Transcript
by Phil O’Keefe Type: General purpose dynamic microphone Price: $179 Contact: www.audixusa.com Transducer type: Dynamic Polar pattern: Cardioid Frequency response: 40Hz–15 kHz Impedance: 150 ohms Maximum SPL: 140dB Sensitivity: 1.9mV (ref. 1K @ 1 Pascal)
have to admit to a bit of a bias here. Part of me really wanted to dislike this microphone because of the current Audix ad campaign where they boldly proclaim the i5 as “the best all-purpose instrument mic on the market.” I don’t know about you, but I think it’s safe to say that if you asked a bunch of engineers what mic comes to mind when you say those words, the majority would mention a mic with “57” in the model number. Audix set a high goal for themselves, so let’s see how well they did.
microphone. It’s an inch or so shorter than a ‘57, and a little larger in diameter. One thing I noticed right away as I pulled it out of the included padded and zippered storage pouch was the sturdy construction and metal head and grille - it is a solid-feeling mic. While I didn’t feel like getting into “abusive testing mode,” I think it would hold up to the occasional accidental stick hit quite well (the manufacturer claims it will hold up to accidental stick hits all day long). The package also includes a good mic clip, a thread adapter, and a short but informative single-sheet “manual.”
MEET THE CHALLENGER The i-5 is a fairly traditionallooking cardioid dynamic
82
EQ
NOVEMBER 2004
www.eqmag.com
DRIVING THE 1-5 So how does it sound? In a word, impressive. In the spirit of properly testing the Audix ad claim, I threw the i-5 at every sound source I could think of. Overall, there’s a clarity and openness to this mic that you don’t hear from a lot of dynamics, and when it “works” on a particular sound source, it really doesn’t require much EQ to get the sound happening. The transient response is very “quick” for a dynamic. The cardioid pick-up pattern is nice and tight, and off-axis coloration wasn’t unreasonable. Proximity effect, while definitely there, is easily controllable. I slammed the i-5 in front of loud sound sources, and it never caved from the high SPLs. I tried it on live vocals in a rehearsal situation. One singer didn’t like the sound on his particular voice, while the other two loved the way the i-5 worked with their voices. I tried a shootout with a Shure ‘57, a Sennheiser e609, the i-5, and
an Audix D2 on my THD Univalve guitar amp. All four gave me a good sound, but the i-5 lost out by the slightest of margins on that particular amp to the D2, which delivered the exact sound I wanted to hear for the track. Still, the i-5 is definitely a very respectable mic for guitar amps, and on snare drum, it rocked hard. It had great attack and good body, and it quickly became one of my favorite mics for that application. It worked well for smaller diameter toms too. Hand percussion, hi-hats, acoustic guitar, sax—while it might not be my first choice for many applications, it did acceptably well with everything I tried it on, and surprisingly well on more than a few occasions.
HYPERBOLE ASIDE So is it the “best all-purpose instrument mic on the market”? I don’t know that I’d be willing to go quite that far with my praise, but it is certainly one of the better multi-purpose dynamic mics that I’ve ever had the pleasure to use, and it offers a useful and sonically attractive “flavor option” to some of the old favorites. I’m definitely going to purchase at least a few of these mics, and I would encourage anyone who is in the market for a great multi-purpose dynamic mic to give the i-5 a serious look. In its class, it’s a definite contender for the title. EQ Strengths: ■ Good clarity and transient response ■ Rugged construction ■ Works great on a variety of sound sources Limitations: ■ None to speak of
