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Nepal, Kathmandu
1 Level
744 Review
32 Karma

Review on Mackie EM-91CU: Professional USB Condenser Microphone - Unleash Your True Vocal Potential by Ken Perry

Revainrating 5 out of 5

48V XLR version with phantom power

I personally like this mic. It's reasonably priced but feels solid and sounds like more expensive mics I've worked with in the past. The dynamic range is excellent. The frequency response is really excellent for this price range. So far I've tried everything from rolls of tape to breath sounds, thunderstorms, spoken words, a chimney, a lawn mower, a blower and a grass cutter. I sampled my bugle, trumpet, and acoustic guitar, and it captured every nuance of the performance, even my favorite tube and fret tones. I even tried a loose seeded jalapeno pepper and I'm sure you can imagine no matter how hard I shook the pepper it wasn't very loud but with a simple increase in input gain on my audio interface, this microphone picked it up perfectly. It's also great for sampling percussion instruments like shakers, tambourines, boxes, blocks, clicks, handclaps, knee slaps, and claves. I had absolutely no issues with the low frequency buzz or hum mentioned in other reviews, but that's most likely because I got the 48v phantom powered XLR version and not the USB version. Overall I feel I got excellent value for money from a reputable company. Thanks Maki!

Pros
  • Quality construction
Cons
  • Requires power outlet