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[Kevin Maxwell]

I usually cringe when someone comes up to us and says I have my own wireless mic that I want to use. Mainly because we weren’t given any advance notice of this and it is usually a piece of junk. But also because I have used my usual techniques of tuning the monitors and the vocal subgroup/Mix Bus already for the mics we are providing.

But there has been this one Neal Diamond tribute band that we have been doing sound for at a summer concert series that we have been doing for a while. The lead has always shown up with his cheap wireless and it has always worked but it isn’t anywhere near as good as what we can provide. But I came to realize that the distortion that I hear in his mic works for what he is trying to accomplish and a good clear sounding wireless system wouldn’t give him the sound that he needs for this act. The combination of his voice and that mic work. They are very good and he even has the look, I just don’t know if he always looks like that. 

[John L Nobile]

They are very good and he even has the look, I just don’t know if he always looks like that. 

Some of them stay in character offstage and in "real" life. They dress, do their hair and talk like the artist they're impersonating. I find it very odd and I hear the theme from Twilight Zone whenever they come near.

[Kevin Maxwell]

Some of them stay in character offstage and in "real" life. They dress, do their hair and talk like the artist they're impersonating. I find it very odd and I hear the theme from Twilight Zone whenever they come near.

And then there are the ones that don't even look like them in wigs and costumes unless you are at the back of the audience. 

[Scott Bolt]

While true, I'd suggest it's like using a blunt knife or saw.
Yes, a decent operator can use it and get pretty decent results. However, even an amateur will notice that the better tool makes it quicker and easier to get good/better results.

For me, the Sennheiser e935 is a good sweet spot between the very expensive mics (I'd love to have a dozen of Beyer's V96), and the SM58. Yes, it's more expensive than an SM58. However, it sounds a bit nicer and the polar pattern seems to hold up better. I'd say that's worth the extra cash. YMMV.

Chris

LOL.  Yep, that has been my exact feeling as well.  I didn't have an e935 to try out when I did my comparisons.  I have heard that they are a better version of the e835 (which isn't bad really).

I would say that the primary place to put a little extra cash into any PA is the microphones and the speakers (the "goes in" and "goes out" parts ).

[Russell Ault]

[...] I would say that the primary place to put a little extra cash into any PA is the microphones and the speakers (the "goes in" and "goes out" parts ).

If you're statistically-minded, you can actually narrow that down a little further: while you don't have to spend a fortune to buy microphones that are reasonably linear within their normal operating envelope, there's a reason that speaker manufacturers (even the really good ones) don't typically publish specs like THD for their products...

-Russ

[Seth Udoll]

Guys, I appreciate all of your input very much.  I've learned a lot from all of you.  I was going to write up a summary of what I now understand about microphones, but the quote below pretty much says what I would say anyway.

The results you get from a microphone is the result of the relationship of the frequency response, pattern, and proximity effect of the microphone and the frequency content and microphone technique of the singer.  As said some microphones just work better with some singers.  As far as using eq, I for one am much happier if I can gain up a mic, set the high pass, and have a nice day vs having to doing a bunch of eq.  But, I do mostly one offs so, my go to mic is a 58.  I know what they sound like and react and so do most singers.  This lets me get to a more then passible point quickly and I can also tell if there is an issue with the mic directly.

Thank you all so much!

-Seth-

[Alex Cheng]

Try a V7. I hardly ever use anything else now.


Steve.

Heh, I'm fairly sure I've thrown a V7 on him before...I can't believe I'm saying this, but a 58 just works better for him! Something about his voice is just too nasal with the V7 or a 935.

[Dave Garoutte]

Heh, I'm fairly sure I've thrown a V7 on him before...I can't believe I'm saying this, but a 58 just works better for him! Something about his voice is just too nasal with the V7 or a 935.

That's exactly the point of a majority of the comments you've gotten.

[Jonathan Johnson]

The response curve will not tell you what it will sound like with different voices or instruments. If it comes down to graphs vs ears, the latter always wins.

The graphs are kind of like a resume that helps you decide whether you want to interview (audition) the candidate or not. The interview is when you make the actual decision whether the candidate is suitable or not.

Making purchase and use decisions based soley on the polar plots is like hiring an employee based solely on the resume.

[ProSoundWeb Community]