tv-handbook.com

[gregs]

A friend recently asked me to describe the contents of my "microphone locker." Actually, I don't have a single dedicated place where I store all of them, but rather my equipment is dispersed among several bags and cases so I can pick the ones most appropriate for a particular job. One bag for a simple ENG shoot, a second one if field audio mixing will likely be needed, and so forth. I was surprised to count them up and find that I owned 23 "serious" microphones, of twelve different types. I guess there are worse things to be addicted to. Anyway, here's the (rather long) list, with some comments that may help you make some of your own decisions about specific mics to select for different jobs.

A confession -- although five manufacturers altogether are represented here, you'll see the names of two companies, Sennheiser and Shure, more often than any others in my microphone list. This is not the result of any deliberate effort to maintain brand loyalty. All I can say is that they both seem to have good products that I enjoy using, at a fair price, and both have been good to work with on service and support issues over the years. I also once knew someone who was related to the president of Shure Brothers, and that may have affected my attitude toward the company, even though I had already been buying their mics, mixers and phono cartridges for years before we met. I have no biases about any manufacturers not represented here, and many of them make excellent products. In fact, I have plans to sample mics from at least a couple of others soon.


ENG/interview microphones

1 - Sennheiser ME66 (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=003284)
Short shotgun electret condenser, battery or phantom power
I've discussed this one at length in my first "rant" message. This is my go-to mic for most ENG ambient sound pickup and interview situations. I find that a fairly directional microphone is the best overall instrument for most news/documentary camera work. The ME66 has a good, crisp and clear sound on vocals, and can separate speakers from background noise well. It runs on either a AA battery or phantom power (performance is slightly better on external power). Very high output, even for a condenser mic.

1 - Sennheiser ME67 (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=003285)
Long shotgun electret condenser, battery or phantom power
This is the bigger and even more directional brother of the ME66. It's a more specialized microphone, useful on a boom or for other situations where you need to keep it out of the picture and must work farther from the speaker. The sound is very similar to the ME66, but because this mic is so long physically, it's not suitable for hand-held work or mounting on a camera shoe. This uses the same power module as the ME66, and shares its properties -- high output and battery/phantom power capability.

1 - Sennheiser MD46 (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=005172)
Dynamic cardioid handheld
A great general-purpose interview mic, useful where ambient noise isn't a big problem. Rugged and reliable, with fine rich sound on voices. Useful in the studio as well in combination with the E835s (which sound pretty much the same). In fact, this is basically an E835 with a longer handle (see "rant #2").

2 - Audio-Technica AT803B (http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/ae531e7972b44137/index.html)
Omnidirectional lavalier electret condenser, battery or phantom power
A general-purpose wired lavalier microphone for staged interviews and other situations where you want to conceal the microphones somewhat.

2 - Sony ECM-30 (no general web site, but check eBay if you want to buy one)
Omnidirectional lavalier electret condenser, battery power only
These were mid-priced lavalier mics when I bought them back in the '80s, and are now doing backup duty to the AT803Bs or when I need more than two wired lavs. They still sound fine, but take a hard-to-find "N" size battery, and you can't get spare parts for them anymore. I find that I need to replace the cables on lavalier mics from time to time, so their days are probably numbered, but I'll use 'em until they break (and then buy a couple more of the Audio-Technicas if I need them). They are very roughly equivalent to today's ECM-44B.

2 - Sennheiser MKE2 (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=004224)
Omnidirectional lavalier electret condenser, external power
These are dedicated wireless lavalier microphones that I use with a pair of Sennheiser SK100G2 bodypack transmitters and EK100G2 camera-mounted receivers. They are relatively inexpensive, but they're very small and unobtrusive, and sound more than good enough when I'm using wireless -- which tends to be more and more often as I get older (and lazier?).


General purpose studio/stage microphones

2 - Shure SM81 (http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_SM81-LC_content)
Small-diaphragm condenser cardioid, phantom power only
The SM81 is a legendary studio mic with about the flattest and most uncolored frequency response of any microphone made. These are among the very few mics that can honestly reach both 20 Hz and 20 kHz -- the normally defined limits of the audible sound range -- without any strain. They're quiet, small, cheap for what they can do, and excellent for all kinds of acoustic instrument work -- drum overheads, piano, guitar, banjo, strings, flute, what have you. They are absolutely not suitable as vocal mics, because they pop way too much on plosive breath sounds.

4 - Shure SM94 (http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_SM94-LC_content)
Small-diaphragm electret condenser cardioid, battery or phantom power
A cheaper brother of the SM81, these are my choice for general-purpose instrument recording (acoustic strings especially), or for interview situations on a table stand. A good windscreen is required for voice recording, and you wouldn't want to use them as a close-speaking handheld mic, but they pop less than the SM81s. They have a reasonably flat, uncolored sound but don't quite achieve the broad frequency range of the SM81, especially at the low end. Like most condensers, the SM94s have relatively high output levels, and they can run either on phantom power from a camera or mixer, or on an internal AA battery -- making them very versatile. If I could buy only one set of mics for all purposes or to take to the proverbial desert island, these might be my choice.

2 - Shure SM53 (http://www.coutant.org/shursm54/sm53-54.pdf)
Dynamic cardioid
The long-discontinued SM53s were the first "serious" microphones I owned back in the mid-'70s. They're handheld (or stand mounted) mics with a very flat and wide frequency response for a dynamic microphone, suitable for both instrument and voice recording. Back in the day, the Grand Ole Opry used to use these as their standard on-stage vocal mics. I used them for handheld interview work some, but mainly for vocal music and acoustic instrument recording before I got my SM81s and SM94s. They're still great for a somewhat "rounder" and less aggressive sound than the SM81 on acoustic guitar and drums, and do fine on many wind instruments, so they definitely retain a place in my kit. The main downside is that like many older dynamic designs, they have a relatively low output.

3 - Sennheiser E835 (http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/productdetail.asp?transid=004513)
Dynamic cardioid handheld
The E835s are good general purpose mics for up-close, handheld vocals like you'd find in rock, pop and jazz. They're also pretty good on horns and other louder acoustic instruments. I'm sure I could press these into service to supplement the SM94s for a group of subjects around a table, or for instrument recording (especially electric guitar cabs and the like). Less output and not quite as strong on the extreme high frequency end as the condenser mics, but still a very clean, rich sound.


Higher-end studio microphones

2 - Shure KSM44 (http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_KSM44-SL_content)
Large diaphragm condenser, omni/cardioid/bidirectional switchable, phantom power only
The KSM44 can do almost everything well, with extreme accuracy and a "big" sound due to its large diaphragms (there are two of them, and by switching them in and out, you can get three different directional patterns from this mic). It is one of the quietest condenser mics in existence and has a flat, uncolored frequency response over the entire audible range. Suitable for almost all kinds of instruments and vocals, including voiceover work. Especially fine on piano, organ and, used a few feet away, for choirs and other vocal ensembles. These are just gorgeous mics, but the downside is that they're pretty large, comparatively delicate, and must be used on a stand with a fancy shock mount (and with a mesh pop filter for close vocals). They wouldn't be suitable for on-camera use unless the mic was also supposed to be a prop in the scene (and they look very professional in that role). You'd need to go to a Neumann U87ai at about three times the price to find a better all-purpose recording studio microphone -- and maybe not even at that. Shure also makes the KSM27, which uses only one of the same capsules as in the KSM44, and therefore doesn't have the switchable polar patterns -- it is cardioid-only. But it sounds very similar otherwise, and at about $300 street price, is a very good bargain.

1 - Electro-Voice RE20 (http://www.electrovoice.com/products/91.html)
Dynamic cardioid
The RE20 is a large, heavy dynamic microphone that is best used on a stand, ideally with a shock mount. It is probably the finest and certainly the most-used microphone in existence for spoken-word recording of all kinds, including voiceovers and radio announcing (think Rush Limbaugh or Garrison Keillor). Almost every radio station uses these, or would like to. The RE20 is also capable of handling extremely high sound levels and is a preferred mic for kick drums, electric bass and guitar cabinets and other such high-intensity sounds. I love what this mic does even to my nasal and squeaky voice. It has fairly low output. E-V also makes a similar, newer and more expensive mic called the RE27, which has higher output than the RE20 (this is good) and a brighter and more extended high-frequency response. Surprisingly, most studio engineers do not consider that to be an advantage, and the general consensus is that the RE27 sounds harsher and much less warm than the old standby RE20. So save your money if you're considering one of these -- you can get a good used RE20 for about half the price of the RE27, and it will actually sound better.


Major microphone accessories

Rycote "softie" windscreens -- these are the big "furry" windscreens you see on TV from time to time. I have two, to fit my Sennheiser ME66 and ME67 shotguns. They really do a nice job of reducing wind noise outdoors, but they're way too funny-looking to let them appear on camera. My dog Java also endorses these, and thinks they make mighty fine chew toys.

EV 309A shock mount -- for the RE20 microphone. Makes it possible to use this mic on a desk stand or tabletop boom without picking up rumble and vibration. Pretty much an essential accessory for this mic.

Rode Boompole -- a 10' aluminum boom for hand-holding above (or below) the view of the camera, especially when using a shotgun microphone. You can get more expensive carbon-fiber booms from Gitzo and others that are slightly lighter and might be easier to hold after many minutes, but the Rode (from Australia!) is cheap, sturdy, practical and longer than most. Although I don't own any of them (yet), Rode's microphones are mostly excellent for the price. Check them out at http://www.rodemic.com/?pagename=Home.

Sennheiser SKP100G2 plug-on transmitter -- plugs into the XLR socket at the back and transforms most handheld mics into a wireless system. I use it with my EK100G2 camera-mounted receivers. Very handy! It doesn't supply power to the microphone, so you can't use it with phantom-power-only mics (which affects only my Shure SM81s and KSM44s at this point, neither of which I would be likely to use as handheld interview mics anyway). There is a picture of one of these attached to a Sennheiser MD46 on the web page for that mic that I referenced above.


Other mics I'm interested in

I don't own any of the following yet, but they're next in line on my shopping list.

Shure KSM137 (http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_KSM137-SL_content)
Small-diaphragm condenser cardioid, phantom power only
This is reputed to be the best studio microphone around for recording bowed strings.

Heil Sound PR-40 (http://www.heilsound.com/pro/products/pr40/)
Dynamic cardioid
A more modern rethinking of the Electro-Voice RE20 concept, this microphone is popular with podcasters, amateur radio operators and increasingly with broadcasters as an announcer/narrator mic. Although the RE20 is excellent in most cases, there are some voices that don't sound their very best through it, and I'd like to be able to try the Heil, RE20, Shure SM7B, and possibly the KSM44, to find the best sound when recording a particular speaker.

Shure SM7B (http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_SM7B_content)
Dynamic cardioid
Like the Heil PR-40 and the E-V RE20, this is primarily a radio broadcasting and spoken-word microphone with a good reputation and many loyal fans. Again, it would be good to have one of these to compare with the other voiceover mics to find the one that best suits a particular performer.

AKG C1000S (http://www.akg-acoustics.com/site/products/powerslave,id,759,pid,759,nodeid,2,_language,EN.html)
Small-diaphragm condenser cardioid, phantom or battery power
In the same class with the Shure SM94, this is a good general-purpose instrumental recording microphone with its own distinctive sound.

Neumann U87ai (http://www.neumann.com/?lang=en&id=current_microphones&cid=u87_description)
Large-diaphragm condenser multipattern, phantom power only
What can you say -- probably the most famous and easily recognized studio microphone in the world. Good for just about everything, but particularly voices and acoustic instruments. Like the Shure KSM44, it has a clean, open, accurate, low-noise "big condenser" sound. But at about $1800 apiece, it will be awhile before I can afford a pair of these.
_________________
Greg Smith N9LHI
Co-author of TV Handbook
gregs@uiuc.edu