Editor-In-Chief of SOUND ON SOUND, Sam Inglis.
This month, I’ve reviewed not one but two moving‑coil dynamic microphones. In some ways, they have much in common. Both are intended for close‑up use, and both have special features designed to control proximity effect. Yet they are also polar opposites. Warm Audio’s WA‑19 is a recreation of a classic mic from the ’60s, with a capsule “meticulously assembled by hand”. Shure’s Nexadyne is right at the cutting edge, with a dual‑capsule assembly so complex that it couldn’t be assembled by hand.
The contrast captures in microcosm the difference between the contemporary studio and live sound worlds. The WA‑19 will be a popular choice for recording, while the Nexadyne will be ubiquitous on stages everywhere. But why isn’t it the other way around?
The WA‑19 will be a popular choice for recording, while the Nexadyne will be ubiquitous on stages everywhere. But why isn’t it the other way around?
Marketing decisions obviously play a role, but there’s more to it than that. Assuming the Nexadyne really does offer the advantages Shure claim, those will have tangible results on stage: more clarity, more gain before feedback, a more controlled vocal tone and less need to compensate for poor mic technique. If it’s technically the best tool for the job, live sound engineers will be hard‑headed enough to recognise that and buy into it.
In the studio, by contrast, we rarely push equipment to its technical limits. Few of us record vocals live in the room with the band any more, and when the singer is overdubbed after the fact, the off‑axis properties of the mic become much less important. Studio engineers these days have time, and choice. We can put up multiple mics, or swap them out when they don’t suit the singer's voice. And we are free to apply EQ, compression, saturation and other processing without unintended consequences. Ultimately, we can enjoy the characterful qualities of vintage‑style gear in the studio because we don’t need to worry about its limitations — and that’s a luxury live sound engineers don’t have.
Get yourself along to GearFest UK this July
Whether you’re a live sound or studio person, however, there will be plenty to interest you at Sound On Sound’s very own gear showcase. GearFest UK is back at Tileyard studio complex in London’s King’s Cross on Saturday July 13th, with over 100 brands already confirmed as exhibitors and an unmissable programme of talks. It’s your chance to get hands‑on both with vintage kit and the latest cutting‑edge technology, and to talk to the people who make it (and say hi to the Sound On Sound staff who will be in attendance). Get your tickets now at www.gearfestuk.com — and be sure to turn up early on the day, because the first 100 people through the doors at 10am will be entered into our massive Prize Draw. You could be leaving GearFest with a lot more classic and modern gear than you owned when you went in!