SeriesSennheiser evolution 600

The Sennheiser e609 is a great dynamic mic for recording guitar amps both in a studio and live setting, as I have used it in both. I put it right up against the speaker and it comes out great most of the time (of course depending on the amp, guitar, player, etc). OVERALL OPINION I've had this mic for about 3 or 4 years now and although I don't use it as much as I used to but it is still a great option for recording guitar amps and I love having it in my arensel. Compared to a Shure SM57, it has a pretty similar sound to me, and I do prefer the Sennheiser 421 on guitar amps over the e609. However, for the price this is a great mic to have around. Although they say it is also great on toms, I could never get the right sound with this over a tom tom and it was a bit hard to place on it. Overall I would definitely recommend this mic to someone who is interested in having a new option for guitar amps, but I would also recommend having a Shure SM57 and a Sennheiser 421 to compare it with.

This is a Sennheiser E 604, which is generally used as a tom mic for drums. I have used it mostly in this capacity. It's a dynamic microphone and it's better suited to capture deep frequencies like drums. It could work on guitar amps theoretically, but the fact that it comes on a drum-mounting clip makes this a difficult mic to use in that way. I have used it on snare drums as well, which provides it with a different kind of sound that I enjoyed but is actually far less versatile than an SM57. This microphone works well in the studio as well as live, in fact, it might be a great choice for live as it has the clips that can attach to the drums themselves and don't rely on stands. OVERALL OPINION I think that these mics are great for the price, however, I don't think I'd use them if I had other options. Considering they are best used as tom mics, they don't really hold up to the Sennheiser 421s, which are a very respected tom mic. In addition to sounding better on toms, the 421 is more versatile and can be used to great effect on guitar amps, vocals, horns and others in a live capacity. It also sounds better on snares. Basically, get this until you can afford the 421, and then sell this. Unless you really need a microphone that clips to your drums.

The Sennheiser E 602 II is a dynamic microphone that I've used in the studio, but is equally useful in a live sound setting as well. The mic has a cardioid pick up pattern and is perfect for low frequency applications like deep horns, bass, and kick drum. The mic has a built on clip and will pick up frequencies in the range from 20 Hz to 16 kHz. Thus far I've only had the opportunity to use the mic on the inside of a kick drum, but it's definitely more versatile than this - I just haven't had the chance to use it for anything else. The mic is built like a brick and is definitely built to last. OVERALL OPINION Until recently I hadn't used the Sennheiser E 602 II, but I'm glad it's now in my mic vocabulary as it's really a great microphone. While I haven't used it for anything other than kick drum, I'm hoping to get the chance to use it for other applications in the near future as it's definitely got multiple applications. I've always been a huge fan of Sennheiser mics, but the E 602 II has a unique low end quality that I haven't heard in other mics from them. It also helps that it's extremely rugged and this is why I can see it being used for live sound as well. The price is a lot less than I thought it was going to be, as it's even a bit cheaper than the ever popular AKG D112 and Shure Beta 52A kick mics, which are pretty much it's competition. I'd definitely throw this mic in the mix if you're looking for a great kick drum mic, as even though it may not be as popular as the other aforementioned mics, it's got a really punchy and direct sound. At right around $150 US dollars, it's a great deal for a great mic that can bring you a long way. I don't know how it compares to the original E 602, but the Sennheiser E 602 II is a stellar microphone to have in any studio!

The Sennheiser E 614 is a small diaphragm condenser microphone that is primarily a mic for the studio, but I could see it translating well to the stage. However, since I've only got experience with this mic in the studio, this review will only be focused on this application of the mic. The E 614 has a super cardioid polar pick up pattern and doesn't have any control settings or out of the ordinary features. OVERALL OPINION In my time using the Sennheiser E 614, I've found it to be a very effective mic the studio. In fact, in terms of mid level small diaphragm microphones these are some of the best bang for your buck out there. It is great for pretty much any application that you would normally want to use a small diaphragm mic for including acoustic guitar and drum overheads. These are probably the most useful applications of the E 614, but I've also tried them on mandolin and violin and have gotten good results. I find that these mics are the perfect size and are easy to place as I like to have really specific placements for small diaphragm condensers as every inch will change the sound. While I don't think that the E 614 would be useful for professionals, they are perfect for the project or home studio owner who is looking to get a lot of bang for their buck without sacrificing the sound quality too much. While these are no KM 184s, they do have a very clean tone and will portray a realistic picture of the signal you are sending it. The price isn't down there with the cheapest of small diaphragm condensers, they are the perfect in between for those who don't want to get a cheaply made microphone but who also don't have a fortune to spend. Overall, these are reliable mics that should definitely be considered by home studio owners who want a small diaphragm condenser.