A new back-electret mic that doesn't need phantom power; HUGH ROBJOHNS won't be calling the ghostbusters...

Beyer have a fine and long-standing reputation in the design and manufacture of microphones to suit all purposes and budgets, and their new microphone, the MCE84, is designed to meet the needs of the semi-professional user who might not have access to a phantom power supply, from a low-cost mixer or portable DAT recorder. A general-purpose back-electret capacitor microphone, the MCE84 is essentially identical to the earlier MCE83 -- the only real difference being that the latter could only be phantom-powered, whereas the newer model can also be powered from an internal AA battery.

The new mic is supplied with a stand adaptor, and a clip of pliable rubber that's likely to survive much longer than the common brittle plastic types. The microphone bracket is pivoted to the stand adaptor; although the review model was commendably stiff, there is no screw or other tension adjustment if the bracket eventually becomes loose through heavy use.

The stand adaptor is fitted with a removable threaded metal bush to convert the clip's internal (plastic) thread of 5/8 inch down to the standard 3/8-inch thread. Unfortunately, this metal bush has a screwdriver slot cut only across one end, and if it should be carelessly inserted the wrong way into the plastic clip, I fear it might never be removed again. The review model wasn't supplied with a foam windshield, although this is available as an optional accessory; it was equipped with an alkaline AA battery and carrying case, however.

The microphone itself is 205mm long and 25mm in diameter, with a standard 3-pin XLR plug installed in its base. The body appears to be made of brass and is finished in a matt black paint, with a label at its base describing the microphone's model and serial number. The business end features six rows of slots cut into the body and a chromed wire mesh across the end cap which, together with the closed-cell foam lining, forms an effective pop shield.

Halfway up the body of the microphone is a three-position switch which is operative only if the AA battery is installed; this is labelled 'ON', 'BC' (battery check) and 'OFF' -- the battery check position illuminates a small red LED above the switch if the battery is in good condition. The lower third of the microphone body may be unscrewed to reveal the battery compartment, but there's nothing to retain the sleeve once it's unscrewed.

The MCE84 works perfectly well with either the AA battery or external phantom power, and there didn't appear to be any conflict if the battery was left in when phantom power was applied. Unfortunately, the review model was not supplied with any operating instructions, and I wasn't able to establish whether external phantom power or the internal battery took precedence if both were available.

The microphone has a broad frequency response (quoted as 40Hz-20kHz) and is claimed to be able to handle signals levels of up to 138dBA SPL. It's also claimed to have a cardioid polar response, but the large number of slots on the microphone's body would suggest a rather narrower response than that: in practice, I found the microphone had a pretty tight pick-up pattern, more along the lines of a hyper- or super-cardioid. Compared with the frontal axis, sensitivity is considerably lower at 90° incidence -- maybe as much as 12dB. Like all highly directional microphones, the MCE84 suffers from handling noise and any mechanical vibrations reaching the body are quickly transferred to the capsule itself. The clip was not spectacularly good at minimising stand-born vibrations, but was adequate for the purpose.

The wide frequency response and tight polar pattern of the MCE84 make it well suited to almost any application, whether in the studio or on stage. I wouldn't favour it for vocal work, but found it to be a very capable performer on acoustic guitar; it also worked well as an overhead microphone on drum kits and on hi-hats, where its narrow pick-up was especially handy at rejecting spill from the snare drum.

All in all, an affordable, good-quality, flexible general-purpose instrumental microphone.

The MCE84's capsule is of the back-electret variety, meaning that it is polarised during manufacture, and the only requirement for power is to supply the internal head-amplifier. Although back-electret microphones offer comparable performance to their true capacitor microphone siblings, they are also considerably cheaper. The disadvantage is a limited working life, because the pre-polarised capsule dielectric gradually loses its static charge (normally over a timespan measured in tens of years), resulting in a slow fall in output level and sensitivity with a commensurate increase in noise.

pros
• Sounds good, works well, and has a usefully tight polar pattern.
• Cannot be accidentally switched off when phantom powered.

cons
• Prone to handling noise and general mechanical vibrations.

summary
An extremely cost-effective back-electret microphone with a
good pedigree. Flexible powering options, wide bandwidth and
very tight cardioid polar response make the MCE84 eminently usable.

info

£ £280.83; optional WS101 foam windshield £14.10. Both prices inc VAT.

A Beyerdynamic (GB) Ltd, 17 Albert Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9TN, UK.

T +44 (0)1444 258258.

F +44 (0)1444 258444.

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