Review from Ed Pettersen
First off I want to say thanks to Brad Lunde and his group and Pepper at GC Pro in Cool Springs, TN for going to so much effort to get us thse mics to try out:
Heil dynamic mics-my thoughts and impressions-
I'm pretty skeptical when it comes to new mics. Actually, REALLY skeptical. Especially the inexpensive Chinese-made mics that have been flooding the audio retail market in the last few years. Quality control and erratic frequency response has been an issue. That's why I'm so pleased that I got an opportunity to spend a coupla' weeks with the new Heil dynamic mics recently.
In a tracking session with the Great American Rhythm Section (Bob Babbitt, Ed Greene, Reggie Young , David Hungate and Catherine Marx) at the Castle in Franklin, TN (just outside Nashville) we used the PR20 on Reggie's guitar amp alongside our usual staple of a Shure ribbon mic, the PR40 on the bottom of Catherine's Leslie Cab for her B3 and we used the PR30 as a second mic (the first being a 57) on Dave Hungate's electric guitar amp. In soloing the individual tracks during tracking we were very pleased with the frequency response from all three mics on their sources. Normally, we only use one mic on the electric guitar amps but I think from now on we'll be using the Heil's as well (both the PR20 and 30). They were both detailed and open in the upper ranges without being annoying (my biggest peeve with cheap mics). In fact, I think I scrutinized these tracks more than I normally would, which is significant, but they passed with flying colors.
On the Leslie I thought the PR40 added more nice detail to the B3 track than we had been used to getting from our old trusty RE-20 and it felt like it cut through the tracks better. We'll see more about that later in mixing but so far, so great. I also tested the PR40 on the two most key sources for me when testing a mic: voice and acoustic guitar.
I set up our usual B&O ribbon mic on the body of the guitar at the bridge as well as the PR40 pointed near where the fingerboard meets the soundhole. I then called my assistant in to record me playing acoustic so I could focus on playing, not engineering. When listening back he says, "The condenser sounds great, which mic is that?". Well, it ain't no condenser, that's the Heil dynamic. I almost could not believe it myself. Open, airy but not brittle and definitely way more detail than you'd normally expect from a dynamic mic. It sounded even better mixed in the track. Wow.
So, now the real test: voice. Let me preface this by saying I've been very, very happy with my Shure SM7 now for quite some time and it would take a veritable tidal wave to get me to rethink that. However, there are some voices that the Heil PR40 might make a better choice. I have a typical male baritone voice, heavy in low mids, a little edgey and not too easy to make sit in a mix sometimes. That's where the SM7 kills. The Heil PR40 might make a good choice for some muddier, bottom-heavy voices or voices where an airy touch might help articulation. Or if you need more breathiness without being too shrill. At first I thought the PR40 too sibilant for my particular voice but because this is a top-address/end-fire microphone all it took was an easy mic move about 35-40 digress upward. This allowed the mic's own grill bar to act as a filter. It worked swimmingly; no more sibilance. I liked the mic a lot on my vocals. Not enough to replace my SM7 but enough to put it up next to my SM7 next time I go in the booth. BTW:I do think the PR20 will probably replace my old trusty 58 on the road. I think it has more detail and it appears to be as rugged. Plus a cool, soft road case with three different mic grill choices. Nice touch.
All of the shock mounts for these mics were solid and well-made. They worked flawlessly and are cleverly designed. Kudos.
In summation, these dynamic mics are an EXCELLENT value and perform way above their price point. I would highly recommend these mics over just about any other new mic in this price range that I've tested over the last few years and certainly above other comparable cheap condensers. Get these first!!! They are a versatile addition to any mic locker.
