FET Mics Vs. Tube Mics: Which Should YOU Buy?! | Make Pop Music

[@thehispanicmut6975]

If I could afford it I’d go tube for sure. It sounds so natural and would not require as much de essing while mixing. I can dial in the top end of that mic much easier since it’s not getting boosted as much from the start.

[@uptonfilms95]

You make the best audio engineering tutorials on KZbin! Thanks for all your hard work

[@MakePopMusic]

Thank you SO much!

[@CanditoTrainingHQ]

I prefer FET. Podcasts these days abuse a saturated AM radio type sound. It gets cliche fast. FET comes off super clean and way less listening fatigue for speaking.

[@sobhhi]

Agreed on this. Much easier to mix too

[@JonDeth]

The primary reason tubes are still so highly favored is the natural compression created by the grid, and when run into saturation, the distortion isn't audible the same way it is with semiconductors due to nonlinearity and the input signal giving a heavy dose of electrons reaching the plate as the pseudo driving force. *The natural bandwidth and various speed characteristics of semiconductors is superior, but this can be compensated with circuitry in tube circuits.* When saturation drives a tube into clipping, it's graceful and pleasing. Generally, an FET/MOSFET driven into clipping from saturation has a "shattered" texture and is typically obviously audible. If you aren't in the habit of running gear into saturation, it's going to largely boil down to the impact on your wallet, and you can always back off on an FET and run it through a tube in saturation after the fact. The tube sounded just a tiny bit fuller and for your style of vocals, it was just enough more pleasing for me to say go with the tube, or at least put one in the signal chain. *I think this last point is just so very widely overlooked.* We were also in agreement with the FET for the acoustic. More articulation, better definition and it lacks one of the primary things I can detest about tubes, mud. *I have often regarded this as saying the equipment will literally sound like it has cold congestion depending who set it up.* Of course, there's the ultimate option to run both or more pieces of equipment into individual tracks, then blend the levels. Seeking bass from one, treble the other etc. and you know the game. Oddly enough, I am an electrical/electronics engineer, so I fall into the class of people that will also always say "it's ridiculously overpriced", but this is the case with virtually every branch of consumer and commercial broadcast electronics where there's little disambiguation anymore as it is. *I will almost always favor BJT's over FETs, MOSFETs and even tubes, but I'm also the one designing or inventing the circuitry.* You get the best of both worlds and beyond.

[@HaharuRecords]

Mate, You have wrote a hole chapter that might be accepted for a new version for Bible. BTW, thanks a lot for the info.. it always helps

[@JonDeth]

@@HaharuRecords any device and the relative physics you want to know about just ask. Plate saturation is pretty easy to explain without confusing people outside the science. It's one of the more interesting functions of tube technology when related to audio, and clarifies the ”warmth” and ”mud” as we regard it.

[@officialdiomer]

Is it worth buying the Vanguard V13 then? Or would you suggest a cheaper FET mic

[@JonDeth]

@@officialdiomer my thoughts are how do you feel about spending that amount of money. If you both think and feel it's reasonable, then I would say you know what to do. If it's questionable since it's still a big commitment, I would do research into a lot of microphone preamps and not get concerned with plugins in the process. Right now, ribbon mics are said to be the best middle ground in between a condenser and a cardioid. With this in mind, of the 3 technologies every mic will have it's own personal color and bandwidth response curve. Microphone capsule design has a lot to do with that due to it's peak resonance frequency having a sort of "membrane" effect on all tone ranges. I would put a lot of time researching full feature mic preamps with extensive parameter controls for analog processing and with that in mind, no matter what microphone type and model you decide, you'll probably be 110% pleased with it.

[@officialdiomer]

@@JonDeth so you think a good preamp is more important than a good microphone? What preamps have you used?

[@I.B.K]

You have no idea how excited I get once I see an upload !!💃

[@zinzoome]

I like having both types in the arsenal as it really depends on what I'm recording. The FET is crisper through the mids and the tube is def warmer. Great stare and compare man! Much appreciated.

[@shanelarue8162]

Nice and informative. Glad to see you know this side of engineering too. Been lurking as a viewer for years for ur channel. Keep killin it!

[@kerosenefilms]

The V13 punches way above its price. Excellent mic.

[@Jjf109nine]

14:53 just wow, sounds like nostalgia

[@assylium]

Hey Austin! Hope you're doing well. I haven't seen a video about the slate ml 1 and i was curious about your thoughts on it. Some people seem to love and swear by it while others say it's a waste. Keep up the great content brother!

[@MatthewBarelick]

What would both of these mics sound like together with the fet at 3" away on the 11th fret and the tube mic over the soundhole at about 6" away i believe the blend of the two might sound great personally on an acoustic guitar I use a dpa 4099 at the 12th fret for both live (Although i am using a shure Axient wireless unit) and for recording i use a dpa adapter on the end of the wire to plug into a three prong microphone cable and it sounds amazing!

[@flammodo]

Really like the tube sound. For me it sounds much more natural and full.

[@danymalsound]

Tube is definitely beefier, which I dig for VO. Cheers!

[@gabrielr4329]

Great explanation, thank you!

[@nunu9849]

is it v1 or v2 ? (v13 tube) and are there any gain settings in additional tube power supply if yes, how much you add gain there? thanks !

[@jonathanhorne6503]

Both mics sound good through my iPad. Not a real test. On the V13 tube mic Vanguard states you can use most any 12A#7 tube family in it. They don’t say what it ships with. Have you tried anything besides the supplied tube. How do the characteristics change? I have several tube mics and I’ve never had the nerve to change one out, except to upgrade a the worn tube. I have three AKG C28b and one had a worn out 6072 that I replaced to bring it back to spec. They all sound uniquely different.

[@MakePopMusic]

I didn’t try swapping the tube. I sent it back after this shootout. But any mic you swap tubes in will sound significantly different

[@AnwaarAliOfficial]

With tube mic you get smooth top end which is pleasing to hear.

[@accesstoglory]

Thank you, Austin, for this comparison. Super informative!!!😊

[@MithunLucknowwala]

Bahut badhiya badhiya

[@jabulanimahlangu6863]

Hei Austin much love and keep up the greate work.

[@exothrill999]

what do you think about the Wa CX 12 compared to the v13 ?

[@billesposito2112]

That Mic is INSANELY GOOD! The WA CX 12 is a BEAST!

[@hepphepps8356]

I have compared them. The V13 absolutely crushes the WA. The WA has that cheap, out of control, sibliant high end, while the V13 is much more refined and elegant sounding.

[@thebleucat6330]

Good Video thanks!

[@ultrahapoel99]

Is TASCAM TM80 condenser mic FET or Tube mic ?

[@MakePopMusic]

FET

[@lattesongs]

These videos are awesome but i do miss the "How to make a song like..." videos

[@davidchavez81]

In short, if you actually suck at singing, FET all the way. If you sing like Whitney, tube.

[@MrMikomi]

Thanks. As I suspected, for all practical purposes, no difference.

[@erezgat8114]

(: Great Thanks!

[@derek-vanguardaudiolabs9779]

👏

[@AnwaarAliOfficial]

In a professionally mixed song, vocals don't have low end and low mids.

[@MakePopMusic]

Depends on the genre and the arrangement. Adele’s vocals have a shit ton of low mids. The Weeknd’s vocal is pretty dark and low mid heavy. Bieber has virtually nothing below 350hz. Just depends. The key is getting lows and low mids super compressed so they feel even

[@AnwaarAliOfficial]

@@MakePopMusic I really liked the bass sound on this song. What's the vst used for bass?

[@matthewteden2212]

14:30 14:56

[@alexanderhristov9598]

There is absolutely no difference between the two circuits, especially after using a bunch of plugins. Only the capsule construction can make some difference.

[@ibrahimboztas8369]

mxl 990 🎉🎉 📀💽🎚️