Sennheiser e 614

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.

This is one of Sennheiser's budget "e" line mics. The e614 is a small diaphragm condenser or pencil mic. It connects with an XLR cable that needs to supply the mic some phantom power or else you won't get anything out of it. Since it's a small diaphragm you are going to get a relatively quick transient response, and that that holds true with these mics. The high frequency content of sources tends to come through very nicely on small diaphragm on pencil mics, but unfortunately I wouldn't give this mic a high rating in that area. The upper register of this mic definitely sounds a little harsh or grainy. It sounds like the high end is very hyped, and to me it makes the overall sound of this mic kind of harsh. I tried it for cymbals and acoustic guitar at a studio, and both times ended up switching out the mic for something else due to the unpleasant harshness of the treble. If you are featuring an instrument that has shimmering highs, you want them to be smooth, and this mic doesn't deliver there. The pickup pattern on this mic on this is a cardioid that seems a little too tight. If you are using this for drum overheads, you should want a little bit of spread to help get a full picture of the drum set. On this mic, you can definitely hear the elements of a kick that are not right in front of the mic getting some attenuation and comb filtering.

OVERALL OPINION

I used these on a couple sessions a while ago, but never ended up using them on the recording because I didn't get suitable results. Overall I really feel that these mics were not very good. I am surprised, because most of Sennheiser's offerings are great, even at lower price points. Your money would be better spent elsewhere for a lower end small diaphragm condenser mic. It's not really a very good value because the quality isn't up to par.

micro capsule super cardio condo
range of 40 Hz to 20 kHz
48 V power supply
format ~ 1/2 "

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for more than 5 years
first for Head Over battery, then to the hit-hat and ride as well as for acoustic guitar stereo jacks and sockets for ambience sound design!

I did not try a lot of little microphones but I had the opportunity to work with AKG, Shure, Audio-Technica, Rode and others and I think the price / quality ratio is correct .. . it does not compete with all the same sizes of the genre!

is not a micro but is rather extraordinary good job
short a nice microphone that can troubleshoot and more.