Shure KSM8 (and a shoutout to Sweetwater)

[SongwriterFan]

I've been doing open mics for almost six months now. My voice is very "subtle" (the best description I've heard of it yet) and somewhat deep. I find myself using the proximity effect to my advantage for both increased volume and bass enhancement . . . though the bass enhancement is often too extreme.

The sound guy (and owner) of one of the venues has been very helpful, and we've found that (of the mics he has), the Sennheiser e935 works pretty well with my voice. But, I have started looking at other options, including the Telefunken M80 (and M81) and the Shure KSM8.

Based on what I've read, I think the Shure KSM8 might be the one to try. There's still some proximity effect on the bass response, but it's a lot more subdued than other mics (including the e935). Since I tend to run out of volume on the low notes I try to hit, I move up on the mic a LOT for those notes, and tend to overwhelm the bass more than I like (though I still like the increase in bass). I saw a couple of reviews of the KSM8 on YouTube that make me think it might be just what I need.

These retail for $399 right now (ouch!). I went to Reverb and saw somebody selling them (slightly used) for $315 (but without a return policy). Musician's Friend had a used one (still with a return policy) for $350, but said they were accepting offers. So, I submitted an offer for $300 (shipping included). They declined that offer and said that $350 was the least they could take for it. Hmm, then why did they say they accepted offers?

So, I called Sweetwater and talked to my rep. He came back and said he could do $325 for a brand new one (with a 30-day return policy). An extra $10 to get a NEW one and also a return policy? Well worth it compared to buying that used on on Reverb for $315. Hopefully I get to try it out next week.

Maybe I should've ordered the one in nickel, just to make it super-obvious that it's MINE and doesn't belong to a venue. But I much prefer the black finish, and it's not like any place I play has a mic like that, so it should be quite obvious that it's MINE, and I won't forget it.

[YamahaGuy]

Great score!!! Let us know how you like it.

I just grabbed a Telefunken M81. It's really good. Heavy, but good. Dare I say better than the Sennheiser e945. About the same as the Miktek PM9.

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

Great score!!! Let us know how you like it.

Used it tonight (at an open mic). I asked the sound guy to just hook it up with no EQ, which is what he said he did (I have no way to verify that).

I thought it sounded GREAT in my monitor mix.

It does what it says . . . greatly reduces the proximity effect. I hear almost no increase in bass until I get about 1" off the mic (kinda hard to guess that exact distance, though). But even when I get right on the mic, the bass boost isn't all that bad. It sounds similar to the amount of bass boost other mics would have about 3" away, I think.

Downside: I was paying so much attention to how my vocals sounded (and trying to work the mic as best I could . . . new mic requires new techniques) that I flubbed more lyrics and chords than I usually do.

[Stringmaster]

Any feel for how “loud” the mic is? Hot mics work best with my voice, and I don’t jive with mics like an SM58 as I have to work too hard. Did the sound man say if he needed to turn you up or down compared to the house mic? OTOH, more proximity effect may be an advantage for me. Thanks

[SongwriterFan]

It's quite "loud". The sensitivity specs compared to other mics are:

Shure KSM8: -51.5 dB

Shure SM58: –54.5 dB

Shure Beta58A: -51.5 dB

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by Stringmaster

OTOH, more proximity effect may be an advantage for me. Thanks

I was a little worried about that possibility, too. I take advantage of proximity effect, but it's always seemed a bit "over-done" to me with other mics. But I didn't want to completely lose it.

This video was extremely helpful to me to push me over the edge and go ahead and order it. Plus, Sweetwater has a 30-day return policy if it doesn't work out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8O9Az90oGE&t=1041s



He has a few other videos with the KSM8 in them, too.

His voice is perhaps a bit deeper than mine is, but it's similar enough that I thought this was a great review to help make my decision.

He seems to prefer the Beyerdynamic M88 . . . but after listening to this entire video, I was convinced that, FOR ME, the KSM8 made more sense.

[RoyBoy]

Another less expensive alternative to consider: Sennheiser E835, lacks the big response hump Sure puts in their vocal mic's, much better ambience and detail. My wife tried one and the rest of the band was impressed.

[Stringmaster]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

I was a little worried about that possibility, too. I take advantage of proximity effect, but it's always seemed a bit "over-done" to me with other mics. But I didn't want to completely lose it.

This video was extremely helpful to me to push me over the edge and go ahead and order it. Plus, Sweetwater has a 30-day return policy if it doesn't work out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8O9Az90oGE&t=1041s



He has a few other videos with the KSM8 in them, too.

His voice is perhaps a bit deeper than mine is, but it's similar enough that I thought this was a great review to help make my decision.

He seems to prefer the Beyerdynamic M88 . . . but after listening to this entire video, I was convinced that, FOR ME, the KSM8 made more sense.

Thanks, Anton's reviews are the best!

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by Stringmaster

Thanks, Anton's reviews are the best!

This guy also does good mic reviews. Geared more towards podcasts, but still useful. But his voice is a LOT different than mine, and he doesn't do much singing (just a bit at one point in his reviews).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZy95NcFrrk&t=198s



But THIS is the funniest video I found on the KSM8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwXMVrhYcv0

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by RoyBoy

Another less expensive alternative to consider: Sennheiser E835, lacks the big response hump Sure puts in their vocal mic's, much better ambience and detail. My wife tried one and the rest of the band was impressed.

That was actually the one (not the E935, as I had thought) that I used prior to the KSM8 in the same venue. I liked the 835 better than the SM58, but I liked the KSM8 even more. But it's a lot more expensive.

[Nama Ensou]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

That was actually the one (not the E935, as I had thought) that I used prior to the KSM8 in the same venue. I liked the 835 better than the SM58, but I liked the KSM8 even more. But it's a lot more expensive.

Due to this thread I'm now planning on getting a KSM8 and see how it compares to my long time favorites of the Audio Technica ATM-6100 and Heil PR35.

[Marshall]

I just got a KSM8. It was an ebay thing. And don't think I can get a return. It was $300. I just plugged it into an amp and compared it to my Sennheiser e935. And at first blush, I still like the Sennheiser better. I'll try it at an open mic in a couple days and see how they both do in a live PA setting.

I'm looking for good sounding easy-to-use dynamic mic for playing out. I chose the e935, because of reviews and videos that compared it to the standard SM58, which most places have. The e935 has served me well in the last months. but I'm always interested in pushing the envelope.

I'm not sure the KSM8 is going to fare better than the e935. We'll see.

[Marshall]

On the subject of proximity effect, I swallow the mic when I sing. I use a foam screen and I'm right on it. So, maybe I actually "prefer" the deeper bass of proximity effect. The KSM8 did sound a little harsher at home than the e935.

[Jinder]

Originally Posted by Marshall

I just got a KSM8. It was an ebay thing. And don't think I can get a return. It was $300. I just plugged it into an amp and compared it to my Sennheiser e935. And at first blush, I still like the Sennheiser better. I'll try it at an open mic in a couple days and see how they both do in a live PA setting.

I'm looking for good sounding easy-to-use dynamic mic for playing out. I chose the e935, because of reviews and videos that compared it to the standard SM58, which most places have. The e935 has served me well in the last months. but I'm always interested in pushing the envelope.

I'm not sure the KSM8 is going to fare better than the e935. We'll see.

Something I have found as both a live performer, recording artist and session singer/player is that the higher up the “food chain” you get with mics (and most kit, on the whole), the smaller the gains become from one to the other. In terms of live sound reinforcement, there comes a point (around the Sennheiser e9** area) where the mic is some way better than the average PA system (or recording interface pres) will be capable of displaying, and really any variations in tonality from mic to mic are very minimal, to the point of usually only being noticeable in the live environment by the performer themselves. The fine detail and air in the top end is often lost in the live arena and, in a noisy room, the blocky mids of a 58 are quite enough to punch through and be “enough” to get the point across.

I was often frustrated with spending money on expensive mics for my own studio, only to be disappointed that there was no significant leap forward from one to the other. It wasn’t until I spent out on a really high quality front end for recording (a Daking Mic Pre/EQ) that all of the minute details in the mics came to life-they finally had a front end that could showcase their character.

Irritatingly, though, after shelling out for all my lovely valve condensers and so forth, the chap who produces my records insists that my humble old ‘76 EV RE-11 sounds better through my Daking rig for my voice than anything else I own!

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by Jinder

Something I have found as both a live performer, recording artist and session singer/player is that the higher up the “food chain” you get with mics (and most kit, on the whole), the smaller the gains become from one to the other. In terms of live sound reinforcement, there comes a point (around the Sennheiser e9** area) where the mic is some way better than the average PA system (or recording interface pres) will be capable of displaying...

This is such a great observation.

I bought a KSM8 thanks to the OP opening this thread. I'm very happy with it not so much for its tonal character (which is fine), but because of its true-as-advertised great reduction of plosives and proximity effect. And frankly I need these benefits because my voice and mic technique are not what they could be. Tonally I could spend much more money for finer mics, but I doubt you could tell at any venue I've played at this year!

Related to the quoted comment above is the obsession with improved guitar tone output, which I share. I love my Tonedexter (especially if its output doesn't go nutso in a live situation, which I'm about to find out) and Lord knows my Martin's Sonitone needs something. But most PA's I play through aren't going to do the TD justice. And likely don't need to, frankly, as far as most bar and brewery audiences are concerned, which is where I'm at these days.