Superlux HI 10

Superlux Hi-10 on....

...Horns...:
* It handles trumpets ok, but a good dynamic mic like a sm/beta 57 would be a better choice.

* Used on saxophones, its actually quite warm and sound very natural.

* A trombone becomes a bit thicker with this mic, cool for big band.


...Acoustic Guitar...:
* I decided to try these mic's after hearing the acoustic guitar sample on Thomann website.

* To my taste, I got better results using ORTF technique, rather than X/Y or spaced pair.


...Drums...:
* Superlux is marketing this mic as a hihat mic, which it does just as it says on the box.

* As overheads, these can be a little too focused. A little shelving off the top-end, and gain before feedback is quite good - especially for a jazz setup!

* There is not much noticeable difference between a SM57 and Hi-10 on a snare drum in a live setting, but it gives just a little more of the stick, rim and brushes for free - as any good condenser mic would.


...Voice...:
* The Hi-10 might work on some soft female vocals, but it is far from the optimal choice. If this is the only mic you've got - well go for it, but pops are virtually unavoidable.

* As a spoken word radio mic, the Hi-10 might be cool due to the added bass response at a close distance, but as said before - it pops really easily, so the use of a multi band compressor like a Waves C6 is required to get a usable signal.

* This I haven't tested, but maybe it's a good choice as an overhead choir mic - you would probably have to suspend about 15 of these for it to work, but still.. they are really cheap (at the time of writing).

Final notes:

* The proximity effect of Hi-10 is quite fun and usable, as the mic produces a whole lot of more bottom end, than similar small diaphragm mics.

* This is also a very directional mic, so unless it's used on drums, percussion or perhaps a piano - musicians with good microphone technique is required for great results (ain't it always? :) )

When comparing equipment, price / quality is always a factor.

For the money, this isn't a bad mic, but it needs alot of gain wich raises the noise floor with it as well.

If you compare it to something 10 times as expensive like a DPA mic, then it gets blown away completely and it's not even a competition. But if you're looking for soms cheap drum overheads, or a mic to record accoustic guitar on the cheap, than this is a very valid option to be considered.

It's not great, but for the money, also not bad. The build quality is descent, this mic can take a beating, and even if you manage to kill it, at this price point, it'll probably won't hurt your wallet too badly.

I bought this to have a small condensing mic to carry in my banjo case, as I don't have a pickup for it, and on a couple of occasions I have arrived and the venue have not had enough mics to go around (at least that's what they told me and the accordion player...) This mic is perfect for the task being small it fits in the case, and doesn't get in the way when I am playing. It faithfully reproduces the subtle, mellifluous tones of my banjo playing and of course is amazing value for money. It is not a top notch studio mic hence 4 stars rather than 5 but you can't beat this for the money. I really recommend this mic even if you don't play the banjo.