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Bob Heil Talks Microphones 2012
- Thread starter Mudfoot
- Start date
While he was hyping his own product and then said 'Condenser (mics) have no place on stage, or on radio, or used by Hams . . ." Sorry; that is wrong. Mics are carefully specifically chosen by sound engineers for specific purposes. Picking the right mic for the right job is an art itself; the best engineers always will. Nature of the beast.
Frank Sinatra - back in the day - wouldn't perform live without his trusted tube condenser mic (IIRC, it was the Telefunken U-47).
It is probably true that radio stations do use the EV RE-20/27, the Shure SM-7, and the Heil PR-40.
But some also use the Neuman U-47 and other condensers too.
Feedback really isn't an issue when broadcasting. It is for live on stage. But even then, live audio engineers will just EQ the mics and position them so that feedback isn't an issue and the quality that mic brings into the mix can be realized. I've used a pair of overhead condenser mics on drum sets when doing live sound or recording. Just because, you just can't get the same audio character out of a dynamic mic when trying to get certain audio effects than you can with a nice condenser mic in certain applications.
I run a tube condenser mic w/o any EQing on my HF rig with an endless stream of audio compliments alongside guys who run the EV or Heil mics. They also run with EQing, compressors, and spatial effects too. Ham radio audio requirements @ 4khz wide is best accomplished by keeping it nearly as flat as possible and as sensitive to catch the subtle changes in the human voice - if one wants an accurate reproduction anyway.
I can and have run a dynamic mic; but sometimes one ends up having to EQ them to the point where one could have chosen a decent condenser mic and had to EQ less. Unless one isn't really careful EQing; then the sonic quailty can be harmed more than it can be helped.
IOW - I don't buy all of what he was saying. I've been using and buying microphones for years and ran my own live sound company (for some major artists) and small recording studio too. I did all of my own research for ALL of my gear and had to put my money where my mouth was and got the attention of many in the local field for that work. I like Bob Heil and his mics; but some of what he said just isn't so. It was hyped and nothing more.
I like Bob's mics. He has a great business. But I would take some of what he said in that video with a grain of salt . . .
Frank Sinatra - back in the day - wouldn't perform live without his trusted tube condenser mic (IIRC, it was the Telefunken U-47).
It is probably true that radio stations do use the EV RE-20/27, the Shure SM-7, and the Heil PR-40.
But some also use the Neuman U-47 and other condensers too.
Feedback really isn't an issue when broadcasting. It is for live on stage. But even then, live audio engineers will just EQ the mics and position them so that feedback isn't an issue and the quality that mic brings into the mix can be realized. I've used a pair of overhead condenser mics on drum sets when doing live sound or recording. Just because, you just can't get the same audio character out of a dynamic mic when trying to get certain audio effects than you can with a nice condenser mic in certain applications.
I run a tube condenser mic w/o any EQing on my HF rig with an endless stream of audio compliments alongside guys who run the EV or Heil mics. They also run with EQing, compressors, and spatial effects too. Ham radio audio requirements @ 4khz wide is best accomplished by keeping it nearly as flat as possible and as sensitive to catch the subtle changes in the human voice - if one wants an accurate reproduction anyway.
I can and have run a dynamic mic; but sometimes one ends up having to EQ them to the point where one could have chosen a decent condenser mic and had to EQ less. Unless one isn't really careful EQing; then the sonic quailty can be harmed more than it can be helped.
IOW - I don't buy all of what he was saying. I've been using and buying microphones for years and ran my own live sound company (for some major artists) and small recording studio too. I did all of my own research for ALL of my gear and had to put my money where my mouth was and got the attention of many in the local field for that work. I like Bob Heil and his mics; but some of what he said just isn't so. It was hyped and nothing more.
I like Bob's mics. He has a great business. But I would take some of what he said in that video with a grain of salt . . .
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MXL V-69 Mogami Edition.
Chose a GE 5 Star 5751 NOS tube (circa Aug 1957) instead of the stock Chinese 12AT7. Haven't found a NOS Mullard 4024 for a decent price yet, which would be the optimum choice. However, the 5751 is no slacker either.
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MXL V-69 Mogami Edition.
Chose a GE 5 Star 5751 NOS tube (circa Aug 1957) instead of the stock Chinese 12AT7. Haven't found a NOS Mullard 4024 for a decent price yet, which would be the optimum choice. However, the 5751 is no slacker either.
Mullard 12AT7WA / CV4024
Yeah; that is a reproduction tube. It is still a Mullard; but not a real vintage tube. I'm gonna stick with this 5751 unless I just come across a vintage 4024. Either of these is still going to work better than the Chines tubes that comes with these tube MXL mics. Mullard has a special production run made exclusively for MXL for their flagship mics, such as the Genesis or the Genesis II and a few others. Like to get a Genesis and review it.
I generaly do not trust any info I get from anyone in an industry that owns a business and is looking to sell me something. It does not matter if we are talking musical instruments, mic's, radio's or car's.......Even has their own version of the truth that best match's what they have to sell! Very few men have enough integrity or intellectual honesty to say anything that is less then glowing about something they own or are selling. Marketing makes it even worse because marketing is not about truth it is about manipulating the target market to purchase your product at almost any cost including lies or non-scientific nonsense designed to sound scientific or over simplification of the truth to just short of a total false hood! So since he is in the industry trying to target broadcasting anything he would have to say on that topic I would want to double check with another source that does not sell mic's or is not in that market niche.
Not saying he is a bad person or anything like that either just know that most people protect their bottom line and are insanely biased but will not admit it!
Not saying he is a bad person or anything like that either just know that most people protect their bottom line and are insanely biased but will not admit it!
You can keep the Heil mikes..
I only ever had trouble with them..
I do recall though Bob Personally offered to replace a mike when i went through 2 of same model in 5 weeks.
( I declined.. saying he could keep his mikes )
I only ever had trouble with them..
I do recall though Bob Personally offered to replace a mike when i went through 2 of same model in 5 weeks.
( I declined.. saying he could keep his mikes )
I was a fan of Bob Heil back in the early 1980s when his crusade was for clear, crisp, articulated audio on the HF bands. I loved my Heil mics and cartridges.
Now, he seemingly just wants to sell product, who cares how it sounds.
It's every ham's right to sound as he likes but to see Mr. Heil not caring is somewhat disappointing. All these bassy signals, especially on 40 meters, are sending me to CW.
Now, he seemingly just wants to sell product, who cares how it sounds.
It's every ham's right to sound as he likes but to see Mr. Heil not caring is somewhat disappointing. All these bassy signals, especially on 40 meters, are sending me to CW.
lol
Bob doesn't make bad gear; it is useful enough for Ham radio. I have no idea how he R&D's his mics. Perhaps he uses past and well-accepted designs for his mics. I think his PR-40 is a pretty decent mic. Just wouldn't use his stuff for live or recorded music. Not that it makes much difference anyway, as I no longer do that any more.