BEYERDYNAMIC
MC 930
Gerry Fursden trials Beyer’s
general purpose small
diaphragm capacitor
microphone.
mall diaphragm capacitor
microphones are generally the safest
‘go-to’ solution given their generally
S
more accurate, less coloured sound and tidy
off-axis responses – at least compared to
most large diaphragm mics. Virtually all the
established microphone manufacturers
have suitable models available, and
Beyerdynamic’s variation on this theme is
the MC 930. I don’t know why, but in the
UK at least Beyer’s range of mics seems to
have largely been overshadowed by the
likes of Neumann, Sennheiser, Schoeps,
DPA and others. Nevertheless, the company
has some impressive mics to offer, and
many are well priced in comparison to their
peers.
“The MC 930
was designed
to offer
high end
performance
at a low price”
Specifications
The MC 930 was introduced back in 2002
and is a true DC polarised capacitor
microphone with a fixed cardioid polar
response. It was designed to offer ‘high end
performance at a low price’ and seems to
have achieved that goal. It is a similar size to
most of the other small diaphragm mics on
the market – its matt-black body measuring
21 x 128mm, and weighing 115g. That
makes it almost an inch longer than the
Neumann KM184 and 35g heavier – just to
provide a familiar frame of reference.
A cut-out in the body just below the
side entry slots provides access to a pair of
bright red slide switches. One enables a
15dB pad to be introduced – increasing the
maximum SPL from 125 to 140dB SPL (for
1% distortion). The other switch inserts a
gentle bass roll-off at 6dB/octave from
200Hz, to compensate for the proximity
effect when close miking sources.
The specifications claim the frequency
response extends between 40Hz and
20kHz, and there is a relatively narrow 3dB
presence lift over the top octave centred at
15kHz. In contrast, the KM 184’s presence
peak starts much lower down at about
5kHz and rolls off above 15kHz. The polar
pattern is very tidy up to 8kHz, where it
begins to exhibit less rear attenuation. The
sensitivity is a generous 30mV/Pa, which is
6dB more than the KM184, and the self
noise is given as 16dBA (3dB higher than
the Neumann). The mic requires phantom
power, of course, but can tolerate supplies
from 11 to 52V, drawing 4.6mA.
On Test
The MC 930 has apparently been optimised
for recording piano, percussion, brass and
overheads – all sources where transient
response and HF clarity are vitally
important. Priced to compete with the likes
of Røde’s NT5 or AKG’s C451B (although
that is actually an electret model) – the
MC 930 is almost half the price of the
Neumann KM184. However, its
performance places it more squarely with
its German competitor, which is
impressive.
I found the MC 930’s tight polar pattern
helped to minimise room atmos and spill
remarkably well. The overall tonality isn’t
quite as clean and transparent as some of the
more expensive mics on the market
(thinking Schoeps and DPAs, here), but it
sounded smooth and natural, even for offaxis sounds. In direct comparison with the
KM184, the Beyer didn’t seem as bright or as
sharp, although whether that is seen as an
advantage or not probably depends on the
source and personal taste. I have to say
I generally preferred the sound of the
MC 930 on steel-strung acoustic guitars,
though, as the presence peak added a sense
of sparkle and air that seemed very
28 LINE UP Feb/Mar 2008
complimentary, without over-emphasising the fretboard noise, or
getting edgy and nasty.
The relatively high output level enables the mic to deliver a
good signal-noise ratio too, even when partnered with less than
stellar mic preamps or mixer channels, and the proximity filter was
effective in helping to rebalance the sound when placed within
about eight inches of the source. What it wasn’t so good at, of
course, was reducing mechanical vibrations through the mic stand
– a much steeper high-pass filter is needed for that and/or a decent
elastic suspension.
There are some surprisingly good, cheap small diaphragm
condenser microphones on the market these days from China and
elsewhere, and Beyer’s MC 930 would seem to take these on
directly – but without sacrificing much in the way of quality. So
the next time you need to add to your microphone collection
without breaking the bank, I recommend you audition this Beyer
alongside the Australian, Austrian and Chinese competitors.
Beyerdynamic MC 930
Price: £299 +VAT
Matched stereo set £589 +VAT
Contact
beyerdynamic UK
Tel +44 (0)1444 258 258
www.beyerdynamic.co.uk
A matched stereo set of MC 930s
LINE UP Feb/Mar 2008 29
Loading...