Vocal Champion: Sennheiser e845s Microphone

I've been in several bands in my life.  Currently I sing in a cover band, mainly for a good time and a little extra cash on the side.  When I originally started on stage, I didn't know a good microphone from a hole in the ground.  But now that I've used a bunch, and tried a bunch more, I know exactly where my vocal bread is buttered, and the Sennheiser e845s Pro Performance microphone is it.

Some people might want to kill me for not mentioning the Shure Beta 58a microphone, and with good reason.  The Shure is right there at the top as well.  Both mics offer fabulous, clean, true sound, and the Shure Beta is actually just a little hotter in my opinion.  But the Sennheiser has a few perks that push it over the top for me. 

One such perk is the on/off switch.  When I first got the microphone, I was worried that this might be a problem in live situations.  Not so, and it's a boon if you don't have a mic stand and need to set the mic down, as you can turn it off to kill potential feedback. 

Speaking of feedback, this brings me to the second perk: this thing almost never feeds back.  The Shure does a fine job of cutting feedback as well, but the Sennheiser e845s does better.  Finally, if you think the Shure Beta is clean (and it is), give the e845s a whirl.  The clarity on this mic is nothing short of amazing. 

What else is great about it?  It's about as tough as they come.  This mic is super road-worthy, and with Sennheiser's 10 year warranty, you know this mic's gonna last you a while.  I've personally dropped this thing loads of times, and it just keeps on trucking, no drop in sound quality at all.

Some stats to consider:

• Pickup pattern: supercardioid
• Transducer: pressure gradient dynamic
• Frequency response: 40Hz-16kHz
• Sensitivity (free field, no load): 1.8mV/Pa =/-55dB (odB=1V/Pa) =/-75dB (odB=1V/?bar) (USA)
• Nominal impedance at 1 kHz: 350 ohms
• Min terminating impedance: 1000 ohms
• Dimensions: 1-7/8" dia. x 7-1/3"L
• Weight: 11-2/3 oz.

You can grab yourself a Sennheiser e845s Pro Performance microphone on Musician's Friend for $149.99 which, coincidentally, is $10 cheaper than the Shure Beta. 

If you're a singer who wants to be heard clean and clear and high above the rest, do yourself a favor and pick up a Sennheiser e845s Pro Performance vocal microphone.