Anyone using a Sennheiser e906?

Tony Rankin · From: Land O’ Lakes, FL

A question for users of the Sennheiser e906 microphone. The microphone features a switchable presence filter which is accessed by a slide switch on the microphone. The switch has three positions. According to the manual, one position boosts the presence range and sets the mid frequency at 4.2 kHz, one is "Normal" and one attenuates the presence range and the mid frequency is 4 kHz, for "warm and smooth jazz and blues sounds".

Which postion have you found most useful for live stage use with pedal steel?

I'll be using a Revelation preamp through a TC Furlong Custom CB12.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!
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Tony Rankin

Ken Metcalf · From: San Antonio Texas USA

I use one but have never messed with the dew-hicky. Shocked

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Tony Rankin · From: Land O’ Lakes, FL

Well Ken...it's looking like it's just you and me.
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Tony Rankin

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

As I understand it, the E906 was Sennheiser's response to the complaints that they no longer made the legendary MD409, and had come out with a look-alike called the E609 (not 906). The E609 was cheaper to make than the old 409, but didn't quite have the same sound. So Sennheiser eventually came out with the E906 and added those little switches to tailor the response a bit.

I believe that whatever settings make the E906 the flattest and least EQ'd makes it a near dead-ringer for the original MD409. So I'd say go for that setting. The 409 is a fantastic mic, very warm and full, very UN-harsh, and clear on top. Great close mic for guitar speakers. For some people they can be warmer than they want, so maybe experiment with that treble boost you say that little switch offers and compare. Maybe it will add a steel friendly bite to the sound. I don't know, but I do think it's always a good idea to experiment and trust your ears and your gut to know what's best.

I wouldn't be without my old MD409's, and if I was, I'd definitely grab up a E906 or two.

Brad

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

I've been using a 609 for a few months with very nice results. I think I like it way better than my SM57's

Tony Rankin · From: Land O’ Lakes, FL

Thanks Brad! I can always count on you for sound advice...pun intended!

I've been using a 609 for awhile and the only complaint I've ever heard during soundcheck is that my tone is sometimes harsh/shrill in the house. Since it is always warm on stage, I have to attribute some of that to the 609. I decided to give the 906 a try to see if it offers an improvement.

The flattest and least EQ'd setting appears to be the setting that the manual describes as for "warm and smooth jazz and blues sounds". I suspect that setting will likely be what will work best in my application.

Thanks again for the input!
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Tony Rankin

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Tony,

the 609 is really a pretty good mic, but the 906 should be a bit nicer, perhaps warmer. One thing to consider is that most people will hang these mics over their amp and let them rest on the grill cloth. That's part of what's nice about them, but also that naturally places them very close to the speaker. Being that close to the speaker means that mic position on the speaker cone is very critical. You can literally move a mic 1" in either direction and radically change the sound. I'd experiment with placement. I find with these flat Sennheisers is that somewhere just outside the edge of the voice coil tends to be nice. Say on a JBL or Black Widow with the 4" metal dustcap (for example), try the center of the mic capsule about 1.5" to 2" outside that edge of the dustcap. You want to dial in the balance between the darker sounding paper and the brighter sounding voice coil. Somewhere you'll find the "zone". And I do think the 906 will make it easier to dial in the right tone since it's a better sounding mic.

B

Bo Borland · From: South Jersey -

Brad is right! I marked my grill cloth to make sure the 609 is always in the same place (thank you RR for the tip).

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

I used the 906 just last night on a gig. I usually put it 1/2 way from the center of the speaker to the rim of the cone. I do that with all my mic'ed amps. (note: the soundman had put it dead center - like they seem to do all the time. I moved it out when he wasn't looking) : )
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Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Tom,

that's my favorite starting point, half way from center to edge of cone. But then I like to listen to how it sounds going 1.5" in and out from there, but usually where you said is the safest and often best position.

Dead center is almost never a good sound. All you hear there is the shrill "beam" and none of the warmer sounding paper cone.

Brad

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

Brad - Good call. Unfortunately, a lot of gigs for me are a bit like guerrilla warfare. Set-up quickly and hit the first tune right out of the gate with barely enough time to check the tuning on the steel. I rarely have the luxury of going out into the house to hear how it sounds. (recording is a different deal - but then, I'm typically not using the 906)
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To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

Brad Sarno · From: St. Louis, MO USA

Quite often with national touring acts I'll see guitar amps with a small square of gaffers tape marking the mic position. So all you gotta do is find the sweet spot once and then mark it. Then any soundman can put a mike on that spot and be done with it.

B

Pit Lenz · From: Cologne, Germany

What I like to do, especially on guitar amps, is to keep the microphone clip on the mike´s shaft, angle out the part that screws to the stand to 90 degrees and have it between the grillcloth and the mike.
It creates a little more distance to the speaker and reduces the proximity effect a bit: the sound will be less boomy.

Especially needed with the 609, which is a lot warmer (muddier) than my old favorite, the 409.
409s, 509s and 906s( in bright mode) are great to hang over the amp, when I come across a 609, I ask for a small stand to put it up and choose the distance....

pit

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