Description

The Sennheiser e906 is an affordable supercardioid dynamic microphone that inherits its origins from the famous and expensive MD409. While it may not match its predecessor in every way, it comes with some very useful extra features and a lot of sonic potential — not to mention a much nicer price tag.

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at the e906 is probably its irregular shape and diminutive size. Although it may seem a little strange at first glance, this design makes it well suited for recordings that require microphones located in hard-to-reach places (for example, when recording volumes). It also has a good weight and feels quite stiff, two good signs of a quality mic build. The E906 boasts ultra-tight supercardioid polarity, which is great for eliminating pick-up from extraneous sound sources. Other than that, the e906 is quite easy to use. But by far the most useful feature on the e906 is the three-way switch. With this setting, you can influence the overall presence of presence (high frequencies) – reduce, increase or leave neutral. The E906 also handles transients and SPLs with ease.

The E906 has been specifically designed as a versatile instrument microphone that works well with any sound source, but with some it works better than others. For example, in guitar cabinets, the e906 gives stunning results. The natural tone is clearly visible without a hint of distortion or artifacts. Overall, the e906 produces a very lively and full sound. And with a three-way EQ, you can easily brighten or darken the tone in a very noticeable way. It’s almost like three different microphones in one, which is very useful when recording. When used live with a full band playing, the e906 can easily capture a speaker source without any “leakage” of extraneous sound.

But while it works great with a guitar cabinet, it also shows impressive results when working with a drum kit, especially with the snare drum and toms. With a clear and punchy sound, the e906 is up to the task, especially with the high-end filter on. Not to mention its small size and ability to stay very close to the drums (and eliminate accidental hits from drummers), this mic is an ideal choice. E906 is used on both the top and bottom of the volume. Another place where this mic sounds great is on the lower snare drum, where its timbre, brightness, size and tone are well suited.

For those curious, the mic is predictably bad for vocals. The very narrow polar pattern is not at all forgiving of vocalists who move more than a few centimeters, and the sound itself sounds a bit hoarse and shrill. It is generally classified as an instrument microphone for very good reasons.

While the e906 isn’t perfect, it’s certainly one of the best in its field and has far more positives than negatives. Motion sensitivity aside, the e906 is an excellent instrument microphone that is very easy to use and can sound absolutely stunning when connected to the right sound sources.

• Type: dynamic microphone for voicing guitar amplifiers, brass and percussion instruments.
• Directivity diagrams: cardioid.
• Frequency range: 40-18000 Hz.
• Sensitivity (1kHz): 2.2 mV/Pa.
• Impedance: 350 ohms.

Features:

• Live, full sound
• The flat shape of the microphone body is ideal for guitar amplifiers.
• Very fast “attack”.
• Three adjustable sound characteristics (bright, normal, smooth).
• Durable metal body.
• Interference-resistant coil.