Sennheiser e609

tubedude

New member
I am going to post my little mini-review of this mic here when I run it through its paces next tues, wed and thurs...
My initial thoughts so far... smooth. What a smooth sounding little mic this is. This mic definately has a character of its own. There is a certain creamy smoothness somewhere in the mids or high end that I cant really pinpoint, but it is there and it really does have an almost "Creamy" sound to it, for lack of a word that fits better. The top end seems super smooth with no brittleness that I could detect right away (using Sennheiser HD-580 phones).
What really impressed me was the way my voice sounded on it, close up. This mic sounded better on my voice than any of the other ones I have. Very smooth and unhyped in the top. On my voice, it sounds better than the MD-441, TLM-103, V67.
What really impressed me the most though... I have a no latency monitoring on my soundcard, and when I do software monitoring, there is a slight latency. When I have them both on together, it kind of has a doubling effect. Running it this way through an RNP really gave my voice a high end professional sounding smoothness that really got me excited. Very thick and huge sounding.
Guitars: So far, I like it bunch. It seems to take some edge out of the sound, especially when you have it near the grainy voice coil area. I havent mixed or recorded with it yet, so this is yet to be decided.
Only time will tell, but this might be my favorite mic very soon. I am very happy so far. $125, too. :)

Anyone else have one?
 
tubedude said:
I am going to post my little mini-review of this mic here when I run it through its paces next tues, wed and thurs...
My initial thoughts so far... smooth. What a smooth sounding little mic this is. This mic definately has a character of its own. There is a certain creamy smoothness somewhere in the mids or high end that I cant really pinpoint, but it is there and it really does have an almost "Creamy" sound to it, for lack of a word that fits better. The top end seems super smooth with no brittleness that I could detect right away (using Sennheiser HD-580 phones).
Very smooth and unhyped in the top.
...Running it this way through an RNP really gave my voice a high end professional sounding smoothness that really got me excited. :)

Anyone else have one?
So, is it fair to say that you think its pretty ...ummm... how should I put this,....... smooth?:D :D ;)

All kidding aside though, thats great! Keep the mic watch open huh? And add the e609 to it!!
 
Last edited:
I have to add more to this review now...
Upon futher listening and experimentation, I have determined that this mic is very smooth.


:)


Yeah, maybe I over did it there. But, I got my point across. Maybe.

Smooth.
 
Yeah, but where did you find this piece of smooth. People at my local stores just stare at me and say, "you want a 69 what!"
 
Someone posted one for sale on RAP for $125, and I saw it 5 minutes later and jumped.
Local stores are usually morons, try Full Compass, they offered me one about 3 months ago for $159 with free shipping. You should be able to get real close to that price. Ask for Joel Pare.
If you get one let me know what you think.
 
Thanks, Tubedude, finally someone is using those mics on vocals! Usually people think of them as instrument mics, but I remember Dave Gilmore singing into one (probably one of its predecessors, to be precise) on a poster that, I think, came with the Dark Side of the Moon album. I used to have that poster on the wall when I was a kid and always had a mind to buy one of those mics but somehow never did. For all I know its ancestor, the MD 409, was widely used as a bus driver's mic in Germany in the sixties or early seventies. Hence I'm still hoping to pick one up at a flea market ;)
 
On the newer U2 Video "beautiful Day" he is singing into one, only the side that says FRONT is pointed at the camera. Funny shit.
 
Wow, good find dude. I dont know if thats the same mic or not, but it sure seems it and is named the same, and even looks cooler.
$100 everyone!! jump quickly.
I think I'll do some research and order now before they go up in price.
 
I have checked around and the info I get is that those are regular e609's with a silver grill on one side and $129 cheaper.
$100 guys, no reason now! :)
I'm getting another before the price goes back up.
 
hmm...that's really tempting.

just bought that damn M12 though...to credit card or not to credit card.

I have really been thinking about a 441 since you started talking about them tubedude...and I also want an SM7..

i got an RE-20..

somehow I need just a little more convincing to get this puppy...hehe.
 
Well, I think this is a less useful mic than most of my others on most sources, becuase it is kind of an application specific mic and may not be quite as versatile as say, an MD-441 or RE-20... its more of a filler mic just to get some more interesting flavors in the collection. I wouldnt say it was a 1st choice mic for all around use, but rather its a good (great) mic to add after you have a fair working collection already and need something that you can throw up on a source that may occasionally shine and be exactly the mic you were looking for. I am just rather surprised at how good it sounds on my voice, and the creamy texture that it has lends it a much more expensive feel ( to my voice) than any other mic I have EVER tried. Mileage will certainly vary on this mic for sure, but it is a very smooth sounding mic. So far I like what it does on guitars on ONE track. Running this mic left and then double tracking another mic right lends an interesting contrast worth checking into (grittier versus smoother). I would take this mic for $100 over the average $100 large diapragm condensor anyday.
I want an SM7, too.
By the way, I still dont own an SM57 or 58 yet. :)
 
tubedude said:
Well, I think this is a less useful mic than most of my others on most sources, becuase it is kind of an application specific mic and may not be quite as versatile as say, an MD-441 or RE-20...

Oh yeah, well mic a Tom with it and see what you get!

That's based on the Sennheiser 409, which is one of the best Tom mic's you'll ever come across.....if you can keep your drummer from hitting it! (the only drawback....but for sound quality, those ROCK on a drumkit!)

The Doobie Brothers used them for vocal mic's, (they were even called "The Doobie Brothers Mic!)and actually they were put back into production after the doobies started using them, because a demand was created for them.....prior to that, they were kid of obscure..... they were two tone, gold on one side, and black on the opposite side.




Tim
 
That song I had posted a year or so ago in the clinic had 409's on all the toms and on my guitar cabinets.

RNPs, API and Soundcraft M series preamps.
 
Tried them both on my guitar amp:

I have both an SM57 and a E609, and I find that the 609 is a tad better for rock/metal stuff that needs a thick low-end. The SM57 came out better for blues, pop and lighter rock stuff..

But now I have a SP C1 and B3 and so far I'm getting great (TRUE) results with micing my amp with the B3 in both omni and cardioid mode. Figure-of-8 is a tad too nasal...
 
Cool, have you ever tried it on snare, or toms? Anywhere else?
I found the old 409's to sound great on toms, gonna give this one a shot on ONE tom this week, since its all I got, and the rest will have Sennheiser 604's on them.
I really like condensors on guitars too, though... actually, I prefer a good condensor on everything, but its hard to have 12 good condensors with tight enough patterns to mic drum kits and everything else all at once. I would be out much more money at this point. I like my dynamics though.
Have any songs up with the 609 on them?
 
As a matter of fact I have...
I tried it on a jazzkick once, right in front of the hole of the front head....GREAT SOUND (after a tiny hint of EQ-ing... a little cutting in the 250Hz area to make things a bit tighter)
and I've tried it on a trombone once, but it was too dull for that application... The guy wanted a sparkly sound, so I used the SM57 for that. (Didn't have any free condensers anymore).

BTW, the E604 (the little tom-clips) WORK FANTASTIC ON SAXAPHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Instantly pro-sound, no EQ-ing at all...

Tubedude, have you tried the Rode NT5 as overheads or piano-mics? I got a jazz-job coming up, and so far this is gonna be my set-up:

sax=E604
trombone=SM57
OH L=???
OH R=???
kick=SP C1
snare=SM57
piano=SP B3
upright bass=either D.I. from his Gallien Krueger amp or E609.
(and if it's the same bassplayer as last time, he's gonna bring his Rode NT-3, which works nice on upright bass)

But I'm currently eyeballing both the Rode NT5 and the new SP C4's, which ofcourse no one has heard yet (perhaps Alan and Stephen Paul and Brent Casey...)
 
You sure are brave with those kick mics... I'm kinda funny about putting any mic in a kick that isnt designed for it, especially large dia. condensors as it can stretch the diapragm material changing the response of the mic.
As for the overheads... can you afford a pair of Neumann smalls?
If not, look into the Sennheiser ME64 capsules ($196)with the KP6 power unit ($137). I think that the MXL 603's are just a little too wide for my liking. A friend has the NT5's, but I have had very little chance to check em out. A pair of TLM-103's works nicely on some kits, too. I wish I had one more.
Glad to see you found more uses for the 609. Did you see that $100 price? Pretty sweet.
Peace.
 
Well, I didn't put them INSIDE the kick, but in front...besides, those jazzdrummers ain't no Gene Hoglans or Vinnie Pauls, if you know what I mean...
I've heard from various knowledgeable folks that the C1 is an excellent kick mic, so I'm gonna take a shot...
Nah, can't afford the KM184's right now, let alone the TLM103's... Besides, if I had $800-900 to spare per mic (price of TLM103 in The Netherlands), I'd buy 2 AKG C414TL II's... or one KM184 and one Soundelux U195... :cool:

Anyway, I'm budgetting around $400 per pair here, and I have read some very positive reviews on the NT5 (from Lynn Fuston's 3Daudio inc. forum... so no salespitch-stuff...)
 
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