This is a comparison of the Behringer B-1, Shure SM58, Behringer XM8500, and the Hollyland Lark M1.
Microphones
Audio Interface
These were all recorded under the same conditions which was an untreated room. Unfortunately, the heater picks up a decent amount of noise, so you will get to hear a real-world scenario.
Years ago I did a lot of audio recording and some live performances as a vocalist and drummer. The funny thing is, my old gear is still just as relevant today.
The safe bet for first place was the Behringer B-1 condenser. I’d say this was the only one I predicted correctly. My guess was the SM58 would take second easily. I was wrong. In my opinion, it got beat out by the $20 XM8500. The SM58 took third and the Hollyland mic ended up in last place.
Please take note, this is just one recording scenario. Under a somewhat controlled environment. It is no surprise the only condenser sounded the best. The audio interface used is a great value for the price, but obviously not top-of-the-line. The Hollyland Lark M1 is the only mic out of the four that does not require an audio interface. Something to keep in mind.
For live vocal performances, I would take the SM58 all day. This test proved it is not great for picking up normal speech (at least not for me). The amount of de-essing needed was significant compared to the others. None was applied for this test, so you will be able to hear that. Only minor audio correction was applied in Final Cut Pro and it was identical across all recordings.
This was an interesting test with surprising results. I’m going to return to the B-1 for indoor recording at my desk. The Hollyland will continue to be my pick when moving away from my desk.
I’m really interested in hearing your opinions on which mic sounded the best. Hopefully, this will help you out when deciding between a condenser, dynamic, or lavalier microphone. Perhaps the mobility of the lav will be enough to choose it over the condenser. Maybe you need something for live performance and podcasting, if so the dynamic might be worthwhile.
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Til the next time…