sE 2200a Large-Diaphragm Cardioid Condenser Mic

Rating:

2

The top end of this mic really lets it down. I use the cheaper version, the sE2000, quite a lot, but tend to pass on the 2200A for the fact that it brings out so much sibilance and air in vocals and crispy rubbish in everything else. It isn't a smooth boost that can easily be taken care of either because the response up there is so shaky!

The body is okay, if you have a second mic taking care of your top (like the AKG SE300B with a CK91 cap).

Build quality and accessories are absolutely brilliant! Can't fault them at all.

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0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Rating:

5

What can I say about this microphone that’s not been said before? The silky-smooth vocal sound? The solid construction? The rugged flightcase and indestructible shockmount that it ships with? The entrepreneurial Chinese Bassoonist and the East-German engineer who collaborated to sell Waitrose microphones at Lidl prices? You’ve probably read it all before and if you’ve not then I hope I’ve piqued your curiosity enough to find out more about the fascinating story behind SE Electronics and behind this award-winning microphone. As for me, I’m just going to tell you my own story; about how I came to own an SE2200-A and my first experiences with it.
A few years ago, I had the sole use of a damp-riddled spare room in the shared house that I was living in at the time. I stripped the wallpaper, chipped off the damp-damaged plaster, applied a coat of plastic paint, re-plastered, and painted the whole affair shocking pink. This done, I called it a studio and set out to equip it as such. As I scoured a well-known auction site for a suitable multitrack recorder with which to equip my gaudy new studio, I found one at a very reasonable price which was bundled with a pair of “studio monitors” and a “condenser mic”. This was to become the first condenser mic that I’d ever owned and it came in a very smart foam-lined flight case with a small plaque reading “se electronics” screwed onto one side.
When my new kit arrived, I opened the microphone’s case to reveal my new-to-me SE2200-A condenser mic and its shock-mount. A quick search of the web told me that without knowing much about studio mics, and without even knowing any more than that I was getting a nice bonus on top of the multitracker that I’d set out to buy, I’d fallen on my feet.
My housemate at the time was a child-psychology student and needed to record a few variants on a story to be played to children as part of her dissertation project, so I saw an ideal opportunity to get to know my new gear. The recordings were crisp, accurate, and detailed. Then I used the microphone to record vocals for my own band. Again, the results didn’t fail to impress.
As a singer, I’ve used plenty of condenser mics, but I’ve owned just this one. As an engineer I’ve not seen any pressing need to change this situation. I pretty much got my SE2200-A accident, but I’m sure glad that I did. If you’re on a very tight budget then this is THE mic to go for. If you’ve got a pro studio’s budget to blow, then this is still a very good mic to add to your armoury. Have you bought one yet? The button’s just there. You’ll be glad you did!

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4 of 4 people found this review helpful.