JZ Microphones are designing a new dynamic mic - help us design it!

[Winny Pooh]

HH stands for "hand held"? That rules out the md421 & heil mics then.

[pan60]

Originally Posted by EddyR

Please vote for your favorite dynamic mic and if possible shortly write down why:

1) Shure SM58
2) Shure Beta 58A
3) AKG D5
4) AKG D7
5) Audix OM7
6) Audix OM6
7) Rode M1
8) Sennheiser E935
9) Beyerdynmic TG V70DS
10) AT AE6100
11) OTHER...

We will count votes next week

Cool beans guys!
I like the Audix OM2 pretty clean and nicely made.
A big fan of EV RE15's they just work!
an AKG D19: )

Eddy shoot me a email, we need to get caught up: )

[FireMoon]

The top end of a 441 or M88..... the mid bite of a Sennheiser 409 and the punch of a SM57 with great feedback rejection and you'd have something I'd like to hear.

[Aaron Miller]

Telefunken M-80 is my favorite hand held vocal mic because it kills on snare.

If I were to design a new mic, it would need to solve two problems: be able to be really close without being boxy (and the mic would still need to be small enough to be hand held or placed in a tight area) and have tons of rejection. Maybe a low cut for dealing with the former? That's not often found on handhelds but could be interesting. Beyond that, it would have some color/enhancing. No clue how that's possible with a small handheld.

I have used an SM-81 with windscreen on for vocals before. Actually sounded decent, kind of like what I have in mind.

[PDC]

Originally Posted by narcoman

A dynamic mic like a 57 that has a turnable capsule!! That'd be nice..... like the side address of the albini influenced Josephson thing. Thats a great mic. Lets have a dynamic like that!!

Someone makes a 57 with a 90 degree capsule. Or, you could buy a Beta56.

[legato]

Yeah, side addressed would be cool. Less arm fatigue when handheld. And more amateurs would be speaking or singing onto the actual diaphragm. That is, if they pick the right side. Better make the front bright orange.
Not good for interviews. But this will be a stage mike anyway.
Yes, "turnability" would make it more versatile. That way, you can have it all.




Henk

[stuartb]

Originally Posted by narcoman

A dynamic mic like a 57 that has a turnable capsule!! That'd be nice..... like the side address of the albini influenced Josephson thing. Thats a great mic. Lets have a dynamic like that!!

YES! this is a great idea!

[babel2]

It depends on the target audience but my experience with live sound is the majority of engineers eq their system to suit beta 58s or sm 58s, so many other mics sound pretty crappy or harsh etc on the same system.
Also time and again these are the best all rounder vox mics (as in suit the largest number of different vocalists, as opposed to applications)
So maybe a 58 style sound with a slightly smoother and sweeter frequency response, but essentially the same ballpark (or at least will sound great on a system tuned to a 58).

I do find 58s change their response considerably with hard use over time so make sure it is super, super hardy too
And as already mentioned feedback rejection is a big factor & whether to chose cardioid or hyper cardioid (1 wedge or 2 wedges)

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by babel2

It depends on the target audience but my experience with live sound is the majority of engineers eq their system to suit beta 58s or sm 58s, so many other mics sound pretty crappy or harsh etc on the same system.

This is so true.

Before trying any new mic. the EQ should be set flat and to start again - some need very little EQ.

[Puffer Fish]

Originally Posted by EddyR

Thank you all for answers.
To clarify - we are working on new dynamic microphone designed for live vocal on stage, but as always we will try to make our products as versatile as possible so all your answers are real help for us.

Obviously you folks think there is space for a new vocal mic in the marketplace, but honestly, that seems like a pretty tough nut to crack. To me, it seems like that market is really saturated with some good microphones.

For my tastes in cost versus quality, I have moved on to hand held condensers.

I have no love at all for the SM58. It sounds tired and boring to me now after all these years. It also seems like a whole lot of work to sing through and to mix from versus other options.

I have liked the EV ND767, the Audix OM7, and some of the Sennheiser hand helds that I have had the opportunity to use as a vocalist or to mix from as an engineer.

If you do go this route, I hope your company will consider building some dynamic mics for instrumentation. I agree with many of my colleagues here that a competitively priced alternative to microphones like the Senny 441 and 421, beyer m88 and m201, the EV RE20 and would be very welcomed. Also, an offering to compete with the SM57 and the Audix i5 might have a place and use for folks.

[imloggedin]

Who said it had to be hand held? SM7 ofcourse. Cause it sounds great on vox, and that cant be said for most other dynamic mics. Flamesuit on

[EddyR]

Great! So many thoughts and ideas. Before we sum up this chapter - anyone else would like to vote for favorite mic before we move forward to further parts of discussion?

[Radiogal]

Heil PR30

[bace]

There are so many handhelds. What is missing is a variable pattern side addressing studio dynamic mic.

[e3p0]

Favorite dynamics are:

RE20
SM7
A/T ATM25
SM57

I rarely sing in front of others, so I wouldn't need a handheld. But if it was a larger-diaphragm dynamic, I would want one.
-e

[e3p0]

Originally Posted by bace

There are so many handhelds. What is missing is a variable pattern side addressing studio dynamic mic.

Side address dynamic would be nice.
-e

[12ax7]

.

This is a very interesting question.

I think its pretty damn pointless to ask for a mic which already exists, unless you might want a cheaper alternative. (And I think the market is crowded with that sorta thing already.)

Knowing this, many among us might approach this question from a perspective of application, as in "I want a mic that sounds great on toms, or guitar cabs", etc. ...Or "I want a "universal mic" that sounds good on anything". The problem with this approach is that when a manufacturer puts out a mic, it often gets used in ways not originally intended (and often with unexpected and sometimes even stellar results).

...So I think I might instead point out some features of certain dynamic mics that I have come to love and respect (and then add to the "wish list"):

First: I REALLY like what EV has done with the "Variable-D" thang, starting with the old 666's and continuing through the RE15, RE20, etc. (It's VERY cool to have the lack of off-axis coloration and proximity effect on those guys.)

Secondly, I think there would be great demand for a side-address dynamic mic with a large diaphragm element. (It would be nice to be able use such a mic in crowded situations like mic'ing toms under close cymbals, or for draping over guitar cabs on stage, for example.)

Thirdly, I think it would be great to have a built-in phantom-powered pre-preamp device (like the FetHead or CloudLifter), especially if it were bypassable with a switch for those times when you really don't need it (or for when you're using a preamp without phantom power).

(Anyway, those are my thoughts on the subject.)

.

[MattLyonsMusic]

Someone mentioned maybe a highpass switch. Great idea I think. I'm wondering if putting the switch INSIDE to keep it rugged would be useful? Mmm, or maybe not.. But a presence switch like the sm7 would be cool in a rugged stage mic. A few things like this for added versatility would be great. Make life easier for the sound guy as each singer can learn their ideal settings for their voice. More plug n play. Less tweaking. I'd love that in a stage mic.

[MattLyonsMusic]

Love the phantom powered pre amp idea. Great to get some extra boost for those crappy set ups with less than stellar gear so you can hear the vocalist. All this adds great versatility which would be cool.

[Schimpf]

Hi there,

What I would really like is something like an SM 56 or a Shure 546. I use those all of the time and I love them.

John

[legato]

Yeah, built-in "Cloudlifter" or "Fethead" (smaller).
In short, an active moving coil mike, pretty much like some of the modern ribbons.
Great idea.
Eddy'd better hurry or some other brand will do it first.
Hey but wait, there's the Blue Microphones enCORE 200 active dynamic microphone.
Perhaps Eddy was even involved in developing that one (when Blue was still Latvian)?




Henk

[legato]

Eddy, you there?




Henk

[EddyR]

So - we are rounding up. Thank you for great ideas and all votes.
We counted as precise as possible and Top 5 are:

1) MD 441 - Absolute Winner
2) SM 57
3) M88
4) E935
5) SM 58

Other mics mentioned: AE6100, AE4100, OM6, Beta 58, PR40, MD 421, Beta 57, OM2, RE15, D19, M80, i5, PR30, RE20, SM7, ATM25, PR35 , MD409, D12, ND757B, M201, Beta 57.

edijs@jzmic.com
www.jzmic.com
JZ Microphones

[EddyR]

We are also interested in details
Do you have favorite color for stage mic:

1) NO
2) YES (Black Gloss, Black Matt, Grey, Nickel or Other)

Looking forward to read your replies. First prototypes are getting ready and soon some of you will receive them to check out.

[EddyR]

Originally Posted by legato

Yeah, built-in "Cloudlifter" or "Fethead" (smaller).
In short, an active moving coil mike, pretty much like some of the modern ribbons.
Great idea.
Eddy'd better hurry or some other brand will do it first.
Hey but wait, there's the Blue Microphones enCORE 200 active dynamic microphone.
Perhaps Eddy was even involved in developing that one (when Blue was still Latvian)?




Henk

I was not with company when they designed enCore series. These microphones are not designed in our factory either.

[TurboJets]

Originally Posted by Lotus 7

For performance vocal use: EV ND 757B. High output, extended HF response, high rear rejection, uniform off-axis polar response, compliments most voices and the bass roll-of switch works perfectly. Plus, they're consistant, new and old ones always sound the same.

I don't know why more people don't mention this mic, or the 767. The bass is really amazing with these mics, mids are super solid, and in the studio it handles hand percussion and effects percussion so well. Even little things like a tongue drum. Also, the Heil PR35 has incredibly solid mids that are nice and aggressive.

[legato]

1) MD 441 - Absolute Winner

Hey, it wasn't on your example list and I was the first to mention it. What do I win?

We are also interested in details

I was beginning to wonder.

Do you have favorite color for stage mic:

Color is not the first detail that would come to my mind, but a contrasting color to highlight the to be addressed side, be it side or top, could be cool (plus helpful for beginners).

I was not with company when they designed enCore series. These microphones are not designed in our factory either.

OK, but what about the active idea? Or is it too soon to ask?

Oh, and no one chose a ribbon like the Beyerdynamic M160/260/500 and perhaps that wasn't wanted, either. But technically those are dynamics, too. And they can work as a stage mike. Or is this definitely moving coil only?



Henk

[dickiefunk]

Originally Posted by EddyR

We are also interested in details
Do you have favorite color for stage mic:

1) NO
2) YES (Black Gloss, Black Matt, Grey, Nickel or Other)

Looking forward to read your replies. First prototypes are getting ready and soon some of you will receive them to check out.

YES - Black Matt

[Kierkes]

I'm inclined to any satin finish myself. The two colors for the KMS-105 are nice, but if not the satin finish, the black matte finish for sure.

[legato]

I don't know why more people don't mention this mic, or the 767.

Yes, it surely has a couple of things going for it.

The bass is really amazing with these mics

Too much for me, but that might be because I'm a bass-baritone. I can imagine some like a little help there. Also, from some distance, when bass from a directional mike suffers soon, it is an advantage for sure. But I personally like the 967 (even) more. More coherent sounding and with killer mids. Less sensitive to handling, too. And pretty much unbeatable when it comes to feedback "immunity". Not that I do hard rock, mind. But it's a comforting idea nonetheless.
In short, both deserve to be taken into account here.



Henk