Mics popping and sounding bad

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In my limited 30+years of experience "good enough" rarely, if ever rises to the level of "good enough to rely upon or recommend."

Cleary, YMMV!


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A doctor who made C's is still called Dr! :laugh:
One can only hope that the "average" in doctor school is waaayyy above the average in DJ school ...
 
This whole argument of "good enough" or "the best" just baffles me. Whatever happened to using the best tool available, regardless of the cost? The price of the tool is a secondary consideration but the primary objective is to get the best tool for the job. I'll give you an example. My brother is an audio engineer that does sound for all the Nascar events, along with other very high-level broadcast TV (mostly sports) shows. He's got a few shelves full of Emmy awards, sitting at his house. Two years ago, the contract got awarded over to a new network (Fox maybe?) and end result, they tasked him to build out a new truck. The main console was $1mil+. The kicker............I've seen behringer gear in his rack. A guy operating at that level obviously has the budget to buy whatever he needs. It didn't matter that there were other, more expensive tools available, he is using what gets the job done. I can only speak for myself but GTD gets the job done. I don't care that it's cheaper.
 
The "best" can be had at a much more affordable price than $12,500 when it comes to microphones.

It's great that some advanced engineering went into the production of that microphone, but literally nobody but audio philes will care.

As seen in the video, under normal use, the $20 microphone does just fine in most normal uses, and is way more of a value than the $12,500 microphone.

Sure, in a big song production where having perfect sound is of upmost importance, that $12,500 microphone will want to be used and be the better choice.

Will anyone need to use that expensive of a microphone for a small time singer? Band? Podcast? Speeches at a banquet? Wedding even?

The $20 microphone could work fine.

I have a $20 Digital Reference wired microphone that I use for podcasting. I have used it to simply plug into a battery powered speaker in the past, and ask guests to start making their way into the reception.

I thought the sound was fine. 90% as good as using a Shure SM58, or my Sinheiser E385. ...Are there times I will want those $100 microphones over the $20 one. Sure...I think I would sound better using one of them for a bridal party intro, so I will use one of those over the Digital Reference for that. The 8835 sounds the best over the 3 imo.

Would I prefer to use the Sinhesiers, or Shure over the Digital Reference for a singer performance? YES That extra 10% in sound will go a long way.

But for most other uses out there, the $20 digital reference mic from Guitar Center would work fine.

My podcast partner just gave my son a old Radio shack MIC he has had since the 80s. He was using it for out podcast, and it finally bit the dust. Was 30 years old, and was like a $25 microphone back then. It was used on countless DJ gigs over the years, and on over 150 podcast episodes ...SO, cheap mics CAN last as long as more expensive microphones as well.
You're right, literally no one will care - until they do. No one cares what kind of car you have, til it doesn't work. No one cares what cell phone or cell phone service you have, til it doesn't work. If your definition of the 'best' is one that just 'meets' some standard then that's fine. I rate the best as something that leads or exceeds a segment. You're also right that the "best" can be had at a much more affordable price than $12,500 - as this might be the Bugatti of microphones - but at $20, you're on the extreme opposite side of the 'best' pole.

A doctor who made C's is still called Dr! :laugh:
Which Dr would you want operating on you, especially if you're paying for it - the one with the A's or one with the C's? In retrospect, many people 'don't care' until the operation has been done and it was not what they wanted or expected.
 
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...Which Dr would you want operating on you, especially if you're paying for it - the one with the A's or one with the C's? ...

In most cases, you’re probably right, but I’ll give you a different side of that...

My first wife was very smart (I’m attracted to smart women [emoji1]). She made straight A’s all through school and had a similarly high grade point average in college. Her degree was in hearing and speech therapy. Problem is, she was only good at SCHOOL... couldn’t hold a job other than teaching jobs. She had little or no common sense.[emoji1] She was a GREAT teacher, but didn’t enjoy it much. She tried numerous times to find a job in the business sector, but could never hold onto one. She was probably too smart, and I think some of her supervisors were resentful of that... not sure. Eventually, she became jealous of my success and career progression, knowing she was smarter than me (and I’m sure she was smarter [emoji1]). Even though I supported her in all her attempts at various careers, our marriage eventually ended.

Sure, I want a doctor with smarts, but I also want one with some common sense too.[emoji4]
 
This whole argument of "good enough" or "the best" just baffles me. Whatever happened to using the best tool available, regardless of the cost?

If that was what truly motivated you to use these that would be fine, but I don't think anyone honestly believes that.
Do you honestly believe you are using the best tool for the job you have assigned to it?


The price of the tool is a secondary consideration but the primary objective is to get the best tool for the job. I'll give you an example. My brother is an audio engineer that does sound for all the Nascar events, along with other very high-level broadcast TV (mostly sports) shows. He's got a few shelves full of Emmy awards, sitting at his house. Two years ago, the contract got awarded over to a new network (Fox maybe?) and end result, they tasked him to build out a new truck. The main console was $1mil+. The kicker............I've seen behringer gear in his rack. A guy operating at that level obviously has the budget to buy whatever he needs. It didn't matter that there were other, more expensive tools available, he is using what gets the job done. I can only speak for myself but GTD gets the job done. I don't care that it's cheaper.

There is a lot of non critical processing for which people use Behringer and if what you want to do is not in the design order, it easily bills under "miscellaneous."

When a DJ's prices are too low - a savvy customer will not hire them. The customer is informed enought to knows that it is not possible for the DJ achieve the results they expect with the unrealistically low budget the DJ has set for himself to do the job.

This is the argument over your mics. You claim they sound great and are completely reliable. Some of us are savvy enough to know that's not possible, and have enough experience with this kind of gear to have that knowledge confirmed over and over.
 
No one at an event is going to approach us to tell us our mic sounds "bad" unless they fully believe we are willing and capable of fixing the problem.
Do not take any comfort in that silence however, because the average person does in fact, recognize when your mic sounds "bad. "
 
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Which Dr would you want operating on you, especially if you're paying for it - the one with the A's or one with the C's? In retrospect, many people 'don't care' until the operation has been done and it was not what they wanted or expected.

Again, you're using the wrong measuring stick. I don't care whether my doctor made A's or C's, I want the one who can do the BEST job. The best doctor isn't necessarily the one with the top grades. When it comes to mics, or any other equipment purchases, look for the tool that does the best job for you, then you add price into the equation and you make a call on which direction to go.
 
Again, you're using the wrong measuring stick. I don't care whether my doctor made A's or C's, I want the one who can do the BEST job. The best doctor isn't necessarily the one with the top grades. When it comes to mics, or any other equipment purchases, look for the tool that does the best job for you, then you add price into the equation and you make a call on which direction to go.

No, we're measuring the stick you extended and letting you know it comes up short.

The doctor you've chosen is a specialist. Unfortunately, his specialty is something other than what you are trying to treat. If you want to ignore that disparity that's your choice, but it doesn't mean any doctor critical of your decision is a "medical snob."

You can be perfectly happy with the performance of your specialist even while he's slowly killing you. Likewise, you can be perfectly happy with the performance of GTD mics and never see where they are making your business sick.
 
Why?

Most people are not audio enthusiasts. Most people will judge with their ears, and make the decision as to what is the better value for their money.

Listening to the video, I would look at the $20 mic as an extraordinary value, and the $12,500 microphone as totally over priced.

Again you are listening to extremely compressed audio and not only that but the guy is trying to sell you on the $20 mic...Did you notice he mentions his affiliate link? It's obviously much much easier and more profitable to sell $20 mics than $12,000 mics

I have used 1/4 inch mic cables, TRS 1/4 inch for wireless, and I have also used XLR Cables. I do not notice any difference in sound due to the cable. Now the TRS 1/4 inch mic cables do go bad over time, and don't hold up like a XLR. Once one of those cords go bad, you can hear the static, or sounds the bad cable is causing.

However, comparing a good 1/4 inch to a good XLR, I can't hear any difference in the sound output. As long as the connection is good, it's good sound.

Doing a microphone comparison, they should be using the same cable, or at least same type of cable into the mixer so we can't blame the sound difference on a different type of cable.

I am inadvertently making a case for the $20 mic by mentioning cable. You get the mic and cable for $20...How good do you think that cable will be? He never mentions what cable is used on the AKG.

He didn't really test the mics he tried the mics. He's a Youtube host he knows as much about mics as I know about launching space shuttles
 
Again you are listening to extremely compressed audio and not only that but the guy is trying to sell you on the $20 mic...Did you notice he mentions his affiliate link? It's obviously much much easier and more profitable to sell $20 mics than $12,000 mics

LOL. Did you notice he makes his videos using and SM7B ($400.)
Obviously he has learned from prior experience that using a $20 mic is hazardous to his video career.

Let's be fair.
The GTD quad system is not a $20 mic. With 5 major components at $129 (4 mics + receiver) we should note that these mics are in fact $6 more.
If you compare them to the cabled Chinese SM58 knock-offs I had in karaoke rental kits (wholesale $8 each) then the GTD system is a full $18 more than the cheapest mics on the planet.

What do you lose with cheap mics?
Shock Mount
Cheap mics have no real shock mount and the result is very high handling noise, including resutling sounds from wireless handhelds and cable movement on cabled mics.

Frequency Response
Typically falls in the nominal range of 60Hz - 12kH with an effective response of perhaps 80Hz to 10kHz. You find these in retail karaoke which benefits from inadvertent low and high frequency roll off on either side of the typical voice range. However, performance across the middle spectrum is anything but uniform. The danger here - is that regular users actually train themselves to appreciate and prefer poor quality sound.

Pop Filters
These will be Insufficient or non-existent and combined with the lack of shock mount and poor quality element results in very poor performance especially in very active environments (talkover, crowd noise, wind, etc.)

Quality elements
Low quality elements are what is responsible for the poor sound performance as described by the OP. The mic simply cannot handle moderate and high pressure levels without serious distortion. Combine that with all the noise artifacts cite above and you can easily lose all intelligibility in the signal.

Future Business
Making people sound really good and flawless voice presentation is as basic as good vision. Bad mics are every bit as distressing to listeners as not wearing their eyeglasses. It really stands out and determines the lens through which the standard or your work is viewed.

Where can you use cheap mics?
Certain karaoke settings, such as children and drunk adults with no real singing ability. For these folks it's about the fun of making noise more than it is any kind of singing performance. And.. the mics are easily repaired or disposable so there's no need to charge people a damage fee when their David Lee Roth impression sends a mic flying out the 7th floor window. :)

Yet, a karaoke bar that attracts dedicated amateur and semi-pro singers has to step up their game and would never survive if the gig didn't meet at least the minimum standards for live signers.
 
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With 5 major components at $129 (4 mics + receiver)
I don't think we are referring to the same GTD mics. I think you are talking about the VHF ones at that cost. Add another $200..... Yes, I know $329 is still less expensive, but not $26 per mic. Or, if you do have a source for the G-787 for $129, please let me know where! I can add some more toys for karaoke.
 
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I don't think we are referring to the same GTD mics. I think you are talking about the VHF ones at that cost. Add another $200..... Yes, I know $329 is still less expensive, but not $26 per mic. Or, if you do have a source for the G-787 for $129, please let me know where! I can add some more toys for karaoke.

I can accept that but, you're still talking about a $65 wireless mic - making GTD the new Radio Shack.

I don't know all the various GTD models I just know enough to not go there. This GTD mic value is no more than a 3-pack of Gaff tape: Black, White & Gray - an equally fitting description of GTD mic sound. :)
 
GTD Audio G-787H UHF Diversity Wireless Microphone System, by GTD Audio $329.00

June 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
This product have not frequency response for professional use. too much low frequency, and then the high and mid sound too low for vocal mic.

March 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
Compared to other sources, the input level from this unit is very low - this causes a problem when switching back and forth between music and these mics. Also, very disappointing that the mfg doesn't appear to offer an online or downloadable owner's manual. Based on these shortcomings, I won't recommend and certainly wouldn't purchase again.

September 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
Out of the box, microphone channel A was unable to connect to receiver. Channel B sound was broken when moving more than 4 feet. Per GTD company policy , you have to pay the shipping back to them no matter what failures,

May 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
There is no circuit protection on the power up sequence. When the on/off switch is set at on position and you forget about it. Bad luck! After you plug in the power chord, this device would be out of commission.

July 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
Stay away from this product! I bought this product for a church and not quite 3 months and it's all apart.

November 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
Is not good

June 30, 2013
Verified Puchase

My GTD Audio unit came packaged in a flimsy card board box, not something one would expect protecting electronic equipment. When I set the system up, one mic failed to operate. In swapping mic heads, I determined it was a faulty mic head that was the problem and made every attempt to contact the manufacturer. I went on their web site and retained a phone number and email contact source. On June 28th, I called at 2PM, no answer, not even a message reponse. I then quickly sent off to their Support Hot MaiGTD Audio G-733HL 2x800 Channel Diversity UHF Wireless microphone mic systeml link...no response. It appears that this manufacturer has issues when it come to standing behind their product. I have notified Amazon, who will try and make their own contact. Good Luck! I'm awaiting my return sticker....very, very disappointed!

August 24, 2012
Verified Purchase
I'm a music director and set the sound system thousand times for 25 years and I'm very happy to read that this mic can use with the distance up to 600 feet. I bought it without any hesitation because of the 4 - 5 stars reviews. Receiving it i made a test right away it made me disappointed: the signal was weak and dropped in under 100 feet. I returned right away and full refund. What a pity for me to lose the returning shipping, the time and mostly the reputation and the truth. sorry its really true
You two are among a lucky select group.
 
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Give it up... You’re cherry picking...

Out of 288 reviews for the GTD Audio G-787H...
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... and out of 159 reviews for the Shure BLX288/PG58...
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Seems about 80% are among the “lucky select group” no matter which brand you choose.[emoji1]

... Average review is slightly better for the GTD than the Shure (4.3 to 4.2).
 
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