Gauge ECM-87...ROCKS! :-D

[Mark Kaufman]

They get pretty caustic over there...I still maintain these guys are great to work with and should not be insulted. I almost regret this thread, but I'd rather share comparative info with friends than insulate a business from criticism.By the way, I'm picking up a used MXLv67g...very similar style of mic, but a bit warmer and flatter response. I'll report on how it sounds eventually. About $100 new, same sort of capsule...but green and gold. Ooo, pretty!

[ernstinen]

Mar 9, 2009, 2:20am, gizmo wrote:Mar 5, 2009, 7:08pm, ernstinen wrote:As I may have said, I tried out Matto's Gauge ECM-87, and thought it sounded really good. I didn't hear the sibilance problem.Set up the Gauge next to a real U87 and you'll hear the big difference.Unfortunately you can’t get a champagne sound from beer-budget mic.Hey Oscar,Dude --- I ALWAYS rent a U87 when I'm doing a serious vocal.All I'm saying is that the Gauge sounded good on 'my' voice and 'my' Soldano amp. Of course it's not the best mic in the world --- it's ridiculous to even think that.I don't know why some people have to get so aggressive and negative.Ern

[teleblaster]

I'm happy with my guage. Here's a ukulele track I did right after receiving it. Uke is hard to mic, it has an extended upper frequency pluckyness on the high strings that turns to mush and sibilance on some mics. The guage did a beautiful job of capturing it IMO.http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7344750The gauge folks are totally transparent about their product being chinese OEM, and that their rejects get painted black and re-branded. I don't think you can over emphasize how valuable it is to get 'the pick of the litter'.Erich

[Mark Kaufman]

Maybe so, Erich. It's the best sound I've ever gotten on my acoustic guitar.It also does some great vocals, but I do get a bit of that "esh" sound when I want to hear a nice "ess".

[southpaw]

Quote:Mar 5, 2009, 10:08pm, ernstinen wrote:As I may have said, I tried out Matto's Gauge ECM-87, and thought it sounded really good. I didn't hear the sibilance problem.Set up the Gauge next to a real U87 and you'll hear the big difference.Unfortunately you can’t get a champagne sound from beer-budget mic.Sound on Sound 2/2009:Count On Quality: My money-saving tip is to buy the best gear you can afford rather than the cheapest! This is simply because it’s the good stuff you’re most likely to keep for a long time. What might seem like a bargain today could prove to be a waste of money later on when it’s sitting unused in the studio, and then you end up having to shell out again for something better. Of course, if you do ever want to sell, it’s the best gear that tends to retain a respectable second-hand value.Mar 5, 2009, 2:41pm, Mark Kaufman wrote:The Nady is painted black, and is not re-inspected by multi-platinum engineers. However, it sells in the range of $46 to $65I think this guy is right:http://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-end- ... ost3982172 Oscar.. It's always about the skills and technique rather than the gear, in any case.{Sigh} Do a search for the Guage on these boards, and you will quickly see you are beating a dead horse. I dont get it... There is really nothing shady, or negative to be said about the microphone or the company. That said, what kind of a pre do you use on the Guage for guitars mark? Tube/class A? I have gotten a pretty good tone out of it, but i still prefer my AT4040 for more transparency.I think it might be my acoustic guitar (which is very dark tonally) and recording space.... Yet i have not gotten the clarity out of it that i have heard others achieve with theirs for some reason..

[Mark Kaufman]

Southpaw, when I use my uncapped SM-58, I put it through my cheapo Presonus TubePRE (a poor thing, but it's what I got). The Gauge doesn't seem to profit at all from that TubePRE...it sounds better plugged directly into my interface. In fact, it sounds excellent that way...except for that top-end "shhh" I mentioned. So I haven't been pre-amping the Gauge at all, other than the pres in my firewire interface (Yamaha GO46).I must be doing something wrong there with the pre-amping of the Gauge...the sound through the TubePRE is like a mess of distortion and hiss, unusable...but the TubePRE definitely benefits the SM-58. I've played with the settings on the TubePRE, but to no avail.Tonight I'm going to experiment with running my mics through a massive old Tascam M-35 mixer I've had in storage for years...methinks those pres might warm up my sound considerably. Here's hoping.

[ernstinen]

Mar 9, 2009, 11:04am, lyle wrote:Tonight I'm going to experiment with running my mics through a massive old Tascam M-35 mixer I've had in storage for years...methinks those pres might warm up my sound considerably. Here's hoping.Yea, let's hope so! I'll bet it does. I still use a vintage Souncraft 16x4 mixer, and the preamps and EQ in this ol' guy are amazing! EVERYTHING that I record and mix go through this board.A few years ago, I went to Guitar Center to look at Mackie boards. The salesman asked me what I had been using. When I mentioned a vintage Soundcraft, he said "Forget the Mackie! Your board is miles beyond those!"It's nice to have an honest salesman occasionally --- Ern

[Mark Kaufman]

Nice! My usual Guitar Center experience...I walk in..."What's up, Dude?""Hi...""Are you lookin' for anything in particular?"No...""Just checkin' it out?""Yeah...""That's cool, man, that's cool...hey, if you have any questions, my name's Eric--""Well, yeah, Eric...I'm thinking about a large diaphragm condenser, under $300, with a fairly flat frequency response, not too sharp on the highs. Got any favorites?""Um...I don't think we have those...what is it you're looking for? A compensator? You probably don't even need those anymore. Have you ever tried this Edirol keyboard? Oh man it is SWEET...""Ah, no thanks...I'm just going to look around, I think...""That's cool, that's cool. Well, I'm Eric, so let me know if I can help you, man.""Okay..."

[mojobone]

Mar 9, 2009, 10:16am, teleblaster wrote:The gauge folks are totally transparent about their product being chinese OEM, and that their rejects get painted black and re-branded. ErichI think it may be more than a little disingenuous for them to imply that their rejects are painted black and sold as Nadys; The rejects are most likely sent back to the supplier, who has no incentive to tell Gauge what happens after that. It seems more likely that the rejects are either rebuilt/reconditioned or sold in another market. Mics from the same source and branded otherwise are not necessarily inferior, and any mic that comes with a money-back guarantee is the equal of the "hand-picked" mic, for anybody with the ears to handpick her own.

[ggalen]

Mar 9, 2009, 8:34pm, lyle wrote:Nice! My usual Guitar Center experience...I walk in..."What's up, Dude?""Hi...""Are you lookin' for anything in particular?"Okay..."Guitar Center....uh!These poor guys are paid on commission and some of them are so OBVIOUS as they desperately try to upsell you on something, anything!And the sound in there on a Saturday is so much like those "halarious" videos of guitar greats playing terribly over on the General Discussion forum.Which Guitar Center do you go to, Mark? The Edina store is closest to me.