For the female singer at this show, the KSM9HS set to the subcardioid pattern was the hands down winner, as she liked to keep the mic mostly in the stand, singing well off the mic. When she did hold it, the mic was usually a few feet away from her mouth, sometimes even off axis.
While certain quality cardioid pattern mics would have worked well for this particular singer, I really liked the signature delivered by the wider subcardioid pattern.
By the way, the singer just loved this mic, and after the show, the band’s manager told me it was one of the few live shows where you could really hear the nuances of her voice.
At the same gig, I also tried the mic with the male keyboard player who has a nice low-tenor vocal quality, with a style of leaning into and almost “eating” the mic while singing. I switched the pattern to hypercardioid for him, and it worked fantastic.
Without Hesitation
The next event was a standard corporate meeting with Q&A (question and answer) session after each presentation. Audience members can approach a few mics on stands that are positioned in the seating area to ask questions.
I placed the KSM9HS on a stand in the main aisle and set it to the subcardioid pattern because audience members are notorious for not speaking directly into the mic. It worked quite well for this, and I also noticed that there was less than usual handling noise when several people inevitably grabbed the mic while talking. (They often continue holding the mic even when they’re not speaking, which can generate distracting sounds when using less discriminating mics.)
My final use of the KSM9HS was for the main announcer at a corporate event. This old radio pro has great mic technique, typically speaking about 3 inches from the grill in a steady baritone. Placed on a desk stand and set to hypercardioid, the mic performed as well as any of the larger diaphragm studio type mics I usually deploy in that situation.
Based on my own evaluation as well as the three diverse field applications, I can, without hesitation, recommend that the KSM9HS be included in the mic locker. The switchable patterns are quite helpful, and overall, the mic delivers great sound with very low handling noise. Particularly if you work with artists who cup the mic and are seeking a solution, the KSM9HS might just be the answer you’ve been looking for.
U.S. MSRP: $874
Craig Leerman is senior contributing editor for Live Sound International and ProSoundWeb, and is the owner of Tech Works, a production company based in Las Vegas.