Versatility, quality and reliability, all in a strong and affordable package: The Sennheiser e906 is bound to be a classic instrumental microphone.
Here it is. The moment you’ve been waiting for. It’s coming up to that iconic guitar solo. The whole crowd is waiting for it. One minute later, you feel like you’ve been short-changed. I mean, the notes were all the same, but it just sounded a little flat. Come to think of it, the guitar has sounded a little off the entire night. What could it have been?
Dynamic microphones are pivotal in reproducing a variety of sounds for amplified instruments. Everyone wants their own personalised amp tone to be recreated in a live or studio setting. There are so many options to choose from, so how do we find the right one to ensure that the guitar tone shines rather than feel limp? And better yet, one that you won’t need to apply for a small loan to purchase?
Sennheiser’s evolution in the field of instrumental dynamics has encompassed some truly iconic models. Fritz Sennheiser founded the company in 1945, shortly after the end of World War II. In 1946, the company launched its first microphone, known as the DM1. The MD421 is surely one of the most popular and versatile microphones, gracing the studio and stage, and used on vocals to floor toms and everything in between.
Fast forward 50 years and Sennheiser’s Evolution range hits the market and quickly established itself as reputable and reliable. This series of microphones is competitively priced and resourceful, providing options for vocal and instrumental sound sources. And of the more instrumentally focussed models, the e906 finds itself highly compatible with guitar cabinet in particular.
Yet the Sennheiser e906 is surprisingly well-suited to many sound sources. Though it is tailored to guitar amps, due to its fast transient response, its frequency response which features a subtle low-end rolloff and generous upper-range peak makes it equally adept at capturing great tone on snares, toms, and other percussion. The switchable presence filter allows you to tailor the sound to suit different genres and styles. Although this sounds simple, it really aids in capturing an array of different tones.
There are three positions. The first option boosts the presence range, with a mid-frequency of 4.2kHz, for aggressive metal rhythm guitars – perfect for those Metallica-like riffs. The neutral position is great for classic rock. Finally, the third position reduces the presence range, with a mid-frequency of 4kHz, for those warm and smooth jazz/blues sounds.
The flat front design adds to the great practicality of the Sennheiser e906. It makes positioning the microphone incredibly easy, which is one less thing engineers need to worry about, especially in live situations. You can hang it off the guitar amp for stand-free performance. The side-address design allows the mic to positioned quite close to the source, meaning that the nuanced transients (of drums for example) can be captured with accuracy.
The Sennheiser e906 offers a good amount of bang for buck, and its character and price point brings to mind the classic of guitar cabinet microphones, the Shure SM57. The e906 delivers on price and adaptability and if it hasn’t already, will surely rank among the classic dynamic workhorses of the studio and stage before too long.
