This is bound to raise the odd horrified gasp among a conscientious few, but my perception of the live sound community’s use of mics is generally something of a ‘belt and braces’ approach. I’m not being disparaging here; it’s the best way to deal with a virtually un-manageable environment, it just seems to me that it’s in the studio, rather than on the stage, where you’re most likely to find a nerd obsessing over the position of a mic worth several thousand pounds.

It’s perhaps a horrible generalisation, but when I think of a roadie miking up a Marshall cab, I can’t help but imagine an SM58 that has been cast aside by an unsavoury frontman after several years of maltreatment, taped to a stand that is in turn held together by more tape, losing the fight for stage space with another stand and ultimately condemned to be re-positioned in some violent fashion by said frontman. Essentially, never managing to touch the cloth, as it were.

Mercifully, we’re living in the glorious days of the digital console and some rather talented live sound engineers, the young offspring of which are justifiably sporting Mercenary Audio T-shirts emblazoned with ‘My Daddy’ll fix it in the Mix’. But, while he’s clearly a dab hand at tweaking the onboard eqs, any system tech worth his salt will reliably tell you that beyond the faders, console wizardry often becomes a remedy for poor tone and miking, whether it’s the position, or even the mic itself. A good mix, as we all know, starts at the source.

Happily, the mic manufacturers have noticed this and the ability to cope with the rigours of the live environment is not the only thing that defines a live mic – one way or another, it has to make the very most of acoustic circumstances that are less than ideal and still deliver a signal that George Martin would be proud of. The faithful ‘58 hasn’t got where it is today purely by being rained on, dribbled into, kicked off stage, used as a drumstick, inserted into various bodily cavities, dropped in a pint...
Okay, so that’s a pretty awesome mic, but let’s have a look at some others that have earned the coveted stage wings:

AKG
AKG has done a pretty fine job of covering all bases with its mic range – and has covered them pretty safely at that. Its widely recognised D112 ‘egg’ mic, designed pretty much just for the kick drum – but used to great effect on all sorts – is testament to this and, as a veritable industry standard, demonstrates the firm’s design prowess.

These days, the company’s primary vocal offering is the D5 dynamic mic, with supercardioid polar pattern to help ensure maximum gain before feedback and a strong, crisp signal. The dual shock mount should eliminate any kind of mechanical noise created by the more animated vocalist.

AKG’s latest reference dynamic microphone, the D7, combines the pan-frequency response of a condenser mic with the resonance of a dynamic mic and also features an integrated high-pass filter to eliminate handling noise and precision metal dust filter to protect the diaphragm. Brand new for 2009 is the D7 Ltd, a high-gloss version with chrome plated finish.

Regularly seen hanging atop drum kits is AKG’s C5 condenser, optimised for use with in-ear monitor systems and the company’s famous C 414, while at home in elite recording studios, is also used on stage, and equally capable of handling amplified guitars and milder orchestral instruments. Both the C5 and C414 were recently used for an impromptu performance on the banks of the River Thames, by Kinks singer Ray Davies and the Crouch End Festival Chorus.
www.akg.com

Phonak
Primarily a designer and manufacturer of advanced hearing aids, Phonak entered the live mic market last year with its Provocanto head-worn mic. Possibly the most discreet of its kind, the mic features a unique ear-loop fitting mechanism and is ideal for performers who need to keep their hands free. Phonak is confident it has the absolute best in sound quality and the mic was recently recognised by Germany’s highest product design panel, Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, putting it alongside other cutting-edge creations from the likes of BMW Group Design and Stefano Giovannoni.
www.phonak.com

DPA
The Danish mic manufacturer unveiled its 4099 series of instrument mics at PLASA last year. Each model is designed and optimised for a specific instrument family and takes the form of a clip-on, gooseneck mic. Their ability to handle high SPLs has made them popular for brass and woodwind – they were recently selected by American saxophonist and music director Bobby Ricketts for an international touring schedule. “The sound is so natural,” says Ricketts. “The sound techs always comment on how the sound from my horn through the 4099 requires little or no eq, and signal output is never an issue for them.”
www.dpamicrophones.com

Audio Technica
With an immaculate reputation, a wide range of mics covering most applications, and an exhaustive list of endorsees that includes the likes of Metallica, Gwen Stefani and Linkin Park, Audio Technica is now a big name in the live microphone field, and its presence there is still on the increase.

The firm’s key range for pros is the Artist Elite, which comprises a handful of models that are all clocking up plenty of big tour miles. The AE5400 condenser vocal mic with large diaphragm element and the AE6100  dynamic vocal mic (both available as wireless models) were recently adopted by hardcore punk rock band Gallows for both vocals and backline. The AE2500 dual dynamic/condenser cardioid model is aimed at bass drums but used by Big Mick Hughes for guitar cabs and the AE3000 cardioid condenser is an all-rounder used extensively by the Pigeon Detectives.

In April, Audio Technica opted to extend its lifetime warranty, previously only offered on its 40 series studio microphones, to the Artist Elite and Artist Series. “The move to include Artist Elite and Artist Series products in the lifetime warranty scheme reflects Audio Technica’s confidence in the quality of its live sound microphones,” said senior UK marketing manager Harvey Roberts.
www.audio-technica.com

Audix
Established in 1984, Audix has a roster of endorsers that includes Katie Melua and country legend Willy Nelson. Its flagship D6 is fast becoming an admired drum mic, equipped with a VLM (Very Low Mass) diaphragm for natural, accurate reproduction, a wide frequency response of 30Hz to 15kHz and the ability to handle sound pressure levels in excess of 144dB.
www.audixusa.com

Rode
For those with clumsy and/or heavy-handed roadies, Rode offers the M1 dynamic vocal mic with a lifetime warranty that would suggest it can survive the odd stage dive. For the more fidelity-conscious, the M2 benefits from Rode’s experience in premium studio condenser microphones and builds upon the foundation set by the TEC award-winning S1.
www.rodemic.com

Electro Voice
At this year’s winter NAMM show, Electro Voice surprised the industry by announcing the relaunch of the celebrated PL (professional live) series. Nonetheless, many were delighted to see the return of the mics, which had remained very much in demand on the second hand market and spoken highly of on pro audio forums, since their discontinuation over 20 years ago. The new range includes seven vocal models and three instrument models, as before, aimed at the live sound community.
www.electrovoice.com

Sennheiser
Unveiling its third generation evolution wireless system in Frankfurt earlier this year, Sennhesier added yet another line to the hugely successful series, which also features some very popular wired mics.

Giving a good representation of the range, the e935 vocal mic was developed in conjunction with several top live sound engineers, who helped Sennheiser’s research team turn out a mic that is capable of cutting through very high on-stage levels. Subsequently, this is the mic now favoured by the likes of the Ting Tings and the Arctic Monkeys, among other high dB acts.

On the instrument side of things, the e908 is a versatile condenser mic, available in four variants, covering drums and percussion, wind instruments, saxophones and trumpets. It is yet another Sennheiser mic that has proved a hit with big name artists and fans include including Take That and George Michael.

For those who demand the best of wireless for vocals, Sennheiser’s SKM 5200 handheld transmitter and KK 105 S Neumann capsule are the cream of the crop. Along with the SK 5212 bodypack transmitter and HSP 4 headset mic option, they were put to use in Moscow this May for 2009’s Eurovision song contest.
www.sennheiser.com

Neumann
Not so well known for its live mics as its studio models, Neumann’s stage range is nevertheless becoming established. Last month, it added a new model, the KMS 104 plus, which, president of marketing and sales Wolfgang Fraissinet says: “has been especially optimised for the requirements of female voices in the rock and pop field”.
www.neumann.com

Shure
Whether it’s an SM, Beta, 57 or 58, it doesn’t really matter – together, these ever-present mics are the most recognised in the world. The largest collection of 58s ever assembled was recently put to use in London’s Trafalgar Square, along with Shure’s UHF-R wireless technology, for the latest T-Mobile advert. In the biggest RF event of its kind ever recorded, 13,000 people were supplied with 160 mics to sing hits such as Is This The Way to Amarillo?

Shure has also released a new version of its iconic 55SH. Debuted at LIMS 09, The Super 55 Deluxe Vocal Microphone combines the style of the 55SH model with cutting edge mic technology, including a new motor and supercardioid cartridge, added to provide clearer vocal reproduction that works on virtually any voice. Output and off-axis rejection have also been enhanced.

First produced in 1951, the 55SH body has remained in continuous production since and has been used by musical greats including Elvis Presley. The Super 55 features the same signature satin chrome-plated die-cast casing, with vibrant blue foam. It would be little surprise if it quickly starts to populate artists’ rider lists this summer.

“The 55SH is possibly the most recognisable microphone on the planet” comments Paul Crognale, marketing manager at Shure Distribution UK. “While the design continues to be popular over 50 years after first being produced, sound engineers increasingly require additional gain-before-feedback during performances that is provided by a supercardioid polar pattern.”
www.shure.co.uk