If you’re looking for a decently priced condenser microphone, the Sennheiser e614 is something you should check out. While it has multiple applications, it works particularly well as an overhead mic for a drum kit. It’s also great to use as a dedicated hi-hat mic.
We’re going to review the microphone through the drumming lens and see all that it has to offer. After reading this review, you’ll know if it’s the right mic for you or not. Let’s get started.
This mic has a few notable features that you should know. Firstly, it’s a small-diaphragm condenser, meaning it has a small body and has a wide pickup range for sound. That’s what makes it great as an overhead mic.
Although it has a higher sound pickup range than a dynamic microphone, it has a supercardioid pickup pattern which means that it picks up the sound best from what it’s directly pointing at.
The mic has a fairly neutral response, meaning you hear exactly what the drums sound like when they come through the mic. This is excellent for getting the most natural sound possible.
You don’t buy this mic in a pair as you do with many other condenser mics. So, you’d need to buy two of them if you wanted a dual overhead setup.
We’d say that the Sennheiser e 614 sits somewhere in the intermediate range of condenser microphones. It’s undoubtedly better than any budget mic, but it doesn’t offer the extensive features of top-quality mics.
With that being said, the quality is fairly high. The sounds you can get out of this mic are incredible considering how small it is.
If you place the mic in an optimal position, it’s quite easy to get a great tone out of your drum setup. You’ll have even more control over it with a better overall sound if you use two e 614s.
We’d solidly recommend this mic if you want something of great quality.
The biggest thing to note regarding the construction of this mic is the size. It’s one of the smallest condenser mics on the market, allowing you to position it very comfortably without getting in the way of anything.
Although it’s small, it’s comparatively quite heavy. The heavier weight gives you the reassurance that it’s a well0constructed microphone. If the mic was too light, it would feel like you could break it with one boisterous stick hit.
Sennheiser has done a fantastic job of creating this mic to be sturdy, yet very small and portable. The small size makes it ideal for traveling.
The Sennheiser e 614 is a fairly standard condenser that performs much the same as most condenser mics. You need to attach it to a mic stand and connect an XLR cable. Once you’ve done that, you’re good to go. The mic comes with an attachment for a stand, and it fits very comfortably in there.
It performs excellently as soon as you plug it in. While it doesn’t have the ultra sensitivity of some higher-priced condenser microphones, its self-noise is a lot better than many other condensers in the same price range.
It also has great directivity over the entire frequency range, making it ideal for picking up all the different tones of a drum set.
The last thing to say here is that it has a fairly high sound pressure level, which is exactly what you need from a drum set mic.
A single Sennheiser e 614 costs around $200 depending on when and where you buy it. That’s an incredible price for the quality you get with this microphone. It makes it affordable, yet decent enough to compete with a few higher-quality mics.
This is a great mic to get for anyone that doesn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on one mic. The price makes it more accessible to drummers who are just getting into sound recording and audio production.
Overall, the price-to-value ratio is commendable, and this mic is well worth every penny you pay for it.
Since the mic has a neutral frequency response, it’s fairly easy to mix with. This is exactly what you want for studio recording as the mixing process can get very tedious when a microphone is difficult to work with.
We strongly recommend that you get two of these microphones if you want to do studio recording or get the mic kit. Having only one will limit the scope of sound that you can get from your kit. While some overhead microphones work well with a single placement, the e 614 works best with a dual mic placement.
Getting a third e 614 to place near the hi-hat will give even more depth to your drum sound in a studio recording.
The biggest contributor to sound at a live gig is the venue itself. This microphone will bring out a decent sound from your kit, but where the kit is placed is vital in getting a fantastic sound.
We’d say that this mic is fairly decent for live gigs. However, you’d need a full mic setup to get the highest-quality sound that you can from your drums. If not that, then a snare drum mic and kick drum mic along with two of these will do the trick.
The Sennheiser e 614 is an ideal microphone for anyone looking for an intermediate mic that is decently priced. We strongly recommend that you get two of these bad boys as a dual condenser setup will be more ideal for a great drum sound.
You may be able to find some higher-quality mics, but they won’t be as affordable. They most probably won’t be as small either.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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