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Anyone using Sennheiser mics for vocals

BurnOut

BurnOut

It's The Billy Baloney Show
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Feb 1, 2015
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#1
I'm growing tired of the SM-58, I know they've been the go to workhorse for many decades. I personally use SM-57 for my vocals, I like it and can work it well. For the other singers we're using 58's. Actually I switched one of our guitar player's 58 clone with a real 58, we were less than impressed. The other guitarist uses a SM-58 exclusively. I think it feeds back to much and picks up way to much of other stuff from onstage.
Been reading about Sennheiser and how they eliminated much of these problems. Wondering if any of y'all have any experience with them and your thoughts on them.
I'm potentially looking at getting their E845s & E935 mics, can get smoking deals on new ones.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts or experiences with Sennheiser mics.
 
#4
My partner is a fantastic vocalist, with a lower female voice. She spent quite a bit of time at music stores blind-testing mics and really
liked the Sennheiser e845. She also has liked and enjoyed the Audix OM6 and Beyer M69. She is currently using the Sennheiser e845, and has an e835 as a back-up mic. She has never gotten along well with SM58s, and calls them "barkers" because you have to bark into them. (She has a smooth and quite powerful voice, and doesn't scream into a mic.)

But I think the point to be made is that it's worth the time spent blind-testing whatever you can get your hands on and see how they react to your voice. That's the only thing that's relevant, not how any particular mic works with anyone else's.
 
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#5
I run 935 and 945's. I prefer the 945 over the 935, and prefer either over the sm-58's.

Nothing scientific about my tests/feelings, just always got a better sound with less EQing, and seems like less feedback problems.
 
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#8
Paulabass said:
SM-58's are dinosaurs. My fave all around mic is a Senn. 935. I always put a 945 on a singing drummer, cause it's pattern is tighter. If a no-instrument lead singer has good technique, he'll get a 945 as well.
Click to expand...
Agreed on the 58's being dinosaurs, they did a good job for a long time, but the technology is changing. I've said this other places and was given quite a bit of crap from the people that have been using them since forever.
 
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#9
farace said:
My partner is a fantastic vocalist, with a lower female voice. She spent quite a bit of time at music stores blind-testing mics and really
liked the Sennheiser e845. She also has liked and enjoyed the Audix OM6 and Beyer M69. She is currently using the Sennheiser e845, and has an e835 as a back-up mic. She has never gotten along well with SM58s, and calls them "barkers" because you have to bark into them. (She has a smooth and quite powerful voice, and doesn't scream into a mic.)

But I think the point to be made is that it's worth the time spent blind-testing whatever you can get your hands on and see how they react to your voice. That's the only thing that's relevant, not how any particular mic works with anyone else's.
Click to expand...
I read a pretty large article about how Sennheiser designed their mics. That sold me on them more than anything. Just seeing here if people here are using them and their experiences with them. The SM-58 is not sounding good to me and causes more trouble than I need when trying to dial in the PA.
 
#11

BurnOut said:
I read a pretty large article about how Sennheiser designed their mics. That sold me on them more than anything.
Click to expand...
Got a link for that? I’d sure like to see it (and I’m sure I’m not the only one).

We used the “lowly” e835 in the band I used to be with. No complaints. When we were considering what to buy I was impressed with all the reviewers at Sweetwater, Musician’s Friend etc. who said they liked it better than the SM58.

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Wayne A. Pflughaupt

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#12
Over the years I've probably used 'em all, and I'm still using SM58/57 on stage. I play in a trio where the "leader" provides all the PA gear, and we use Senn's. I find them to sound more brittle than my Shures. If you can't get your gain staging and stage positioning correct (to get maximum gain before feedback) with your SM58's, you'll likely have the same issues with whatever mics you decide to use. I think people steer away from the Shures because they perceive them to be an old design. They are ... and they're still being made, and being bought, because it's a design that has proven itself over and over again.
 
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#14
RustyAxe said:
And by implication, people who still use them can't hear how inferior they really are? Nonsense.
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They still work. It's just that other designs have eclipsed them. The 58 Beta is vastly superior.
If I show up at a FOH (or even monitor) gig, I replace all the 58's on stage with 935's. The usual comment is "Oh, you fixed the monitors". I always have a few 58's in my mic case, cause some people insist, and the end user is always right.
 
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#17
I use a Senn e935 for our female vocalist (tenor) and think she sounds better with it, but I can't put into words exactly why. We still use 58s and Fender 58 clones for the male vocals and I'm still quite happy with them. Either way, some EQ has been necessary to tailor the mic to the singer. I don't find that I get any more feedback with one or the other. I still have to ring out the monitors except for the two of us with IEMs. I felt like I got more feedback with an e945 super-cardiod that a friend used with the band last year, which was a surprise. I've had mic stands with 58s knocked over and the mics hit the floor and they kept working fine. I've managed to avoid that with the e935, so I don't know how rugged it is.
 
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