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. Shure 849Vintage Cardioid Condenser Microphone Peter Kun Frary. .
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Build and Features
The cardioid polar pattern of the 849 is focused on sound near the front of the capsule, rejecting off-axis sound. Thus, sound reflections, outside traffic and AC rumble are significantly reduced compared to the front of the mic. The fact that the 849 is a condenser mic should make it more prone to picking up background noise than a dynamic mic. However, off-axis rejection of the 849 is excellent and better than my AKG C3000B, Lewitt 240 Pro and Neumann TLM 102. Off-axis rejection is nearly on par with the Shure Beta 57A. |
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Vibrations from electric motors and foot taps can spoil recordings. Among the dozens of mics I recently tested, the Shure 849 and Beta 57A were the only ones that didn't pick up vibration or hum from my hard drives and nearby AC units.
Shock Mount
When recording, any mic will benefit from using a shock mount. I've ruined many tracks with a careless bump or tap on the floor. Unfortunately, the 849 is too small to fit the excellent but petite Shure A55M. However, I was surprised to find the 849 and SM137 fit perfectly in the relatively small AKG Acoustics H85 shock mount, the shock mount designed for the AKG C3000, C3000B, C4000B, C414B, etc.
RFI Resistance
That thick steel case provides great RFI shielding. Here in RFI infested downtown Honolulu, I suffered no static, clicks or rogue radio stations while using this mic.
Voiceover
After hearing how good the 849 sounded, I used the 849 for several voiceover videos. In the video below, I paired the Shure 849 with the Shure MVX2U (digital audio interface) and AKG H85 shock mount for voiceover segments. And that combo sounds great: smooth, warm and clear. No audio processing was used other than normalization. I didn't want a mic in my face for the talking head sections so I used a Synco wireless lav mic. It sounds like utter crap: weak and muffled. Next time, I'll use a full sized mic on a boom for talking head scenes. Guitars were recorded with a stereo pair of Neumann KM 184.
Beat and Meter Basics | Professor Peter Kun Frary (7:16)
One of the things I love about the 849 is how easy it is to adjust position and angle for optimal sound and comfort. Side-address mics like the Shure KM27, Rode NT1, etc., are more challenging to position due to the upright position and awkward shock mounts.
Sound Comparisons
Below are short audio samples of the 849 and other mics I've used for voiceovers. I maintained an 8 to 10 cm speaking distance. Mics were mounted on a boom arm clamped to my desk, the room was partially treated, and I recorded into TwistedWave at 48 kHz and 24 bits. Gain was staged to hit around -12 dB. No processing or normalization used. Mics were fitted with a foam pop filter.
Shure 849
The 849 is flattering for my voice: smooth, warm, clear and very clean. With a foam windscreen, it is surprisingly forgiving of plosives and puffs of air. Because it was designed for isolating and miking stage instruments, off-axis rejection is excellent. Among the mics I tested, the 849, SM137 and the Beta 57A were the only mics that picked up no vibrations or hum from my hard drives and nearby AC units. These mics were designed for hand held use and, thus, have internal pneumatic shock mounts. These internal shock mounts seem to benefit use in any high vibration situation.
For this recording, I plugged the 849 into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X interface. Gain was set to 46 dB.
Shure SM137
For this recording, I plugged the Shure SM137 into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X and set gain to 47dB. Like the Beta 57A and 849, the SM137 has excellent rejection of background and handling noise. Indeed, Shure's pneumatic shock mount system smooths away minor vibrations, nixing hard drive rumble and making hand held use practical. And, yes, it sounds similar and looks like the Shure 849. The SM137 retails for $190 USD.
Rode PodMic USB
I plugged the XLR output of the Rode PodMic USB into the Rode Streamer X and set gain to 63 dB. The Rode PodMic, along with the Shure SM7B, rule over the video blogging and podcast kingdoms. Of course, they sound good and offer excellent isolation but also are large and visually impressive.
The PodMic USB retails for $200 USD.
Rode X Streamer | Mounted on a Manfrotto arm for easy port access.
Shure Beta 57A
This is the sound of the Shure Beta 57A plugged into the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X.
Isolation from background and handling noise and resistance to plosives are excellent—better than the Rode PodMic USB, Neumann TLM 102 and AKG C3000B. Like the SM137, this mic features Shure's internal pneumatic shock mount to smooth away minor vibrations. It ties the Shure 849 and SM137 in terms of background noise rejection, maybe even slightly better. It sounds great for spoken word, singing and miking guitar cabs! The sound is smooth and clear, needs little post processing and has more bass than the SM57 and SM58. It is small and unassuming on camera but what a studio workhorse. If I could own only one mic to do everything, this could be the one. The Beta 57A retails for $150 USD.
Shure Beta 27
That was the sound of the Shure Beta 27, a large diaphragm side-address FET condenser mic with multiple high pass filters and pad (no filters used). It differs from other 27 series due to its supercardioid polar pattern, rather than cardioid, and a nearly flat frequency response instead of a typical low treble EQ bump.
That flat frequency contour makes it ideal for instruments. Indeed, it sounds natural and smooth for guitar and ukulele. I found it pleasantly natural and balanced for spoken word, albeit some speakers may prefer an EQ bump around 6000 Hz. The Beta 27 has more going on in the deep bass than most mics. Indeed, it picks up bass guitar, low brass and kick drums extremely well.
For my speaking voice, not much is going on below 80 Hz and, set flat, the Beta 27 has a bit of the "big bottom" sound. Clarity of my voice increased a little by using the built-in 80 Hz high pass filter:
The Beta 27 was recorded through the Rode Streamer X with preamp gain set to 44 dB. I spoke directly into the capsule from about 12 cm. The mic’s 3-layer mesh grille did a great job of nixing plosives and mouth and breath noise. I didn't need or use an external pop filter. Sibilance was also well controlled.
The tight supercardioid polar pattern made for above average off-axis rejection of sound, besting most of my mics. Unlike the similar SM27, the Beta 27 is ideal for recording on stages and untreated rooms.
While mounted on a desk boom arm, no vibrations or hum from the hard drives were leaked on to the tracks. Indeed, the internal shock mount effectively controlled vibrations. With the PodMic USB and the Neumann TLM 102 on the same boom, I had to unplug my backup drives to get a clean track.
The Beta 27 is a wonderfully designed, great sounding, extremely flexible and easy to use mic. This mic retails for about $400.
Lewitt LCT 240 Pro
The Lewitt LCT 240 Pro was plugged into the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. Gain was set to 47 dB. This is a small diaphragm side-address condenser mic designed for home studios. It's an attractive and compact design, especially the effective yet space saving magnetic drop-in pop filter.
The 240 Pro flatters my voice with a pleasing but somewhat bright timbre and above average clarity. Legibility of individual words is impressive, even with minor mumbling. With the drop-in pop filter, plosives and sibilance were well controlled. Without the pop filter, the 240 Pro sounds like a wind storm. Wear protection!
While the bright character makes for clear and understandable words, it also makes the 240 Pro more prone to picking up background sounds than many of the mics here, save for the Neumann TLM 102.
Without accessories, the 240 Pro is priced at $100 USD. Just the mic runs about a Benjamin. The shock mount and pop filter kit clock in at $159.
AKG C3000B
The AKG C3000B, circa 2009, is a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic. It remains in production as the AKG C3000 and sells for $350 USD. The lower treble frequency bump makes it too bright for classical guitar. On the other hand, that bump makes it a decent mic for the spoken word, exhibiting good clarity albeit a little bright and forward in character.
The XLR output of the C3000B was recorded through the Rode Streamer X with gain set at 46 dB.
Neumann KM 184
Since I was testing all my mics with spoken word, I gave the KM 184 a try too. Obviously, it is not designed for close miking of spoken word: no protection from plosives and moving air. That doesn't mean the KM 184 won't sound good for spoken word, but use of a pop filter and/or foam windscreen is mandatory.
The KM 184 is an extremely sensitive and dynamic mic—why I like it for instruments—but with only a foam windscreen, I was unable to control plosives when I spoke straight into the capsule. I nixed plosives by speaking offset about 30 degrees but didn't like the duller sound. Finally, I added an external pop filter and that worked well enough to squeeze out a test track. Indeed, the KM 184 proved to flattering for my voice: smooth, clear and very clean. As I experienced with guitar, off-axis rejection of sound is excellent.
Would I use this mic for voiceovers? Probably not. It is extremely sensitive and requires good vocal technique to keep pops, plosives and dynamics under control. Somebody with better voice technique may find it doable but the KM 184 cramped my style too much. With that said, the KM 184 is my pick for best spoken word sound among all my mics. My favorite for solo guitar tracks as well.
For this recording, the KM 184 was plugged into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X. Output from the KM 184 is robust: gain was set to only 36 dB, lower than my other condenser mics.
Neumann TLM 102
The Neumann TLM 102 is a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic and a favorite mic for recording classical guitar and 'ukulele. Pointed at the bridge, it renders a beautifully sweet plucked string tone. For guitar, it needs little or no EQ.
While great sounding for voice—smooth and natural in character and flattering to my voice—it is extremely sensitive to mouth sounds and puffs of air. I borrowed a foam filter from the Deity VO-7U to help control plosives. It's also more sensitive than average to vibrations from the floor, computer fans and off-axis sounds! I used a clone of Neumann's shock mount to help nix vibrations. It is unusable without a shock mount.
I recorded the Neumann TLM 102 through the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. Gain was set at 46 dB. The TLM 102 is at its best in an acoustically treated and soundproof room.
Currently, the 102 retails for $750 USD.
Thoughts
I enjoyed working with the Shure 849. While not my choice for classical guitar or 'ukulele, it is a versatile mic, suitable for most instruments, small percussion, guitar cabs, overheads and the speaking voice if used with a pop filter. I've seen many stereo pairs selling on eBay, apparently the 849 was once popular for miking church choirs and school ensembles. A few years back I saw this model selling for $50 or a little more on eBay. Apparently word has gotten out on this sleeper mic and prices are trending at $100 to $200 depending on condition.
The third generation descendant of the 849, the Shure SM137, is still in production, but made in Mexico rather than the USA. It has the same EQ bump, the classic 849 case design, sounds similar to the 849 and sells new for just under $200 USD.
Garden at Twilight | EOS 6D MK II and EF 24-105 3.5-5.6 IS STM
Features & Specs
- Small diaphragm cardioid electret condenser
- Phantom power 12-48v or AA battery
- Max SPL: 131dB
- Output Impedance: 600Ω
- 40 Hz to 16 kHz frequency response
Physical
- XLR connector
- On/off switch
- Dimensions: 191 mm x 28 mm
- Metal housing
- Weight: 250 g
Included accessories
Soft pouch and clip
Optional Windscreen
A3WS (foam)
Country of Origin
USA or Mexico (depending on year of production)
1989 to early 2000
Instruction Manual
Price
$250 in 1998
Typically available used for $100+ depending on condition
Website
09/01/2024
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