Earthworks ETHOS review - impressive microphone for podcast and livestream

[@curtisjudd]

For sibilant voices and neutral voices -> ETHOS. For dark voices -> Earthworks SR314 which we reviewed here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYSTopybd5tpm5o

[@Burrfection]

I bought 4 units of the Ethos before the price drop. Annoying but I agree, they are fantastic sounding mics

[@curtisjudd]

I agree, still use mine every week for my livestream 🎙️

[@tjzuppe]

Since picking this up, it’s been almost exclusively used for podcasting. I just thought the slightly higher noise floor and more broadcast-style low-end made it a poor fit for natural sounding voice-over. But I tried it one day, took off the foam and did some dynamic EQ tweaking … and wow, was I wrong. I think this is a hidden gem for VO work.

[@curtisjudd]

Indeed!

[@RudeCanine]

Confused, you said this has a higher noise floor would make it bad for Podcasting, but the Shure SM7B has a silly high noise floor due to being dynamic. ????

[@tjzuppe]

@@RudeCanine Nope, not bad for podcasting. I said I worried the slightly higher noise floor - as in, higher than some other condenser mics - might make it bad for “natural-sounding voice-over,” as in pro VO. I don’t believe that to be the case, though.

[@carlosq00]

Dude, I love the "if you want to pretend you're hosting an FM radio station, use the RE20" that was an excellent summary.

[@curtisjudd]

😉🎙

[@felixbigly]

New to mics and had the Earthworks Ethos first. Sold it only to return back to it after trying many others. Couldn't believe how well this mic handled my room's noise compared to others. Won't be getting rid of it again any time soon. Had to try many others to understand how good it was. Icon Pro is great also!!! Really enjoy the content. Great video.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks Felix and glad you found the mic that works well for you! 🎙

[@SpencerThayer]

I've been waiting for you to do this video! Thanks. I have the SM7B plus the RE20 and now I know I'm not missing out on the ETHOS.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@iamfrankstallone]

Of course I picked up a Earthworks ETHOS a few weeks ago to see how it sounded over the Shure SM7B I had been using for years... and this video comes out. 🤣 As always, thanks for the review, and revisiting the common condensor vs. dynamic mic argument.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks and I hope you found the mic that works best for you!

[@MATTHEWJOHNBELL]

I'm repeatedly surprised at how the RE20 consistently sounds great. Still the king of broadcast imo.

[@chrisogrady28]

The only dynamic mic I actually like the sound from

[@curtisjudd]

I find it works well with some voices, but seems to emphasize the sibilance in voices which have a fair bit of it, like mine.

[@mattwruff]

Generally speaking, I've never had a bad Earthworks mic. So I am using Ethos as well and it is great. I have never really like the SM7B but I have a lot of other Shure mics. As a consultant, I have 5 Mic's I take to customers to try out. The Ethos, the RE-20, the SR314, the Rode Procaster and the Pod Mic. We try every mic and then they pick (normally they let other people pick which is better) Now we record each mic and then play it back (all on the RCP2) so we're judging the full signal chain. When I need to do a quick Voice Over or Zoom call I use the Earthwork Icon mini-usb mic because I don't keep all my gear out.

[@curtisjudd]

Nice set of options to choose from there, Matt 👍

[@jasondordel9630]

This was fantastic Curtis! Whenever I have questions about a mic, I always check to see if you've done anything with it first. Just wanted to say thank you, and your hard work (your wife and daughter as well) is much appreciated. :)

[@curtisjudd]

Awesome, thank you!

[@OrphanSocks]

I have 3 Earthworks mics, the Ethos, Icon Pro, and SR314. The Ethos is by far my favorite, followed by the SR314, then Icon. All 3 are incredible in their own right.

[@curtisjudd]

👍🎙️

[@geezer2tech154]

The dynamic vs condenser ambient noise test was very interesting. Perhaps you will test some more microphones with various types of ambient noise in future videos.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@marcgeronimo2997]

You are the first person ive heard that said they needed in the 40's for gain on this mic.

[@curtisjudd]

I have a quiet voice. Every voice is different.

[@the.wanderer]

I kept saying that dynamic mics are not better rejecting the room noise to people but they didn't believe. I've tested it and could not find the dynamic mic is better. But they didn't believe. Thanks for the test! Your test result should be easier to persuade than my personal test :)

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@envisiotube]

Attention, high risk of confusion. "Higher sensitivity" of condensers does not mean they are more sensitive to ambient noise. Mics have not built-in compressors (except of something like an Axino), so they act "linear" (well, the ear does not work linear but I hope you know what I mean). The sensitivity for noise or unwanted sound depends from construction (hum canceling through good isolation respectively a hum cancellation coil in dynamics) and from sensitivity dependent from the angle (which is roughly shown in a polar measurement pattern); the latter is especially related to the capsule design: omni vs. cardiod vs. shotgun, Variable-D with air channels etc.). And, as you stated, the distance from the mic is important, the nearer, the better the SNR that you can reach. I especially liked your ambient noise test! So, thanks! Oh, and you can buy noiseless fans for your tower pc.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@RANDassociatesinc]

Wow!!! Solid performer!! I have been a solid Sennheiser user and with this mic I am Very impressed!

[@curtisjudd]

Same here 👍

[@EarthworksAudio]

Great video Curtis! Thanks for showcasing the ETHOS ❤️

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@Xerpocalypse_]

I finally found my ideal vocal mic for streaming and communication with this one. No other mic has produced an unprocessed tone that worked as well as the Ethos on my voice. Kind of a shame then, that mine started screeching loudly (audible on the Motu M4 and visible on the meter) after I powered it on out of the box w/ Phantom Power. It was an intermittent issue, and I did manage to record some tests. B&H agreed to exchange it, but the black model is unfortunately backordered for the time being with no ETA on a replacement. :( I hope the replacement works better when it arrives, and that this isn’t a widespread issue.

[@curtisjudd]

Hopefully the new copy works well for you. I've had mine for over a year with no issues.

[@leomozoloa5305]

8:45 finally someone that tests this myth. It actually performed better than the other ones but the narrower polar pattern might help, usually the difference is negligeable as background noise pickup can't be physically function of the mics technology. One thing is I wouldn't advice to pick a dyn mic in any case, even when very close as the ethos is made for this (hence the pop shield, which also actually make the mic capsule still pretty far from the mouth even when touching the foam) and has a way more natural and versatile frequency response. Getting closer you might go down to just 15 to 20dB of gain which is perfectly fine and isn't far from the sweet sport of most modern audio interfaces, where the preamp noise overpowers the converter noise. Doing so you'll also virtually get no mic self noise. All my clients using Ethos or Icon Pros have it right up their mouth and that works perfectly, and insanely better than a dynamic in every scenario in my experience, and it makes sense given the respective technologies performances.

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for sharing your experience with these, Leo. 👍

[@sbsphotographer]

Now is the perfect time for your awesome hand model!!! You might want turn the heat up.. So you can ditch the puffer jacket… The review is awesome too! 😎👍🏻

[@curtisjudd]

There is no heater in this space, unfortunately.

[@sbsphotographer]

@@curtisjudd Would a heater introduce noise into the space? maybe a ceramic heater would be quite enough, I don’t know but an interesting question… Please don’t put off your videos until spring! Just put on another layer of clothing!!! Thanks for your content, it is appreciated 😎👍🏻

[@curtisjudd]

No, but it is a 1500 square foot unfinished basement so it is a LOT of space. Some day we’ll finish it off and make my dream studio 👍

[@norfolkbea]

Another fab review, Curtis, Thank you (as well as Dani & Emma) for featuring female voices in your reviews. Would love to see more of them. I have the Earthworks Icon USB, which I love, as well as the SM7B. I tried the RE20 but it wasn’t a good match for my voice. Might pull the trigger on the Ethos. Currently working my way through your course, ‘Production Sound Fundamentals’ 👍🏻👍🏻

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks and happy recording!

[@2121cv]

Thank you for this comparison. I particularly liked the part with the fan noise. I learned one thing: - I thought that these dynamic mics rejected more background noise. - the Ethos respects the sound of the fan - the Ethos gives a natural, balanced soundstage and the other two a disturbing background noise - to my taste this scene is more pleasant to hear with the Ethos because the fan noise sounds right !🙃 In a reverberant environment, using the Ethos must be difficult. It would be an interesting challenge to propose a selection of microphones for "voice podcasting" in a bedroom. Sorry for bad english

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks for the insights

[@Featherlightstudio]

Love this comparison and the way the Ethos handles plosives! How do you find the ethos compares to the SM7b for mouth clicks and noise? Both our SM7b and RE20 have that issue about 6-8" away speaking slightly to the side on certain voices.

[@curtisjudd]

It does pretty well. I have the most problems with the RE20, then the SM7B, then the ETHOS. So, I'm definitely happy with the ETHOS as a livestream mic where I don't have a processor to manage mouth clicks and noise.

[@StarWarsJay]

Listened on Beyerdynamic DT 1990’s via a Focusrite 4i4 3rd Generation. To my ears, I prefer the Electrovoice RE20. It has a very clear, forward sound that’s loud, but not distorted. I like the Shure the least. It sounds slightly muddy compared to the other two, but has presence. The Ethos seems to be a mixture of both mics. It’s very clear, but does have some low end power to it. It looks the nicest out of the three too. Just my opinion of course.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@curtisjudd]

May the force be with you…

[@StarWarsJay]

@@curtisjudd haha cheers Curtis.

[@wolfgilbert]

I totally agree that the Ethos sounds best on your voice. I have been using the SM7B for a while now and I like it a lot on my voice. I tried the Ethos and whereas I certainly liked it, I just flat out preferred the sound of the SM7B on my voice…it just re-enforces for me what many reviewers have said, there is no “best” microphone for everyone, or every situation. I wish there was a way to “try” every great mic before having to buy them. Reviews like this are great, but they only get you so far.

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@braydenfrost]

Great video ,as always I enjoy your reviews and content. Quick question in a small room which would be a better choice for microphone sennheiser mke 600 or sennheiser E614 . Whats your opinion on these two ?

[@curtisjudd]

Hmm, not sure which would be better, but I did review the MKE 600 here if you're interested. I haven't used the e614. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4nWXmSIbbF2nZI

[@bedroomlab]

This mic sounds great on you, and in this video it sounds far less muffled than I've heard in other KZbin reviews. Can I ask what processing you added to it this video and your livestreams? Thanks.

[@diesel10]

Hi there! This is based off of the information at 0:50. No processing other than normalizing to -23 LUFS. As for livestreams, he will actually have a live today about livestreams. You can find it on his livestream channel "Curtis Judd Audio" or navigate to the "Channels" section on this channel and click on the channel I mentioned. He will go live on Sunday, 12 February at 12:00 PM MST (UTC -07:00). When you click on the live, it will tell you the time in your timezone. The lives last for an hour and questions are answered towards the end. Hope that helps.

[@curtisjudd]

The raw samples in this video were all normalized to -23 LUFS but there was absolutely NO other processing. For the rest of the video, it was also normalized to -23 LUFS, the breaths were reduced manually, and a handful of mouth noise moments were processed with RX Mouth De-click. For my livestreams, I just apply a mild compressor.

[@bedroomlab]

@@curtisjudd I just bought one! I've been hesitating for a few weeks, but your review helped me pull the trigger. I hope @Earthworksaudio send you some love (in the form of free mics to review).

[@curtisjudd]

@@bedroomlab Happy recording! 🎙

[@alexanderaseffa]

Curtis, one more gem mic in this category. AEA KU5A Supercardioid Ribbon Microphone. It resembles SM7B but 3 times the price. The general sound would be very smooth, very close proximity may induce low rumble can be corrected with its high pass filter but overall it has excellent room tone rejection. I think it will sound great on your voice removing the sibilances plus giving it weight or heftiness. As always great video.

[@curtisjudd]

Turns out I have an AEA KU5A and I love it. Haven't reviewed it yet.

[@apkenna]

Great review!! What low profile boom mic is that in the video?

[@curtisjudd]

That’s an OC White LP

[@sinocelt]

Great review, Curtis, as usual. In fact, they're getting better. Both more fluid and better structured. The Ethos wins on your voice. Easily. It gives it a velvety, nearly ribbony resonance. On Emma's voice, mh, that's not so clear-cut, but I'd say the RE20 performed best. (When you said you had a fan running behind you, I thought, "RUN, CURTIS, RUN!" Fans can be such dangerous people. 😈)

[@curtisjudd]

LOL! Not that kind of fan.

[@Rambeant]

ETHOS amazing sound ✨

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@czerskip]

Ethos sounds unbeatable in proper conditions!

[@curtisjudd]

Agreed, especially for sibilant voices.

[@old_jota]

Hi Curtis, please consider wearing something other than a dark black top when you're placing a dark black mic (or windscreen) in front you. It's difficult to see what mic you're using and at what angle and distance.

[@curtisjudd]

Ok, I need to buy a lighter colored jacket.

[@dxsaigon]

Great Review Curtis. One question I've always had about this mic is how it would handle the rejection of other voices in a multi-person podcast situation vs something like a dynamic mic. Any thoughts on this?

[@curtisjudd]

Honestly, pretty close to a cardioid - in fact, if you look closely at the RE20's polar pattern in the video, they're not that different.

[@dxsaigon]

@@curtisjudd Thank you Curtis. But besides pickup pattern, isn't sensitivity / dropoff an issue to consider?

[@curtisjudd]

@@dxsaigon yes, and we demonstrated that with the fan samples.

[@dxsaigon]

@@curtisjudd You certainly did. I rewatched it with my studio headphones and... yea, thank you so much for that. Learned what I needed to learn :)

[@lomaximus_music]

Awesome review!

[@curtisjudd]

Thanks!

[@ioan_jivan]

Coolest name on a microphonr

[@curtisjudd]

😀

[@Slipsch]

@curtis can you do a review of the Lauten Audio LS-208 and do a versus with all these mic?

[@curtisjudd]

If somebody has one I can borrow 👍

[@Slipsch]

@@curtisjudd I'm surprised that Lauten have yet to send you one. It's very sibilant on the flat mode, but with the 10k roll off, I think you will really really love it.

[@ivankjt]

Do you plan on reviewing and comparing the Sennheiser MKH 416 anytime soon?

[@curtisjudd]

Yes

[@Flash_510]

man i had to return it. my voice is dark/warm bassy side and despite trying my best eqing it down the ethos always sounded muddy and muffled. i see this video and man. it wasnt for my voice after all ughhh its so nice though!

[@curtisjudd]

Yeah, beautiful mic for the right voice, I hear that!

[@MikeO01]

Hi Curtis, do you think the DMW-XLR1 has a good enough preamp noise floor with the ETHOS or the Blue Sona or do you have any other suggestions? My aim is a sit-down monolog with the mic in the frame but not to close to cover my face, recording to a GH5. FYI I do not have the DMW-XLR1, but am considering it, if it would make my life easier. Or a simple usb-c mike to an iPad (no PC where I plan to record). The Rode NT1 is too obtrusive for me. Your expertise would be appreciated.

[@curtisjudd]

I’d look at a ZOOM F3 instead of the XLR1: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inmoc4KXZbqIgNE

[@MikeO01]

@@curtisjudd Thank you for the advice. Can you get high quality (or decent) from the F3 into the Panasonic or an iPad (not PC), or just externally. Thank you.

[@curtisjudd]

@@MikeO01 Yes, from the F3 into the camera is good.

[@MikeO01]

@@curtisjudd Thank you.

[@FallenKiid]

If I have an sm7b and need another microphone should I buy the ethos or re20?

[@curtisjudd]

The ETHOS generally sounds better on voices with sibilance while the RE20 works nicely for darker or lispy voices.

[@FallenKiid]

@@curtisjudd thank you!

[@BenG64646]

Are you sure you haven’t labeled the re 20 with the sm7b because in these recordings the sm7b sounds much harsher than I’m used to and the re20 much warmer?

[@curtisjudd]

Positive. Every voice & mic combination is different.

[@chrisogrady28]

IMO, large diaphragm end address condensers make excellent boom mics

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@chrisogrady28]

@@curtisjudd Just realised the Ethos isn't actually large diaphragm. Sounds amazing regardless

[@LearnLightAndSoundSessions]

@@chrisogrady28 Earthworks only designs microphones with diaphragms that are smaller than the traditional 1" large diaphragm. I believe their design philosophy relies on the smaller diaphragm to achieve the faster transient response and higher frequency capture they pride themselves on.

[@chrisogrady28]

@@LearnLightAndSoundSessions oh cool that's interesting. I'm primarily a photographer (and ex-physicist) so I'm still stuck in the notion of diaphragm size being analogous to sensor size or lens aperture, the bigger the better/more light. I've watched your videos about small diaphragm condensers for booming and found the notes about transience interesting. It seems like more an issue of diaphragm mass than size, so I wonder if a large super low mass capsule could give the best of both worlds. The best overall sounding mics I've heard are still large capsule after all, such as the Lewitt 1040

[@arizonarealestatewithdonbarar]

Hi Curtis, How do you get that multi color background? Don

[@curtisjudd]

Full explanation coming in a video soon. 👍

[@arizonarealestatewithdonbarar]

@@curtisjudd Thank you Curtis.

[@techmed-rainer]

Danke!

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@richardweddle3408]

Curtis Judd, in all your mic and recorder tests you never mention which XLR cables you rely on. Surely not all cable brands are alike. Mogami or amazon basics?

[@curtisjudd]

Mogami in this case. Definitely not Amazon basics. Had a friend that had all sorts of issues with the Amazon cables.

[@richardweddle3408]

@@curtisjudd -- what are the more reliable cables? I don't think you've done a video about XLR's.

[@curtisjudd]

@@richardweddle3408 I did a livestream on XLR audio cables: kzbin.info5D1WLtMiXn4?feature=share

[@richardweddle3408]

@@curtisjudd -- many thanks, that's useful.

[@spritual_enlightenment]

It seems people like ETHOS a lot by reading their comments.

[@curtisjudd]

Yes, indeed.

[@walter.bellini]

I’m Curtis Judd thanks for watching…

[@curtisjudd]

👍

[@manmadewilderness]

Curtis, when are you getting some heat in your basement studio? You look like you’re freezing!

[@curtisjudd]

When $100,000 drops into my bank account. 😅

[@peshrawable]

I bought Shure sm7b in local market of Iraq and now I know it’s fake and he didn’t accept returning it, I know there is capsule RPM 106 that i can change, but the switch part behind is still fake, my question for everyone is , if I buy the capsule and replace it my sound would be good or i need to change switch part too? Unfortunately i didn’t fine switch part anywhere on internet. Can anyone help me out? Or i need to buy new microphone? My choice would be rode nt1 vs aston origin and mke 600 , or only buying mkh416 for both interview and voice over

[@curtisjudd]

I suppose it depends on how much you enjoy DIY projects. Personally, I've messed up several electronics items so I'd buy a genuine microphone from an authorized dealer.

[@peshrawable]

@@curtisjudd I don’t do it myself, professionally they will do it for five USD in Iraq. Sennheiser mke 600 is 200$ and MKH416 is 680$ from authorized dealer in Iraq, a little suspicious but it’s only dealer in Iraq. Dose the difference that much or you can get 416 result from 600 just by little EQ?

[@byronholman9228]

RE320

[@curtisjudd]

I didn't have one on hand to compare with these. Sorry about that. 🙏

[@hsjawanda]

LOT of off-axis colouration! Otherwise a truer sound than the other two mics.

[@curtisjudd]

🙏

[@chrisogrady28]

Earthworks - sounds great RE-20 - sounds pretty good SM7B - trash

[@curtisjudd]

😳