The Deli - OktavaMod Tube Mic Modification Review

[silencekj]

How can we even hear the results from inside the booth. I think they just wanna generate traffic to there site.

[deadbirdsings]

I'm not a gear snob and would never spend thousands of dollars on a mic, but I didn't like the OkatavaMod compared to the Neumanns. In particular, I notice that the singer manages to drive both of the Neumanns into clipping with his last line. I imagine that it's precisely that tube distortion that people *want* when they use an old tube condenser, and the OktavaMod doesn't have it.

[Michael55443]

There's a lot of hype surrounding vintage mics. Sure, they are expensive, but that doesn't mean they are automatically superior. I've heard cheap mics blow vintage Neumanns, Telefunkens, etc.. out of the water. Sometimes an expensive old mic is just that, old and expensive. And don't even start me on the maintenance of those dinosaur mics.

[kasaudio]

The video sounds horrible and does not show Michael's work at all. Everyone of those mics sounds bad in the video. You can't compare them in this video, nor say u hear the 47! But, I do know Michaels work and the mod does contend with serious mics! The problem really lies in the fact that 95% of the audio industry is snobs and we want to say "oh yeah, that really expensive mic is soooo much better. There's no way that $1000 or less mic sounds anywhere as good as my expensive so & so!"

[soulessdelu]

PLEASE MAKE A CONCLUDENT TEST PLEASE SAME TO BE OK BUT PRAISE THE PERFORMER TO BE MORE ACURATED TO DISTANT ROAD IN OUT ,TO ME THE TEST IT IS HALF CONCLUDENTMAND THIS SINGER HAS A MIDLE VOICE MI DON T KBOW WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THAT!MAYBE THE MIC UPGRADE WELL...

[aninstrumentalvision]

distortion on all clips makes this test worthless. I have used the U67 and the U47 in the recording studios and these sample clips sound NOTHING like a studio recording. If anyone is using THIS test to judge sound quality, it's like driving a Ferrari around the track with a flat tire. This is a silly test, IMHO

[peterm3964]

thats the vocal test ? thats all you got . ?

[thalonen]

The Neumanns sound better. The octave mod sounds like it's under a napkin...

But I guess through a Neve portico II anything will sound great.

[dashboardmenagerie]

Why do people act like the U47 is the best mic ever? Just because it was one of the first good mics doesn't mean it's still the best NOW. Neumann isn't the only way to get great sound. In fact, there are better mics for less than 10 times the price.

[master9716]

@dashboardmenagerie Ya, Old technology cant compare to new technology , Its hard to tell with a 480p video but it seemed like the octavamod handled the highs with no distortion compared to the u67

[wentakura]

Sorry to say but the midrange freq is much better on the old vintage mic´s.

[001Asoer]

YouTube messed up the audio. Post the original audio somewhere.

[waterbottle]

there's some kind of weird clipping or distortion on all of the "go down faaadin' " samples. d'oh! so much for a substantial shootout

[deadbirdsings]

@waterbottle - I only heard it on the Neumanns, and I think that clipping is not a defect, but rather, precisely the reason people *want* to use these old tube mics.

[audiotrax2000]

It's weird because as soon as he started singing into the U-47, my ears pricked up and said "I like that one"! Too bad, 'cause I was hoping for a miracle here :(

[estudiohighend]

shut up and play!!!

[surfz247]

I have a Trion 8000 and Apex 460 modded by Michael J at Octavamod. The Trion is modded after a Blue and the 460 after a C12.... both mics kill. He is the best and I couldn't be more happier with my decision to do the upgrades. Hearing is believing.

[johnnybregar]

Audio is too garbled really to hear the differences very well. Also - it could be the angle of the camera, but it looks like the singer is singing more into the Oktava than the Neumanns - which would mean the Neumanns are off axis more than the Oktava. I'd like to see the mics lowered a bit and get some better audio up here - can you do it? Or at least post the wavs somewhere?

[JeffMcNeal]

Unfortunately, the shitty audio quality of the compression used by Youtube essentially renders the comparison worthless, but thanks for trying. How about a link to some actual .WAV samples of the three?

[p0llenp0ny]

Is anybody doing OktavaMod reviews besides this guy?