Sennheiser Microphones

VERY high maximum SPL (or, if you will, little sensitivity, rated at 2mV/Pa +-3dB), dynamic and cardioid shaped (don't be fooled by it's condenser-ish disguise, the mic's front is it's topmost end!). This mic is a staple on most studio locker's around the world. You can throw them on unnecessarily loud rock amps and they will hands-down handle it, put them on toms and you'll get a classic sound with good rejection from the rest of the drums, just remember, this ain't no jazzy and delicate mic.

It has a not so obvious bass roll-off switch intended to reduce the proximity effect, labeled from "M" (which I presume is for "music", or flat response) to "S", which I suppose means "Speech", or full roll-off starting @ 500Hz.

It is also very well built, mine was bought used and has no dents or obvious scratches at all.

OVERALL OPINION

I love it on bass cabinets, specially since I've been recording stoner/doom stuff that is just amazingly fuzzed up and somewhat loud (remember though that loud amps = great sound is a myth). I also like it on toms, depending on how the drummer hits the kit and the genre. If it's really loud and rock-ish I'll put the 421's without thinking twice.

They're also inexpensive, maybe not 57 cheap but still a pretty good deal. My only complaint is the retarded design on the clamp that just seems to be made by the devil himself so you drop the mic over and over again.


Good thing it's built like a tank.

The Sennheiser e609 is advertised chiefly as an instrument mic, and at that it excels. As advertised in its description, its shape makes it excellent for miking not only guitar cabs but also various drums (especially toms, and it also gives a unique, slightly diffused sound when use to record kick). The microphone does a bang-up job of preserving the clear tone of these instruments.

That's about where Sennheiser's description ends, and the e609 greatly exceeds it. As you can see from its $109USD price, it's being marketed primarily towards beginners in need of a microphone for standard studio instruments like guitar amps and drums. The sound quality is comparable to similarly budget, studio-standard instrument microphone the Shure SM57. However, the microphone's interesting shape and construction give it a clear resemblance to the iconic Sennheiser MD409, and share's that microphone's excellent work with horns and loud vocals.

Though the mic's high SPL capacity is mentioned by Sennheiser, they fail to mention how well it works with belting or harsh vocal singers (or simply loud, clear vocalists) in addition to loud horns and some woodwinds. Though it lacks a built in pop filter like other popular vocal microphones (like the near-universally used SM58) when used with an external protection its sound is remarkably clear where other microphones fail to deliver. The same effect occurs with brass and other loud instruments. This combined with its unusual shape create an excellent alternative for vocalists who do not like the traditional vocal microphone design.

THE BOTTOM LINE: As a budget instrument microphone, the e609 measures up to similar studio staples. Although its sound quality is limited to similar models by its price, its versatility and usability as an alternative vocal microphone well makes up for the nearly unnoticeable difference in quality. The Sennheiser e609 is one $109USD mic that can do the work of three.