Superlux PRA D1

I thought I'd do a Proper review for you guys, since there doesn't seem to be that many good reviews online.

A bit of background for you first:

I am a professional musician/singer, and do 15 to 20 gigs a week. I also am sound engineer, and therefore I've been using sm58's since I started my life in music.

In case you didn't know, every engineer has a few sm58 mics, partially because they are the mic of choice for many artists, partially because their EQ is very familiar for an engineer, partially because they are INDESTRUCTIBLE which helps with careless musicians and singers (Especially Singers :P ), but mainly because we were told to use them.

Now as for the superlux PRA D1. I had never heard of it. I only found a couple of reviews, and it was difficult to find it on their site (it's on the .com.tw site, its not on the U.S superlux site, which looks like it was made by a preschooler to be honest). But for this ridiculously low price I thought I'd give it a shot. And boy, I am pleased to say that this mic works wonderfully on stage.

Since I, as a singer, only use the sm58 on stage I will compare the PRA D1 to that.

Sound: The sound is very similar to the sm58 but not identical, it has a slight boost in the bottom end, but it doesn't sound muddy through my system, just different (as one mic model sounds different to another). For my voice I use the eq to slightly roll off the 150 - 200hz mark (as I also do a little with the sm58) and the mic is almost perfect. The top end is a lot like the sm58, so no real sparkle, just a natural sound that rolls off around the 5k mark. In the studio, going through expensive monitors, you can hear the difference between the two mics, but on stage, through an EQ, you can make these two mics sound identical with very little EQ changing. Also I have no problems with feedback from the speakers.

Quality: The sm58 is definitely built better, but the PRA D1 is not far off. It feels very sturdy, the grill looks very protective (although I would like to know where I can get spare grills or whatever fits, I'll edit this when I find out). When it is handheld the sounds made by holding it are about 5% louder than holding the sm58, but only if you grip it really hard as the paint rubs against your skin, whereas the paint of the sm58 seems to slide against your skin even if you grip hard. 5% louder means nothing on stage.

Feature: Same features as an sm58, sturdy body, and no offswitch. The only main difference is you get these same features at UNDER A FIFTH OF THE PRICE! You could buy 5 PRA D1's and still have change left for the price of an sm58! Buy a spare grill for the sm58 is almost as expensive as this whole mic!!!


Overall I can say that I am happy with this mic, VERY happy. Don't get me wrong though, the sm58 has nothing to worry about. It is a great mic and has been used since the beginning of time itself, and will carry on being used, but if someone was to give me a superlux PRA D1 on stage I wouldn't be disappointed at all. In fact I would be thrilled that someone else knows about this mic!

Just so you understand how I feel (in case you haven't figured it out yet), at every gig I do I always have an sm58 with me, and I planned on using the PRA D1 for backups, spares, and for backing singers, but I find myself reaching for the PRA D1 every time I set up and start my show. That's how much I enjoy using this mic.

Seriously recommended.

I've been using Superlux microphones on the sax for some years now, and they have such a good reputation that I bought three PRA D1s for the PA. These are rated as good in reviews as the Shure SM58 for vocals and even have the same proximity bass response and polar pattern as the 58 Beta. I compared both today. Same frequency handling; if anything they are just a tiny bit brighter akin to the SM57. The PRA D1s are really solid and heavy and produce only a little bit more handling noise (as does the Beta) although it is not discernible on stage.

I've used the Superlux clip-on mics in the studio and they were impressed with their quality. I strongly urge you all to grab a few of these Superlux stage mics while they are so low priced ... an absolute best buy for the price if outfitting a PA with a set of mics. Check out Superlux and their ethos on their website reviews of the PRA D1. No cons at all ... this is a truly professional microphone ... well done to Thomann for supporting this brand! I suspect that these mics will be especially superb for female vocals.

This is a decent and super durable mic for vocals. Works OK and is usable in reheasersal/stage/recording a demo. I had a look inside, and I bet if you throw it down a few times it will be just fine. It will be great for usual applications. High volume or for a lead singer, rather not.

It's not even close to famous mics of a higher caliber, so don't expect too much. The sound is useable, but needs some minor processing to be acceptable. I wouldn't be surprised if there is variation in the sound from piece to piece though.

A weakness of this mic is that the volume output will be dramatically different with the smallest changes in distance when using the mic at typical distance for vocals. It's a typcial problem of cheaper dynamic mics. Good dynamic mics handle that way better.

Rejection of sound outside the pattern and at distance works fairly good. In a rock band setting it will be a challenge to avoid feedback getting a useable volume over monitoring.

Sounds nice straight from the box and even better on my voice with a slight tweak in eq. I like the quality it has. For speech the mic works best 7-11 inches away and has good rejection at the back and sides. A relatively low output, you will have the gain on your mixer at maximum. It feels good in the hand with an extremely solid metal body. Ideally for use on a stand. I use a Superlux shock mount with a handle because the mic is very prone to handling noise. It's almost impossible to avoid it with your hand on the body and in this respect the mic is inferior to something like the Rode M1, though I would say the Superlux has the edge over that in terms of audio quality. But in all a fantastic mic for the price.

Bought this mic as a cheap backup for my SM58s and initially I was pretty impressed, considering the price. Sound quality was surprisingly clean and crisp, a little harsh and less refined than something like an SM58, but at the price it really isn't that far away from the much more expensive branded dynamic mics.

So initially was very pleased with the mic, so much so that I started using it as a secondary mic for gigs. After a few months use though, the XLR input broke, and when I took a look inside the connections were flimsy and not built to take any abuse - which you may need for a stage mic!

So overall - a good cheap backup mic, impressive sound for the price - but not very robust. If you treat it carefully, should be fine.

I bought the Superlux PRA D1 mike as my first vocal mike in a homerecording setup.
It comes nicely packed in a plastic case and even a mic clamp is included.

First impression: it seems quite well made and is very heavy. The microphone capsule is unscrewable, which is nice for cleaning purposes etc.

I tried it in different recording situations (Growl, Hiphop, Spoken Word) an I can say that this microphone basically does a good job. The only downfall whith this microphone is an overemphasizing of high mids (in the 3-4 khz range), which is typical for mikes in this price category. A good amount of equalization is necessary, to give a good ?clean studio sound? - at least whith my low and raspy voice.

As the body of the PRA D1 seems not so well insulated, the mike is a bit susceptible to impact noise. It is s good idea to use a mic stand.

Conclusion:

Good first microphone, very robust, good price/performance ratio, cheap and reliable backup mike for rehearsal situations. It is advisable to use at least a decent mike preamp (which many even of the cheaper recording-soundcards nowadays have) for best results.