Sennheiser E845S Super-Cardioid Switched Dynamic Mic

Rating:

4

Part of Sennheiser’s Evolution series, the E845S is a dynamic microphone with a super-cardoid pickup pattern. The microphone has a metal body that tapers out to a slender grille. It weighs a little more than an SM58, and though I shan’t be dropping it out of any helicopters to test it, it feels every bit as sturdy as that benchmark of ruggedness. Removing the grille reveals a capsule that is quite firmly built into the body and attached by three visible wires, these in turn are protected by plastic mountings that are moulded into the capsule, so there seems to be little chance of failure here, although it looks like a DIY repair would be tricky should failure occur. When screwing the grille back onto the body, it tightens against a narrow rubber seal that circumscribes the base of the capsule. The switch is made of plastic and has a locking mechanism that can be turned with a small screwdriver to prevent singers from accidentally turning themselves off. This mechanism is made from plastic and on my microphone it has worn down somewhat from the few times that I have locked and unlocked the switch. I can see the screw becoming completely stripped quite easily, which is a shame as it is a thoughtful and useful feature. To prevent the screw from getting worn down, I’ve gone back to the old fashioned method of covering the switch with tape.
I use my own E845S to complement the in-house SM58s and 57s at the community venue at which I am a sound tech. Due to space limitations, our monitor wedges are usually placed off-axis, so the Sennheiser’s super-cardoid pattern helps with feedback prevention in this context. The microphone’s sound is clear and bright; great on female vocals especially, and I’ll tend to pick this microphone over a 58 for bands that need their vocals to cut through a thick wall of distorted electric instruments. In addition, the bright sound can make it a great microphone to point at an acoustic instrument, and its slim profile means that I can easily slip it into a tight space, which can be handy in an instrument mic.
In conclusion, the Sennheiser E845S is a rugged and versatile stage mic that’s deserving of a place in any live engineer’s microphone drawer.

Was this helpful to you?  Yes  /  No

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.