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I'm astonished...by this mic

V

voiceguy

Guest
Well, I think I've found it.

A REALLY nice sounding mic, that my clients don't seem to realize is different from my normal mic ( Sennheiser 416 )...

And the best part? It's $149, INCLUDING SHIPPING!

No, this is not a sales-pitch...but, I thought that I'd share my experience with the KELAUDIO HM-2D Microphone.

In a word...surprising.

It's a fun little mic, with no frills, no bells and whistles...just a brown cardboard box, a solid black condenser mic, and a shockingly well-built and HEAVY shockmount.

I put it up, fired up my processing, and did a day's worth of sessions with it...and not one person said anything.

I did a second day of sessions with it...

And today is my third.

I will put up some audio files soon to show the difference...

It's quite present, quite tight, and does a fair job of rejecting unwanted noise, much like my shotgun...the only real difference I'm noticing so far is that it's not quite as hot on the output as my 416...but, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Anyway, I'll put up the files shortly...but honestly, if you're looking for a decent studio mic, on-air mic, or something for podcasting...

Check this sucker out.

www.kelaudio.com

Mike Bratton
Voice Guy
www.mikebrattonvoice.com
 
Actually, no...

However, just from reading reviews on gearslutz, and also listening to some of the spoken-word examples on the kelaudio site, it sounds pretty nice.

Honestly, for the price, I'm sure either of the mics are excellent.

Well, I KNOW the 2D is excellent. :)

I'll be posting examples soonly.
 
Ok, here's a quick audio clip.

You can check it out at your leisure. It's an uncompressed .wav file.

Give it a listen, not for the read please...I wasn't exactly "on" when I did this...but for the audio quality of the two mics.

I'm really impressed with the Kel.

I like it for my voice...it's only slightly less boomy than the 416...and it's a little quieter on the output...

But again, the true test is my clients...and so far, nobody has complained. And believe me...if they don't like...they complain.
:)

http://www.mikebrattonvoice.com/KEL_416_Comparison.wav

Peace,

Mike Bratton
Voice Guy
http://www.mikebrattonvoice.com
 
Yes, I could hear the difference. Years ago I remember lining up several mics at the station and doing a sample tape like that and asking my fellow workers to listen and tell me which sounded "best" (whatever that means). After listening I remeber being asked: "What difference?"

I have concluded that we are more sensitive to perceived variations in our own voice that may not be distinctive enough for other people to hear. Has something to do with all the cavities in our head that we listen with being the same ones that shape our voice when we speak. We may spend more time and money fussing over our own voices that is needed, but a "comfortable ego" is part of a comfortable delivery.

I liked the KEL better... for my taste... and had I voiced the test would choose it for my voice also.
 
The KEL sounds good Mike. I think the 416 has a bit more presence
and timbre - I pick the 416. The 2D sounds like it would be great for someone
that doesn't have a $1000 for the 416, though.

I owned a KEL HM-1 for three years. It was good, but a little muffled sounding
for VO. They do advertise it as a "dark" mic.
 
Low end on the 416 more noticeable, and more presence, than the HD-2. I have a 416 (to ISA220) and always want to eq more low end in...it's my room...anyway..

However, with some EQ the HD-2 would sound really good, especially at the $149 price point.
 
This test was meant to show basically the natural characteristics of the two mics.

The KEL is definitely not as punchy in the low-end as the 416. I love my 416, and I'll be using it still as my day-to-day mic, but as surfdude said, the KEL would be a good alternative for someone who doesn't have the $1K to pop for a 416...which was really what I was trying to find out.

I wanted to try and find a mic that would be a decent starter mic for someone, that was very inexpensive. Also, in this quest, it gave me the chance to pick up some fun toys along the way!

I'll use this mic from time to time, probably when I have more commercial work. It always helps using a different mic for commercials. Especially when asked for a more "real" read...no matter how laid back I read copy on the 416, it still sounds hyped.

"Promo Real" as opposed to "Commercial Real".

Anywho, thanks for the feedback. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't crazy. It's a good mic. Might not be sweet for every voice, but hey...for $149, AND a 21 day MONEY BACK GUARANTEE...how can you go wrong at least trying the thing out?

Who takes microphones back these days? Not Sw**twater, or G**tar C**ter.

:)

Mike B
Voice Guy
 
I keep hearing about this KEL mic from the imaging guy in my cluster (Albany, NY)...must be talking about your post, Mike.
Been looking for a poor man's 416!
I use an RE20 at the office, and a Rode NT-1 (the old one with the hand-written serial #, not the NT-1A) at home.
Cuz I'm not makin' the Neumann ducats.
Hopefully, I can spare $150 from the ol' Economic Stimulus...oh wait, that's my money.
 
I don't think it sounds like a 416, however, I think that's actually a really good thing. Most of the low-priced stuff sounds very similar. Even those I like (like Studio Projects) have a certain timbre in the upper midrange and high-end that seems to be a standard part of all cheap mics. The KEL stuff is different. I haven't tried one yet, but I've heard several samples and KEL has developed their own sound.

One of the reasons I like Audio-Technica so much is that the AT family has a distinct signature timbre that doesn't sound quite like anything else. The Neumann family also has a distinct sound. And KEL seems to have a sound as well...Something that's just theirs. And I think that's a mark of quality. It's a good reason to add one to your cabinet...Just to have a different sound at your fingertips.

Emmett
 
Well, I pulled the trigger last week and went for the HM-2D.
Arrived today...haven't used it a lot, but so far, so good.
Color me impressed.
I would describe it thusly;
Less top end than the ol' Rode NT-1, a touch less hi-fi, but somehow puts me in Radioland the littlest bit easier.
I guess it's a little fuller in the pleasing parts of the mids, to my ears, for my voice.
I'll put it this way...my voice falls in the baritone range of the spectrum, but to me, I think I can sound breathy/wispy on some mics when I'm going for that close-up, intimate style of read. The KEL seems to really live in that place...which would make it ideal for those dramatic movie-trailer-style reads.
I'm not much on shouting...I'll use any old mic for that sort of job. But this really fits the bill for what I felt was missing from my mic locker (NT-1, RE20. SM-7).
Unlike some DJ's, I'm not in love with the sound of my own voice, but I'll tell you what...
I wanted to keep going once I dialed in a sound.
It made my voice actually sound appealing to me.
I imagine it would sound really yummy on the right voice.
Again , I don't have a U-87/U-Anything by Neumann or a Sennheiser 416. Those are some major shekels in my market!
Happy with the purchase? You betcha.
 
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