it's a fine mic

[@johnrichardson1867]

The MXL V69 was fuller sounding & MXL 2001 had a bit more presence than the rest most were on the same leveland sounded good.

[@steveowen1111]

I have a total of about, 50 odd mike. A mix of studio/stage mikes, some of the same you have. I also have a Beringer C-1, I have to give your processing equipment, an A+, because I some $15 no name stage mikes. That sound much better.😊

[@Derricky007]

It`s shocking how small the difference is when you hear the processed result. There are some slight differences. Of course on KZbin everything is compressed. All in all there are no worlds between all mics. Surely there is a bigger difference in quality on the raw recorded vocal. The MXL V69 and the Rode NTK, even the Rode K2 is great. The C1 and all other condensers are also great, but the tube mics are somehow better on your voice. You can only get that warmth with the tube preamped technology, in my opinion the nowadays hybrid technology between transistor and tube is the best compromise. Different vocals will match differently depending on the situation.

[@MrSeeker42]

MXL 880 tamed all your peaks and valleys the best. Best suited for your vocal signature.

[@RetroElectroville]

It scares me to say....the Behringer really shocked me here! It has that vintage early 80's sound, surprisingly nice compared to the others. Never would've guessed. Can't believe I'm saying it, but I would pick it over the others in a choice. Fun video!

[@rawencrow]

i agree.. never thought i like behringer mic but it fits best on his vocal..

[@paulotonedef]

This must be extremely old because people want $1000 for an mxl v69.

[@AlexRuddMusic]

Paul D Clifford they’re less than 250 on amazon lmao. He said $100 USED

[@paulotonedef]

Alex Rudd Music www.ebay.com.au/itm/MXL-V69-ME-Mogami-Edition-Tube-Studio-Condenser-Mic-w-FREE-Mic-Cable-and-Pop/183707974236?hash=item2ac5d93a5c:g:XvwAAOSw6HJcd6aW

[@mrespinosa7479]

hey thats amazing, i looked out for a video like this a long time

[@steamingheartbeat]

You have a professional singing voice :-) I like the MXL V69 best. I own a MXL 2006 and a MXL CR89

[@definitiveenergy1]

Oddly enough I liked the Behringer and NTK the best on your voice. Great job with the video and nice song!

[@vavavanity]

so helpful. I have found the mic I want to use for my vocal recording. also very catchy song lol

[@MultitrackCassetteFans]

Thanks, this video is useful!

[@marcusdolby1]

No Audio Technics 4033? Probably the best budget Large Diaphragm ever.

[@robquinn3584]

Hello Justin I appreciate your video. You did a good job. I have listened to a lot of videos of mic comparisons and no matter who does them I cant tell the difference between a cheap mic and an expensive one. I don't know if that makes me a lucky guy or unlucky guy.

[@Justin1524]

Rob Quinn thanks Rob. The differences are subtle. More something you feel when you’re singing. A good mic inspires a good performance. The mic choice depends on the singer and the song. All the best and thanks for the kind words.

[@robquinn3584]

Thanks Justin.

[@timtheli0n]

It is hard to tell the difference with the mix. If you download the original you'll notice a few things: 1. during the silence after announcing the type of mic, there is very quiet white noise with some, where-as others are silent. For recording the spoken word, you'll want a mic that is silent when idle. 2. The recordings are not balanced, because the poster did not reconfigure their pre-amp between microphones, some microphones are significantly quieter with the same amplification. 3. Some microphones pick up a lot more pop and lip noise. 4. You'll notice with the Rode NTK and the MXL R80, when the singer starts "cause I could never" that in the words "cause" and "I" sound much different than the other mics. Less sharp, the amplitude doesn't vary as much. Whether that is good or bad is probably subjective, so long as you're not getting actual clipping.

[@mattcero1]

I appreciate this guys effort here. But Large is anything 1" and higher. Medium is between 1/2" and 1". Small is 1/2" and smaller. That's what I'm hearing anyway in the forums and on here (YT) as well.

[@ARGON023]

Dziękuję! Thank YOU! ... Dziękuję! Thank You! ... Dziękuję! Thank You! Regards All

[@falifopyt6874]

It's true :D Polska moc! :'D

[@voa23]

Ha the singing was a nice suprise! Great Job and thanks for sharing.

[@maxkilluminati8278]

I recorded vocals with my cell phone in my dim room and it sounded well edited

[@Dr.Fingertips]

Thanks man, I appreciate it.

[@carloscontreraspal]

The mxl 880, 2006 and the rode, sounds really good

[@Bcwilderness]

great video justin, they get the job done in a blind test i wouldnt care

[@enriqueortega1003]

great video nice nice congratulations, the best microphone is mxl v69 mogami edition, more body and armonics.

[@TheTonylopezband]

Mxl 2006,Mxl v63m, behringer and mxl 550. Sound best to me 😀 ,cheers Tony Lopez Band 😏🎸

[@adrianlyord5300]

Very good 👍and thanks for sharing your video and putting the time and effort into making your video! I guess it doesn't hurt to have extra microphones in the studio?! Kudos 🎼

[@jarrodleerocks]

Other than the ribbon mic I couldn’t tell a difference. Good review

[@user-ti7dj5jl5d]

For me MXL V69 Tube Mic!

[@totallyfrozen]

Thanks for doing this. I think the music beds need the singing were a bit too loud. Kind of masked a lot of the characteristics of the mics.

[@saxologo3297]

El Rode NTK the best , suena mas cálido en su voz un sonido mas pro que todos los demás, suena a disco.

[@zentralitoaudio3431]

no te dejes llevar por la marca ni el precio .. el MXL v69 resalta mucho mas su timbre :D

[@Furybeatsgme]

The rode mics sounded pretty good I didn't really like the sound of the tube one though, most of the mxl's are pretty bad but the v69 was the best sounding out of all the mics tested.

[@user-dm2ds8tz6y]

Thank you

[@fane7058]

My opinion:::: best sound for voice over - Rode tubes,, best for music is Samson- has some noise, but is most natural and realistic; noisiest is Behringer, overall any cheap mic on the list is worth having...CAD at $15 sounds better than Rode NT200 at $200. Mxl ribbon sounds worst; In general, the most expensive mics are for those with bad voices and ears, they cut out some harmonics to seem clearer to untrained ears that need to be given mildly amplified harmonics that say, "oh but that's crystal clear, it stands in the mix". And there's another reason why studios prefer very expensive microphones: their clients don't have gifted voices and expensive microphones must do just that, hide the flaws in the voice and simplify the harmonies of the instruments so that the client says, "oh, I like that...it sounds like a pro"...because corporations sell trics for senses, they sell what makes people more confident about themself.... Mr Justin, what is your choice, please?

[@user-dm2ds8tz6y]

Your voice is good

[@Justin1524]

Thank you!

[@KenTeel]

Great job, Justin (and your singing is good) !! Thanks for all of the demos. You really went way beyond what most of us do, in presenting what these mics are all about. Here's a couple of links. If you want to hear what two mics sound like with EQ, here is the Behringer C1 and Audio-Technica AT2020. The Behringer has 3 sets of EQs that it is running through. The AT2020 has one set that it runs through, and it's bumped on the highs and lows. Here is the C1, first. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6LQoXppbZKpaas Here is the AT2020 kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZLFXqtqnMmEi5o

[@Orbacron]

Thanks bud, ran across a vintage mxl v63m

[@jujuisdatyou3074]

Gimme a microphone

[@jamescassidy4045]

Looks like you have quite the studio! What do you record mainly? Done many bands or albums?

[@Justin1524]

Thanks James - the studio is in the basement of my home, I have a small control room and a tracking room just big enough for drums and a few players. Love to record my own music and occasionally bands. Guitar is my main instrument but I play a little bit of everything (bass, piano, drums). I love singing and writing music.

[@rolandkurcz888]

Very good performance, congratulation! What is this beautiful song? Is your?

[@frankysworld6782]

MXL V69 Tube & Behringer C1

[@superstringsbro]

I don't wanna take your hand, now or never

[@AlikhanImagery]

Great Effort brother! thanks .bless

[@AlbertMilliron]

And I thought I had a lot of microphones! After 40 years I’m going to be doing some voice over work and I’m used to the RE-20, RE-27 and the Shure SM7B. Based on all you’re microphone reviews, what inexpensive microphone is close? Your review is on singing. What about for voice over?

[@willreed5977]

Thanks Justin, it seems that al the MXL V series mic's to my seemed to cut through the mix better with the exception of the Rode K2,. I like the V63M and V69 best, I might have to check those out on Evil Bay.

[@liammcneillmusic6337]

super helpful, thank you!!

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

Awesome job man.

[@nicholasfranchise8127]

Thanks Justin! I actually really dig your song, is there anywhere I can listen to the full/final version? Cheers!

[@antoineinniss140]

Hi, we enjoyed your comprehensive presentation down here in the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago . I'm a new voice over artist, on the look out for deals on microphones , because I'm on a shoe string budget. Do you have any condenser microphones, you won't mind selling?...the m-audio nova is my first choice . Please let me know and maybe we can discuss off KZbin....thanks man. Oh by the way, what's the noise floor in the samson co1 like?

[@wckoek]

Of all those I only have the M-Audio Nova. Of the 18 mics, which one is your personal favourite?

[@guitar360seb]

the only mic i can hear a big difference is the ribbon mic. really noice

[@GiantOfTheNorth]

Thanks for the great video! Would you recommend any of these mics for voice overs (simply talking instead of for music production)?

[@Justin1524]

Provided you have isolation similar to what I had (or better) yes! If you're podcasting to a camera in a noisier environment the the shure SM7 is a good choice. In this low cost category the standouts for me are the MXL v67, 3000 or 880 and the M-Audio Nova.

[@gphillimo]

Idk how he found those extra low prices but most of these mics are much higher priced used now than they were when he made this video

[@staple765]

The CAD and the XML 990 MIGHT BE the best, and the cheapest!

[@RobCoates1]

Why do you have all those MXL mics? Basically, MXL have 3 or 4 mic types that are put in every mic they've ever made. They just change the shell and a few components here or there. Many MXL mics however, are great platforms for modification to make them sound much better for a few dollars in components.

[@MrJordancameron]

Mxl 880 wasn't bad might pick one up.

[@PhilipChristian]

2:03 2:41 3:20 3:59 4:37 5:17 5:56 6:32 7:12 7:51 V67 8:30 9:10 9:50 10:28 11:05 11:43 V69 12:22 13:04

[@cryblood55]

Is the full song available anywhere?