Headset mic recommendations welcomed

[rsmith]

I'm looking to try something new for headset mics.

I have several Countryman E6's ... yes, I think they sound great, and yes almost "invisible" ; but frankly I find them very "delicate" and you have to really fuss with them to get them to stay in place.

I often go back now and just use good quality lav mic's, I found them just fine for high school and community theater work. But there are times, especially when costuming doesn't allow a easy lav placement, that I need to go back to a headset mic. (doing Tarzan this winter and I know I'm going to have to get back to using some headset units!)

I'm wiling to trade some of the good for better ease of use. (i.e. double ear sets)

These are units I have seen on-line in the price I can afford, .. any thoughts positive or negative would be helpful

Rode HS1-P
Provider Series PSM1
Audio-Technica BP892 Microset
AKG HC577L

thanks
Ray

 

[Dan Houze]

Ray I would consider the Que DA12's. They sound great and durable. Only two color choices but we love them, have replaced all E6 with these. Used to be called DaCappo, changed name to Que.

I'm looking to try something new for headset mics.

I have several Countryman E6's ... yes, I think they sound great, and yes almost "invisible" ; but frankly I find them very "delicate" and you have to really fuss with them to get them to stay in place.

I often go back now and just use good quality lav mic's, I found them just fine for high school and community theater work. But there are times, especially when costuming doesn't allow a easy lav placement, that I need to go back to a headset mic. (doing Tarzan this winter and I know I'm going to have to get back to using some headset units!)

I'm wiling to trade some of the good for better ease of use. (i.e. double ear sets)

These are units I have seen on-line in the price I can afford, .. any thoughts positive or negative would be helpful

Rode HS1-P
Provider Series PSM1
Audio-Technica BP892 Microset
AKG HC577L

thanks
Ray

 

[AudJ]

We have a few of the akg hc577l. Used exclusively with middle school students. They stand up to a lot, so durable - yes, sleek- no. Only had them a couple of shows so far, but no issues, and relatively good sound. I can't speak for the other brands listed.

 

[Floobydust]

Check www.microphonemadness.com for some great mics and be sure to ask for the Heavy Duty cable for students.

 

[bishopthomas]

I have some Microphone Madness mics and like them a lot. They are extremely similar to the E6, which is usually a good thing, but in this case I think that's what the OP is specifically NOT looking for. I guess there's the option of double-ear though, maybe that's what you're looking for?

Floobydust: First post I'm seeing of yours so let me say: Welcome to Control Booth!

 

[JohnHartman]

I have several Microphone madness mics and I like them, they just do not seem to be holding up as well as I would like them to. I just ordered an OSP-06 and an OSP-09 and used them on the last show I supported and so far I like them the best of all the elements I have had so far. Mind you I deal mainly with children's theater so there is no way I am putting a countryman mic on a 8 or 12 year old...

 

[TimmyP1955]

We (theater) have had no trouble with the MM mics, though admittedly they don't get used as much as the E6s. Order them with the extra-stiff ear loops, as the standard ones on ours are quite wimpy.

 

[Calc]

Rather than start a new thread, I'll just bump this one. I'm in the market for a few headset mics. I'm thinking the single ear models. Looking for cheaper rather than fancier; These'll be used for speaking engagements rather than musicals, so no need for the bells and whistles.

So what out there do you guys use/like? Any recommendations? I see that the Microphone Madness mics are still out there, but the standard search on Full Compass results in a ton of brands that I have never heard of.

 

[gafftaper]

First off, I would argue that buying a more expensive mic is not a matter of "bells and whistles", it's a matter of quality, performance, and durability. True you don't always have to buy the most expensive microphone, but buying a $13 Pyle pro mic means surrendering all quality. While Countryman costs $400 it also means you have a reliable mic that will work every time, sound great, be unlikely to feed back, it's water resistant, easy to replace the cable if it breaks, the list of long term benefits is extensive and much more than bells and whistles.

I've recently had the chance to use a Countryman E2 (short over the ear boom). It's really nice, clean, low profile because it's a shorter boom and it's got that very high quality Countryman sound. It's a very solid choice for spoken word.

Sure and Audio Technica, have several options for around $125-$175. They would probably be my first choice if I needed to buy a lower budget microphone. I don't think I would buy anything cheaper.

I've never purchased from microphone madness, but several people here have been quite happy with them.

I recently got a chance to check out Point Source Audio at USITT. I am yet to hear them in action or speak to anyone who has, but they are priced well and unbelievably indestructible (can you soak your microphone in a can of Coke for a half hour?) Hey Point Source Audio, send me one to demo!

 

[FMEng]

The DPA d:fine sets the standard for ease of use and sound quality, but the price is obscene. The Countryman E6 is good for sound quality, but a lot harder to fit to people. On the single ear model, shaping the wire to fit someone's ear is an exercise in frustration for me. I haven't gotten my hands on a dual, but assume it would be easier to fit for stability.

I recently recorded an event where the house sound guy brought Mic Madness duals. They sounded good and needed just a touch of EQ to add presence. For the price, I would happily buy them and toss the whole thing when the cord inevitably breaks. I regret that I didn't have time to play with fitting them on someone, but it didn't take the house guy long to put them on the talent.

YMMV.

 

[express]

It's a dual ear model, but it is (in my opinion) one of the sturdiest headset mics that I've ever dealt with is the Shure Beta 53. It's not easily hidden, is pretty bulky, but is also not nearly as fragile as any of the Countyman stuff. Works really well for the spoken word.

 

[Alan H Chang]

I recently got a chance to check out Point Source Audio at USITT. I am yet to hear them in action or speak to anyone who has, but they are priced well and unbelievably indestructible (can you soak your microphone in a can of Coke for a half hour?) Hey Point Source Audio, send me one to demo!

Regarding PSA mics, it's better than a drowned out DPA 406x, and we use both DPA and PSA mics.

 

[gafftaper]

The Countryman E6 is good for sound quality, but a lot harder to fit to people. On the single ear model, shaping the wire to fit someone's ear is an exercise in frustration for me. I haven't gotten my hands on a dual, but assume it would be easier to fit for stability.

I totally agree and I've been switching to B3's at work and just taping them on because the wires are a pain especially on young people. However, the E2 seems to fit pretty nicely on an adult without needing any tape or excessive bending, that shorter boom is really nice.

 

[Calc]

Thanks for all the feedback!
@gafftaper I saw those at USITT. I missed the coke-soak demonstration, but the way the rep was bending the boom around like crazy impressed me.
What I meant by "Bells and whistles" was along the same line that you're talking. I just meant that we're not planning on using these specific mics for musicals or dramatic theatre: The speakers using them will be talking at a reasonable volume, not shouting or whispering. I don't need anything amazing, but i'm certainly looking for something higher quality than Pyle. Probably something in the $100-$200 range each.

I have an event coming in that is specifically requesting headsets, so that gives me good justification to get them now. Along the way, I'm going to try and convert some of our recurring presenters to switch over from lapels. So at this point the priorities are ease of fit and unobtrusiveness. Anything too bulky or annoying and they'll want to stick with the lapel. If I get a few of them to switch over it will be much easier to justify spending money on a few more higher quality units. I'm not currently as worried about durability due to not knowing if I can get them to actually USE these, and if they do start to see heavy use they'll be replaced with better units.

While I was thinking single ear would be less obtrusive, if the double ear is much easier to fit I may switch to that. Other thoughts?

 

[Eboy87]

I've done a few shows lately where the principles were on Countryman H6's. They sound pretty good through the ULX-D stuff, and the double ear loops kept them in place pretty well. I think I remember futzing with one set for an actress with a small head; it was difficult to get everything to line up right and have it sit comfortably for her, but that was 2 years ago and the details are a bit hazy. Can't speak to their durability, but in both week-long productions we didn't have any problems (those same shows went through a handful of E6's and Microphone Madness earsets each).

 

[jonliles]

I recently recorded an event where the house sound guy brought Mic Madness duals. They sounded good and needed just a touch of EQ to add presence. For the price, I would happily buy them and toss the whole thing when the cord inevitably breaks. I regret that I didn't have time to play with fitting them on someone, but it didn't take the house guy long to put them on the talent.

YMMV.

No reason to toss. The folks at MM will gladly repair them for about $25 each (replace cables and connectors). I've sent several to them for repair. Iwill be sending more at the end of the summer. Some of my MM's are 7 years old and still work well. I do have a few elements that sound tinny and usually bright, but they work well. I had all of my duals converted to Single earsets. the duals seem to be a bit overly large for some heads, too small for others, so I just did away with the duals.

 

[Timothy A. Samuelson]

I have come to appreciate my Samson SE50s. While not by any stretch of the imagination the E6 (which stay in a locked drawer in my office). They are pretty great for the middle-high school students. Super durable. They come with a myriad of connectors since I have 4 different styles of transmitters in my inventory. And I especially enjoy the adjustable part for different sized ears.

 

[Oldman]

You might try the "Acacia" brand from All Pro Sound in Florida. This is their house brand and I have had pretty good luck in those situations where price is an issue. Pricing is dependent on model. Some have interchangeable cables and for a little less you can get a fixed cable with your choice of connector style. They list the type of connector by what brand they fit. I have adapted the connection on a couple and that worked well for me. The periodically have them on sale. They have both single ear and dual ear versions.

 

[np18358]

I find for a similar price, the Microphone Madness is better than the Acacia. THe Acacia Audio is good, and very durable, but with our ULX-D microphones, the Microphone Madness Mics provide just as good (if not better) sound as the dpa fine that we have, and we prefer the sound of the Mic Madness to the countryman E6, B6, and B3. We have had nothing short of amazing results with the Microphone Madness Mics.

 

[Techie23]

First off, I would argue that buying a more expensive mic is not a matter of "bells and whistles", it's a matter of quality, performance, and durability. True you don't always have to buy the most expensive microphone, but buying a $13 Pyle pro mic means surrendering all quality. While Countryman costs $400 it also means you have a reliable mic that will work every time, sound great, be unlikely to feed back, it's water resistant, easy to replace the cable if it breaks, the list of long term benefits is extensive and much more than bells and whistles.

I've recently had the chance to use a Countryman E2 (short over the ear boom). It's really nice, clean, low profile because it's a shorter boom and it's got that very high quality Countryman sound. It's a very solid choice for spoken word.

Sure and Audio Technica, have several options for around $125-$175. They would probably be my first choice if I needed to buy a lower budget microphone. I don't think I would buy anything cheaper.

I've never purchased from microphone madness, but several people here have been quite happy with them.

I recently got a chance to check out Point Source Audio at USITT. I am yet to hear them in action or speak to anyone who has, but they are priced well and unbelievably indestructible (can you soak your microphone in a can of Coke for a half hour?) Hey Point Source Audio, send me one to demo!

Hey Gafftaper!
Glad you got a kick out of the soda demonstration at USITT! If you can provide us with your contact info we would love to set you up with a demo so that you can try out our mics first-hand!