During the past few years I've been creating spoken word videos for college music courses. My first talking head videos used a shotgun mic in the camera hot shoe, resulting in ambient noise galore and thin sound. Eventually, I learned to place a boomed XLR mic near my face and audio quality improved tenfold. Use of outboard audio, rather than camera audio, was another milestone for me. I used what I owned—instrumental mics like Shure 849 and Neumann KM 184—and they sounded excellent as long as a pop filter was used.
Shure KSM8 | Available in nickel or black finishes | Image courtesy Shure
Recently, I decided to throw down plastic and buy a real vocal microphone. Truthfully, I bought several vocal mics. One of them was a shinny new Shure KSM8 Dualdyne mic. I'm not a singer, so this review revolves around my experiences using the KSM8 for voiceovers and talking head.
Shure KSM8
This thing is a real looker and feels like precision incarnate. It's nicely contoured and balanced for hand held use. The grill has no give when pressed firmly.
Like most stage mics, the KSM8 is an end-address dynamic microphone. End-address means you speak or sing into the end of the mic rather than the side. Dynamic refers to use of sound pressure to move a diaphragm attached to a coil suspended over a magnet. Movement of the coil creates electrical current. Dynamic microphones don't require phantom or battery power. Of course, the KSM8 isn't a just a run-of-the-mill dynamic mic: it has a few innovations up its nickel coated sleeve.
Dualdyne Cartridge
The KSM8 breaks from traditional dynamic mic designs like the SM57 by using the Shure Dualdyne Cartridge, a dynamic microphone capsule housing two diaphragms, intake vents and multiple resonance chambers for frequency response tuning. Shure claims that the Dualdyne Cartridge reduces the proximity effect and delivers a consistent timbre and frequency response across varied distances.
How Does It Work?
The Dualdyne Cartridge uses what Shure calls a reversed side entry airflow system. Specifically, sound enters the mic through side vents and passes through the rear (passive) diaphragm and resonating chambers before striking the main diaphragm. Apparently, the second diaphragm partially blocks low frequencies, resulting in a natural low-end response with controlled proximity effect and no loss in clarity. The passive diaphragm also supplies a tiny bit of so called "air" frequencies.
Dualdyne Cartridge | Image courtesy Shure
Fat Sweet Spot
Right away I noticed the KSM8 has a mammoth sweet spot compared to a SM58 or SM57. In other words, frequency response and timbre don't vary much when I back off or lean into the capsule or shift from side to side. For singers or podcast guests not accustom to using mics, the large sweet spot of the KSM8 would be easier to use compared to a more position finicky Rode PodMic or Shure SM58.
Less Proximity Effect
One of Shure's brags about the KSM8 is the Dualdyne Cartridge reduces and controls the proximity effect, making a natural and realistic sound easier to maintain at varied distances. Nevertheless, the proximity effect can be invoked if I eat the mic, but is far less pronounced compared to a SM57 or SM58. Obviously, this mic is not for those dependent on strong proximity effects and radio DJ tone.
Shure KSM8 On Set | Mounted on boom and wearing a foam windscreen.
Build
At 330 g, the KSM8 has some heft. It's a little longer and heavier than a SM58 but small compared to broadcast mic like the Shure SM7B or Electro-Voice RE20. I find the brushed nickel plating exceptionally attractive. The non-resonant aluminum body feels battle worthy, albeit I won't be testing it by tossing it into an orchestra pit. Fit and finish are as near to perfection as it gets.
The supplied mic clip—A25E Soft Flex Swivel Stand Adapter—is more flexible and easier to mount a mic to compared to the hard plastic clips shipped with the SM57 and SM58. I actually use the A25E clip whereas the hard plastic clips get tossed in a drawer and never see the light of day.
Environmental Isolation
The cardioid polar pattern of the KSM8 focuses on sound near the front of the capsule, rejecting off-axis sounds such as AC rumble and traffic. Rear sound rejection is almost 100%.
The fact that the KSM8 is a dynamic mic makes also it less prone to picking up off-axis noise than condenser mics. Why? The low sensitivity requires close placement to the sound source.
Frequency Response
Shure lists KSM8 frequency response as 40 Hz to 16,000. Their official frequency response diagram shows a range of 40 Hz to 16,000 Hz with pronounced drop-off below 100 and above 10,000 Hz. According to Shure, the passive diaphragm (dotted line) boosts upper frequencies. Finally, the notch-like EQ cuts in the 7 to 8 kHz range are probably to manage sibilance. Indeed, sibilance is well controlled and less pronounced than my Rode PodMic and Shure SM58.
Shure KSM8 Frequency Response | Image courtesy Shure
Gain
Dynamic mics are known for low output signals, often requiring maxing out preamps on mixing boards and audio interfaces. However, the KSM8 features exceptionally high gain for a dynamic mic, perhaps due to use of a strong neodymium magnet in the capsule. Speaking with my normally soft voice, a 57 dB gain setting on the Rode Streamer X audio interface yields -12 to -6 dB on the meters. As a point of comparison, my Shure SM57 needs 67 dB of gain for the same levels whereas the Rode PodMic requires 63 dB.
Vibration
Like most Shure stage mics, the KSM8 sports an internal pneumatic shock mount for reduction of handling noise. Shure claims the passive diaphragm adds to the shock and vibration resistance. Indeed, the KSM8 proved to be significantly more effective at reducing vibration and hum from my iMac and external hard drives than my other Shure mics. If you want to hand hold it for talking head, no problem so as long as you're not prone to tapping or smacking the mic.
The KSM8 is too fat to fit my Rycote shotgun shock mounts so I tried the Shure A55M Shock Mount Microphone Clip. While I could force it a third of the way up the barrel, the A55M is too small and the rubber tire like mount sags under the weight of the mic.
RFI
In RFI prone downtown Honolulu, no static or rogue radio stations were evident while using the KSM8. Apparently, the circuit design and cast aluminum case provide effective RFI shielding.
Voiceover
With most mics, I practice using them for a few days to learn idiosyncrasies such as plosive sensitivity, best angles, optimal distances, etc. Due to the large sweet spot of the KSM8, I was able to immediately use it in a video about Lamakū, the UH System web course interface. The KSM8 made few demands on my vocal technique and I could just talk in a normal manner and it sounded good.
Lamakū Basics | Professor Peter Kun Frary (5:11)
I spoke about 10 cm (4") from the mic for voiceover sections. Talking head sections were a little further away due to not wanting the mic tight against my face. One of the things I love about the KSM8 is how forgiving it is of less than perfect vocal technique. I had no problems with timbre changes or dropouts as I moved my head. Plosives, mouth noises and sibilance were exceedingly well controlled, and isolation from off-axis sound was exemplary.
For the talking head sections I used a foam windscreen (pulled off a SM58), albeit, as I found later, I really didn't need one.
Processing
No audio processing was used other than normalization. I'm a soft speaker, but even so, gain on the Rode Streamer X (digital audio interface) was only set to 57dB, leaving plenty of gain to spare out of the 73 dB maximum.
Lamakū Basics FCP Timeline | Five minutes of "Lamakū Basics."
Tools and Software
In my "Lamakū Basics" video, I paired the KSM8 with the Rode Streamer X and Twisted Wave for voiceover and talking head segments. Guitar and ukulele soundtracks were recorded on a Tascam DR-60 MK II with Neumann KM 184 mics in X-Y stereo configuration and edited in Logic Pro. Video was shot on a Canon R6 MK II whereas Quicktime was used for screen video. Finally, these components were synced and assembled in Final Cut Pro.
Sound Comparisons
If you're interested in how the KSM8 compares to other mics, below are audio samples of all the mics I've used for voiceovers. For the samples, I spoke from 8 to 10 cm away. Microphones were mounted on a boom clamped to a computer desk in a partially treated room. I recorded into TwistedWave at 48 kHz and 24-bits. Gain was staged at -12 dB. No processing or normalization was used. Mics were fitted with a foam pop filter unless otherwise noted.
The KSM8 was recorded through the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X with gain at 57dB. For this track, I spoke straight into the mic from 10 cm (4 inches) away. A pop filter or foam windscreen wasn't used.
Sound is natural, warm, smooth and easy on plosives and sibilance. Off-axis sound rejection is excellent. Among all my dynamic mics, the KSM8 is the most flattering for my voice. It is also easy to work with, not too gain hungry, has a big sweet spot and tolerates close sound sources with only a slight but pleasing proximity effect.
The KSM8 retails for $399 USD.
AKG C3000B
The AKG C3000B, circa 2009, is a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic. It remains in production as the AKG C3000 and sells for $350 USD. The lower treble frequency bump makes it too bright for classical guitar. On the other hand, that bump makes it a decent mic for spoken word, exhibiting clarity, detail and a notch more treble bite than the PodMic USB.
The C3000B was recorded through the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X with gain at 46 dB.
Lewitt LCT 240 Pro
The Lewitt LCT 240 Pro was plugged into the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. Gain was set to 47 dB. This is a small diaphragm side-address condenser mic designed for home studios. It's an attractive and compact design. The space saving magnetic drop-in pop filter is a nice touch.
The 240 Pro flatters my voice with a pleasing but somewhat bright timbre and above average clarity and legibility of words. With the pop filter, plosives and sibilance were well controlled. Without the pop filter, the 240 Pro sounds like a wind storm. Wear protection!
While the bright character makes for clear and understandable words, it also makes the 240 Pro more prone to picking up background sounds than many of the mics here, save for the Neumann TLM 102.
Without accessories, the 240 Pro is priced at $100 USD. The shock mount and pop filter kit clock in at $159.
Neumann KM 184
The KM 184 is not designed for close miking of spoken word: no protection from plosives and moving air. That doesn't mean the KM 184 won't sound good for spoken word, but use of a pop filter is mandatory.
The KM 184 is a sensitive and dynamic mic—why I like it for instruments—but with only a foam windscreen, plosives were out of control. I nixed plosives by speaking offset about 30 degrees but didn't like the duller sound. Finally, I added an external pop filter and that worked well enough to squeeze out a test track. The KM 184 is flattering for my voice: smooth, clear and very clean. As I experienced with guitar, off-axis rejection of sound is excellent.
Would I use this mic for voiceovers? Probably not. It is extremely sensitive and requires good vocal technique to keep plosives and dynamics under control. Somebody with better voice technique may find it doable but the KM 184 cramped my style. With that said, the KM 184 is my pick for best spoken word sound among my mics. My favorite for solo guitar tracks as well.
For this recording, the KM 184 was plugged into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X. Output from the KM 184 is robust: gain was set to only 36 dB, lower than my other condenser mics.
Music track recorded with two KM 184 in a X-Y stereo configuration aimed at the bridge. "Through the Eyes of Love" played on a Romero Creations 'ukulele by yours truly:
Neumann TLM 102
One of my favorite mics for recording classical guitar is the Neumann TLM 102, a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic. Pointed at the bridge, it renders a beautiful and sweet plucked string tone. For guitar, it needs little or no EQ.
While great sounding for voice—smooth and natural in character and flattering to my voice—it is extremely sensitive to mouth sounds and puffs of air. I used a foam filter from the Deity VO-7U to help control plosives. That wasn't enough so I added a clamp-on pop filter but still had to be careful while speaking.
The TLM 102 is also more sensitive than average to vibrations from the floor, computer fans and off-axis sounds! I used a clone of Neumann's shock mount to help nix vibrations. It is unusable without a shock mount.
I recorded the Neumann TLM 102 through the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. Gain was set at 46 dB. The TLM 102 is at its best in an acoustically treated and soundproof room.
Currently, the 102 retails for $750 USD.
Rode PodMic USB
I plugged the XLR output of the Rode PodMic USB into the Rode Streamer X and set gain to 63 dB. The Rode PodMic, along with the Shure SM7B, rule over the video blogging and podcast kingdoms. Of course, they sound good and offer excellent isolation but also are large and visually impressive status mics.
Although vocal tone sounds nice, I struggled with plosives and sibilance when using the PodMic USB. Somehow the Shure SM57 and 849 have fewer problems in this area. An external pop filter and 30 to 45 degree mouth angle were required to keep plosives and sibilance under control. I prefer the tone speaking straight into the mic but suffered too many do-overs.
The PodMic USB retails for $200 USD.
Sennheiser MKE 600
That was the unprocessed sound of the Sennheiser MKE 600 recorded into an iMac Pro using the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. I spoke directly into the MKE 600—no offset—from 10 cm (4 inches) away. At that distance the proximity effect is apparent but still sounds good, similar in character to the MKE 400 but with more bass. Offset speaking of 25 to 45 degrees at close distance rolls off highs a little but not as severely as the MKE 400.
Spoken word on the MKE 600 sounds best at 30 cm (12") or closer. For me, the sweet spot is from 10 to 15 cm. At about 12 cm (5 inches) it yields a noticeably clearer, brighter and less bassy sound.
For this sample, I used the high pass filter to reduce the rumble of a nearby AC unit and spoke from 12 cm away:
It reduced the rumble but ate too much of the bass in my voice.
While the MKE 600 has excellent off-axis rejection, it is extremely sensitive and picks up distant sounds directly in front of the capsule more readily than the MKE 400 and other mics I own. Careful mic placement is critical. The MKE 600 behaves like a traditional shotgun mic rather than an arm's length video blogger mic, and sounds good boomed 25 or 30 cm above a talking head.
The MKE 600 lacks the integral blimp-like housing used on the MKE 400 and 440. It needs a foam windscreen if speaking at close distances. With windscreen installed, the MKE 600 demonstrates excellent control of plosives and sibilance.
This mic retails for about $330 USD but is often discounted.
Rode X Streamer | Mounted on a Manfrotto arm for easy port access.
Shure 849
For this recording, I plugged the 849 into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X interface. Gain was set to 46 dB.
The Shure 849 was surprisingly flattering for my voice: smooth, warm, clear and very clean. With a foam windscreen or pop filter, it is extremely forgiving of plosives and small puffs of air. Because it was designed for isolating and miking stage instruments, off-axis sound rejection is excellent.
Among the mics I tested, the 849, SM137, KSM8 and Beta 57A were the only mics that picked up no vibrations or hum from my hard drives and nearby AC units. These mics were designed for hand held use and, thus, have internal pneumatic shock mounts.
Shure Beta 57A
You just heard the sound of the Shure Beta 57A plugged into the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. Grain was set to 63 dB.
Beta 57A isolation from off-axis sound is excellent: better than the Rode PodMic USB and on par with the Shure 849 and SM137. The 57A features Shure's internal pneumatic shock mount to help smooth away vibrations and handling noise.
With the Shure A57AWS - Locking Foam Windscreen installed, resistance to plosives is highly effective, easily besting the Rode PodMic USB in this regard. Without the A57AWS, it is plosives galore albeit better than a nude SM57.
Sound is smooth, clear and sensitive for a dynamic mic. Clarity and legibility of words is above average—can cut through a busy sound track without cranking gain too much. The Beta 57A has a brighter character and more extended frequency range compared to the darker voiced SM57.
Although the Beta 57A is slender and traditional in appearance, the muted matte blue finish and matte silver grill are more upscale in appearance compared to the plain jane SM57.
The Beta 57A retails for $150 USD.
Shure Beta 27
That was the sound of the Shure Beta 27, a large diaphragm side-address FET condenser mic with high pass filters and pad. It differs from other 27 series due to a supercardioid polar pattern, rather than cardioid, and a nearly flat frequency response instead of the typical Shure treble EQ bump.
That flat frequency contour makes it ideal for instruments. Indeed, it sounds natural and smooth for guitar and ukulele. I found it natural and balanced for spoken word. The Beta 27 has more going on in the deep bass than most mics. Indeed, it picks up bass guitar, low brass and kick drums extremely well.
While mounted on a desk boom arm, vibrations and hum from my six external hard drives leaked on to the tracks. Shure claims that the Beta 27 has an internal shock mount but it is not as effective at nixing vibrations as their stage mics. Like the PodMic USB and the Neumann TLM 102, I had to unplug my backup drives to get a clean track. The Beta 27 needs a shock mount for desktop use.
Shure Beta 27 with High Pass Filter
For my speaking voice, not much is going on below 80 Hz and, set flat, the Beta 27 has a bit of the "big bottom" sound. Clarity of my voice increased slightly by using the built-in 80 Hz high pass filter:
The Beta 27 was recorded through the Rode Streamer X with preamp gain at 50 dB. I spoke straight into the capsule from about 15 cm (6 inches). The mic’s 3-layer mesh grille did a good job of nixing plosives and mouth noise. An external pop filter was not used. Sibilance was well controlled.
For this sample, I used the Shure A27SM - ShureLock Rubber Isolated Suspension Shock Mount. And it made a major improvement in isolating the Beta 27 from my six external hard drives. Shure should have included the A27SM with the Beta 27 (they do with its near twin, the SM27).
The tight supercardioid polar pattern made for above average off-axis rejection of sound, besting most of my mics. Unlike the similar SM27, the Beta 27 is ideal for recording on stages and untreated rooms.
Shure Beta 27 with Guitar
Here's a guitar solo I played on a 1990 Jose Ramirez 1A. The Beta 27 is positioned about 20 cm from the treble side of the bridge and does a great job. However, I prefer the sound of small condenser mics—well, the Neumann KM 184—for classical guitar. Plus, I'd need two Beta 27 for stereo recordings! Here's my "Thoughts for Monday" (improvisation):
This mic retails for about $400.
Shure SM57
The Shure SM57 was recorded through the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X with gain at 67dB.
For this track, I spoke straight into the mic from 10 cm away. If you prefer less brightness, speak offset to the capsule. Sound is warm, smooth and easy on plosives. SM57 tone is more flattering for my voice than the Rode PodMic USB. Rejection of off-axis sound is very good.
The SM57 retails for $99 USD.
Shure SM137
For this recording, I plugged the Shure SM137 into the XLR socket of the Rode Streamer X and set gain to 47dB. The Shure A3WS Foam Windscreen was installed.
Like the Beta 57A and 849, the SM137 has excellent rejection of background and handling noise. Indeed, Shure's pneumatic shock mount system smooths away minor vibrations and makes hand held use practical. Albeit slightly brighter, it sounds similar and looks like the Shure 849. The SM137 retails for $190 USD.
Final Blurb
Why pay $400 USD for the KSM8 when the iconic Shure SM7B may be had for the same price? I owned the SM7B and it was not right for my voice: dull at normal speaking distances and smacked of mattress clearance voiceovers when close. Plus, the large form factor was too visually distracting in talking head clips.
The big question is why pay $400 USD for the KSM8 when a Shure SM57 could be had for $100? Indeed, under ideal conditions, the SM57 sounds nearly as good as the KSM8 for spoken word. If strapped for cash, the SM57 is certainly a great choice. However, if a smooth and natural sound, great off-axis isolation and a big honkin' sweet spot are important to you, the KSM8 is tough to beat. Plus, it's a comely mic for on-camera use but not so large it covers up the money maker.
For spoken word, especially in untreated rooms typical of home studios, the KSM8 excels with organic tone, ample gain, superior vibration rejection and great off-axis and rear sound isolation. I also loved the ease of working with the KSM8: no worries about small changes in mouth positioning or distance changing the sound.
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How Does It Work?
Less Proximity Effect
Build
Frequency Response 
Gain
RFI
Features & Specs
Physical
