Re: How similar sounding are the M500 and M88?

[Woodworm]

(Hellenason7) wrote in message >...
> I have and love the Beyer M88 (original). It matches up very
> well with my voice and I strongly prefer it to some of the more expensive
> dynamic mics I've had (U87, 4050).

The intelligent reader will have corrected by himself that you meant
"condenser" re: U87 and 4050 :)


> I'm in the market for a ribbon mic and have read largely positive
> reviews of the M500. I've seen both the M88 and the M500 described as being
> "what an SM57 would sound like in a perfect world." Are these mics indeed very
> similar sounding? Obviously one's a dynamic and one's a ribbon. Can anyone
> qualify the differences in sound between these two mics? Thank you.

I don't know about the M500, But if you're in love with the M88 (like
I used to be for cinematographic work), and if yours is an "old" one
(ie early 80s), I would strongly suggest you try the Beyer 160. It is
a double ribbon (M50 is single IIRC), somewhat "sweeter" than the M88
but with the same sort of response that makes the M88 so likeable.
You'll an additional 6-8 dB of gain though on similar sources IIRC.

PS: I have yet to hear a condenser that gives me the same pleasure as
an M88 provided...

[Buster Mudd]

(Hellenason7) wrote in message >...

Not very.


> I've seen both the M88 and the M500 described as being
> "what an SM57 would sound like in a perfect world."

An "alternative universe", maybe. A "perfect world"? No way.

> Are these mics indeed very
> similar sounding?

No.

> Obviously one's a dynamic and one's a ribbon. Can anyone
> qualify the differences in sound between these two mics?

M88 is less "spikey", with a warmer, rounder, less-harsh top end. M500
is atypically bright for a ribbon mic.

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> I have and love the Beyer M88 (original). It matches up very
> well with my voice and I strongly prefer it to some of the more expensive
> dynamic mics I've had (U87, 4050).

Well, those are condenser mics, but if the M88 sounds best on your
voice, that's the one to use.

> I'm in the market for a ribbon mic and have read largely positive
> reviews of the M500. I've seen both the M88 and the M500 described as being
> "what an SM57 would sound like in a perfect world." Are these mics indeed very
> similar sounding?

They're very different sounding. I might apply that description to the
M88 (more likely the Beyer M201) but certainly not to the M500. The
M500 has a frequency response curve like a sawtooth. I find them to be
harsh and shrieky (some people call that "detailed" and "open"). For
certain voices it's the best mic to use, but it's far from a universal
mic.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
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[Scott Dorsey]

Hellenason7 > wrote:
> I have and love the Beyer M88 (original). It matches up very
>well with my voice and I strongly prefer it to some of the more expensive
>dynamic mics I've had (U87, 4050).
> I'm in the market for a ribbon mic and have read largely positive
>reviews of the M500. I've seen both the M88 and the M500 described as being
>"what an SM57 would sound like in a perfect world." Are these mics indeed very
>similar sounding? Obviously one's a dynamic and one's a ribbon. Can anyone
>qualify the differences in sound between these two mics? Thank you.

They are different sounding, but they are both the same sort of sound.
I think the M500 is maybe a little more airy sounding on the top, and
it handles microphone-eaters even more poorly than the M88. The M500
does not sound like any other ribbon microphone out there; it was designed
for a very different application than most of them.

All of these mikes have such a huge presence peak that this is really the
first thing you notice about the sound.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

playon <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:
>For one thing, the M88 has tons of low end, the M500 does not. Very
>different IMO, as you would excpect from the different technologies
>used.

The M500 should have plenty of low end! If the low end is gone, that is
the first sign that the ribbon has got stretched.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[ThePaulThomas]

(Hellenason7) wrote in message >...
> ...I'm in the market for a ribbon mic and have read largely positive
> reviews of the M500...

There's a great deal on one right here (no, it's not my auction):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=41465&item=3741112117&rd=1

[hank alrich]

playon wrote:

> On 9 Aug 2004 09:53:42 -0400, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
>
> >playon <playonATcomcast.net> wrote:

> >>For one thing, the M88 has tons of low end, the M500 does not. Very
> >>different IMO, as you would excpect from the different technologies
> >>used.

> >The M500 should have plenty of low end! If the low end is gone, that is
> >the first sign that the ribbon has got stretched.

> The ribbon is fine... I guess I should have said, the high mids are
> louder on that mic in comparison.

Perhaps you meant to say, correctly, that the M88 exhibits substantial
proximity effect when compared to the M500 (or when compared to plenty
of other mics). This is a boon or a bane, depending on the mic technique
of the vocalist.

But an M500 and an M88 do not sound much alike to me, and I've had both
since the early 1970's.

--
ha

[hank alrich]

Woodworm wrote:

> But if you're in love with the M88 (like
> I used to be for cinematographic work), and if yours is an "old" one
> (ie early 80s), I would strongly suggest you try the Beyer 160.

There is no point in getting an M160 if one wants a mic that sounds
remotely similar to the M88. Further, using an M160 for vox is not a
piece of cake, and not well recommended in any close micing vocal
situation.

--
ha

[Buster Mudd]

(Scott Dorsey) wrote in message >...

> The M500
> does not sound like any other ribbon microphone out there

It does however sound very much like many other maracas out there,
once it's been dropped.

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> What's the difference between a poor low end and a loud
> high-mid?

Marketing.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo