e 900: evolution reaches a peak
The first field tests for the ‘evolution 900’ family began in 2004, 6 years after the launch of the evolution series. The 900 family was intended to continue evolution’s success story in the premium and professional segment. The developers at Sennheiser did not rely merely on measurement results and experience in electroacoustics but also on ‘golden ears’: in numerous field tests, the series’ sound was adapted for professional stage use. The aim: every microphone should deliver a solid sound immediately after being connected, which can then be adjusted according to the preferred style and taste. With 3 vocal and 6 instrument microphones, the premium series covers a substantial proportion of common live applications. The e 902 was part of a cultural revolution: the idea not of having a frequency response curve always be as neutral as possible but rather of interpreting it so as to help achieve a target sound – this was new to Sennheiser.
With the e 935, you get a vocal microphone which effortlessly brings your voice to the fore in the band mix. In many aspects it is forgiving, for example in terms of the angle at which you hold it in front of your mouth. Nevertheless, when using it there are a few things you should bear in mind.
1. No pain no gain
The e 935 is extremely feedback-proof – but not infinitely so. If you want to deliberately cause that painful ‘whistling’ sound, simply handle the microphone directly behind the basket. This causes the range filtered out by the cardioid characteristic to become “blocked” and results in substantial feedback. To avoid this, you should hold the e 935 where intended, namely on its stable shaft, far away from the microphone basket.
2. Come closer!
To be able to optimally assert itself, the e 935 requires an input signal as loud as possible. For this reason you should hold it as near to your mouth as you can, even making contact with your lips if you wish. In this way you are, incidentally, also making better use of the proximity effect, which emphasizes the low frequencies of your voice and hence ensures a greater sound volume.
3. Is it suitable?
Finding out which is the right vocal microphone for you is best done by trying out and comparing models. On the one hand it must suit your voice, on the other, fit your genre. This is why it is important that you test all potential microphones in your natural environment. Because testing it in the store, without your band, you will sound different from in the rehearsal room with all the instruments.
