Intresting Article on Chinese Microphones

[Guest]

[quote author="Rob Flinn"]Here is an article about the SE factory & interviews with the Company owner/founder:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb04/articles/chinesmics.htm?session=920b6ea4efb3f077fb6f8dc0c996cbf1[/quote]
Rob - I read that when it came out...
Call me cynical but due to the actual content of the interview I was left wondering...
Did the writer (and editor) just happen to be in China to do the interview or was he invited?
I did seem a little bit slushy....

 

[TomWaterman]

I talked with Paul White and Hugh Robjohns yesterday (at a seminar) about these chinese manufacturers.

I have to say they were quite cagey when it came to providing any real information - they deflected most questions that may have led to discussions of any real detail. They only really answered obvious things - also mentioned that Australia's Rode produce some of the most consistent budget parts because they invested heavily in robot technology to make their capsules etc.

Paul seems to be very optimistic about the SE manufacturing process but echoed some of the statements here that 797's capsules may possibly be of better stock. However mentioned the majority of other chinese manufacturing is done in dusty factories where they hand skim the capsules if they are too thick (by grinding the film with stone I guess?!).

Although cagey, they did seem to point towards an increase in quality of chinese manufacturing. However they also mentioned that Mackie could obtain a high consistency of manufacturing in China! Consistent load of **** maybe?!

It was mentioned that Chinese companies achieve greater consistency by using transistors etc from Japan......but when they run out they use whatever they can find. Sometimes switching grade FETs in critial low noise applications. In fact they said in one case they used a FET used in washing machines for the input stage of the mic's amplifier!!

I think a lot of it has to do with advertising and the fact that more and more home recordists want stuff for cheap. Not many of these 'users' are willing to pay extra for a better mic - they simply don't hear or don't care if there is a difference.

China will end up with most of the prosumer audio manufacturing market in the end -probably not a good thing......

Anyway, although they may have written that article based on being offered a visit - in person, they seem a little more honest and realistic.

OK I'll stop now.

Cheers Tom

 

[nacho459]

I guess mics are not that different from guitars and other stuff. I mean I have played Squires that sound GREAT! Now most sound like poo, but I'd say 1 out of 20 are dipped in C37 or something cause they just don't sound like a $150 guitar. That said, I think this just reinforces my point of needing a way to test drive a Chinese mic (several of the same model) in a familiar environment before you make a purchase. After all, the reason one person may love a mic and another hate the same model is more than just hearing and personal taste, they may not even be the same mic.

hmm, maybe I should start a company like Groove Tubes where I buy a bunch of mics and test them all, match them and throw out all the bad ones, rebrand and then charge 3x the amount for the good ones. :guinness:

 

[Rob Flinn]

Rob Flinn wrote:
Here is an article about the SE factory & interviews with the Company owner/founder:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb04/articles/chinesmics.htm?session=920b6ea4efb3f077fb6f8dc0c996cbf1

Rob - I read that when it came out...
Call me cynical but due to the actual content of the interview I was left wondering...
Did the writer (and editor) just happen to be in China to do the interview or was he invited?
I did seem a little bit slushy....

Yes, I know what you mean. Lets face it when`s the last time you saw SOS give a product a good slating in a review. They`re not going to bite the hands that feed them !!

On the other hand the SE mics do seem to get more praise than most Chinese mics, & I have several friends, whose opinions I respect, saying that they`re quite good. The boss of SE seems to have a reasonable pedigree in the music & recording world.