MSRP: $500
When the company that's all but defined the live sound microphone market for over 70 years says they've introduced a revolutionary new product, it's worth paying attention. With the KSM8 Dualdyne, Shure has taken a fresh approach to dynamic microphone design that incorporates two diaphragms instead of just one. The main goals for the KSM8 were to deliver a textbook-perfect cardioid pickup pattern, consistent sound, low handling noise and reduced proximity effect. While the first three are important, that last one is the big deal.
Why?
Directional mics have had a flaw from their inception: low-frequency sounds originating close to the mic "build up," causing the bass boost we know as proximity effect. Many handheld vocal mics add an upper-midrange boost to offset this proximity effect. The result is a reasonably balanced sound when the mic is close to the sound source. Increasing the distance between mic and sound source makes proximity effect go away, but the high-frequency boost does not. The result is a thin, brittle sound that makes most handheld dynamic mics a poor choice when the sound source is more than about a foot away.
Shure's KSM8 Dualdyne adds a second diaphragm (and "reverse airflow" sound-routing trickery) to reduce proximity effect. With the bass buildup reduced, there's less need to boost high frequencies to compensate. This allows the mic designers to shoot for a much flatter frequency response, delivering more consistent sound regardless of distance. The KSM8's frequency response graph indeed appears mostly flat, with only a few small bumps between 2 kHz and 10 kHz.
Hands On
"I appreciate a microphone that doesn't make EQ decisions for me."
Loren Alldrin
Reviewer
The first thing I noticed when picking up the KSM8 is its quality and heft. The mic feels solid, sturdy, substantial. Fit and finish of Shure microphones is usually excellent, and the KSM8 is no exception. Unscrewing the pop filter reveals that Shure's attention to detail extends to areas that few people will see. This is a beautiful microphone, one that looks and feels as much like a work of art as a piece of sound equipment. The KSM8 is available both in polished nickel and painted black finish. Both are pleasing to look at, but the nickel finish is truly striking.
By definition, a handheld microphone doesn't live its whole life in a stand. Resistance to handling noise is extremely important, and Shure really nailed it with the KSM8. When rapping with deliberate force on the side of the microphone with my fingertips, I was unable to elicit much more than a very muted rumble from the microphone. This mic is as quiet in the hand as any I have ever tested. I even did a bit of studio recording with the KSM8 in my hand, just to try it. I ended up with some usable tracks.
Performance Attributes
Frequency response of the KSM8 is quite flat, and the mic adds no hype to the sound either on the high or low end. If you're used to a large presence boost to compensate for proximity effect, you may find yourself adding more EQ to the KSM8 than with other mics. You'll also find that the KSM8's flat frequency response delivers consistent tone across a much larger (and more forgiving) area. This large "sweet spot" is a real godsend as vocalists move about behind the mic.
The smooth sound of the KSM8 is spot-on for voices that are more thin and strident, but it can make for a somewhat dull sound for male vocalists (especially those that sing in a lower register). The good news is that the KSM8's high frequencies are very natural sounding, and respond well to a bit of high-frequency fairy dust.
A perfect cardioid pattern translates to excellent off-axis response, meaning the sound picked up from the sides and back of the mic stays flat and neutral. This contributes to excellent feedback rejection. When a mic's off-axis frequency response is ragged, areas of increased sensitivity can cause feedback problems. It's as if those spikes in the pickup pattern "reach out" toward the speakers to excite feedback. Shure hit their goal in this area, and the KSM8 delivers excellent feedback rejection when monitoring is properly configured on-stage.
"All but eliminating proximity effect" (from the Shure website) was the primary goal of the Dualdyne design, and Shure definitely achieved some success in this area. I say some success, because the KSM8 still exhibits proximity effect—though less than comparable directional mics. In theory, no proximity effect would mean only reduced volume (no tonal change) at mic'ing distances of one inch, four inches and 18 inches. I performed this exact test, and found the one-inch recording to be noticeably bassier than the others. The four-inch distance was perfect: full, detailed, natural.
The KSM8's flat response will take some getting used to for engineers familiar only with the hyped sound of typical handheld directional mics. Engineers experienced with flatter (or studio) mics will love that the KSM8 gives them a clean, neutral sound—a blank canvas—to work with. I certainly appreciated a microphone that didn't make my equalization decisions for me.
With a street price around $500, Shure is putting the KSM8 up against premium condenser vocal mics. Does spending that much on a dynamic mic make sense? It does. The KSM8's sound is every bit as clear and nuanced as that of a condenser, while maintaining the benefits of a dynamic design. Those benefits include ruggedness and reliability, no self-noise, high SPL handling, no phantom power needed,
Shure has a winner with the KSM8, extending further the success and evolution of the original Unidyne dynamic design from 1939. Company founder Sidney N. Shure would be proud.
Loren Alldrin is an engineer, musician and consultant with more than 30 years of experience on both sides of the mixer.
