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All you have to do is write a review of any pro audio gear (hardware or software) between now and the end of June. Gearslutz' very own Jules will choose the best four reviews after the closing date and those four lucky writers will each receive a TubeTech Classic Channel license from our friends at Softube. Already have this awesome plugin? No problem - Softube will let you swap it for other plug-ins of your choice (up to a $489 value).
The boring stuff: the contest closes June 30, 2013. You can do as many reviews as you like but remember they are being judged on quality, and you can only win once! An iLok is required to use the plug-in. Winners will be notified via Gearslutz PM or email. The judge's decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.
I bought this mic as a by-product of buying an sE Project reflection filter. They came bundled together for about £160. I thought, if the mic is no good then I've not really lost anything on it. My main use for it is as a vocal mic (with the reflection filter) and for cranked guitar amps (athough mainly as a room mic).
It has a standard -10dB pad and a LF roll off. The roll off switch rolls off a bit too high for my liking so I tend to use the one on my pre-amp instead as it has a lower corner freq.
On vox (well my vox) it has a HF presence that isn't really there on other mics in it's price range. It doesn't really have that "vintage" sound, but that's ok as I like my HF. As a room mic it really picks up the room in a nice way.
New they come in at just over £100 so you could call it budget, but it easily gives mics that cost a lot more a good run for their money.
I really like this mic and it's now my main LDC. Considering the price, everyone should have one.
Given how impressed that i've been with sE X1, I'm definitely looking at getting a SDC or 2 from sE.
The project reflection filter is ace as well.
I bought the X1 about a year ago, mainly for scratch tracks for my simple home setup.
My studio is located about 40 minutes by car from home and I didn't want to bring a microphone forth and back all the time.
The X1 got very positive reviews in the swedish magazine ”Studio”,
but I couldn't find any other reviews, so I kinda bought it on a whim.
Features: Fixed Cardioid pickup pattern, 10 DB pad, hipass filter.
Comes with a simple clamp of poor quality. The inner ring in the clamp fell out and it was impossible to get it back in and stay secure.
I bought the rather expensive X1 /4400A shockmount insted. The shockmount seems to function ok and sits firmly,
but the microphone is tilting a bit to the side no matter how I try to set it straight. It bothers me cause it doesn't look very good.
I've used in on a couple of different vocalists, acoustic guitar and also tried it as a drum room mic in my studio just for fun.
On vocals it made a good first impression.
Compared to my Studio Projects B1 (that is now long gone) it sounded alot more open and smooth in the hi end.
However, after some tracking I realized that the X1 lacks body and sounds a bit scooped in the mids,
especially with a loud singer. The vocals tracks was hard to place in the mix and had a hollowness to them.
The frequency plot provided looks very flat. That's not really what i'm hearing.
I tried it on acoustic guitar and that reinforced my feelings.
The guitar sounds pretty good, but lacks body. I compared it to another cheapie from my studio,
the MXL 2003A and I realized that the X1 is a very bright microhone.
As a drum room mic / mono OH it completley failed because of a very strong ringing frequency in the upper mids that I didn't hear on vocals or guitar.
Overall, it's an alright microphone, but I find it too bright for my taste.
I can think of several inexpensive microphones that I use in my studio that sounds fuller.
As a scratch mic it will do fine for now, but I probably won't keep it for long.
SE Electronics does make some good mics though. I have used the SE2200 which doesn't cost much more and I like it alot better.
Pros: cheap, bright but with a decent top end, seems sturdy.
Cons: Lacks body, rubbish clip, comes without shockmount/expensive shockmount, strong ringing frequencies, better alternatives around.
Last edited by xfreddex; 6th December 2011 at 04:40 PM..
Reason: crappy spelling
For all of those who are looking to buy a mic that is of good quality but will not cost an arm, there are really only two mics to choose from.
The sE X1, or the Rode NT1a
Both mics are about the same price (£150), and are both brilliant mics. But the big question is...
Which one is better?
Lets start by comparing what comes in the box.
The Rode NT1a comes with a 10ft XLR lead, a shock mount with removable pop shield, a bag for the microphone and of course the microphone.
The sE X1 comes with a reflection filter, a clip and the microphone, and in some cases a free pop shield.
So they both come with almost identical extras bar one or two, but with the sE X1 the extras are more practical. From the makers of reflection filters it would only make sense for them to pair the mic with one! But without the shock mount its not a complete set (and boy are those mounts expensive!)
In the end I bought a shock mount that fit, not one made by sE because after buying the mic, I had almost no money left being a student and all.....
I have also used both mics to record vocals on a piece of coursework during my A levels and found the sE X1 to have a much nicer sound overall, the NT1a had far too much high end and made any vocal too sibilant.
Also here is another comparison of the sE X1 with a larger group of mics
He adquirido hace menos de una semana un sE-X1 motivado fundamentalmente por el precio y las reviews que otros usuarios han publicado.
Al recibir el paquete de inmediato se nota una preocupación en cada detalle del embalaje. Espuma de calidad para evitar golpes durante el flete, bolsas plásticas, una documentación adecuada, y por supuesto UN MICROFONO MUY SOBRIO Y ELEGANTE, junto a su respectiva pinza.
Al ponerlo a prueba, conecté directamente hacia un preamplificador de mi interface. Los resultados de inmediato me hicieron sonreir puesto que suena muy claro, limpio y con excelente respuesta a transientes violentas como gritos o golpes fuertes de "p" evitando asi incluso utilizar antipop filter.
Luego lo puse a prueba como microfono de sala para un set de bateria, y registró un sonido con grandes agudos y graves recordandome el sonido de un AT4040.
Su filtro pasa bajos no fue de mi total agrado, quisiera uno de tres posiciones.
El pad es realmente bueno, pues permite acercarlo mucho mas a la fuente sin que la capsula se sobre exija.
En cuanto a su construcción, es muy robusto, gran calidad de conector xlr y buen diseño antivibración.
El patron polar es perfecto, no capta fuentes indirectas manteniendo un grado de aislación muy aceptable.
He tenido microfonos de gama básica, y otros de alto precio; en resumen
entre un RODE NT1a, AT2020, Behringer b2pro, CAD GXL2200, pienso que me gusta mucho mas el sE-X1.
This is a good budget priced cardioid large diaphragm condenser microphone, well suited to its intended audience.
Very handsome styling, excellent build quality. Definitely useable in non-critical applications.
Sounds decent on male voice. On mandolin it has a harsh peakiness in the top end that required EQ, which in turn dulled the overall tone of the instrument. Sounded OK on acoustic guitar.
It's probably a bit unfair that I was comparing it directly to my vintage U-87, which ate it for lunch. On its own, compared to other mics in its price category it would make an excellent choice.
Cardioid pickup pattern. -10dB pad and low cut switches. Swivel clip. Shock mount available at extra cost. Comes in a nice cardboard box with form fitting foam inserts.
According to my digital scales the X1 weighs in at a substantial 460g. The body of the X1 has a rubbery finish. The rubber finish feels easy to grip and thus less likely to be dropped.
Sonic ability
In order to test the X1 I decided to try it with a lead vocal and rhythm acoustic guitar on a track I am working on. The X1 has a – 10 db pad and a low frequency roll off switch, both were left off
The guitar track was the first to be recorded. In order to provide some variety I used a fairly neutral sounding Yamaha and a slightly brighter Takamine. I listened back to the results on a pair of Genelec 8020Bs and a set of AKG headphones. Listening back and the results provided plenty of clarity and definition. The Takamine sounded overly bright but a faithful reproduction.
Next up was the male vocal. The voice in question is fairly mid range and tends to project well in mixes. The X1 provided a great deal of insight into the vocal. The sound was relatively flat with a little top end brightness.
Having listened to the guitar and vocal tracks in isolation, the next step was to put the two together. The two sat well together. Finally different combinations of the vocals and the guitar takes were placed in a mix with bass and percussion. The slightly bright sonics of the X1 allowed the vocals and the guitar to sit well within the mix.
Extras
The X1 is a single-cardoid pattern and has a 10db pad and a low frequency roll off switch. Surprisingly for the price point the X1 is also entirely hand built.
Conclusion
Firstly the rubberised feel and overall appearance is great. Then the more natural, flat sound with a touch of high end sparkle makes the X1 well suited to a wide array of instruments and voices. Finally, the hand made stamp does enough to seal a recommendation.
First I must declare that I won this microphone in the Gearslutz Gear Review; does this affect my review?...of course it does, but I wouldn't write a good review if it was a bad mic. I'm very grateful to sE Electronics (and Jules!) for the prize particularly as it is such a gem. sE Electronics have kept the costs down by keeping their profit margin down - commendable, great value and worthy of support.
Out the box my first impression is that it is solid and well-designed; as a trained mechanical engineer I'm quite picky about that. The mic is - dare I say it - sexy. It has a metal body, matt black stealth-coating and a smooth, rounded form (great for avoiding radar!). The switches are easy to operate and clearly marked; although there is a little play in the switch action, the functional parts seem of precise tolerance. It seems built to last which is reassuring and a credit to sE Electronics engineering standards.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
Sensitivity: -32 dBV/Pa (25.1mV/Pa)
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Impedance: ? 200 Ohms
Equivalent Noise Level: 16dB(A weighted)
Max SPL for 0.5% THD@1000Hz: 125dB
Power Requirement: Phantom power 48V±4V
From the chart and specs above it's worth noting the low self-noise and I did find it quiet in use. The HPF starts off from 500Hz with a 4dB/octave slope which should be interesting tonally and is handy for recording high-pitch percussion or backing vocals, for example. These features are discussed in greater detail here: SE Electronics X1 | RecordingHacks.com
What does it sound like? I've included some samples; also some Rode NT1A samples as a comparison. The vocal and guitar takes were recorded in parallel into two independent channels of a Sound Devices 702 using Klotz Starquad cables (no HPF, EQ or compression)...then dithered @ 44.1/16 bit in Reason. The samples will be subject to Soundcloud's streaming algorithm.
Sample1: sE X1 vocal
Sample2: sE X1 guitar
Sample3: Rode NTIA vocal
Sample4: RodeNT1A guitar
Not a scientific test by any means...but I like the full-bodied vibe, smoothness, and dimensionality of the sE X1 - the NT1A sound is nice too but is a bit thinner in the low-mids and has a slight rasp. On the guitar tracks the sEX1 seems to articulate the strings well in comparison, also the guitar tapping at the end is significantly more musical. The sEX1 seems a bit weightier - which I like. Both mics will compliment each other well in my collection. It's early days yet and I'm looking forward to getting to know the sEX1 and experimenting.
Initial thoughts are that it's a superb mic for it's price and thoroughly-recommended.
UPDATE: After using this mic for a while I love it more...it's great and I think it suits my voice well - I'm much more confident about singing using this mic and that's a good thing. I've been using it with a BAE preamp and obviously that makes a lot of difference, but still I'm a very happy owner.
First I must declare that I won this microphone in the Gearslutz Gear Review; does this affect my review?...of course it does, but I wouldn't write a good review if it was a bad mic. I'm very grateful to sE Electronics (and Jules!) for the prize particularly as it is such a gem. sE Electronics have kept the costs down by keeping their profit margin down - commendable, great value and worthy of support.
Out the box my first impression is that it is solid and well-designed; as a trained mechanical engineer I'm quite picky about that. The mic is - dare I say it - sexy. It has a metal body, matt black stealth-coating and a smooth, rounded form (great for avoiding radar!). The switches are easy to operate and clearly marked; although there is a little play in the switch action, the functional parts seem of precise tolerance. It seems built to last which is reassuring and a credit to sE Electronics engineering standards.
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20KHz
Sensitivity: -32 dBV/Pa (25.1mV/Pa)
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Impedance: ? 200 Ohms
Equivalent Noise Level: 16dB(A weighted)
Max SPL for 0.5% THD@1000Hz: 125dB
Power Requirement: Phantom power 48V±4V
From the chart and specs above it's worth noting the low self-noise and I did find it quiet in use. The HPF starts off from 500Hz with a 4dB/octave slope which should be interesting tonally and is handy for recording high-pitch percussion or backing vocals, for example. These features are discussed in greater detail here: SE Electronics X1 | RecordingHacks.com
What does it sound like? I've included some samples; also some Rode NT1A samples as a comparison. The vocal and guitar takes were recorded in parallel into two independent channels of a Sound Devices 702 using Klotz Starquad cables (no HPF, EQ or compression)...then dithered @ 44.1/16 bit in Reason. The samples will be subject to Soundcloud's streaming algorithm.
Sample1: sE X1 vocal
Sample2: sE X1 guitar
Sample3: Rode NTIA vocal
Sample4: RodeNT1A guitar
Not a scientific test by any means...but I like the full-bodied vibe, smoothness, and dimensionality of the sE X1 - the NT1A sound is nice too but is a bit thinner in the low-mids and has a slight rasp. On the guitar tracks the sEX1 seems to articulate the strings well in comparison, also the guitar tapping at the end is significantly more musical. The sEX1 seems a bit weightier - which I like. Both mics will compliment each other well in my collection. It's early days yet and I'm looking forward to getting to know the sEX1 and experimenting.
Initial thoughts are that it's a superb mic for it's price and thoroughly-recommended.
Hi, a great review, which mic pre amp were you using for these tests?
I just got my sE X1 by mail, having also won it at the GS giveaway... the first thing i noticed is how well built it is, the rubberish finish feels good to touch and the heavy weight (460g) also shows that they hand built it rather well, down to every detail.. just because of that it already is much better than most competitors at the same price range...
The sound is a bit on the bright side but with a nice HF rise curve that resembles much more expensive mics, while there's a lot of HF it's definitely not brittle and has a certain body to it. I got excellent results on steel string acoustic guitar, and my own voice sounded very good on this Mic also. i expect it to be very useful for percussion/drum duties. I wouldn't describe the sound of the X1 as being scooped in the mids as some have here, it's just not hyped in the midrange, so if that's what you're after, go elsewhere.
It worked very well along my ribbon mics, to give back that edge that ribbons will make sound softer. I can think of many more situations where this HF response can be very useful...
It's definitely a great addition to my mic cabinet... i thanks sE electronics for this pleasure, it really made my day. It will stand proud next to my more expensive mics and definitely hold its own... i am keeping this one, for sure... very approved....I am most definitely impressed and a new fan of sE's work.
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