Electro-Voice PL84

The Electro Voice PL series is certainly a series that has almost, in my humble opinion, almost always, almost always deliver on its promises. So when you see a microphone in this line that not only costs nothing more than $40 in the right place, but also is a condenser, I could not resist checking it out. The PL 84 is a fantastically priced mic that rounds out the PL series of mics from Electro Voice by the sheer fact that it is a condenser. The PL 84 claims to have the best of both worlds. Electro Voice states: "The PL84 handheld condenser mic delivers a high performance blend of a tight yet warm low end, smooth and musical midrange, and crisp yet silky high frequency content." Then goes on to say that the condenser is great because certain detailed more trained vocalists require the condenser, and yet somehow the PL 84 manages to also successfully have the advantages of a powerful lean dynamic for expressive microphone techniques. That being said, this is a cardioid mic. This is rather a lot odd, considering the fact that most of the vocal mics in the PL line are super cardioid in keeping with Electro Voice's obsession with murdering feedback and vocal bleed. It has a very wide frequency response that is indicative of it being a condenser. It begins at a respectable 50 Hz at the bottom, and extends all the way to the beautiful round numbered top at 20,000 Hz.

OVERALL OPINION

In the end, I have found that the PL 84 easily stood up to many of its more ridiculously high priced competitors. The RE 410, in my opinion, stood no chance against it. If people catch wind of this, Electro Voice may have hurt itself here. But I find it beats out many of the Shure condensers, and oddly enough, I think it somehow manages to hang with the high end handheld condensers. It may not quite beat them, but it can be considered roughly in the same class from what I have heard.

Give this microphone a shot. It is very cheap right now and you will not be disappointed.