Earthworks SR314 Handheld Vocal Condenser Microphone - Stainless Steel

Product Information

Handling noise was minimal when using the SR314, and what little handling noise made it to the capsule was easily removed using a highpass filter set to around 70 Hz (which I’d typically use anyway to minimize low-frequency spill). One thing I noticed about the SR314 is that it’s capable of producing tons of detail. If you choose to emphasize that with a bit of EQ, the SR314 will not disappoint. On one particular singer, a gentle boost of a few dB at 3.2 kHz and a slight cut at around 200 Hz brought the voice front-and-center of the mix, making it sound intimate without being harsh or sibilant.

For me, the most obvious practical aspect of this polar-pattern consistency is the impressive level of low-frequency rejection of off-axis signals, and this is substantially better than most large-diaphragm mics. This characteristic obviously makes a very big difference when recording vocals in the studio along with other performing instruments, but it can also be highly beneficial in vocal booths too, especially where the acoustic treatment is not all it should be to control the low end properly — which is commonly the case in small project studios. In Use Before moving on, I also want to single out for special mention the supplied standmount. A third‑party component called the M2‑R, made by Triad‑Orbit, this emerges halfway along the mic body, and uses a ball joint to combine a wide range of movement in all three axes with instant, secure clamping. I’ve only ever encountered a similar mount on one other mic, an obscure Pearl model from the ’70s, and it’s a genius idea that deserves to be much more widely used. Flat Earthworks The 2028 I was very excited about until I realised the noise floor, which is just too high for me. The Earthworks apparently sound lovely but the noise floor is still an issue for me, and the polar pattern is too wide for live use in many situations. That SR314 is one of the prettiest mics I've ever seen, though, so extra points for that.Earthworks’ engineers have definitely met their objective regarding smooth off-axis response. At angles out to 45 degrees off-axis, the SR314 sounds virtually identical to the way it does at 0 degrees, so most singers won’t have an issue remaining in the sweet spot. At around 60 degrees off-axis, the output level starts to drop, but the timbre is still consistent. When you move the mic 90 degrees off-axis, the timbre changes, and you can hear the high-frequency response start to drop off. This shouldn’t be a problem because most vocalists won’t be singing into the mic at a 90-degree angle. The SR314's polar pattern remains impressively consistent across the frequency spectrum.In terms of its other specifications, the SR314 is very similar to the SV33. It can accept sound pressure levels of up to 145dB, though Earthworks don't state what level of distortion is reached at that point, and sensitivity is a comfortable 10mV/Pa. The SR314 requires 24-48 V phantom power, and like all Earthworks mics, it draws the maximum permissible 10mA current. At the price, it's likely to be used in professional environments where this shouldn't be an issue, but it's worth knowing about if you take it out and about to unfamiliar venues. Extreme attenuation of sound sources located beyond 90 degrees with maximum rejection at 180 degrees. What stands out to me is the stunning presence of the midrange and the ‘workable’ proximity effect. When I first tried it a giant smile came to my face. There is a beautiful body to the sound as you get closer; a sound that is neither boomy or bloated. This is a contrast to the SR40V who’s proximity effect is very slight in comparison. It’s a welcome and inviting sound that allows me to add some body to my tenor voice without losing the EW window of clarity. In studio recordings there was no need for any EQ. The vocals sat in the mix beautifully with an arresting quality. For a singer going to all kinds of venues, having your own phantom power supply and a high-quality lead that you trust is a good idea if you're gonna use a condenser mic imo. Ideally you should trust the venue to have good equipment, but I live in the UK...it's not correct to compare a powered speaker without having plugged anything in to a fully rigged system...

If I was in a band, I would probably go with the 441, but since I'm mostly doing wedding cerimonies and private events, I think that maybe a condenser would be nicer to bring more detail in the vocals. Indeed, it’s very easy to listen to the ETHOS for long periods of time; a testament to the mic’s transparency and low distortion. As a mic aimed predominantly at the broadcast and voice-over audience, this is a massive selling point and a huge boon in its favour. Should you buy one? EW makes all of their products in-house in NH which means “Made In The USA”. Congrats to Taoufiq and the crew. This mic is inspiring. Importantly, as the ETHOS is an active condenser microphone, it offers a much hotter output than typical dynamic broadcast mics. This is yet another advantage as it will result in a lower noise floor. Additionally, as I found, it tends to flatter average mic preamps, as you won’t be as reliant on gain from your mic pre-amps. So, is the ETHOS any good? And should it join your shortlist of broadcast mics? Read on to find out. Sexy Styling – Stunning Specs!

One person’s “accurate transient capture” is another person’s “extended high‑frequency response”, so it’s no surprise that Earthworks claim a frequency response of 20Hz to 30kHz for the ETHOS. As this mic is intended for close‑up use, it’s voiced to give a flat response with the foam filter in place, and within the distance where proximity effect is apparent, not at 1m. The graph shows less than 1dB deviation from flat below 3kHz, with a gentle dip centred at around 4.5kHz and slight double peaks at 7 and 10 kHz. Even at 30kHz, the response is only 2 or 3 dB down. If you were to move from something like an SM7B to the ETHOS, I think you’d notice the difference as one of refinement and openness at the top end, rather than a night and day contrast in character. Earthworks has achieved its goal of creating a studio-quality condenser microphone that can be used on stage. The SR314 has a wide sweet spot, captures plenty of detail, and effectively controls proximity effect. I see no other reason for the hiss that happens in either a power amp plugged into a passive speaker, or an active speaker when turned up, even though the input is at line-level, and either nothing is plugged into it, or a perfectly-working XLR cable is plugged from the input to a mixer that is turned off. Almost every time I've been in either situation there has been small-but-noticeable white noise coming directly out of the drivers no matter what the situation, even at reasonable gain levels. What else could it be?

Anyone who’s tried it will know that small‑diaphragm mics are perfectly capable of capturing the human voice. With some voices, in fact, they even have advantages over their large‑diaphragm brethren. Our tendency to put up a U87 or even an SM7B ahead of a KM84 when a singer walks into the live room is probably driven as much by habit as by genuine sonic preference — or perhaps by the unconscious expectation that a large and imposing mic will deliver a large and imposing vocal sound. Capacitor stage mics have been accepted in part because they outwardly resemble the moving‑coil models we know and love, but a typical pencil mic just doesn’t look the part for vocal recording. Small Is Beautiful I didn’t have access to an SM7B or RE20 for this review, but I did have a Sontronics Podcast Pro handy, as well as a Sony ECM‑100U. The Sontronics is a good example of a dynamic mic designed for spoken word, with a HF response that starts to drop off at around 15kHz. And though the Sony is not at all aimed at podcasters, it is part of Sony’s premium ‘High Resolution’ range, and has a frequency response extending all the way up to 50kHz. But before I get onto comparisons... First Impressions The sound I got was very well balanced, with a pleasing combination of low‑end weight and high‑end detail. Despite the highs being very much ‘there’, though, they are far from overly present, so unlike some cheaper small‑diaphragm capacitor mics, the sense of detail wasn’t accompanied by any brashness or fizz — the sound was simply very lifelike and ‘focussed’, for want of a better word. And though it is a fairly bright mic, sibilance was never a problem. Popping only really became an issue when I used the mic closer than 2‑3 inches, at which point both plosives and breath noises started to make themselves known. The sound I got was very well balanced, with a pleasing combination of low‑end weight and high‑end detail. I used the mic to record a singing guitarist friend, mounting it in place of his preferred Shure SM7B dynamic microphone, and we were both immediately impressed with the accurate character it portrayed of his voice, with great detail and a ‘right-in-front-of-you’ presence. The sound was very natural and life-like, with a level of immediacy that is very attractive and which I have come to associate with Earthworks’ products.This process has already yielded the stellar SV33 studio vocal mic, as well as the SR40V and SR314 stage mics and the ICON, a speech‑oriented mic available in XLR and USB variants. The latest product of this development pipeline is the ETHOS. Like the ICON, it’s described by Earthworks as a “broadcast mic”, and its industrial design clearly references one of the titans of that world, the Shure SM7B. As on that mic, a foam plosive filter forms part of an overall cylindrical shape, and can be removed to leave the capsule housing looking slightly naked. Physics tells us that the further away the windshield, and the larger the volume of ‘still air’ around the capsule, the more effective the suppression of wind noise artifacts. That is demonstrated very effectively here. As well as setting Earthworks apart from the majority of microphone manufacturers, this fast transient response and extended HF sensitivity also sets the Icon Pro apart from some of the more established voice‑over and radio mics. Probably the two biggest names in the spoken‑word microphone market are the Shure SM7B and Electro‑Voice RE20, both of which are moving‑coil designs. Relative to the Earthworks, with its lightweight, small‑diaphragm (12mm), pre‑polarised capsule, the Shure and E‑V diaphragms are massive, which means they’re slower to move and will have an inherently curtailed transient and HF response. On the one hand, this is likely to result in less‑than‑faithful capture of sibilants and fricatives; on the other, they’ll be much less susceptible to undesired HF sounds like paper shuffles. The 4018 stands above all other condenser handhelds out there. The 441 is the best dynamic mic if you need that fatter dynamic tone. Less "fast" than the 4018, but amazing tone. SR314/SR3314 is designed to work with any hand­held wireless transmitter that utilizes a standard 3-ring concentric connector. This includes wireless microphone models such as Shure Axient, ULX-D, QLX-D; Audio-Tech­nica 6000, 5000, 3000 Series; Line 6 V75, V55; Lectrosonics and other compatible wireless systems with a 3-ring connector.

We hope this shootout helps you make a decision! If you want to know more about any of these mics or any of the other dozens of live vocal mics we carry, shop all of our dyanmic mics and handheld wireless systems, or give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700. EW makes all of their products in-house in NH which means "Made In The USA". Congrats to Taoufiq and the crew. This mic is inspiring. The SR314 is a cardioid condenser microphone with a pre-polarized capsule coupled to a transformerless preamp employing Class A electronics. The microphone was designed to produce a uniform frequency response out to 90 degrees off-axis, and a consistent low-frequency response even when used at varying distances. The SV33 certainly looks the business and feels both solid and tough, but also delivers a very classy and modern sound full of detail and clarity, without being edgy or harsh at all. These qualities arguably justify the price alone, but the tightly controlled polar pattern at low frequencies is also a great bonus, especially if recording vocals with the band! Putting my old and dusty broadcaster’s cap on, the SV33’s attributes would also make a really great presenter’s mic in a broadcast studio. The Earthworks brand has long been associated with the production of high-quality condenser microphones designed for use not only in the studio and on stage, but for measurement purposes, as well. The company’s microphones are known for uncolored reproduction, extended frequency range and fast impulse response.

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In any case, many portable PA speakers with mic inputs have no phantom power. Also, a dodgy mic lead will often pop loudly if intermittent, since some mics pop loudly, and even turn off for a few moments, even with very short cable drop-outs. What stands out to me is the stunning presence of the midrange and the 'workable' proximity effect. When I first tried it a giant smile came to my face. There is a beautiful body to the sound as you get closer; a sound that is neither boomy or bloated. This is a contrast to the SR40V who's proximity effect is very slight in comparison. It's a welcome and inviting sound that allows me to add some body to my tenor voice without losing the EW window of clarity. In studio recordings there was no need for any EQ. The vocals sat in the mix beautifully with an arresting quality. anyway, sorry to hear that the situation (not only in terms of gear...) in live sound this bad across the uk! - around here, i haven't come a wimpy analog desk without enough juice for condensers in ca. 25 years... - if you still do, maybe carry a channel strip for the money channel? The output levels of each mic were calibrated with a 1kHz tone originating from a dual-concentric Presonus Sceptre speaker.