Shure SM7B Review: Vocal Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

10/10

Shure SM7B is a legendary high-end dynamic microphone, often used on radio stations, for podcasting, voiceovers and studio recording as well. Many people believe that to get the best sound it is somewhat mandatory to use only the expensive condensers like Neumann and similar. This microphone can easily prove them wrong. Three times cheaper than TLM 103 and 8 times cheaper than U37, it is capable of producing just as good, and in some occasions,…

Shure SM93 / WL93 Review, Subminiature Omni Lavalier

9/10

Shure SM93 and WL93 are subminiature condenser lavs with omnidirectional pattern. Both mics are the same units that terminate with TA4F (aka TQG) connector, designed for Shure’s wireless transmitters, except the SM93 version actually includes an additional preamplifier with a balanced XLR output for wired applications. The preamplifier module is powered exclusively by phantom power, but it drains a relatively low current. Overall, the mic sounds very smooth and as a subminiature lavalier it also…

The Messy Nessie – Blue Nessie USB mic review

3.5/10

Blue Nessie is a relatively new and fancy-looking USB mic with just about decent sound quality. It has some interesting features like switchable recording modes and a touch sensor mute button. The stand is quite tall and it almost raises the mic to the head level but it also makes for a larger footprint. Nevertheless, the stand is non-detachable and the whole complexity of that eye-sticking-out-of-the-socket design makes it vulnerable without providing any feasible advantage….

Samson Meteorite USB review – cheap, small and hot!

5/10

Samson Meteorite is a cheap USB mic with a small footprint, compatible with Mac and PC. It also works for IPad when combined with a Lightning USB adaptor, which is not included by the way. However, an obscenely short and flimsy cable creates limitations, so it’s hard to justify using it for anything other than a MacBook or a laptop. Samson says the mic’s pickup pattern is cardioid but that’s a lie. Meteorite has a…

Lewitt DTP Beat Kit Pro 7 Review, Shipped From Heaven

10/10

Editor's Choice

Lewitt DTP Beat Kit Pro 7 is a stunning quality premium set of drum mics that beats pretty much anything in the $1,000 range. The value for money is simply amazing, because this kit includes two externally polarized LCT 340 as overheads, for which alone it is actually worth buying! Toms, snare and kick mics are excellent too – for dynamics, they offer a breathtaking amount of detail and clarity without compromising their low-end response….

Shure MVL Omnidirectional TRRS Lavalier Review

4/10

Shure MVL is a new lapel mic with TRRS connector designed for mobile devices. It belongs to Shure Motiv line and comes with a handy mobile app for iOS users. Other platform users will have to rely on third party software but it shouldn’t have any compatibility issues. This mic is also the worst from their new line and the sound quality is unimpressive at best. It does have its own strengths, for instance, it has…

AZDEN EX503 Omni-Directional Lavalier Microphone Review

6/10

Azden EX503 is a cheap omnidirectional lavalier, ideal for home use and super low budget production. The quality is about decent: it may not be as crisp and clear as to capture all the inflections of speech but it still sounds intelligible and doesn’t make your ears bleed badly. There are issues with static noise –Rode smartLav+ and especially Giant Squid Audio Lab are way better in this respect. This is due to low sensitivity,…

Shure SM81-LC: Cardioid Instrument Mic Review

9.5/10

Shure SM81-LC is a very neutral and transparent instrument condenser with electret bias. It is mainly used in studios for recording of guitars, pianos and cymbals but it’s also suitable for a wide range of different instruments. It is considered industry standard and although there are plenty of different SDCs available on the market today, few of them can quite match the old Shure in terms of quality. SM81 offers excellent definition, very consistent highs, low…

Shure Beta 58A Review – Supercardioid Dynamic

8.3/10

Shure Beta 58A is a great performance supercardioid mic, capable of delivering nice and clean vocals without killing your budget. Fairly bright but unobtrusive in character, it clears up vocals without exaggerating on the higher register. It has a linear response throughout the entire vocal range, which is especially appreciated by versatile singers. All in all, this mic is very easy to work with, both for singer and sound engineer alike. It is also quite…

CAD e70 Review – Dual Capsule Pencil mic

8/10

CAD e70 is an excellent quality pencil mic with interchangeable omni and cardioid capsules. Very natural sounding, it is crisp and has plenty of air with a nice sparkling flavor. This mic also features fine low end, which really nails the sound of an acoustic guitar. Not thin, not too deep, and just about right to handle the most instruments. There are of course exceptions: if you want to achieve warmer and richer sound, you’re…

8/10

AKG C1000s is an inexpensive all-around mic with a switchable cardioid / hypercardioid pattern. It has a signature bright sound that creates an illusion of higher fidelity but also helps to clear up the sound in a live environment. Definitely not the highest quality mic, but if used correctly it can produce very decent results for instruments and female vocals. For videographers, of course I don’t recommend it. There are simply no viable mics at…

Audix SCX1-HC – indoor hypercardioid review

8.5/10

Audix SCX1-HC is a professional hypercardioid SDC, mainly used for booming interviews and dialogues indoors. It can also be used for instruments when you want to achieve maximum isolation. Hypercardioid pattern makes it ideal for working in untreated rooms as it helps to minimize the impact of reflections. This mic has high sensitivity and requires some distance from the target. It has quite a narrow pickup, compared to other hypercardioids, and thus works best for…

8/10

Sennheiser e835 is a budget mic of above average quality that has a very distinct wide cardioid pattern. As such, it offers minimum proximity effect and it’s quite forgiving if the talent goes a bit off axis. This mic is very easy to handle and it will be ideal for presenters, churches and other non-critical applications. It can produce quite clean, unobtrusive and intelligible voice as long as you don’t push it to the limits,…

Azden SMX-30: DSLR Shotgun +Stereo mic review

8.1/10

SMX-30 is a solid DSLR mic that makes a hybrid of shotgun and X/Y stereo mic. It’s surprising to see this innovative approach from Azden, which is a relatively new manufacturer but they’ve actually created a new, highly demanded and quality piece of equipment. SMX-30 also wears a modest price tag. Costing about the same as Rode VideoMic Pro R, it brings you an additional stereo mode for free. We were skeptical about this announcement…

RØDE NTG3 Review: Professional short shotgun

9.2/10

Rode NTG3 is a well-priced professional shotgun that boasts stellar sound quality and low self-noise. It is ideal for budget film or field production where you want to get the best sound for the money. It can be a good alternative to Sennheiser MKH 416 because it does almost exactly the same job at a lower price. This mic has RF-bias capsule, which is known as true condenser. This sets it up from entry shotguns…

8.2/10

AKG D5 is a cheap but rugged supercardioid mic. It offers similar but slightly superior sound to Shure SM58. Tighter pick up pattern also gives it more flexibility to deal with gain before feedback. This mic can thus be considered as a more viable, cheaper alternative. However, it does suffer from the same disadvantage, which is the lack of detail. When comparing to more advanced handhelds, D5 may kind of sound inarticulate but as a…

Audio-Technica AT2035 Review – Best Affordable LDC

9/10

AT2035 is an inexpensive back electret condenser from Audio Technica that boasts pretty clear and balanced sound with low noise floor. This mic is a veeery good tradeoff between price and quality and hence, an ideal choice for home studios where budget is a factor. AT2035 has cardioid polar pattern and large diaphragm that actually works for both vocals and instruments. Having said that, the essential features of pad and low pass make it an…

Shure MV5 Review – Portable USB microphone

7.8/10

This device reminds us of legendary ‘Elvis Microphone’ except it is digital… and, it is packed with new features! Shure MV5 is a solid USB mic that boasts very decent quality at reasonable price (probably the best in up to $100 category). It is portable and highly compatible with Windows, Mac, iPad, iOS, iPhone and Android. Although it may lack the clarity of more expensive mics, the difference is not that huge. On a positive…

Apogee MiC 96k for Mac, iPad & iPhone review

4/10

Apogee MiC 96k behind the simple look offers a polished performance alongside with native Apple compatibility. This device brings a smooth experience for users of iPhone, iPad, Mac and new iPod. However, Microsoft Windows and likely other operating systems are not supported. As the name suggests the mic supports up to 96k sampling rate via 24 bit DAC. Paired with Core Audio interface it also results in a very low latency and can give demanding…

CAD U37 – budget USB mic unbiased review

7/10

CAD U37 is a very cheap USB mic and while some may not take it seriously, it actually offers the best bang for the buck. Despite having some disadvantages, overall quality is quite decent. This mic is mainly designed for situations that don’t demand maximum performance. Particularly, it will be a great choice for Skype, amateur videos and even gaming. Musicians who make simple covers for YouTube will also probably find it suitable. If this…

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Author: Peter

Shure SM7B Review: Vocal Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

Shure SM93 / WL93 Review, Subminiature Omni Lavalier

The Messy Nessie – Blue Nessie USB mic review

Samson Meteorite USB review – cheap, small and hot!

Lewitt DTP Beat Kit Pro 7 Review, Shipped From Heaven

Shure MVL Omnidirectional TRRS Lavalier Review

AZDEN EX503 Omni-Directional Lavalier Microphone Review

Shure SM81-LC: Cardioid Instrument Mic Review

Shure Beta 58A Review – Supercardioid Dynamic

CAD e70 Review – Dual Capsule Pencil mic

AKG C1000s Multipattern SDC Review

Audix SCX1-HC – indoor hypercardioid review

Sennheiser e835 Cardioid Dynamic Review

Azden SMX-30: DSLR Shotgun +Stereo mic review

RØDE NTG3 Review: Professional short shotgun

AKG D5 Review – Supercardioid Dynamic

Audio-Technica AT2035 Review – Best Affordable LDC

Shure MV5 Review – Portable USB microphone

Apogee MiC 96k for Mac, iPad & iPhone review

CAD U37 – budget USB mic unbiased review

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