I put it on a microphone stand for further testing. Only mic that makes my amp sound like it actually sounds in the room. It doesn't sound as detailed or pleasing as my Manley condenser, but many of the qualities that I like about that condenser are also present in the 635a. Preach! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the audioengineering community. The 635A comes up in conversation often on The Home Recording Show Podcast by host Ryan Canestro. When you say you recorded all of the acoustic guitars with this mic, are you saying you only used this one or was it part of a combination of microphones? That mic has been a secret weapon for me too. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. hi ya'll. Great on amp cabs too. the first time i plugged it in and sang into it, I thought it was broken. The 635A is so wonderful because it is so close to being perfectly omnidirectional, has extremely flat response of the useable ranges, has no proximity effect, and has so little coloration. The Manley is absolutely more flattering, but this 635a sounds so goddamn real. It's also next to indestructible. Just not enough to bring up the ebay prices on these... You bought a new one and liked it? Well done and thanks for the inspiration! Shhhhh... you’re gonna drive up the price. These mics were definitely a pleasant surprise to find. my new favorite find - electro-voice 635a hi ya'll. There is a "milky" quality to the midrange that is the polar opposite of the presence boost of the SM57. Holy shit! A strange demographic of people that seem to overlook it: yep. technically non-essential cookies and tracking mechanisms, that enable us to provide you with customized offers (marketing cookies and tracking mechanisms), it sounds extremely "real." The 635 was the industry standard field mic for radio and TV production for decades because it was literally idiot proof. oh well. The Electro-Voice 635a is a vintage omnidirectional dynamic microphone that has one of the most stellar reputations among news crews and older singers. Cookies that are essential for technical reasons are set on this webpage so we can provide users with our offers. I have a couple of these, and I've found they can sound really good for close-miking acoustic guitar. The components inside EV loudspeakers are manufactured and tested to the industry’s highest standards, to ensure years of superior sound quality and reliability. Last night, I plugged it into my best analog chain (1073 > API 550 > Inward Brute) and recorded a friend playing acoustic guitar and singing. i wondered, how could a $113 have a similar detail and presence that an expensive condenser has? Nothing magical, just very "honest". Listening to it right now...that is some damn fine acoustic sounds. It delivers great sound and is known as “The Buchanan Hammer”—a nod to EV’s ancestral Michigan home—for its rugged durability. they are nearly indestructible (in some situations), but according to Motown engineer and audio legend Bob Olhsson, if the 635a is dropped on it's nose, the high frequencies are destroyed. this was the best adjective we came up with. it looks like this - no headphones but live speakers, the 635a goes into a fat analog chain (Electra > API 525) and they pass it back and forth for stacking and bv's. If you have a cloudlifter type of thing its also worth a try, because that changes the flavor a lot- probably in the same way you mention it being preamp-dependent. A driving force in concert sound reinforcement since its beginning, EV is dedicated to developing products that exceed the ever-higher expectations of audiences, performers, and production professionals the world over. We channel our industry‑leading engineering experience and R&D resources towards product designs that push the art and science of sound forward, rather than following the pack. It won't sound like Radiohead vocals, but man, it'll sound like 1967 so fast, it replaced a lot of processing immediately. If I had to work with only one microphone in my mic locker, it would be a 635A. during a recent episode of the UBK happy fun time hour, Greg described his vocal recording workflow. it was brand new, and I do in fact love it. You guessed it. I think the analog chain made a big difference here - plugging it straight into the RME interface was a bit boring, but smashing it with a good optical compressor and tweaking a little with a good API eq was an experience. I recorded Ray LaMontagne's second album " Till The Sun Turns Black" and all of the acoustic guitars were recorded with my 635a. Each member of the award-winning Electro-Voice portable loudspeaker family is designed and engineered in the USA to deliver best-in-class performance across every detail. I got a pretty beat up used one a while ago, also on greg's recommendation. Products, practices, and stories about the profession or hobby of recording, editing, and producing audio. Whether you're outfitting a world tour, a house of worship, a professional studio or a school auditorium, Electro‑Voice microphones offer great sound, durability, ergonomics and style. where's the isolation? A cookie that stores your current privacy settings is also set (selection cookie). It’s rare to get to personally thank an engineer for crafting a record that means as much as Til the Sun Turns Black has meant for me. this is an observation based on daily personal experience, nothing scientific. The classic 635A live interview wired microphone is the most popular (ENG) electronic news gathering mic in the world. during a recent episode of the UBK happy fun time hour, Greg described his vocal recording workflow. Professional Loudspeakers & Mics - Electro-Voice. This record was one of the first records I listened to where I really noticed that the sonics are a huge part of the beauty of music. Greg switched from a $4,200 Josephson C716 to this little handheld. So... thank you! Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. caveat number 2 - I would buy one new. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Electro-Voice 635A Handheld Interview Microphone, Beige at Amazon.com. I didn't remember Greg mentioning the vintage importance of the 635, but he is adamant about using vintage 525's - could that have been what you're thinking of? They are gorgeous. This has led to various experiences with the sonics of the 635a, especially used pieces, but my experience right out of the box is that the 80hz-13,000k spectrum is actually very flat and stable. Episode 127 features a shootout with the EV 635A … it looks like this - no headphones but live speakers, the 635a goes into a fat analog chain (Electra > API 525) and they pass it back and forth for stacking and bv's. this microphone is so much fun to use and it sounds like my favorite records. That album sounds beautiful and always liked the guitar tones on it, really warm, but with a nice attack that never feels brittle, Oh yeah, that's a great sounding recording! the caveat is that this thing seems highly preamp-dependent, but I've been feeling that way about most microphones - a preamp is a really important step in the chain, and depending on the impedance loading and topology, it will radically alter the sound of a microphone. so highly recommended, especially for the budget-conscious engineer. Press J to jump to the feed. I love it on (some) vocals, it doesn't sound hi-fi or lo-fi to me it just sounds cool, especially when smashed with compression. He used a different electro voice mic a lot too. It sounds like my friend, in the room. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. turns out it was the XLR making noise whenever I moved around, and this was confusing - isn't it meant to be handheld? Congrats on that. Cookies help us deliver our Services. i wish i had one, but spent the money on outboard preamps with enough clean gain that I wouldn't need one. The original Elvis mic right? Some really intense sub stuff going on, very cool. The 664a is great also. the cloudlifter is such a good utility tool, anybody using interface preamps with dynamics or ribbons should just immediately grab one. I remember greg recommending the old used ones, but I don't remember why. From time‑tested classics to our latest innovations, every product is built to withstand both the rigors of performance and the scrutiny of your listeners. It's living proof that microphone design got it right and the 1950s and any improvements since then have been pretty small and incremental.