Product: sE Electronics H3500
Price Paid: 330 (euros)
Submitted
10/28/2004
at
01:46pm
by
Janne Lummaa
Email: none
Reviewer Background
:
I have been playing guitar for 24 years and recording (mostly at my home studio) for about 15 years. Studied audio recording and sound design. Done some professional recording and studio work. Currently have a nice home studio with okay quality gear: Mackie and Allen&Heath mixers to Emagic Logic Audio multitrack software. Other studio hardware include Oktava MK 012-01 mics, FMR Audio RNC 1773, TFPRO P5, Art Levelar, Behringer T1954 to name the more important ones. For monitoring at home I use Hifi 12/2 monitors (good quality assembly kit speakers) and Sony MDR-7506 headphones. I have used Genelec 1030s and 1031s in professional studios.
When makeing my own music I tend to seek more vintage sounds than modern ones. Meaning 60's and 70's style music and sounds: The Beatles, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple etc.
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
H3500 is non-tube large diagram condenser microphone with just cardioid polar pattern. I believe it is modelled after U47 FET and that's the main reason I chose it. I wanted a large diagram vintage sounding condenser mic with affordable prize.
I have used H3500 to mic vocals, acoustic guitar and guitar amps. With guitar amps I have SM57 and E609 too but sometimes like to use condenser in close micing. As a room mic I usually use condenser. I haven't tried H3500 with drums yet.
H3500 is a very warm sounding mic. As a vocal mic it has sweet and warm presence. Nice clear lows with acoustic guitar. With optical compressor (I use TFPRO p5) H3500 sounds great where ever I have used it.
In comparison I don't really like AKG condensers C 3000 and C 414. They sound too cold for my ears. But of coz it depends on where you use them. However H3500 is something different in my opinion.
I had a change to record with Neumann U89s and U87s once but that was 10 years ago and I was kind of starting my pro recording career then so that was not so succesful session I think. What a shame :)
Of coz I have never tried U47 so I dont really know what kind of mic that really is but I have heard a lot of music recorded with U47 and I believe I have somekind of image of that sound in my mind. However it is very hard to say if H3500 comes close to that sound but nevertheless i like H3500 a lot.
