Small Diaphram Condensor Microphone Shootout

In the spring of 2009, I ran a small diaphragm condenser microphone shootout for the Penn State AES section. We tested eight pairs of microphones, all arranged in X-Y configurations, lined up vertically in a 1.5 foot span, and running through the same audio chain (preamps, interface, etc.). After adjusting for loudness differences, we had AES members compare the resulting audio tracks. The sonic differences between various pairs of mics were subtle. The largest difference in mic performance is off-axis response.