Korby Audio Technologies
March 18, 2009 by NAMM · Leave a Comment
Korby Solid-State “Stubby” Microphone – discontinued
The “Stubby” microphone uses solid-state circuitry to achieve the distinctive fat, dark tone associated with the vintage Neumann U47 tube mic. The mic features a cardiod polar pattern, frequency response from 40hz to 18 kHz, signal-to-noise ration of 70db and maximum output of 200mv.
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Sennheiser Evolution Series dynamic microphones
March 8, 2009 by NAMM · Leave a Comment
Purchasing a microphone is never an easy task. It’s hard enough to crank up a guitar amp in a music store and try to evaluate the tone of an instrument, effect or amp—all the while trying to think of something cool to play to impress those around you. But to plug in a microphone and sing—or even stand there and talk into it? Forget it. To really judge the sound of a mic, you need to take it into the trenches. Will it feed back in your rehearsal space? Will it feed back on stage? Does it sound good on vocals? How about acoustic guitar? Electric guitar? Clean or distorted? What about recording?
Sennheiser’s Evolution Series of dynamic microphones is a good, low-cost line with models designed to handle just about any of these applications. The 10 different units (six vocal mikes and four instrument mikes) are sold separately, ranging price from $79 to $349. Dynamic microphones are great in live situations because of their ability to take physical abuse and handle high sound pressure levels (condenser mikes are generally more fragile in both of these areas), and the Evolution mikes are no exception. Encased in durable steel-blue metal housings, they can clearly take a beating on the road—and they sound good enough to come in handy in the studio, too.
Vocal Mikes
The least expensive model in the series at (roughly) $79, the e825S is a general purpose, cardioid vocal and instrument mic. Though best suited for vocals, it has no problem capturing the sonic range of an acoustic guitar or miking up an amp. Unlike some inexpensive dynamic mikes which tend to be either excessively muddy or thin-sounding, the 825 has a bright, clear tone while maintaining a more-than-adequate bass response. It’s a great choice for a demo studio or rehearsal space that can also perform admirably in more serious recording and performing situations.
The next model in the line, the e835 and e835S—the same as the e835—but with an on/off switch. This model has a slightly wider frequency range than the 825. The improved bass response and high-end clarity sound great on vocals and instruments alike.
The e845 and e845S are super cardioid vocal mikes, meaning that they have tighter polar patterns and therefore reject more sound from the back and sides. This helps to avoid feedback and leakage from other sound sources. These mikes have a sparkling, bright tone that helps vocals cut through dense mixes and also works well on guitars.
The top-of-the-line vocal microphone in the series is the e855, also a super cardioid vocal mic. With its wide frequency range (40 Hz to 18 kHz) and a strong boost in the high end, the 855 is excellent for stage vocals. Great sound, minimal feedback and handling noise, it does everything but make sure you sing on key.
Instrument Mikes
The e609 is the microphone in the series most useful to guitarists. Its flat-profile design and large diaphragm make it ideal for miking a guitar cabinet, while its tight super cardioid pattern avoids leakage and feedback. The e609 also does a good job of capturing the sound of an acoustic guitar, though many people prefer to use condenser mikes to record acoustic instruments. Versatile enough to use on any number of sources, the e609 is a great tool to have around.
Plug in the e602 and talk into it, and you’ll immediately know it’s designed to handle low-frequency sources like kick drums and bass guitar cabinets. The large microphone has a wonderful clarity in the low end—punchy and boomy without any muddy rumble. Its (intentional) lack of midrange and boosts in the extreme low and high frequencies give it a distinct tone and make it a great choice for its designated applications.
The other two microphones in the series, the e604 and e608 are, respectively, a clip-on cardioid mic designed to use on drums and brass instruments, and a small gooseneck super-cardioid clip-on made to mike woodwinds, brass and drums. Both of these mikes do their jobs quite well and are so small they’re practically invisible on stage.
Live Music Recording – Preventing Cymbal Leakage
February 22, 2009 by NAMM · Leave a Comment
When my band rehearses, the cymbals are always leaking into the vocal microphones. How can we stop this from happening?
Pete
xxxx@gmail.com
Answer Read more
Samson, Shure and Telex UHF Wireless Microphone Systems
February 21, 2009 by NAMM · Leave a Comment
The main reason for using a wireless system is obvious: avoiding the embarrassment of being tackled by your own cable. While wireless systems have become commonplace, there are still performers who prefer the umbilical-cord safety of their real cables, citing signal degradation and interference as being the main problems with going wireless. While early systems did suffer from those Spinal Tap moments when the evening’s ballad was interrupted by the local cab firm’s radio controller, the recent generation of wireless microphone systems reviewed below have a couple of secret weapons.
The first “true diversity,” which means that the system contains two independent receivers from which it selects the stronger signal. The second innovation is the employment of the UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band, which, compared to the VHF band, is relatively uncrowded, thereby greatly reducing the chances of signal interference.
The first microphone system to enter our cable-free zone is the Samson UHF Series One. The system’s UR1 receiver is a tidy half-rack unit with two tuned, molded antennas that can be folded away for safe transportation. The uncluttered front panel contains a peak LED to warn of clipping, A/B LEDs to indicate which of the two receivers is active and a five-segment radio frequency level meter that displays the strength of the received signal. The mute (or “squelch”) control is factory pre-set to allow for the maximum range before signal drop-out, which is 300 feet under normal conditions. The unit also has balanced XLR and unbalanced ¼-inch outputs, Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters that provide optimum clarity and a total of six available channels that allow the use of multiple UR1s within the same venue.
Our model was paired with Samson’s own Qmic hand-held microphone, and is also available with various popular mic capsules, including models by Shure and Electro-Voice. The Qmic includes a power switch and a battery-strength indicator. In use, the Series One system performs loud and clear, while Samson’s Phase-Lock Loop technology locked in the signal for stable transmission. The amplified tone was also consistent and realistic, with no more background noise than a conventional microphone.
Our next candidate was the Shure UT Series Vocal Artist UHF system. This package consists of the UT4 receiver and the UT2 microphone-transmitter, which is based on the industry-standard Shure SM58 mic. The UT4 has a rugged modular design that can be stacked or used as a half-space rack unit, and it provides enough available channels for eight units to be used simultaneously. This receiver offers a peak indicator and volume and squelch controls, but no signal strength meter. Shure’s MARCAD circuitry allows the receiver to use both antennas simultaneously to combine the signals for optimum quality over the 300-foot range.
The UT4 also offers XLR and ¼-inch outputs that can feed two separate devices at once. The semi-rigid antennas offer the same performance as the telescopic versions but are more durable. The hand-held UT2 mic includes power and mute switches and a battery level indicator. The system is simple to use, offering distortion- and interference-free clarity, as well as the familiar heft of an SM58.
Our third system, the Telex UR12L includes a UR12 receiver and a UT12 base, a clever device that snaps onto any metal-bodied, three-pin mic and includes mute and power switches. The UR12 receiver has the requisite pair of antennas, volume and squelch controls and XLR and ¼-inch inputs. A pair of LEDs tells you what’s happening on the airwaves: one indicates if the transmitter is on, while the other changes from orange to green when the diversity system has optimized reception. Although this system offers less visual feedback than the other two, it can operate in a 300-foot range with true diversity and can be used with up to six systems simultaneously. Employed with a Shure SM58 mic, the UT12 produced a signal that was uniformly clear, with minimal noise.
The End Line
It would be impossible to conclude that any one of these systems performed better than the others, since they all behaved themselves perfectly under test conditions. In fact, if there’s a “downside” to all three systems it’s that you can’t swing the mic over your head during the guitar solo.
Zoom H4n Portable Digital Recorder
February 12, 2009 by NAMM · Leave a Comment
Zoom H4n Digital Recorder is pleased to announce their all-new recorder: The H4n features an improved user interface, built-in X/Y stereo condenser mics, a digitally controlled mic pre-amp and the ability to use internal and external mics simultaneously for 4-channel recording; making the H4n the most sophisticated handheld recorder by Zoom, to date. Read more
Tube Microphones Review
November 27, 2008 by NAMM · 3 Comments
Just as tube guitar amps provide warmer sound and more natural tone than solid state amps, tube microphones accomplish the same thing fir vocals and miked instruments. Classic mics like the Neumann U67 have been a favorite of studio engineers for decades, but today there are several more affordable tube mics on the market that get the job done quite well.
We tested tube microphones made by Audio-Technica, AKG and Alesis by tracking vocals, a Martin D-1 acoustic guitar and a Les Paul through a Peavey Classic 30 combo amp to an Alesis ADAT and direct to a Panasonic 3700 DAT machine. All three microphones were quite impressive, though some seemed better-suited for certain applications than others.
First, a bit of background information. All the mics tested are condensers, which generally offer superior high-frequency response and better sound than dynamic mics. They’re also expensive, sensitive and less durable, so they tend to stay in the studio. In addition, condensers require a power source, and while many of them run on 48-volt phantom power supplied by a mixer through a regular mic cable, tube microphones require their own power supply. Each of the mics we tested comes with an external power supply, a cable to connect the mic to the supply and a noise reducing shock mount.
Audio-Technica AT4060
The Audo-Technica AT4060 ($1249.99) features a unidirectional cardioid pattern that allows it to accept sound from the front and reject it from the back and sides. The mic was great for vocals, providing a full midrange that was neither thin nor muddy and which cut right through the mix. It also performed quite well on acoustic guitar, capturing the instrument’s full, low-end body as well as its higher frequencies, and it was superb for clean electric guitar sounds and solos, picking up the brighter frequencies and delivering a clear, ringing tone.
The AT4060 comes with a small case for the microphone but nothing to hold the power supply and cables required for it—perhaps the company’s way of encouraging you to leave the mic in the studio. Overall, this is a wonderfully versatile mic with excellent low-midrange characteristics.
AKG Solidtube
The AKG Soldtube ($1099) is a large cylinder mic that, like the AT4060, has a cardioid pattern. In addition, the Soldtube has a -20 dB pad to reduce its output and a bass rolloff switch on the power supply. The mic, power supply and accessories come n a handy metal carry case.
The AKG produced a slightly brighter sound than the Audo-Technica, and as a result, vocals had a bit more presence to them, with a high-mid boost that was wonderful. The acoustic guitar sounded bright and punchy, but the AKG didn’t reproduce as much of the guitar’s low end, resulting in a slightly thinner tone. The AKG really excelled on electric guitar, where clean tones rang full and bright and crunchy rhythm tracks were in-your-face huge. This is a reliable mic for “featured track” applications, like lead guitar and vocals.
GT Electronics AM62
Is it any wonder that Alesis, who brought us affordable ADAT recording and inexpensive signal processors, have developed and affordable tube mic that sounds great and is loaded with features?
Manufactured by the company’s GT Electronics Division, the AM62 features a -10dB pad, bass rolloff switch and Groove Tube GT5840M tube. In addition to its cardioid pattern, the microphone can operate in a tighter super-cardioid pattern as well as figure-eight and omnidirectional patterns. The AM62 also comes with a hard mount (although neither the hard mount or shock mount were as steady as the others we tested) and a strong metal carry case.
The AM62’s solid midrange sounded terrific on vocals. While it made the acoustic sound rather boxy, with perhaps too much midrange, the AM62 did a nice job of capturing the instrument’s full tone. The mic worked especially well with the electric guitar, delivering smooth clean tones and a bright distorted tone that helped lead lines cut through the mix. With a variety of features, quality sound and an informative manual (complete with tips on miking different instruments), the AM62 is a workhorse around which you can base your studio.
The End Line
As a multipurpose microphone for vocals, acoustic and clean electric guitar, the Audio-Technica AT4060 delivers the goods. While not as sensitive at revealing the tonal nuances of the acoustic guitar, the AKG Solidtube did a superb job with vocals and with both clean and distorted guitar tone. And for all-around performance and features, you can’t go wrong with the budget friendly GT Electronics AM62. Lean more about Recording Gear
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EV Electro-Voice RE510
EV Electro-Voice RE510
Because of their wide frequency response and great sensitivity, condenser mikes are often the first choice of recording engineers, particularly for vocals. But studio conditions are idyllic compared to the rigors of live performance and that same response and sensitivity makes most condensers a nightmare on stage. Nobody wants to deal with feedback and extra handling noise.
Those who crave condenser performance on stage should check out the RE510 ($199), a hand-held condenser designed specifically for performance applications. Thanks to what EV calls its “Warm Grip” handle, the mic is easy to hold. The capsule is shock-mounted, which effectively eliminates handling noise, and the tight cardioid polar pattern means that only the direct source—i.e., the singer’s lovely voice—comes through. The RE 510 worked very well when placed right against the lips; there was little proximity effect, and the built-in pop filtering “plosives” impressively.
The End Line
The Electro-Voice RE 510 sounds more articulate than all but the most sensitive dynamic mikes. If you want your voice to really cut through on stage, this just may be the mike for you.
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Sweet Voices of EV 368 Electro-Voice 468
September 23, 2008 by NAMM · Leave a Comment
A few decades ago, Electro-Voice set the audio industry on its ear when they introduced the NeoDymium (N/DYM) line of durable and affordable dynamic microphones, which boast response and performance characteristics comparable to costly condenser mikes. Read more
