Setting up for soundcheck at a club recently, I caught eyes on a mic I hadn´t seen before,
Audix i5 Instrument Microphone
mounted on the stand in front of me. Being a moderate gear nerd, I noticed the design and appreciated the fact that the sound guy made a deliberate choice, instead of just setting up an old, dented
Shure SM57.
“Well, it´s just another mic, let´s get this sound check over with…” But to my surprise, it only took seconds to realize that this was something different. Both in the front speakers and in the monitor, the sound was very clear and direct. The Audix i5 microphone actually made the horn feel easier to play, like when you haven´t cleaned it for a while and give it a good flush (not that I have ever tried that, of course…). In my book, that is a big plus – a microphone that allows me not to clean the horn!
I haven´t had the chance of trying the mic in studio yet, but I assume that it this 99$ dynamic microphone will have to get up very early to keep up with a good studio condenser microphone. But for now on, this is my preferred live microphone using a standard microphone stand. When it comes to clip on miss, there is the expensive but amazing DPA 4099T or the cheaper but quite ok AKG C519 or the Audio Technica ATM350 Condenser Microphone.
I will buy my own Audix i5 as soon as possible. Just knowing that my trombone sounds way better through the Audix i5 mic than the trumpet player standing next to me with his SM57 is well worth 99$…
So trombone players, let us unite around a great sounding microphone, and please don´t tell the rest of the horn section!
Slide on,
Anders Larson
PS. I bet your wife will love one for Christmas, and she might lend it to you occasionally!
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