Handheld

Beyerdynamic M88TG Dynamic Mic Review

Today we're looking at another handheld dynamic microphone from Beyerdynamic, but this time it's a hypercardioid mic, and it is the M88TG.

For this review, I have the mic connected directly to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen, with the gain set at 2:30. I have done no post processing on the audio, it is all raw, but the audio was slightly boosted in final cut pro X to simply make the audio easier to listen to.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $350.00 - $400.00 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Carrying/Storage Pouch

  2. Microphone

  3. Microphone Mount (5/8" & 3/8" threading)

  4. Documentation

Specifications

  1. Frequency Response: 30Hz - 20kHz

  2. Polar Pattern: Hyper-Cardioid

  3. Sensitivity: ~-51dB

  4. Impedance: 200-ohms

Performance / Features

The build quality of this mic feels very beefy. It has an all metal body which has some substantial weight to it. Additionally, the metal grill is a tank. Most of the time when I squeeze the grill, there's some give to it, but this held firm. There are no features on this mic, but on the bottom you will find the XLR port. 

The frequency response is listed as 30Hz - 20kHz. This has a minor roll off beginning at 150Hz. The low-mids are flat until you hit 1kHz where it begins to boost, reaching a max of 4dB at 2.5kHz. There is a .5dB cut at 5kHz (+3.5dB) and a 1dB boost at 6.5kHz (+6dB) And then there is a gradual roll off until 20khz.

The overall performance of this mic is great for voice. Being that this has a broader and less dramatic boost in the top end, it yields a much smoother and even sound than many other handheld dynamic microphones. On electric and acoustic, I found the microphone underwhelming with a bit of a honky sound to it, and a little bit of mud in the low end. Additionally, the microphone did excellent at background noise rejection, but it was subpar at handling noise and plosive rejection.

Pros

  • Hyper-cardioid great for bg noise rejection, feedback rejection, or bleed.

  • Very smooth sound

  • Pretty healthy output for a dynamic

  • Hefty build quality

Cons

  • Not good at rejection plosives

  • Did a bad job at handling noise rejection

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Conclusion

It's not very surprising this mic was lackluster on guitars, as it is not marketed as a guitar microphone. Beyerdynamic markets this as a Kick Drum, Bass Drum, Vocal, and Woodwind microphone. Speaking of that, on vocals I think that tonally this microphone sounded excellent. The broader boost gave it a smoother sound which made it more pleasant to listen to than most handheld dynamics, and that's why I recommend it for that. If you do plan to pick this microphone up, I believe it is essential to pick up a pop filter, and leave it in a stand or have a very soft touch.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the Beyerdynamic M88 TG
US: https://amzn.to/2M0Oykg
UK: https://amzn.to/2tfukv2
CA: https://amzn.to/2t8U6ls
DE: https://amzn.to/2yn94cD

Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)
US: http://amzn.to/2vDFbzK 
UK: http://amzn.to/2w8O2f6 
CA: http://amzn.to/2wKGKfG 
DE: http://amzn.to/2hbtxsV

Sennheiser E935 Handheld Dynamic Mic Review

Today we're looking at a handheld dynamic microphone from Sennheiser, the E935.

For this review, I have the mic connected directly to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen, with the gain set at 3:00. I have done no post processing on the audio, it is all raw, but the audio was slightly boosted in final cut pro X to simply make the audio easier to listen to.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $180.00 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone

  2. Microphone Mount

  3. 5/8" to 3/8" Adapter

  4. Carrying Pouch

  5. Documentation

Specifications

  1. Frequency Response: 40Hz - 18kHz

  2. Polar Pattern: Cardioid

  3. Sensitivity: ~-51dB

  4. Impedance: 350-ohms

Performance / Features

The build quality of this mic feels like it was made for the stage. It has a very substantial feel in the hand, with an all metal body, a very sturdy metal mesh grill, and a good amount of weight to it. There are no bells or whistles on this microphone either. It is a just a microphone with an XLR port so you don't screw anything up while you're performing on stage. 

The frequency response is listed as 40Hz - 18kHz. The frequency response on this mic begins to gradually roll off the bass at around 150Hz with a minor .5dB cut beginning at around 500Hz. From 500 Hz up to 1kHz, we see a gradual boost . and then we remain flat up to 2.5kHz at which point we begin another boost of ~ 3.5dB which remains relatively flat from 4kHz - 10kHz. There is a minor peak at 11kHz, and then a roll off that decreases steadily. 

The polar pattern of this mic is standard cardioid. The off axis and rear coloration are not terribly drastic which is a benefit. The main thing I noticed about this mic is how great it did at off-axis rejection. When playing an acoustic guitar a few inches away while singing, you could definitely hear the acoustic, but it was not distracting from the voice at all. 

The overall performance of this mic is excellent for stage use. On the electric guitar, you get some very bright and aggressive tones, as well as a nice bass roll off which cleans up the mix, and makes room for the bass to do it's job. On the acoustic you get a nice full body with plenty of high end attack which sounded very nice. Then on voice for singing the presence and treble boost allow this mic to cut through the mix, and the bass roll off helps tame any proximity effect, handling noise, or plosives. Unfortunately, the presence boost does introduce some minor sibilance issues.

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Pros

  • Excellent performance in regards to handling noise & plosive rejection

  • Great off-axis rejection for a cardioid microphone

  • More extended high end for added clarity

  • Sturdy build quality for stage use

Cons

  • Presence and treble boost lead to S's sounding slightly sharp

Conclusion

For stage use I think this microphone performed excellent, especially for a cardioid microphone. This mics ability to reject plosives (better than most dynamics), avoid handling noise, and tame proximity effect makes this a great mic for venues who cater to artists who do not necessarily have the best microphone technique. If you're a podcaster or let's player who is also concerned with background noise and not afraid of a mic being in your face, I think this thing will do a fine job for you. No matter what use case you are buying this mic though, if you are using this on voice, make sure to pay attention to the sibilance as it is somewhat sensitive in that frequency range and you may need to eq some of that out of your recording. 

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the Sennheiser E935
US: https://amzn.to/2HmBLGU
UK: https://amzn.to/2FbKTvX
CA: https://amzn.to/2Jkld2Q
DE: https://amzn.to/2qOAF0j

Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)
US: http://amzn.to/2vDFbzK 
UK: http://amzn.to/2w8O2f6 
CA: http://amzn.to/2wKGKfG 
DE: http://amzn.to/2hbtxsV

Beyerdynamic TG-V70D Dynamic Mic Review

Today we're looking at a handheld dynamic microphone from Beyerdynamic, the TG-V70D.

For this review, I have the mic connected directly to the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 2nd gen, with the gain set at 2:00. I have done no post processing on the audio, it is all raw, but the audio was slightly boosted in final cut pro X to simply make the audio easier to listen to.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $200.00 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone

  2. Microphone Mount

  3. 5/8" to 3/8" Adapter

  4. Documentation (including frequency response & sensitivity of the actual mic you bought)

  5. Carrying Pouch

Specifications

  1. Frequency Response: 25Hz - 18kHz

  2. Polar Pattern: Hyper-Cardioid

  3. Sensitivity: ~-49dB

  4. Impedance: 280-ohms

Performance / Features

The build quality of this mic is basic but robust. It has a standard tapered metal handle and a sturdy feeling metal mesh grill, which has a good amount of foam on the inside to attempt to reject some plosives. 

The frequency response is listed as 25Hz - 18kHz. The frequency response on this mic begins to gradually roll off the bass at around 250Hz, and then starts a drastic roll off around 150Hz. The low mids are flat, and then in the high mids we start to see a boost beginning at around 1.5kHz. This boost ends up peaking betwen 7-8kHz, and then begins a consistent roll off from 8 -18kHz. 

The polar pattern of this mic is hyper-cardioid. The 90-degree rejection on this mic is great. You have almost no low end, and the volume significantly decreases. When you get around to 180-degrees some low end returns, but the higher frequencies seem to disappear. In the tests I conducted, it did an excellent job at rejecting keyboard noise and acoustic guitar noise when they are in the null spots of the polar pattern. 

The overall performance of this mic is great. On electric guitar you're getting a tight low end without any muddiness, on the acoustic you get a nice body with a bit of shimmer on the high end, and on vocals you get amazing clarity with full low end which you can adjust by utilizing the proximity effect. 

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Pros

  • Very detailed tone without sounding harsh

  • Prominent proximity effect that can be used to your advantage

  • Hyper Cardioid Polar Pattern assists in background noise rejection and feedback rejection

  • Minimal Handling Noise

  • Great Build Quality

Cons

  • Proximity effect can be a detriment if mic technique is poor

  • Not the best at rejecting plosives

  • Some may find it expensive in comparison to entry level live mics

Conclusion

I think this has become my new favorite handheld dynamic microphones. This thing cut right through mix on the vocals due to the presence and treble boost, and it also picked up minimal ambient noise, even when I was playing the acoustic guitar about 1 foot off-axis. The proximity effect also allows you to offset some of the detail, or beef up your voice if you have a thin voice. If you do not have good microphone technique, you will need to be careful on this thing because the proximity effect on this mic can be dangerous.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them on the youtube video, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the Beyerdynamic TG-V70D
US: https://amzn.to/2qkivlS
UK: https://amzn.to/2IFSllc
CA: https://amzn.to/2HmUe6X
DE: https://amzn.to/2II0CoR

Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)
US: http://amzn.to/2vDFbzK 
UK: http://amzn.to/2w8O2f6 
CA: http://amzn.to/2wKGKfG 
DE: http://amzn.to/2hbtxsV