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Everyone is looking for great sounding, versatile mics that don't break the bank or cost so much that you're afraid to use them in certain applications. The SE Electronics line of mics may be the answer.
I got a number of SE Electronics mics from the factory to try out. I decided to incorporate them into my everyday work rather than just testing and comparing. I've been working on recordings for a couple different bands that feature female vocalists and organic, natural instrumentation. A problem I've always had is finding the right mic for quiet, intimate female vocals. I don't have access to a mic closet with all kinds of old tube mics, so I have to go with what's available. I have access to a Neumann TLM 103 that I've been using a lot for vocals. For male vocals it sounds OK. It's definitely not ideal for female vocals - I usually have to de-ess heavily and bump some mids to get it to sit right.
Out of the collection that SE sent me, two mics were appropriate to try on the vocals of the ladies in the band Willow Willow (they have a psychedelic, folkish, pop sound - think a Beatlesy McGarrigle Sisters with beautiful harmonies where the vocal is the whole enchilada): the SE 2200A large-diaphragm condenser, and the SE Titan. The Titan is a transformerless class-A FET that's kind of oddly bulbous and stubby. I put the SE 2200A up first. It comes with a sturdy shockmount that reminded me of the Neumann mounts. I've been using a Millennia HV 3D set of pres that I've absolutely fallen in love with. This preamp is so clean and powerful. When you turn the gain knob, each of the 1.5dB steps gives you a warm whoomp of gain that is very satisfying indeed.
Anyway, after the Millennia pre comes the Summit DCL 200 tube compressor. This box goes with me everywhere. I love how this compressor sounds in cahoots with the clean power of the Millennia. After all the beauty in the signal path, we end up in Pro Tools. Whatever.
I had one of the ladies do some takes with the SE 2200A and we stopped and...