Is this the new champion of the dynamic broadcast microphones?
Dynamic broadcast microphones are absolutely everywhere. I challenge you to find a music studio or a podcaster who doesn’t have a whole locker dedicated just to Shure SM7Bs, which have reigned champion over all of the other dynamic broadcast microphones, arguably of pretty much all microphones.
But there’s a new contender in town and maybe it’s time for a dethroning. The sE DynaCaster DCM8 has been kicking around since early 2022 and I think it hasn’t seen the recognition it deserves quite yet.
The DynaCaster is stacked with features you don’t find on other broadcast mics, which give it some serious tonal versatility. First of all it has sE’s own dynamite in line gain booster integrated into the casing.
This is an in-line mic gain booster much like the Cloudlifter (except it looks a little more explosive) that will help bring your vocals and your dialogue up to a comfortable recording level without making cheaper preamps sweat.
It also features some super handy low and high frequency trim switches. The low frequency switches can cut your signal if it sounds boomy or thicken it up if it sounds thin. The high frequency switch has two levels of boost to add some brightness to your source.
Giving this a whirl on a bunch of different sources really confirms that versatility is the main attraction when it comes to the DCM8.
Some fiddling around with the trim switches can get this thing to sound convincingly like either an SM7B or even the slightly brighter EV RE20 using the high frequency trim.
The low frequency bump is a really lovely consideration for voiceover, where a nice warm dialogue is often more pleasing to a listener.
We also really liked combining low boost and first high shelf boost for vocals to fight the slightly nasally midsy sound that this mic naturally has.
I can’t really see myself reaching for the second high shelf boost. sE explains that this setting helps ‘to correct for rooms where acoustic treatment has absorbed too much treble.’
Maybe that’s just not the case in our studios, we found the setting just a little too harsh and bright.
I’ve really been considering adding another SM7B to my mic locker because you truly can never have too many of them, and they perform any studio and voiceover tasks you could possibly need.
But the DynaCaster has really got me second guessing myself. It sounds incredibly close to an SM7B and honestly the versatility provided by the low and high shelves means it gives other mics in its class a serious run for their money.
Visually I’d say it doesn’t have quite the elegance of the SM7B or an RE20 but for me the price difference and sound quality kinda render the visual point moot.
This will do the same job, and I’ll get to tell people about how ‘I’m not like other sound guys, I use a DynaCaster instead.’
You can head on out to your favourite music store and grab an sE Electronics Dynacaster DCM8 for 440 AUD.
Find out more from the sE website here: https://seelectronics.com/products/dynacaster-dynamic-studio-microphone/
