Members Bobby1Note Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 I think I'm in Love I just used my Sennheiser e945 for the very first time, and I'm flabbergasted. I think I've just discovered the Holy Grail of vocal mics. It's too early to do a full review, so here are a fiew observations; 1. The weight and mass of this mic, is instantly noticeable, and handling noise is simply non-existant,,,, not a trace. 2. off-axis rejection is unfriggin' believable. You really have to be lined up properly with the mic, otherwise, there's nothing. This certainly is the most effective super-cardioid dynamic I've ever used. Even if you're only 4" or so off center,,,, nothing, but, if your mouth is a foot away from the front of the mic, it'll pick you up very well. I'm 100% certain that "stage bleed" will never be an issue with this mic. 3. For my voice,,,, this mic is absolutely to die for. I popped an E/V N/D767a off my mic stand,,, inserted the e945,,, and suddenly, there was this rich,,, creamy velvet tone surrounding me. Crystal clear mids, yet without a trace of over-brightness,, let alone sibilance. 4. "Plosives" were negligible.. close to nil. If you're eating the mic (lips on grille), you will get some proximity, but give yourself a few inches of room, and you're fine. 5. Takes EQ verrrrrry nicely. 6. GBF (gain-before-feedback) is breath-taking, which is somewhat to be expected due to the excellent off-axis-rejection. I CRANKED my system well beyond what the room should be able to tolerate,,,, and nothing but pure clean sound. No comparison, even to the 767a. (which is a great mic in it's own right) Bottom line: I love this mic. Side Note;I quite often use a single mic technique, to cover my voice, as well as my acoustic-guitar, while playing seated. This technique is best accomplished with a cardioid mic,,, but I've been able to get by, using my N/D767a, which, like the e945, is a super-cardioid. The e945's off-axis rejection is so capably focused, that I'd doubt I could use the e945 for that single-mic/dual source technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joshmac Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 you just convinced me to use my gig money to buy a new mic, thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted September 30, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 I hope it works out for you joshmac; for my voice, it's a God-send. I'm not usually very fussy about vocal mics, and I can be happy with an SM-58, a 767a, and my old Senn MD-416u. This e945 though, is a head-turner. I have no wishy-washy sentiments about this mic. The impact was swift and immediate. It;s definitely a "colored" mic, but in the most delightful way imaginable. It adds a deep, rich fulness that I doubt I could ever replicate with a lesser mic, even after some very serious EQ tweeking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 Interesting. What's your vocal range? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Louis Schwartz Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 I hope it works out for you joshmac; for my voice, it's a God-send. I'm not usually very fussy about vocal mics, and I can be happy with an SM-58, a 767a, and my old Senn MD-416u. This e945 though, is a head-turner. I have no wishy-washy sentiments about this mic. The impact was swift and immediate. It;s definitely a "colored" mic, but in the most delightful way imaginable. It adds a deep, rich fulness that I doubt I could ever replicate with a lesser mic, even after some very serious EQ tweeking. I've never use an e945 before, but this is exactly the way I felt when I first tried a Heil PR35. Sometimes you just find a mic that fits! Louis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 I've never use an e945 before, but this is exactly the way I felt when I first tried a Heil PR35. Sometimes you just find a mic that fits!Louis I had a pair of those and was initially impressed as well. As time went by and I used them on a variety of voices, found I really didn't care for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tomm Williams Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 I hope it works out for you joshmac; for my voice, it's a God-send. I'm not usually very fussy about vocal mics, and I can be happy with an SM-58, a 767a, and my old Senn MD-416u. This e945 though, is a head-turner. I have no wishy-washy sentiments about this mic. The impact was swift and immediate. It;s definitely a "colored" mic, but in the most delightful way imaginable. It adds a deep, rich fulness that I doubt I could ever replicate with a lesser mic, even after some very serious EQ tweeking. You are the only person I know who has even mentioned the 416U. I have one also and find it fantastic. Bright but not harsh, very detailed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted September 30, 2012 Author Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 Interesting. What's your vocal range? Hard for me to say pogo97, but I guess I'm what you'd define as a tenor. We all hear our own voices differently, and that's usually most noticeable when you hear a recording of your voice, for the very first time. My voice is not particularly low, and lacks some "timbre" and resonance in the low range (although, it is present to some degree at times). I'd say my projection is reasonably strong, for an untrained singer, and I tend to sing from my upper- chest and throat, rather than my "mask". Definitely not a "nasal" voice. Sustain and vibrato is pretty decent I'd say. I'm a heavy smoker though (stupid,,,,really stupid), and after all these years, it's now taking it's toll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mike McLaughlin Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 I've been using the e835 for years and love it! I have similar impressions to yours. I use the proximity effect to my advantage when singing low notes. Singing naturally, I can't sing low notes with much volume. Now you got me thinking about an upgrade, or at least a comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted September 30, 2012 Members Share Posted September 30, 2012 Guess I'm going to have to check one out tomorrow (going to GC, anyway)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JAD. Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 That's awesome Bobby1note. I tried an e935 last Friday, and had some difficulties with plosives, which may have been due to the fact I was using an 18" sub and could have EQ'd out some low end, and tweaked another thing or two. I'm guessing the e945 isn't TOO different. I definitely agree this series of mic sounds very sweet. Trialling mine a bit more before I pull the trigger on a purchase. Luke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted October 1, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 That's awesome Bobby1note. I tried an e935 last Friday, and had some difficulties with plosives, which may have been due to the fact I was using an 18" sub and could have EQ'd out some low end, and tweaked another thing or two. I'm guessing the e945 isn't TOO different. I definitely agree this series of mic sounds very sweet. Trialling mine a bit more before I pull the trigger on a purchase. Luke JAD, I worked the e945 some more today, and yeah, plosives happen, but I found that "zone" to be very narrow, and straight-on into the end-piece of the mic, or, when your lips are almost in direct contact with the grille. I have mine EQ'd virtually "flat" at the moment.,, no boost/no cuts. It's gonna take me a few days to be able to asses the mic thoroughly. I did manage to find a good angle for my single-mic technique for nylon-string acoustic-guitar and voice. It's a very "bassy mic", but the way that bottom-end extends soooo smoothly, right up to, and well into the mid-range, is very seductive, and yet, it doesn't "cloud" the transparency of the mic. BTW, I just ordered an e935 today. I want to see what the cardioid version sounds like. I may try the e965, but not for a few months. That'll be my Christmas present to myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted October 1, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 You are the only person I know who has even mentioned the 416U. I have one also and find it fantastic. Bright but not harsh, very detailed. I've still got that 416u Tomm. Yeah, it's a very easy-to-work mic, and just as you've described. It certainly is a lot less colored than the e945. I like it for voice and guitar, when I'm working a small room,,, or any environment where the possibility of feedback is not too great. It's a "keeper". Tomm, since you're a mic-junkie, and you like "vintage" mics, you might find this site very interesting. I came upon this site when I was researching my 416u. Quite a few of the mics listed, have sound samples. Scroll up and down this page,,,, there's a ton of mics there. http://www.coutant.org/contents.html#sennheiser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sgt. Rock Posted October 1, 2012 Members Share Posted October 1, 2012 I've been using my 441 for the last 30 years and wouldn't have anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted October 8, 2012 Author Members Share Posted October 8, 2012 I've since purchased an e935, hoping it would sound very close to the e945, yet have a broader pick-up zone (cardioid vs super-cardioid). I'm just not warming up to this mic yet. Mind you, it's way to soon to make a judgment at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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