Cheap Gear…Is It any Good?
Posted on | March 22, 2008 |
One interesting side-effect of the DAW revolution is that it spawned a huge interest in the retro market. Or, it helped create an interest in things that sounded warm and fuzzy.
You see, in digital there’s really nothing but what gets you in and out. The sources and converters. There is no “sound” to digital. And converters have long been the weak link in the equation, which is partly why digital stuff can sound flat and dimensionless.
Enter lots of tube gear and retro-vintage mics and preamps. Some of them are expensive and some are dirt cheap. Are the cheap ones any good? Well, you have to decide for yourself. But in my opinion, a $199 ribbon mic made in China sounds good for $199. But if you compare it to a $1,000 American-made ribbon mic, you start to hear the shortcomings.
IMO, a lot of what passes for “good” these days is really “good for how cheap it is” and not good on a playing field of the best stuff out there.
That isn’t to dissuade anyone from buying a $199 Chinese ribbon mic (or anything else in that pricepoint). It’s great that this stuff is even available to the average consumer. But one thing I’ve found to be true in life: you get what you pay for. Caveat emptor.
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From Ohm to Om reflects the opinions of mastering engineer Paul Abbott, owner of San Diego's ZenMastering.
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