Electro-Voice - 635A Omnidirectional Dynamic Microphone

EV 635a. They’re like magic mics! Either you love them or never heard of them. AT2020, but with the mod kit from mic-parts.com - turned it from “my first condenser mic” into the first mic I grab most of the time now! Definitely gonna make some more at some point.

This isn’t low budget but I got it gifted to me. KM86. It sounds good on everything. Everything. I really like my ev635a though.

Giving away my trade secrets here, but I respect the thread. Hesitant to say because they’re still super affordable, but the old EV DS35’s are killer dynamic mics with a tight pickup pattern and really great off-axis rejection. Really smooth in the top yet super detailed and interesting/charactery sounding. Surely I’m not the first but I’m the only engineer I’ve ever seen or heard of using them on snare (but the preamp I use is special sauce there too though), I consistently get high praise on my raw snare sound; I occasionally use them on electric or acoustic tracking, and I also use one as my main vocal mic for myself. I use 635’s all over the place too but to me the DS35 is one of the last super affordable slept-on vintage EV mics.

I got my two Beyerdynamic m58's (which are their version of the EV 635\[a\], omni dynamic mics "intended for" location sound for news) for €50 each. I use them on a lot of stuff, but mainly mono drum overhead and backing vocals. Also the 635a, but you can't get them for \~$40 like I did anymore. I got a Josephson c42 (84 clone) at GC Hollywood for $40, but I'm reasonably sure it was mis-marked. The sE v7 is my *favorite* live vocal mic for low males, bar none, and it is under $€100 new. I end up using it in the studio for scratches, and sometimes they stick. My favorite for females and high males is the Lewitt W950, though, and it ain't cheap. The Line Audio SDC's are insanely good and useful for their new price. Same goes for the Lewitt 140 AIR, but it is a bit more limited because of its high boost.

The Electro-Voice mics with their “variable-D” technology. E.g., RE10, RE15, RE20, 666, 667A, and so on. Great mics in general; I have dozens of them that I use regularly in the studio for some vox, and pretty much any other source you could imagine. Edit: a dynamic with an omnidirectional pattern (e.g., 635A) will also exhibit less proximity-effect, but may not be ideal for a live setting because of feedback concerns. 

635a is my secret sauce on so many things… indestructible and they sound great at what they do (omni dynamic), I’ve even used one in a pinch to OH mic an entire kit (just a kick in mic and the EV overhead about a foot above the drummer’s head aimed at the snare… and I got compliments on the drum sound that gig.

I got a pair of 635a a while ago and never really used them, then more recently I gave them a chance and have been blown away. Somehow detailed like a condenser and vibey like a ribbon at the same time. I had a session recently where we had done a demo electric that was just a cranked vibrochamp with the 635a on it and it took probably 100x the $ worth of gear to come close to as good a sound

I think the answer is: it depends. If they do classical, Schoeps or DPA. Maybe Gefell or Josephson. Rock: dynamics like MD421, MD441, RE20, EV635, M88, M201, SM58, SM57. Acoustic/vocal stuff: Gefell, good Neumanns (KM84, U67, U57), Beyer MC930, Josephsons. A ribbon can find its place in many places as well.

EV 635a, Xaudia “Beeb” modded vintage Reslo RB, RM-BIV ribbon, Aston Origin. Not sure if Aston is any good these days though.

Only omnidirectional mics truly have NO proximity effect. A few quick examples are the EV RE50, or the less expensive 635A. Other mics intended for close vocal use, if they are cardioid, \*will\* have proximity effect, but they may be compensated by using an internal network to roll off the LF. The SM58 is probably the best-known example of this.