Earthworks
SR69 Live Vocal Microphone
by Andrew Roberts
Does the world really need another handheld
condenser microphone for the live stage? If it comes from Earthworks,
the company renowned or its superb reference and omni mics, the answer
may be yes. The SR69 represents a foray into the rough neighborhood
of live sound for Earthworks, a manufacturer whose microphones are known
for being extraordinarily flat and uncolored.
Features
The SR69 ($350) makes a strong first impression.
The microphone, a handheld cardioid condenser that comes in a variety
of striking colors, weighs a remarkably light 135 grams. The aluminum
chassis has a ported cover that unscrews revealing the diaphragm. A
foam windscreen is attached to the outside of that cover.
The foam windscreen is a calculated part
of this microphone's design. Without it, the SR69 has a nearly flat
response from 50 Hz to beyond 20kHz, with just the slightest bump between
500 Hz and 1 kHz. With the windscreen on, the microphone has about a
2 dB high frequency roll off above 6 kHz. The windscreen is also critical
in helping to reduce plosives and it plays a role in the microphone
being able to handle an input of 145 dB SPL.
In use
Sonically, the SR69 makes as much of a
first impression as it does physically. The first thing I did with the
Earthworks was to replace a Shure
Beta 58 in a public address setup. Thinking that this lightweight studio
microphone would have a fraction of the punch and output of the Beta,
I
made no gain adjustments before attaching it to the cable. Hello! To
my surprise, the SR69 has a remarkably high output. It has a bit
of mid punch that makes the microphone cut through the din of a loud
band and it certainly sounds less scooped in the mid range than other
popular vocal microphones.
All the vocalists who tried the SR69 enjoyed
using it, with several being downright enthusiastic. One singer expressed
a little dismay at the "lack of substance" when handling such
a lightweight microphone, but most users enjoyed the featherweight status.
I noticed the SR69 has very little handling
noise - a surprise for such a pixie. Even though the SR69 was rough
enough to handle the rigors and sonic demands of a loud bandstand, it
retains a certain amount of refinement. It delivers a superb vocal image
that is brimming with uncolored detail and clarity.
I particularly liked how the SR69 sounded
at a distance of several inches from a singer's mouth. It didn't lose
all the body of its sound when someone would back off a bit while it
was not overly bassy when used intimately.
Removing the windscreen opens the SR69
up to a whole new persona. While I wouldn't recommend it for vocals
in this state, it was excellent for acoustic guitar. In fact, the sounds
I got with the Earthworks rivaled those of my expensive pencil condensers.
With its honest tonal representation, I expect that the SR69 would be
excellent at reproducing a wide range of acoustic instruments in the
studio or on stage.
Summary
In the SR69, Earthworks has created a microphone
that is superb for live vocals. It is highly effective in the hostile
world of a raucous stage, but it still has a refined sonic image. Add
this to the fact that the SR69 can record or amplify a wide range of
acoustic instruments and you have an impressive package.
For handheld live vocal use, this mic is
not cheap. But when was the last time you could use a $175 live vocal
microphone to record a great acoustic guitar track in the studio? Superior
performance and versatility make this microphone an excellent bargain.
Andrew Roberts, a regular contributor
to Pro Audio Review, is a sound reinforcement and recording engineer.