I was puzzling over this: you could theoretically (assume we have really good and precise EQs) EQ an SM-57 to have the same frequency response curve as a U-87, yes? But I have a feeling that if you A-Bed the two to most people they'd pick the 87 on a vocal over this EQed 57. Or would they? Frankly, I can't see how in terms of frequency response the mics would be any different once you EQed them the same (again so long as the EQ is sufficiently transparent, and given that most frequency responses would only need a cut or boost of a few dB this would be somewhat feasible).
But then why pay $1000+ extra? So that leads me to believe there's something far more than frequency response at play.
From what I could find out those response curves are measured with pink noise in an anechoic chamber. But (AFAIK) pink noise is not variant to the degree that a vocal (different timbres of voice, vocal styles, vocalist technique) or any waveform you'd ever actually be recording. So doesn't the frequency response graph leave out everything that's actually "useful" quantitatively about a mic (such as its behavior when faced with a more "musical" waveform)? I mean, different sized capsules would have different masses/characteristics it seems and thus more or less "inertia" and so better/worse // faster/slower transient response, right?
So is the "magic" in a certain mic a function of a given engineer's experience and intuition (and this intuition is what you DON'T see on a frequency response curve)? Because when I read about people doing EQ I never hear them say (maybe I just haven't been listening enough, though!) "Well, I just pull up this frequency response chart and level everything out and go from there."
Any comments/setting me straights/advice/etc. would be really useful here! I hope this isn't a stupid topic/question. I'm still very new to all this and have not acquired much gear yet, so I'm doing my best to get a good technical understanding of the numbers sides of things and what actually is/is not possible so that I don't get hoodwinked by a marketing guru. I know that in the end it comes down to "trust your ears," but what can I do in other situations when I don't have that option (besides, er, trusting OTHER people's ears!!
