Sennheiser ew D1 Review
by Erik Jarvis
How many hours have you spent burdened by cables? Wrapping them after rehearsal, forgetting to wrap them after rehearsal and tripping over them while setting up to record a demo, getting tangled at that bar that doesn’t have enough room on stage, etc.
I can say, with no hesitation, I look forward to the day that we can run all live and recorded sound wirelessly. With their new evolution wireless (ew) D1 vocal microphone, Sennheiser has brought us one step closer to that day.
Singers, imagine this. You’re rehearsing in the basement but you left your beverage upstairs. Rather than push through that cotton mouth, or pull a diva card to stop the song, you simply walk upstairs, still singing into your D1, signal still stronger than many dynamic mics as you retrieve your beverage and head back down, never missing a note.
Last week, testing out the D1, I did just that and more. Just for kicks, I went outside and up the street a little bit. The signal never wavered. Perhaps overkill for home studio use, but for serious performances that mobility is essential. Furthermore, under “optimal conditions,” you can run up to 15 simultaneous channels.
Though it seems a little silly to use such a powerful system for basement rehearsals, the D1 is the best-sounding live mic in my arsenal right now. I switch between keys and guitar during practice, so rather than setting up a separate mic, or having to maneuver the mic cord around each time I switch instruments, I can now easily move the mic from one stand to the other.
Not only does the D1 perform well, but it also scores big points for user-friendliness. Though I am someone who always at least opens the instruction manual, I sort of believe any piece of gear that requires instructions does not function as well as it should. I had the D1 out of road case (a fantastic bonus) and set up in less than five minutes.
Simply load the AA batteries (provided by Sennheiser) into the microphone, plug the transmitter’s 9v power adapter into your nearest outlet, and sync the signal by pressing a button on the mic. You can run either a ¼” or XLR from the transmitter to your mixer.
You are now ready to go. Frivolous worries such as gain and frequency are taken care of automatically by the D1 system. When the mic gets paired, the system finds the “best” frequency available. When you make the first sound, the system reads the transmitter input to find the optimal gain. If all the automation is not your thing, fear not-- you can control levels directly on the transmitter, and Sennheiser is currently developing a remote mobile app.
Sennheiser’s evolution wireless technology is more than a line of new products. It is a step toward improving the culture and technology of amplified music, and digital arts in general. Catering to both consumers and professionals, they have demonstrated time and again their big-picture vision. If you want to reach the top, you can’t be restricted by cable-length. Go wireless, realize your dreams.
Click here for more information on the D1 microphone
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