SE Electronics

[DaisyCutter]

In the new Future Music there's a review for SE Electronics mics. They seem to be pretty low cost. Anyone heard them?

[H2oskiphil]

If you've heard the Nady, ADK, Samson, Cascade, et al., you've heard the SE Electronics. In fact, I think someone posted in a different thread that they ordered one of the Cascade mics, and it came in a box marked as an SE-2000.

[Flatpicker]

From what I gather SE Electronics, like lot of other companies, picks their mics from “off the shelf” at the Shanghai mic factory, has their name and model # put on them, and then distributes them to dealers. They’re not doing any of their own designs like Rode, Studio Projects, and ADK (ADK does sell one of the Shanghai mics, their lowest priced model, but I believe it’s modified a little differently). That doesn’t mean they’re good or bad, BTW, it’s all I know about where they come from.

[Mark7]

I believe this is an In-House brand, rather than a rebadge.

[Flatpicker]

Originally posted by Mark7
I believe this is an In-House brand, rather than a rebadge.

Here's a quote from Larry Villella of ADK mics:

"...I don't think SE makes mics for anyone.
They were some food brokers in the Bay area (one of them is a classical musician) who decided selling microphones was more interesting than selling macaroni (or whatever).

SE is a distributor - not a manufacturer.


At least that's the information that I have on the subject.

Best regards,

Larry Villella, ADK Microphones"

[TexRoadkill]

Before I really researched any low cost mics a few years ago I picked up an SE5000 because I thought 'wow, a tube mic for $300!'

Now I think 'Wow, I wasted $300 on this sizzly piece of shit.'

[Flatpicker]

Tex...
Don’t mean to laugh at your misfortune, but that’s pretty funny! (allbeit the truth)

BTW, been there - done that a few times myself.

[TexRoadkill]

What's even worse is that I have hard time selling it in good conscious. I might just go unload it at a pawn shop for $50 if I can get that much. I'll probably keep the case because that was the coolest thing about the package.

[DJL]

I have a SE Electronics 3500 that works ok for radio.

I have a question.... if a company like ADK or Studio Projects or someone like that who doesn't have their own factory to make their mic's in and they buy their mics from China or somewhere like that instead... are they a distributor or a manufacturer?

[crazydoc]

Originally posted by TexRoadkill
What's even worse is that I have hard time selling it in good conscious. I might just go unload it at a pawn shop for $50 if I can get that much. I'll probably keep the case because that was the coolest thing about the package.

Hey, I'll buy it from you for $50 - I don't have one, and I mean, like wow, a tube mic for $50! Let me know where I can pick it up!

[crazydoc]

Originally posted by DJL
I have a SE Electronics 3500 that works ok for radio.

I have a question.... if a company like ADK or Studio Projects or someone like that who doesn't have their own factory to make their mic's in and they buy their mics from China or somewhere like that instead... are they a distributor or a manufacturer?

I think if the mics are manufactured to the company's specifications, then that company is the manufacturer, even though the actual assembly is farmed out. Especially if the units are checked by the company before they are distributed.

[DJL]

Originally posted by crazydoc
I think if the mics are manufactured to the company's specifications, then that company is the manufacturer, even though the actual assembly is farmed out. Especially if the units are checked by the company before they are distributed.

Oh ok.

Flatpicker, is that how it works?

[Flatpicker]

Originally posted by DJL
Oh ok.

Flatpicker, is that how it works?

Doc’s answer is as good as any I could come up with – depends on where you’re standing when you take the snap-shot.

I tend to view it from the origin of the over-all design. If it’s your own design, then it’s your mic regardless of who builds it. You can have it manufactured by Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Chinese, Cubans, or whoever you choose to pay, but YOU remain responsible for the product’s design and manufacture, so I say that would make you the manufacturer.

Distributors, on the other hand, have nothing to do with the design or manufacture (other than the name, obviously), and are therefore not manufacturers. Like Larry said, they may as well be selling macaroni!

[danshi]

Originally posted by Flatpicker
They’re not doing any of their own designs like Rode, Studio Projects.

No ! SE Electronic and Studio Projects are all design by China plant . Amarican just stick their label on them .

Rode is design and manufacture by Australia .

[danshi]

Originally posted by DJL
I have a SE Electronics 3500 that works ok for radio.

I have a question.... if a company like ADK or Studio Projects or someone like that who doesn't have their own factory to make their mic's in and they buy their mics from China or somewhere like that instead... are they a distributor or a manufacturer?

They are label and distributor .

[ausrock]

Danshi,

Studio Projects claim to have their mics built to their specifications, and so far, any SP mic I have internally inspected definitely has little if any resemblance to the run of the mill Chinese mics, unlike SE, Apex, Cascade, etc............consequently, I am inclined to believe SP's claims.

Rode have been using Chinese components (capsules) ever since they started in 1991 (or was it '92) and are only now claiming to be moving capsule production to Australia.

[acorec]

Originally posted by DJL
I have a SE Electronics 3500 that works ok for radio.

I have a question.... if a company like ADK or Studio Projects or someone like that who doesn't have their own factory to make their mic's in and they buy their mics from China or somewhere like that instead... are they a distributor or a manufacturer?

They are the manufacturer. They consign the assembly work to the chinese factory. Think of it like this, when you build a house, you hire an electrician, a plumber and carpenters. The "manufacturer" is the building company. YOU hire the General contractor (the manufacturer) and HE hires the sub contractors to do the individual jobs. The Gen Cont is responsible for the TOTAL quality and the TOTAL delivery of the product (the house).

See?

[acorec]

Originally posted by danshi
No ! SE Electronic and Studio Projects are all design by China plant . Amarican just stick their label on them .

Rode is design and manufacture by Australia .

No! again. Studio Projects has their own engineers who design their mics. They CONTRACT the chinese factory to build what they designed from schematics and blueprints.

[DJL]

Originally posted by Flatpicker
Doc’s answer is as good as any I could come up with – depends on where you’re standing when you take the snap-shot.

I tend to view it from the origin of the over-all design. If it’s your own design, then it’s your mic regardless of who builds it. You can have it manufactured by Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Chinese, Cubans, or whoever you choose to pay, but YOU remain responsible for the product’s design and manufacture, so I say that would make you the manufacturer.

Distributors, on the other hand, have nothing to do with the design or manufacture (other than the name, obviously), and are therefore not manufacturers. Like Larry said, they may as well be selling macaroni!

Oh ok, I guess that kind of makes sense... boy have things changed over the years. Anyways, thank you for taking the time to help me understand this more clearly.

[Flatpicker]

Originally posted by acorec
...Think of it like this, when you build a house, you hire an electrician, a plumber and carpenters. The "manufacturer" is the building company. YOU hire the General contractor (the manufacturer) and HE hires the sub contractors to do the individual jobs. The Gen Cont is responsible for the TOTAL quality and the TOTAL delivery of the product (the house).

See?

I guess I just don't see that much difference between the general contractor and the one having the house built. They're both overseeing the process and “farming out” the work to manufacture their own custom design. SE, on the other hand, is like someone driving down the road with their realtor saying "I'd like to buy that one and that one and that one..."

[DJL]

Originally posted by acorec
No! again. Studio Projects has their own engineers who design their mics. They CONTRACT the chinese factory to build what they designed from schematics and blueprints.

Who were the engineers that designed the the B and C series mic's?

[Flatpicker]

Originally posted by danshi
No ! SE Electronic and Studio Projects are all design by China plant . Amarican just stick their label on them...

Really? How do you know this? More evidence please...

Seriously, I'm not disputing this statement, just pointing out that it needs more validity than that of a newbie just popping in making it.

[Flatpicker]

Originally posted by DJL
Who were the engineers that designed the the B and C series mic's?

Beats me. You'll have to ask your buddy Alan.

[Flatpicker]

Originally posted by Flatpicker
...They're both overseeing the process and “farming out” the work to manufacture their own custom design...

That should have read "...to manufacture to their own custom specifications."

[danshi]

Originally posted by Flatpicker
Really? How do you know this? More evidence please...

Seriously, I'm not disputing this statement, just pointing out that it needs more validity than that of a newbie just popping in making it.

My English is poor .

Because I just 5 miles from the manufacture of SE , and I offen go into the plant . This manufacture give many mics to several labels in USA , Germany , British .

SE just give some idea and quality request to them , then they design and manufacture mics .

I can't say any more , these are business secret .