10 l October 2012
www.prosoundnewseurope.com
technologyreview Earthworks SR40Vcondenser mic
Earthworks’ first vocal mic for live and studio performance provides an impressive clarity of sound, writes Dave Arcari
The SR40V in its robust wooden case
UP UNTIL now, I had really only associated US-based microphone manufacturer Earthworks with mics used for testing and technical measurement/ analysis duties. That perception made me curious when the relatively new SR40V condenser mic arrived for review as a live vocal mic. Although I have used condenser mics in live situations for acoustic instruments in the past, I’ve never really felt they were ideal for live vocals. As a full-time touring singer/songwriter, I come across all kinds of rigs – from small vocal PA systems though venue installations of various sizes to big festival systems – but rarely is anything other than the tried and trusted SM58 or Beta58 used on my vocal. The reason may be my, let’s say, ‘aggressive’ vocal style. So giving the condenser SR40V a whirl was going to be interesting. I had a week or so between the mic arriving for review (from UK distributor Unity Audio) and my next live show which happened to be at legendary Glasgow venue King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut – a good venue to try out the mic as not only is the sound always exceptional, the engineers there are fantastic and I know the room well. In the days before the show
I was recording some demos and couldn’t resist trying the mic out in the studio. The robust wooden box/case was impressive, even by studio mic standards, but I couldn’t really imagine squeezing that box into a gig or cable bag.
mean that the pickup pattern would be tight and my far- from-consistent microphone technique might cause problems if I didn’t stay right in front of the SR40V. But the mic was pretty forgiving of my style of delivery: the engineer didn’t notice any significant drop-off in level when I wasn’t singing directly into the mic. In fact, I hadn’t planned to use it for my show, but the SR40V was so good at the soundcheck that I wanted to take
advantage of it for the gig! I was also keen to hear
how the mic sounded out front, so was happy to let the
two support acts – who both have a much gentler and smoother vocal style than I do – use it too.
Not just better on vocals than the all-round C1000 workhorse, but better than any of the mics
in my studio cupboard. Later, at King Tut’s, I turned
The street price of the SR40V is nearly £800 (€900), so it does need decent protection… maybe a more compact mini flightcase would make it more transport-friendly.
But back to the mic. It’s
heavy, solid and feels snug in the hand. It exudes quality even before it’s plugged in. I did some tests recording
some vocals into Pro Tools using the SR40V alongside an AKG C1000 – it’s hardly comparing apples with apples, but the C1000 is the closest mic I have to compare it with. Both mic pres were set the same. The C1000 did a fine job, but
it was obvious that the SR40V is in an entirely different class in terms of clarity, transparency and output – significantly out- performing the C1000 on all counts. So, although recording isn’t the focus of this review, it’s good to know that this mic is very much at home in the studio.
up early and explained to the engineer I wanted to try out this mic at the soundcheck. He too was interested and was prepared to spend a little longer than normal on the procedure so I could get an idea how the SR40V would perform. The SR40V puts out a hot signal – a very hot signal. As soon as I started the soundcheck I realised this microphone is a completely different animal to my usual dynamic Beta58. There was no boominess when I moved in on the mic and the definition was quite astounding – perhaps a little too revealing for someone with vocals as ‘rough’ as mine! The onstage sound was crisp and there wasn’t even a hint of feedback at any point during the soundcheck – as a solo singer/guitarist a reasonable stage sound and monitor clarity isn’t usually a problem anyway, but the engineer didn’t have to tweak anything to achieve what we wanted to hear. I was a little concerned that
the resistance to feedback would Although I only heard my
own vocals on stage, the mic performed even better with the other acts’ more restrained vocals. The SR40V is so transparent it lets the engineer enhance the channel EQ to suit the vocalist without having to ‘undo’ any mic-specific characteristics that don’t work in a situation. The mic isn’t going to wave a magic wand over any dodgy vocals but it will allow a good singer to be heard in the best possible light on the live stage.
The SR40V is also available as
a wireless microphone capsule – the WL40V – which I suspect will only be limited by the quality of the transmitter/receiver. My only negative comment – other than the high cost and bulky wooden box – is that the grille/mesh doesn’t unscrew so I’m not sure how it can be cleaned. This is less of an issue in a studio situation where there may be pop-shields protecting the mic. Live, though, especially with different artists using the mic it’s a potential problem – although the high cost of the mic may make the SR40V a personal purchase for vocalists rather than a day-to- day tool for the hire company or in-house rig. Go on, treat yourself to a classy condenser. n
www.earthworksaudio.com
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY f £780 RRP
Distributed by Unity Audio +44 (0) 1440 785843
www.unityaudio.co.uk
TECH SPECS fFrequency response: 30Hz- 40kHz +/-1.5dB at 30cm
fPolar pattern: Hypercardioid
fSensitivity: 10mV/Pa (-40dBV/Pa)
fPower requirements: 48V Phantom, 10mA
fMax acoustic input: 145dB SPL
fNoise: 22dB SPL equivalent (A weighted)
PROS fExceptional clarity
fResistant to feedback fFlat frequency response
CONS fIt’s not cheap!
fNon-removable grille/mesh fBulky box
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