PUHLEASEEE!! Stop using camera-microphones!!

ICBM

Drew_fx said:

This is just terrible.

Completely agree.

But how do you know the amp doesn't actually sound like that?!

Kidding, a bit. Yes, that's a good example of a really terrible recording, and the amp probably doesn't sound like that. But it may just be a bad recording for other reasons than because it was done with the camera mic. And the amp may still sound quite bad too...

I'm just going by my own experience, that an average camera recording is a lot less worthless than it first appears, and that a high-quality recording may also be less useful than it appears. I certainly wouldn't base any buying decision - either way round - on either of them alone, but I've found that the low-quality recordings are often closer to the truth than the better ones in some ways.

ecc83

I think the whole practice of demo'ing amps over The Tube is a bad idea full stop*.

The basic sound codec, AAC is SAID to be better than MP3 but we can't know what sort of signal manglingly low bit rate might be used and IF the purpose is to compare things you cannot do that if "bits" of the spectrum have been f'k off to make it fit! Like me testing an amp with an oscillator or mV meter with several frequency "crevasses" in them! 

Then the results are more often than not auditioned on crap computer speakers and again the tools are found wanting. You cannot compare two different sound sources on a system that is not flat and distortion free. 

The most commonly used mic for studio cab work surely has to be the SM57? But this is not suitable for comparisons, again because 57's are highly coloured and that colouration will show different qualities up for different rigs. Be nice if everyone decided on Brand "X" capacitors but it ain't gonna happen. IMHO the next best solution is an SD capacitor because most of them have a pretty decent LF response and are flat up to guitar speaker frequencies. And we want .WAVs please! 16bits will do fine.

*But of course all manufacturers feel they must!

Dave.

samzadgan

so i agree a little with @ICBM on the camera mic…this thing i dislike about really professional demos and one reason i don't base anything on those reviews is that they go through mixing desks and computer software and although i don't know the first thing about music software, i know that a lot of the gear doesn't sound the same in real life.

The majority of the big guys are selling the gear or they have an agenda to make the gear sound good as they probably got the gear for free to do a demo. This means they will make the worse gear sound as good as the best boutique gear…PGS Andy is perfect example of this…they will make a micro marshall stack sound as good as a Vintage JCM800 full stack. (maybe too much of a stretch…but you get my point)

In defence of Tone King…i actually like the guy…i did like his demo's for a long time before i realised that it all sounded the same…but the thing that i do like about his video is the narrative…and his honest opinion on the gear and the fact that when he plays he doesn't feel the need to impress you with his skills, rather show what the gear can do for the particular style he plays.

Long story short…I do prefer the more amateur demo's which have no agenda and use decent quality camera mics, which to me give the truest reflection of the gear. 

Finally, i hardly ever watch demo's done by the actual companies…i would never trust it…the only ones i watch are the marshall ones, and thats only the start to hear them talk about the amp…

Drew_TNBD

Good points all around ICBM, ECC83, And Samza!

martinw

ICBM said:

But how do you know the amp doesn't actually sound like that?!

Kidding, a bit. Yes, that's a good example of a really terrible recording, and the amp probably doesn't sound like that. But it may just be a bad recording for other reasons than because it was done with the camera mic. And the amp may still sound quite bad too...

 

I built it.

It doesn't.

I believe Rich at Stormshadow is going to get some proper studio reviews done of the amps by a journo type chappy that he knows. Hopefully soon!

I use a Zoom Q3HD (H2 type audio)for my own MJW vids. It does a decent job I think, with much better sound quality and a fair representation of the sound in the room. Enough for comparison and indication purposes.

Maxi

I just wished they would play more and talk less or better still say what they need to say with text while you listen . I think room sound is pretty important tho , a badly placed mic is of little use as a ref . A good stereo mic plugged into a cam or just a good cam with good sound . No cam phones tho they just sound shit what ever you try to record . And finally an sm 57 just off center of a standard speaker cab (Marshall) everything else is going to change the sound , possibly make it sound better than what it will when you run said device through your own setup .

Drew_TNBD

Ha! I wasn't aware you built them MJW. They look cool. Bit pricey for me though.

digitalscream

Regarding audio bit rates, here's an interesting page:

http://www.h3xed.com/web-and-internet/youtube-audio-quality-bitrate-240p-360p-480p-720p-1080p

I believe that 192kbps audio was still standard at higher resolutions as at summer 2013, and I couldn't find any more current info on it.

Of course, part of the problem is that this assumes lossless audio on the upload; I suspect a large part of the problem is that the audio is double-compressed in a lot of videos for the sake of keeping file sizes down.

ICBM

Drew_fx said:

Ha! I wasn't aware you built them MJW.

Nor me!

martinw

Drew_fx said:

Ha! I wasn't aware you built them MJW. They look cool. Bit pricey for me though.

ICBM said:

Nor me!

Yep I'm biased, but they do sound great. Lol. I'm looking forward to hearing them recorded on some quality gear at some point!

ICBM

To be fair I was heging my bets a bit for the sake of arguing with Drew . I don't believe *any* amp I've ever heard actually sounds as bad in reality as that clip does. And I don't exclude all the bargain-basement secondhand transistor amps I've tested at the shop from that.

It's like they've taken the worst toy transistor amp of all time and recorded it in a paper bag with the mic from a kid's karaoke machine.

ManWithoutSkin

My pet peeve with YouTube reviews are amp comparisons all through different cabs and each with a different boost in front.

menamestom

The problem with camera mics is they distort with the volume of guitar amps, half the shitty sound in the mics struggling to cope with the sound pressure. I think an semi decent condenser in the room is a pretty honest means of micing up. The zoom Q3hd's are great soundwise, I just wish they would make one with better video quality.

Axe_meister

I can see why they do. It takes time to sync the audio with the video if the camera does not have an external microphone input.

However what I would like to see/hear is the sound of an amp in a band context, i.e. have a backing track with the amp mixed in at the desk.

We can all get great tones that sound good on their own with lashings of gain and reverb that get totally lost in the mix in a band context. 

digitalscream

Axe_meister said:

I can see why they do. It takes time to sync the audio with the video if the camera does not have an external microphone input.

However what I would like to see/hear is the sound of an amp in a band context, i.e. have a backing track with the amp mixed in at the desk.

We can all get great tones that sound good on their own with lashings of gain and reverb that get totally lost in the mix in a band context. 

If you do it properly (with a clap, or other sharp noise) it takes less than a minute to sync up multiple sound sources....

Drew_TNBD

Aye. Just click your fingers at the start of the video, and record the audio, then match it up visually. Easy peasy.

ddlooping

How it should be done?



"So this is the playthrough video of the AMT Stonehead. The first part is a un processed signal of a SM57 and the second part is the Zoom Q3HD microphone for a more "in the room" feeling."

Drew_TNBD

Yeah that's a good demo. The room mic he's using isn't shit though.

samzadgan

Ola always does it his reviews really well...i just dont like his playing style and the fact that no matter what he plays it always sounds exactly the same...same ultra scooped metal sound...which is great for anyone into that music.

personally, if i had based my purchase of the Laney IRT on his review i wouldn't have gone near that amp...rant over...