Why I Love the Heil PR40 - and a great deal on it, too!

June 18, 2008

While we’re on the topic of microphones, I noticed this really good deal on a Heil PR40 this morning:

If you’ve heard any of my audio podcasts from the last 2 1/2 years, you’ve heard the Heil PR40 in action. In fact, the PR40 has been my secret weapon once I discovered it. Truth be told, I don’t think I have a good “broadcast” voice at all. In fact, I’ve always hated the sound of my voice… until I heard it through a Heil PR-40. Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten a lot of really glowing compliments on my sound and that all starts at the microphone. What I really like about the PR40 is that, as far as dynamic microphones go (dynamic mics don’t require phantom or outside power and generate signal solely from the vibrations the diaphragm makes when you speak into it) the PR40 has a lot of life to it and, to my ears, sounds better than any condenser mic I’ve tried for my work. I can scream into the Heil PR40 or whisper into it and my voice doesn’t “fall apart”.

However, one of the best features of the Heil PR40 without a doubt has to be how extraordinarily well it rejects noise coming from the rear of the mic. Something in the way the Heil PR-40 capsule was designed allows it to almost completly reject sounds coming at it off-axis from behind, which helps a LOT when recording in non-recording studio environments like bedrooms, closets or basements. Now, I’m not just talking about washing machine, computer fan or neighbor-mowing-the-lawn noise ambient in your recording area (which it rejects amazingly well) but also reflections of your own voice bouncng off of walls and coming back at you. For example, if you’re recording in your spare bedroom, the walls directly in front and behind you will reflect the soundwaves your voice makes. When these soundwaves come off that wall in front of you they can be picked up by your microphone and, in essence, cancel out some of the original waves made by your voice (yes, they reflect at Mach 1, the speed of sound). This kind of phase cancellation can thin your sound but the Heil PR40 avoids this (and all reflections coming at it from behind) because of its brilliant off-axis sound rejection.

What’s also nice is that the Heil PR-40 has dual different sized mesh screens and an internal breath filter to help eliminate pops and plosives when speaking directly into the mic (and trust me, the Heil PR40 loves it when you get all “rock star” on it and have your lips right up to it for that intimate sound). One last thing that makes this a great podcast/broadcast mic is that the engineers at Heil have built the capusle with an internal hum-bucking coil that eliminates the kind of hum and noise that cheap microphones pick up when near computer monitors or lighting fixtures.

All in all, I could never live without my Heil PR-40. I have a bunch of other mics in my cabinet but this is my workhorse. I’m so paranoid of being without it in case something unforseen were to happen (I can’t imagine what, the Heil PR40 is built to withstand a bomb blast) I bought a second one. What’s also cool is that it comes in a really heavy duty and beautiful wooden and velveteen-lined storage box like it was a Faberge Egg or something. Sure, maybe $325 is a bit more than some of you want to spend on a mic but if you’re really serious about your sound you won’t find anything this good sounding at this price point. In fact, I think it would take buying something for at least a grand or more for me to retire the Heil PR40 from my setup and I’m not quite ready for that.

Plus, get this. The deal I saw at BSW today will get you the Heil PR40 spider shockmount for FREE. I paid $100 for mine and yes, there is a difference when you suspend your Heil PR-40 in a vibration-reducing shockmount instead of just clamping it straight to a stand or boom. So, yes, it’s a great deal on a great mic that will definitely improve your sound no matter what kind of recording you do.

The Heil PR40 Package Deal with free Shockmount at BSW