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Handheld vocal microphones: a trend towards condenser electret?

Allan Tépper
Handheld vocal microphones: a trend towards condenser electret? 6

Handheld vocal microphones: a trend towards condenser electret? 1

With new handheld vocal microphones I am currently testing for reviews, there is a new trend toward condenser electret, which challenges the long established thinking. In traditional ENG (Electronic News Gathering), for decades there has been a preference for dynamic handheld interview mics. One of the reasons for that is because dynamics are generally much more durable. However, several factors are changing, so we must have an open mind when evaluating.

Some microphones I am testing

I am currently testing several microphones for review, of which at least three are handheld and marketed for field interviewing and/or singing, and two of those are electret condenser, not dynamic, which is very surprising for me. I am not going to list all of the makes or models here in this article due to embargos that will be lifted soon. (I am also currently testing one stereo microphone which is not handheld on its own.)

Some industry-standard handheld dynamic microphones used in ENG for decades

 

The RE-50/B from Electro-Voice and the RE50N/D-5 higher output version are one of the most popular handheld interview mics for ENG in the United States.

 

The most popular handheld dynamic microphones that have been used already for decades in ENG include the:

Newcomer handheld vocal mics

 

The AT2005USB hybrid dynamic mic from Audio Technica is one that I have covered in several articles and ebooks.

 

Here are some newcomer handheld vocal mics, both dynamic and condenser electret, in the form of the:

The question I asked MXL, and the response

The MM130 from MXL (shown above connected to an iPad inside an iOgrapher) is one of several handheld vocal microphones I’ll be covering from several brands. The MM130 has an analog output and includes a cable that terminates in unbalanced 3.5 mm TRRS plug for direct connection to smartphones and tablets, via their analog input. The MM130’s included cable also features a 3.5 mm stereo female connector to connect monitoring headphones.

 

I asked MXL the following question about their MM130 handheld electret condenser microphone, knowing that other mics available from the same company exist both as condenser or as dynamic:

Here is the response I received from MXL:

When we decided to make an interview microphone for the mobile market, we had to make a choice. Do we make it bulletproof, or create the best sound possible? We chose sound quality because we felt that the pro users of this product needed the best recording possible. There is definitely a trade-off between durability and sound. We chose sound. However, the capsule is technically an electret, not a (standard) condenser. It is not as delicate as a (standard) condenser. With the solid all metal body it is housed in, it does make the mic relatively strong. We felt that the user is already careful with their equipment, as the phone they are using is much more delicate than the mic.

With the electret mic we chose, we are able to deliver dual pick up patterns, both omni and cardioid. It also has dual gain options. A dynamic mic cannot do this. The electret capsule delivers a clearer sound. The sound advantages of the electret over a dynamic far outweigh the durability issue. We do not suggest using the mic as a hammer. We don’t think that the average user is going to do a “Roger Daltry” with the mic. It should survive the occasional, casual drop, since the average distance from the mic to the floor is about three to four feet. Though we cannot guarantee it will survive, we built it with a strong enough body to minimize the damage from the drop.

Perry Goldstein
Director of Sales and Marketing
MXL

Thanks Perry for the response!

My initial conclusion: I will leave the sound quality and other factors up to the individual results of my upcoming reviews, but thanks to that response from MXL, we should all keep an open mind instead of immediately rejecting the idea of an electret condenser mic for handheld field use, as some of us may have done before now.

Photo credit for the Electret condenser microphone capsule photo:

“Electret condenser microphone capsules”. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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Allan Tépper’s other books, consulting, articles, seminars & audio programs

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