Thunderbird Club

[PillO]

IDK where they're from but LSUG is where I've heard them also. They have this week's 'coolest song in the world'. I heard it out driving and came home and googled them.

What was the coolest song? I like many of their songs. Especially the ones that are a bit tongue in cheek.

And I think googling someone is illegal in some states.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

Ouch. Can it be rescued?

sure it can. won't be straightforward but i'll send the cabinet to my tolex guy and i'll do the chassis...
labor of love, must say, listening to bad luck amps like this sing again is very gratifying....when you consider they are going for about 700 on Reverb most people would say "scrap it".....purists on the other hand want them fixed..

 

[GonePlaid]

What was the coolest song? I like many of their songs. Especially the ones that are a bit tongue in cheek.

And I think googling someone is illegal in some states.

I didn't catch the title(sorry)but I'm sure it'll get played every shift.

 

[Gaolee]

The mids do seem to break up quicker on the Avantone, but I’d swear I find the mids to be a bit less detailed in a general sort of way. Nothing crazy and sometimes I quite like it

I just managed to give that shoot-out a quick listen. Your assessments make a whole lot of sense now that I have heard the recording. The third 330 must be screwed up somehow. "Inside a pop can" is a great way to put it. It sounded a whole lot worse than the other two. I had not heard of a Stager before. It sounds very good. The level of detail it has really pops out.

 

[dukeorock]

1. sounds very warm, but just right in all areas. This would be reallly nice for a podcast or an ebook.

2. sounds bland.

3. sounds like you are inside of a pop can

4. is more like 1, but has more low end push. I wouldn't like it for a podcast, as too much bass can be taxing in a pure voice scenario. But would probably be nice on a bass or guitar or something.

5. is very bassy. Really grabs in the lower lows. I like 4 better. *I can see how it would be nice for a female vocal, as it would emphasize her low end textures. Which naturally, won't push as much as man's voice. Would also probably be good on a guitar.

6. sounds pretty nice on your initial voice. But the reverb sound gives a sense that you are in a concrete tunnel or something. Its like only the highs are affected. The "backside" sounds better. Still a little tinge of that effect. but otherwise warm and pleasant. kind of like 1.

Thanks for the detailed descriptions! Can’t say I totally agree with everything, but that’s the fun part...different points of view
I totally agree about 1. Though I thought 1 and 2 were quite similar. 4 is the mic I mostly use on upright bass. I don’t have enough practical experience with 5 to have a strong opinion, though you are right that it works well on guitar. 6 is the most high end mic of the bunch and I’ve used it with terrific results on male voice, violin and percussion so far. The ‘reverb’ quality is the nearly identical front to back sound picking up too much of an untreated room. When that mic is in the right situations, it’s pretty special, but figure 8 patterns like that can get away from you quickly!

sure it can. won't be straightforward but i'll send the cabinet to my tolex guy and i'll do the chassis...
labor of love, must say, listening to bad luck amps like this sing again is very gratifying....when you consider they are going for about 700 on Reverb most people would say "scrap it".....purists on the other hand want them fixed..

I’m with the purists
Please post progress pics!

 

[dukeorock]

I just managed to give that shoot-out a quick listen. Your assessments make a whole lot of sense now that I have heard the recording. The third 330 must be screwed up somehow. "Inside a pop can" is a great way to put it. It sounded a whole lot worse than the other two. I had not heard of a Stager before. It sounds very good. The level of detail it has really pops out.

I once did a session at Matt Stagers home studio and have heard great things about his ribbon mics. Last week, he kindly offered to let me test one and I’ve been very happy he did. My next mic will most certainly be a Cloud 44a, but the Stagers are officially on my radar. Gonna keep my eyes peeled for a good deal on a Shure 330 as well, based on what I heard today!

 

[Gaolee]

My nose was to the ground trying to get my hands on every 330 I could. That means four of them for now. One has a loose hinge joint between the body and casting that screws to a mic stand, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Based on the shoot-out, I'll give it a careful listen to see how it holds up under more of a microscope.

Four of them is plenty. The next one that rolls along at a reasonable price is all yours! The Stager's price approaches the price of an RCA 77, although with a new mic, you actually know what you are getting. RCA 44s must be a little like a talent pedal or they wouldn't cost so much.

 

[fasterpussycat]

Ok, did a quick voice/speech test on 6 different ribbon mics. 3 of them are vintage Shure 330’s. With decent earbuds or headphones, the differences should be apparent

Shure number 3 sounds like you are talking down a cardboard tube!

The R84 is the R84. Would love a pair.
Avantone CR14 is pretty good.
The Stager sounds absolutely wonderful [sigh].

 

[Gaolee]

330 number 3 has the kind of awful squawk box sound that you deliberately want sometimes, but not out of a ribbon. Maybe out of an Astatic ham radio mic rewired to plug into an XLR cable, but not a ribbon.

 

[fasterpussycat]

330 number 3 has the kind of awful squawk box sound that you deliberately want sometimes, but not out of a ribbon. Maybe out of an Astatic ham radio mic rewired to plug into an XLR cable, but not a ribbon.

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

I just dropped the cash on that Musician’s Friend deal, it was too good to pass up.

 

[PillO]

A good song, no matter who does it...

 

[JJR58]

Ok, did a quick voice/speech test on 6 different ribbon mics. 3 of them are vintage Shure 330’s. With decent earbuds or headphones, the differences should be apparent
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My takeaway

1. Shure 330 ‘Uni-Ron’ ($500ish)- very smooth and even. Not a ton of low end. Could be a really nice drum overhead.
2. Shure 330 ‘Uni-Tron’ ($500ish)- very similar to the ‘Uni-Ron.’ Nice mic!
3. Shure 330 ‘Uni-Tron’ ($500ish)- VERY different from the other two. Has more of an SM57 kinda vibe
4. AEA R84 ($1,100 new)- very classic ribbon thing. Big lows, muted highs. Probably the darkest sounding of the bunch, but not in a bad way. Vintage RCA vibe.
5. Avantone CR-14 ($260 new)- the only Chinese made mic in this test. Highest output next to the Stager. I actually like this mic a lot and am tempted to grab a second one for stereo stuff and drum overheads. Nitpicking, I’d say the mids are less articulate and sometimes sound a bit ‘smeared’ compared to the others, but a fantastic value and really nice mic.
6. Stager SR-3 ($1,500 new)- the Stager starts with the RCA 44 concept, but shaved off a lot of low end and adds presence to the original design. Incredibly well made too!

For voiceover work, my favorite would possibly be the Stager, depending on the voice. The Shure 330 ‘Uni-Ron’ would be my second, followed by the Avantone for most voices. I still think the AEA has a certain ‘authoritative’ quality over the others, but that’s not always what’s needed

I'm no prefessional here. But #3 and 5 are my least favs. Nice demo. You can clearly hear all the differences between them.

 

[dukeorock]

330 number 3 has the kind of awful squawk box sound that you deliberately want sometimes, but not out of a ribbon. Maybe out of an Astatic ham radio mic rewired to plug into an XLR cable, but not a ribbon.

I’m quite certain there’s something wrong with the mic, obviously. The other two sounded pretty darn cool. I thought the Uni-Ron was especially nice sounding. And they look cool as all get out

Shure number 3 sounds like you are talking down a cardboard tube!

The R84 is the R84. Would love a pair.
Avantone CR14 is pretty good.
The Stager sounds absolutely wonderful [sigh].

It is a very nice mic. I still want to try the other two Stagers before commuting to buying one. A somewhat ‘darker’ RCA style like the R84 really stacks up nicely in a denser mix. Ribbons take eq better than any other mic, IMO.
I totally agree with the earlier poster that for audio books or podcasts, a mic with too much low end gets fatiguing fast. But a simple high pass fixes that on the R84. Bit for voiceover stuff I’d use either the 330 or more likely the RE20 because of the tight cardiode pattern.

 

[dukeorock]

I'm no prefessional here. But #3 and 5 are my least favs. Nice demo. You can clearly hear all the differences between them.

Same here!

 

[Gaolee]

And they look cool as all get out

As a thoroughly shallow person, that's one of the reasons I like them so much.

And for anybody looking for what looks like a pretty good Gibson at a low price:

Gibson Thunderbird 1993 Sunburst | Tom 's Gear Outlet

The seller makes it sound like it could use a new jack, but that's cheap and easy to deal with.

 

[dukeorock]

As a thoroughly shallow person, that's one of the reasons I like them so much.

And for anybody looking for what looks like a pretty good Gibson at a low price:

Gibson Thunderbird 1993 Sunburst | Tom 's Gear Outlet

The seller makes it sound like it could use a new jack, but that's cheap and easy to deal with.

Wow, great price!

 

[Gaolee]

Wow, great price!

Almost to a duke 'o' frock acquisition price.

 

[dukeorock]

Almost to a duke 'o' frock acquisition price.

Just offered him half a sammich and a $2 off any carton of cigs coupon for it...waiting to hear back

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

I just dropped the cash on that Musician’s Friend deal, it was too good to pass up.

If only it were a red one, I’d be all over it.