Maono PD400X – USB / XLR podcast dynamic microphone review

Maono PD400X – USB / XLR podcast dynamic microphone review
8.9/10

Maono PD400X is a budget broadcast dynamic microphone that comes with a USB interface at no additional cost. For the most part it has a natural response, a little bit on the bright side with lots of air to it. The higher frequencies can be further boosted via EQ but even without it, PD400X sounds very crispy, especially for a dynamic mic. Good clarity and high output makes it an ideal choice for entry podcasting,…

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Shure MV7 – premium dynamic USB mic… worth it?

Shure MV7 – premium dynamic USB mic… worth it?
9/10

Shure MV7 is a dynamic USB mic with a decent sound quality that emphasizes comfort and usability for everyday use. The idea behind MV7 was to create an easy to use solution for podcasting, mimicking the legendary SM7b. Despite my initial disappointment, the mic turned out to be a success, relatively. More compact and cheaper than the SM7b, it also doesn’t require a preamp or an expensive audio interface. The quality is actually quite good…

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Maono HD300T Hybrid USB/XLR Dynamic Mic

Maono HD300T Hybrid USB/XLR Dynamic Mic
8.7/10

Maono HD300T is a dynamic USB microphone that brings live sound home and packs the best bang for the buck when it comes to vocal recording. It delivers the best traits of dynamics that result in smooth and undistorted sound, saving you from buying expensive equipment such as preamps and digital interface that are otherwise necessary for connecting a dynamic XLR microphone to a computer. This mic comes with handy shock mount & compact pop…

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AKG Pro Audio D7 Reference Microphone Review

AKG Pro Audio D7 Reference Microphone Review
8.5/10

AKG D7 is a premium dynamic supercardioid stage mic with a smooth and open sound that is quite resilient to feedback. On paper it may look identical to D5 but don’t get confused because there are distinctive differences in the sound. AKG D7 is a step up in quality, and it is also more expensive but fortunately, you do get what you pay for. As a reference mic, it delivers a very natural tone despite…

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Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Dynamic Microphone Review

Electro-Voice RE20 Broadcast Dynamic Microphone Review
9/10

Electro-Voice RE20 is an industry standard dynamic broadcast microphone that offers maximum background rejection without sacrificing the quality and the tone of the voice. The mic has a rich and deep sound to it, not as bright as the RE320 as but certainly brighter than the Rode Procaster. The greatest advantage of the Electro-Voice RE-20 is what they call the variable-D response, which gives it a uniform sound regardless of how close you are to…

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Rode Procaster Broadcast Dynamic Vocal Microphone Review

Rode Procaster Broadcast Dynamic Vocal Microphone Review
9.5/10

Rode Procaster is a relatively inexpensive broadcast microphone, which yet offers professional quality sound. It has a very smooth and manageable response, which makes it ideal for recording. At the same time, the mic rejects a lot of room noise and minimizes such effects as popping. Procaster is a very versatile mic that can handle literally any type of voice you throw at it. However some very basic EQ, particularly low cut is mandatory. Procaster…

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Shure Super 55 Deluxe – supercardioid prop mic review

Shure Super 55 Deluxe – supercardioid prop mic review
6/10

Shure Super 55 Deluxe is a supercardioid prop mic for live sound. It may certainly look cool on camera while sparing you from having to procure an expensive and delicate Neumann or some other signature microphone in order to impress your audience. You have to understand it doesn’t have anything to do with the old mic other than having the similarly styled body. Those times are long gone and we have a small cylinder-shaped capsule…

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Sennheiser e845 review – budget supercardioid

Sennheiser e845 review – budget supercardioid
8.1/10

Sennheiser e845 is a budget version of the e945 supercardioid handheld with a less refined response and a slightly lower output. It is still as good in terms of gain before feedback and the supercardioid pattern it offers is as tight as ever. That is why this mic is well suited for noisy venues as well as back vocals where you want to keep the background noise to minimum. The higher end is as open…

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Electro-Voice RE320 Review – Dynamic Recording Mic

Electro-Voice RE320 Review – Dynamic Recording Mic
9/10

Electro-Voice RE320 is a large diaphragm cardiod dynamic microphone widely used for radio recording and broadcasting. This mic is fairly sensitive and requires a quieter or moderately treated room in order to be effective. It is great for spoken word and singing when you want to capture all the detail and nuances while giving it a touch of silkiness and smoothness of a dynamic. RE320 is hotter than Shure SM7B and other broadcaster mics like…

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Telefunken M80 Dynamic Microphone Review

Telefunken M80 Dynamic Microphone Review
8.6/10

Telefunken M80 is a rugged dynamic cardiod mic for live vocals. It reminds of the well-known SM58, with a similar sound except for a better-balanced low-end response that helps it cut through the mix better. In terms of gain before feedback, there isn’t much of a difference either (when both are adjusted to the same levels) although it appears that M80 requires less gain despite the specs actually saying it has a lower sensitivity. Telefunken…

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Heil Sound PR35 – Cardioid Dynamic Review

Heil Sound PR35 – Cardioid Dynamic Review
8.8/10

Heil Sound PR35 is a high quality, recording-grade dynamic handheld with an emphasis on presence and a rich, extended low end. This mic sounds very smooth, the highs are clean and there is almost zero harshness. It can be used for high quality live recordings while being stage-worthy and this is a great advantage. On the other hand, in the hands of an unskilled sound engineer and a mediocre quality PA, it may actually sound…

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Shure SM7B Review: Vocal Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

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,…

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Shure Beta 58A Review – Supercardioid Dynamic

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…

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Sennheiser e835 Cardioid Dynamic Review

Sennheiser e835 Cardioid Dynamic Review
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,…

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AKG D5 Review – Supercardioid Dynamic

AKG D5 Review – Supercardioid Dynamic
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…

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Sennheiser e935 Review – Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

Sennheiser e935 Review – Cardioid Dynamic Microphone
9.6/10
Editor's Choice

Sennheiser e935 is a very powerful but inexpensive handheld. It has a beautifully balanced sound and clarity of a condenser mic. On the other hand, it is quite unpretentious and works wonderfully for both female and deeper male voices. As a cardioid microphone, it sounds more natural than its supercardioid brother e945 and that is expected. What we find most striking is the level of feedback rejection – it is simply incredible… Works not only…

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Audix OM-7 Hypercardioid Microphone Review

Audix OM-7 Hypercardioid Microphone Review
7.6/10

Audix OM-7 is a hypercardioid microphone /w dynamic capsule designed specifically for live performance. It’s been out for some while and I happened to hear only positive reviews, which seemed to me rather exaggerated back then. But recently, I was able to test it all out myself and comparing with other models, the results got me astounded… It is hard to believe how much better can this guy make you sound on stage! Sound & quality…

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AKG D112 Dynamic Kick Drum Microphone Review

AKG D112 Dynamic Kick Drum Microphone Review
9/10

AKG D112 is a classic mic for kick drums that features large diaphragm, designed for high sound pressure and can handle quite a bit of vibrations. Typically, dynamic mics never boast having balanced frequency charts, especially when meant for kick recording where all you’d probably hope for is a decent low-end. Surprisingly, D112 is rather the exception. This mic is more or less accurate throughout its entire range of up to 17 kHz, and it doesn’t…

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Blue Microphones enCORE 200 Dynamic Microphone Review

Blue Microphones enCORE 200 Dynamic Microphone Review
7/10

Blue en-Core 200 is an active dynamic microphone with a cardioid pattern. It delivers a bright, high definition sound that easily cut through the mix. It can best be used for live shows especially with quiet passages as it helps to minimize electromagnetic interference. The unique feature of en-Core 200 is a prebuilt amplifier, which adds a little bit of gain and helps to reduce the annoying hissing and humming noises, which may also result from low quality wires. This mic is quite…

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Electro Voice ND767A Dynamic Vocal Microphone Review

Electro Voice ND767A Dynamic Vocal Microphone Review
7.2/10

Electro Voice 767A is a cheap but very good sounding vocal mic. Although it may not be as durable as Shure SM58, it certainly has a way better performance for just about the same price. It has a bright high-end with a smooth bottom end. Whatever your voice is, it will never sound muddy as this mic always delivers a lot of detail and clarity. If you need a good entry-level mic with above standard sound…

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