My New Piano Microphone, EarthWorks PM40!! Initial Impression & AB Test with Audix SCX25A-PS

[@JonnyMay]

QUICK UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has given feedback! Several of you have commented that the left side dominates the right a bit. After trying many different microphone positions to fix this (to no avail), I flipped the bar, and this appears to have solved this - the level is much more even now. There will be more experimenting to come to optimize the sound, but for now, I'm quite happy with it.

[@fab0017]

What do you mean with flipped the bar?

[@byfrax2371]

I am wearing earphones and i noticed that the PM40 was a bit dominant on the left ear. The Audix is perfectly balanced. If this slight inbalance gets fixed, the sound quality will be pure perfection.

[@friendlyperson1974]

I agree I had the same thoughts I do prefer the pm40 besides the imbalance

[@aaronklein3480]

me too

[@bjornpijnacker2704]

The Audix is a bit brighter, and the EarthWorks is a bit warmer, and does more aggressive panning, I think a mix between the two would be the best, but choosing between the two, for your style the Audix is probably better

[@aaronklein3480]

jonny is more the bright guy

[@matthewgetsi506]

For the soft jazz, I would go with the Earthworks. For anything else, definitely the Audix. The Audix mics have much more clarity and definition.

[@brandonbaltodano8058]

Audix hands down... sound is much crisper

[@beats_city0911]

For me audix is a way better. On headphones, with PM40 it feels like left side is louder (dominant, as u play mainly on left side keys of piano) so it doesn't sound as well as audix, but feels more toned or realistic. Audix is brighter like u said, which is cool indeed and i like it more :)

[@sody2000]

Audix is the undeniable winner on this particular recording.

[@Kasichs]

Audix SCX25A-PS the best

[@ErikCPianoman]

I did a blind test of this video and preferred the audix for all three examples on headphones when initially listening.

[@RealUnimportant]

I don't know exactly why, but the PM40 almost seems muted. It's fine, it's not bad, but it's not good either because it's removing a lot of the dynamism from your playing; it's very much "this is a recording" rather than "this is a performance." It was equally noticeable in all three excerpts - thank you SO much for playing the same parts of the song each time, it made comparison so much simpler!

[@jrporroms]

Love this kind of videos!!👍🏼👍🏼

[@asukaseto]

Audix!👍🎶

[@ToacheRaul]

Both are excellent! But I prefer the Audix one for Ragtime and the PM40 for Jazz

[@alejandravanessacharrycasa1004]

Love yaaa, love Scott Joplin

[@HugoGreen1988]

Audix sounds great!

[@DeveshGiri]

I couldn't focus on anything other than your playing. ❤🎹

[@stinakaela]

I'm using a headset, and I like the AUDIX :)

[@vahagnhayrapetyan1285]

Good playing by the way

[@DenverDebonair]

I prefer the brighter sound of the Audix.

[@KasiaWesoek]

I wish I could play like you one day.

[@kurtsnider3859]

I agree with you. Both are very nice sounding in their own ways. Maybe use for different types of music or if you are looking for a certain type of sound. I'll ask my son his opinion when I see him. He used to work for a recording studio as part of his music industry college degree.

[@Pokemania00]

As many others have stated, the PM40's felt slightly panned to the left, which may have had an effect on my opinion, but I'd say the brightness of the Audix's sounded slightly better and suits your style more. (But only by a slight margin)

[@BILLY-px3hw]

pm 40s are flat and undynamic they sound muffled and confined, they are warm and dark but not in a flattering way, the Audix has fantastic clarity and space definition it sounded like I was sitting next to the piano and I could hear the room too

[@getlostinsound]

Thanks for making this video! I was trying to decide between these two mic setups, and you helped make my decision to buy the Audix. I think both of them sounded very nice, but the Audix mics felt like they would cut through in a full-band mix, and they obviously still sound great on their own, too. I'm just speculating, but I bet if I wanted to, I could make the Audix mics sound more like the Earthworks (darker) by moving the mics further from the hammers. It's a bonus that they're cheaper, too!

[@dannosaur7]

The PM40 seems to be lacking a bit at the top end of the range. It's a little duller, warmer as you suggested, and I think that plays nicely with the final piece you played. It felt more lounge-like and easier to listen to. The Audix is definitely brighter and accentuates those higher notes, more suited for the upbeat pieces. There is no clear winner here, but if I had to choose one, it'd be the PM40 purely for that better response at the lower end.

[@shuetomtqasaab]

Audix is quite sharp. I prefer the Earth one, but it has too loud left channel in comparison to the right one. You know, what would be the best? Bass on Earth and trebles on Audix. A perfect mix, I suppose ;)

[@lucasfeliciano2164]

one day I will play the piano as well as you

[@ericlprimero]

I think the Audix matches your usual style (and also this nice bright Yamaha) better. For songs like Hallelujah ballad or Blackbird or when you're on different pianos maybe the EarthWorks.

[@thomashenriksen4212]

The Earthworks microphones are designed for a closed lid, wich makes this test a bit "off target" imo. I´ve used them in a live studio band recording situation, (everybody in the same room) and when using the Earthworks mics, the bleed from the other instruments are remarkably faint. It´s like having the grand piano in its own room. They are also omni, so no proximity going on, even with the lid closed.

[@garrett3300]

It seemed the frequency response on the PMs were not as "sharp". As you said, a rounder tone. They seem to bring a more "realistic" tone to your piano through the media. I felt as if I was in the room with you... I really like the PMs you got...

[@IslandDigital]

Well for sound the Audix seems to me to be capturing a brighter sound. Why I like that is I have all those frequencies to work with in the recording. I can cut if too bright. The Earthworks sounds like there is a cloth over the element. Would need a BBE maximized to clear that up some. Again I’d rather cut some high end (Audix) instead of working with an inferior capture from the Earthworks. BTW , The Earthworks mic used here sells for $3,000.00. Yes 3K. Where the Audix sells for $799.99 each at Sweetwater Music or $1,599 for a PAIR .. I feel Audix is the way to go at almost HALF the price for a much clearer sound.

[@chaddickhaut140]

I preferred the sound you got from the PM40.

[@karma197930]

scx25a top ! :-)

[@kosdion]

AudixSCX25A-PS

[@davidamoody]

I think both used together to balance out the sound would be good

[@ji94552]

I have watched another video of these two mics. I preferred Earthworks, then. But for your piano, I think Audix works better.

[@kurtsnider3859]

My son says he would use 2 Earthworks pm30s for the top and put 2 akg c414 CLIIs underneath for the bass. Normally earthworks are used for room mics though most people use another pair of akgs on the top about 6-12 inches off the strings

[@aleejooo8913]

the earthWorks sounds better than the others

[@RKS_HUWDU]

PM 40 produces moch more clean sound and a fuller one. I think you'll have to work on the positioning as the sound seems very distant and remote for now. New mic takes time getting used to, but after listening to it few times it can outperform the old mic. The older sound is much more easier to listen at first but give it time and it doesn't deliever as wide soind as the - winner by me - PM40

[@hytalePvP]

The second microphone is to much on my left ear. I like the one you had before better

[@lucasfeliciano2164]

So I'll challenge you to a joplin style duel.

[@Jeremy711pianoplayer]

Is the audio raw recordings or have they went through some sort of mixing and compression?

[@JonnyMay]

Jeremy Chan C H Yes this is completely raw - no mixing or compression.

[@Jeremy711pianoplayer]

@@JonnyMay Wow both sounded AMAZING with their own characters

[@icespeed153]

for youtube, please use the audix!

[@hartcolin]

There's a phase alignment problem with the Earthworks setup, so you're not getting the proper sound. Did you ever figure that out and have a new comparison?

[@vahagnhayrapetyan1285]

Did you sold your Audix already?

[@HobbyHillsVideos]

The audix has a richer sound. The Earthworks sounded more tinny to me.

[@joshowen8366]

I'll just say it the Audix is certainly a better fit for his playing style. I'm a fan of both mic brands but from this video there was only one clear winner and it was Audix.

[@MagicDice23]

Audix maybe...

[@Celticsaint777]

Anyone compare the audix scx25 to earthworks sr25 on acoustic guitar?

[@liammontgomery7617]

The Pm40 have a much wider stereo image

[@oriolcoll99]

Audix sounds better, especially if you use headphones, the PM40 it's not balanced, left side sounds louder

[@roadchewerpe5759]

Is there software that can balance the PM40 so the left won’t be as dominant?

[@xHadesStamps]

What you *should* do is monauralize it, a.k.a. mix the two channels into *one.*

[@roadchewerpe5759]

Jared Buehler // x Hades Stamps seems as though he fixed it by flipping the bar around. I kinda had a suspicion it was backwards as well.

[@xHadesStamps]

@@roadchewerpe5759 It should *still* be monauralized. As someone with severe-to-profound deafness in my right ear, I can tell you that having two different things on different tracks (not like in Pentatonix's cover of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," but like in "California Dreamin'") is *stupid.* You don't even get a good *sound* from it. It doesn't sound cool at all. With normal hearing, unless you're wearing headphones, you don't even *_notice!_* And back then, it wasn't really done.

[@roadchewerpe5759]

Jared Buehler // x Hades Stamps understood. All down to opinion, and circumstances i guess.

[@xHadesStamps]

@@roadchewerpe5759 Probably the reason why the lead and the harmonycome out of different speakers was because they didn't have as much technological stuff as we do now. Now, we can do a lot more (i.e. multitracking better).

[@renauddupras1586]

With the Audix you ear the string strike. With the p40, you ear the whole piano.

[@simonvinco]

Siento que el EarthWorks oprime la señal mucho, me gusta más el Audix

[@counterpoint85]

This is by far the worst I've heard the Earthworks PM40 on any sort of demo or review. It just did not sound right and I recommend you double check everything. It may be that your preamp does not match up so well. I would not use them with anything less than a Earthworks 1022 anyway but that's just me. Forssell, Grace, and Millennia also make comparable preamps. It also sounded unbalanced in that more sound was coming out of the left channel than the right. That being said, the Audix sounded great.

[@claudiagamamar]

The new One is way better

[@sylvainfx]

Good investment because the sound was bad before

[@dieterpablo7505]

I thought this mate is from England! ^^

[@jdogjf1414]

1st comment :D

[@andria1387]

audix scx25a-ps is better

[@KosmasLapatas]

The piano has a very bad sound so you cant really justify these mics. If you want to listen to what earthworks can do listen to hiromi ueharas live videos