SeriesAudix OM

The Audix OM7 is a dynamic microphone built by Audix designed for live vocal use. Audix has an endless list of features for this microphone. It is a hand held dynamic microphone with a hypercardioid patter, which means it has absolutely fantastic off axis rejection. The OM7 in particular, even for a hypercardioid has especially fantastic rejection. It can handle sound pressure levels of up to 144 dB's, and has a proprietary anti-feedback design. The microphone itself is cased inside a very durable and weighty body that tapers beautifully and is a joy to hold. The OM7 also has, like many of Audix's dynamic microphone, a very low mass diaphragm, in the interest of improving its transient response. It is also a quite low output microphone, so it is very good at dealing with live situations and instrument isolation. Granted, that is not something that is directly correlated, but the engineering in the diaphragm makes it so. The OM7 has a rather peculiar frequency response from 48 Hz to 19,000 Hz. OVERALL OPINION What is especially impressive about the Audix OM7 is how clean the vocal signal is. Many microphones try to taper their responses to certain areas of the frequency spectrum to accentuate certain parts of the voice. It is not that the Audix OM7 is a completely flat microphone, but it is certainly less muddied than other microphones in certain ranges. It also is not a dead microphone; it actually sounds very sweet, and the subtle enhancements in this microphone seem to come in areas that people cannot quantify, or do not quantify. This is something that always happens in microphones, but the OM7 is something that one just has to hear to understand. It is also something that must be used live to understand. A audio clip is not sufficient for this microphone's appeal.

The Audix OM6 is a microphone designed to be a hand held microphone for vocal use. It is primarily a live microphone, and has a hypercardioid pick up pattern. It is a dynamic microphone that is fairly flat, but in designed to just have a gently rising frequency response between 2,000 Hz and 10,000 Hz. This presence peak brings out the vocals and helps them cut a bit more through a mix. This microphone's midrange boost is not at all significant. It is just a slightly rising response that adds a tight little color without feeling too saturated. This microphone is also touted as being great for group singing (not a group singing into one microphone, that is rather difficult with a hypercardioid microphone), with Audix proudly touting that the OM6 is what gave Crosby, Stills and Nash their "trademark vocal sound." Audix proudly announces the technology it puts into all of their OM series mics, with high handling capability of sound pressure levels, with the OM6 having the ability to handle 144 dB, a very low mass diaphragm for superior transient response; with the OM6, Audix claims that the sound is almost condenser like. Superb rejection due to its tight pickup pattern, and the anti feedback proprietary design. The body of the microphone itself is beautifully tapered and beautifully finished, and is a joy to hold. Audix also naturally claims that it is incredibly durable, and built to last a lifetime. OVERALL OPINION At $219, the OM6 is just a bit cheaper than the for all intents and purposes flat workhorse OM7, and what microphone you choose is up to you. However, keep in mind that the OM6 is not terribly colored; it just has that slight rise that tightens up a sound in a voice. I find that between the two, the OM7 can be tweaked in EQ to sound roughly like the OM6 if it needs to be.

The Audix OM2 is a handheld dynamic microphone designed for live vocal use. The Audix OM2 is a straight jab at the Shure SM58, with its frequency response being tailored to a slight warmth booster in the lower mid bass and a slight boost in the mid range of the frequency spectrum. This is subtler than the rather overt boost that comes from the Shure SM58, but it is still there, and it is certainly obvious enough that the microphone seems to be going after the magically ubiquitous Shure SM58. The Audix OM2 has a frequency response range from 50 Hz to 16,000 Hz, a slight top end extension from the SM58's frequency response, which only goes up to 15,000 Hz. Audix also has a bunch of taglines in the description of the microphone. It has a very low mass diaphragm which gives it a superior transient response, a trait than many dynamic microphones, especially those designed for live use, seem to struggle with. It also can handle sound pressure levels of up to 140 dB, and has exceptional off axis rejection. It is also capable of handling high gain before feedback, because of Audix's proprietary "anti feedback design." The microphone body itself is tapered beautifully and has a gorgeous finish, and looks like it can take some punishment if it needs to. OVERALL OPINION In use, the SM58 certainly cuts more than the Audix OM2, but then again, Audix is making a point in choosing not to saturate the midrange of the frequency spectrum. It is not one of Audix's cleaner microphones, but it is still far more transparent and unhyped than its friend, the industry standard. All in all, the Audix OM2 is a great microphone that, while not having much cut, feels more smooth and buttery than the great SM58.