Audix OM7

Live sound.

This is a re-review - sort of. Since my original review I've had the chance to compare the OM7 to the Beyer M88 (pretty good), the Shure Beta58 (no thanks), the Shure Beta 87 (pretty good), and the Sennheiser 845 (decent to pretty good). I prefer the OM7 to them all for sound quality. The superior feedback and stage wash rejection is icing on the cake. (What is really sad is how bad all of these mics are. On an acoustic show - quiet stage in other words - the KMS105 and VX10 sounded markedly better, which was no surprise. The real shock was when I put up AT4050s. They put even the KMS105 and VX10 to shame. It's a bummer we have to use such crummy mics to keep the monitors and drums out of the vocal channels.)

Pro Musician for 10+ yrs, sound engineer for 4+. Specialise in live recordings, jazz/funk/R&B/acoustic styles. Recording rig (live): Allen & Heath WZ3-16:2DX into ART MDM8L compressors into Fostex D2424LV. Mix with Allen & Heath & TC outboard gear, Blue Sky monitoring.

I would rate this higher if I used it on more singers. For the occasions when I'm mixing a rock or loud pop act there is NO better mike for clarity & punch. Dynamic mic with incredibly low off axis & distance sensitivity - you really need to stay on mike to make it work (major issue for some singers with "58" technique, hence the 8 instead of 10, it's a pain to retrain singers into this, but everyone loves it once they get used to it). Also fantastic for a drummer vox mike(especially if you need to record with minimum spill).
You've never heard a rock vocal punch through (and I mean thump-in-the-chest-subs kind of punch) with a minimum of processing and with as much definition in FOH & monitors as the OM7 will provide. Just be prepared to babysit the vocalist through the 1st soundcheck!

Been back into live sound for about 5 years.

For live use on a stage with anything but the most quiet ensemble, this may be the mic of choice. It has better rejection than anything I have used, and reveals more of the nuances of the voice. But don't expect to swap it for what you have and get optimal results - you'll need to re-ring your wedges, as it's feedback hot spots are different that most other mics. Once you do, you're good.

For an acoustic act or very quiet band, a VX-10 or KMS105 can sound quite a bit better (as may an AE5400 or CS535), but for rock'n'roll, the OM7 is a fine mic.

Playing/Singing/Writing music for over 30 years. Have played and sang on 10 albums/Cds. Several commercials. Not currently recording with this microphone, but using for live performance only.

Dynamic Hypercardiod Microphone. I am using this strictly for Lead Vocals, stand and hand-held use. After many years my Beta 58 (That's right, NOT a Beta 58A....the original one!) ceased operation right in the middle of a scream. Gone. That was it. I did some research, especially articles and statements posted by other Live Rock acts, and I found that most of the bands using high end PA equipment had indicated switching from Shures to Neumann, Sennheiser and Audix mics. In the case of the Audix (I could not consider the Neumann...I think it was an 805 model, due to the price), I noticed that the OM6 and OM7 models were the models of choice. In the case of the OM7, it was the high feedback rejection and incredible SPL (144) that sold me. Yeah, the trade-off for the feedback rejection is that the singer MUST stay close to the capsule (can you say hyper-cardiod pattern?). Other than that, this mic is far superior to my Beta 58. The Shure is still a great mic, but the OM7 provides cleaner, clearer vocals because that is ALL that the mic is picking up on stage, especially LOUD stages. I highly recommend this mic for live performance, and I would think that it is ideal for drummers, as it would probably not pick up all the overtones that wider-patterned mics do, especially when the drums are set up a few feet from the back wall. I am VERY pleased with the OM7.

-12 years
-Home recording but also worked for 3 years in a professional studio.
-DAW.
-Dynaudio BM6A for Homerecording and Genelec 1031A for Studio.

Audix OM-7 is a sypercardioid dynamic microphone.I have worked also with other similar microphones (SM58,Beta58a,Sennheiser e945 e.t.c) but none has reached the Om-7 ''tight'' pattern.Its excellent feedback rejection makes it show the difference between dynamic mics specially for situations that attenuation of surround sound sources comes necessary.I have also noticed that vocals come clearer and more refined than other microphones but there is a major issue.Om-7 tight pattern makes it difficult to handle in some cases.A few inches away from the mic will drastically reduce the sound level of vocals.You always have to perform very close to the microphone for having the best results.
This microphone will be a great solution for every performer wants loud,smooth and detailed vocals and specially for difficult installations where feedback should be a problem with other microphones.For live recording it is the best dynamic mic i have ever used so far.

I've been doing recording for 19 years. I have a degree in Music Production and Engineering. I run my own production company and own a project studio for overdub work and post production. I also record live projects to DA38's and then digitally transfer to Digital Performer. I monitor on Mackie HR824s.

The OM7 is a dynamic mic. I've used this mic primarily for live recording. I've used it on at least a dozen projects. It has the tightest pattern I've ever used on any mic and the rejection is superior. I can't belive how "clean" my live tracks come out when I use these mics. I've had vocalists standing 6 feet in front of a drum kit (with a shield) and gotten minimal - almost negligible - bleed. Amazing! Compared to Beta 58s, 87s, e845s, and C535s - all super-cardioid mics - this thing can't be beat for rejection.

But this mic is not for the timid. You have to kiss this thing. Stepping back even half a foot or more will drop the signal drastically. This mic doesn't have the "air" a lot of condensers have and is very "full" from 150hz to 400hz. I often have to add some top and drastically cut the low end. But, handles plosives amazingly well.

The tight pattern of this mic is a definite trade off. You get amazing rejection, but the frequency response suffers some. The OM7 will sound better on some singers more than others and because it requires so much gain necessitates a clean preamp. I do like this mic and would recommend it for live recording and anyone with good vocal presence (confidence) in a noisey stage environment. Vocalists with thinner sounding voices will benefit from it's fuller bottom.

i'v been doing vocals for 4 or 5 years and have been recording bands for about 3 years. I usually record to my roland vs880ex or to my pc using cubase. I mostly monitor myself with my sony mdr-v900 headphones (the best headphones i've ever used).

this is a live vocal dynamic mic. its hyper-cardiod i believe. i am using it for vocals on stage and in pratice so i get up close a personal with it. i was thinking about getting a shure beta 57 but i'm glad i didn't. this doesn't require phantom power and probably still sounds better. what i love about this mic is the full yet non-boom rich sound and the fact that it takes alot to get it to feedback. i've sang through pa's in a 6 x 6 room CRANKED and it still only produced feedback when i pointed it at the speakers. i don't really think it falls short anywhere except maybe price. its a little steep buying it used. also, this is a lower output mic but you can just crank it a bit more on the board. I would recommend this mic to anybody: screamers, singers, public speakers - anybody. this is the last mic i probalby will ever buy for live vocals. well, i might experiment with some condensers but i dont' see how they could be any better.