Audio-Technica’s ATM510 cardioid dynamic handheld microphone is a rugged, full metal shaft mic fitted with a rare-earth Hi-Energy® neodymium magnet structure that is holstered in an internal shock mount to reduce handling and stage noise. The multi-layered grill provides a great first line of defense against the pesky “plosives” and assists in controlling distortion that may be caused from sibilant sounds and wind noise. MSRP is $169, with street pricing around $99.
Stepping Up to the Mic
The first event where I used the ATM510 was a choir concert with a chorus of 40 members. The group requested boundary microphones on stands to mic’ the choir, two soloist microphones and monitors for the choir, as well as for the accompanist on keyboard, the drummer and the bass player. This choir was large but not necessarily strong, and was getting engulfed by the backline during rehearsal. I decided to place just one ATM510 in front of each section of the choir (four total on stands), eight feet away from the risers, where the group stood.
The lower registers of their vocal ranges were carrying just fine through the venue, but it was the upper range that lacked the support, and the ATM510s helped tremendously with picking up the subtle pitch changes in the upper 3K-8K range. The worry with boundary microphones is that unless they are a large diaphragm studio condenser type, then you may end up with coverage gaps if your mics are too far apart. Although the ATM510s are “just” cardioid handheld types, they did exceptionally well with coverage for a smooth and natural reproduction of the entire chorus, while doing a great job at rejecting the bleed of the piano, drums and bass guitar directly beside the choir on stage left.
The Spoken Word
I received the microphones right when the election campaigns for city and state officials were just starting off, and I hold four to six of these events in my venue each season. Typically, events with full press coverage and other delegates are not usually times when you want to pull out a fairly unknown piece of equipment and put it up to be used as the main announcement and candidate audience address microphone. However, I was up for a “shot in the dark” to see what they could do with close proximity reproduction.
In the spec sheet for the ATM510, Audio-Technica states the mic is “designed specifically for close-up vocal use in professional live-sound applications.” This gave me enough confidence to give it a go. The mic exhibits a 3 to 5 dB bump from 3kHz to 5kHz in the frequency response, which makes for a great speech microphone when your presenter has slight movements side to side across the front of the microphone. Even with a soft spoken, low-volume speaker, you still will have full control and intelligibility if they are within the 3-to-6-inch boundary of the microphone.
On Stage
One of my final outings with the microphones was with an all female, all lead-vocal-group. I went ahead and placed five of the ATM510s across the front line. I had a separate monitor mix available for this show and, to be honest, I was a little bit apprehensive about the high-end bump in the response causing feedback with these particular vocals. I was pleasantly surprised at the feedback rejection of the ATM510s, and so was my monitor engineer. He did notice that he was lacking some depth following the dynamics and timbre of each vocalist from song to song, and I had to agree. Applying slight changes to the 3.2K area on the channel strip gave both of us the ability to achieve the desired result.
If you have pulled the ATM510 out for use as a premium vocal mic, it will have the glassy high-mid and high response that you would normally expect to find in super-cardioid handhelds, while having the broader pickup pattern. It provides a flat midrange response, and the tailored low-end response, which almost appears as if A-T has already placed a high-pass filter within the microphone. This is noticeable when working in an on-stage/live environment when you normally have to roll the HPF up to at least 150 to assist in the rejection of excessive bass proximity effect. Being versatile in its uses, the ATM510 would be a great choice and well suited for general vocal and corporate environment reinforcement situations.
“Get Your Own Mic” Contest Winners
In honor of its 50th Anniversary, Audio-Technica partnered with FRONT of HOUSE magazine and our ProAudioSpace.com online community on a contest where some lucky readers would win microphones and other prizes. Entrants simply sent comments about their favorite A-T mic(s) and why they like using them. We were amazed at the response and selecting four winners from the many excellent entries was difficult, but here are our choices…
The grand prize—a limited edition AE5400/LE condenser mic ($629, pictured right) and two ATM510 dynamic models ($169)—went to this entry from Jordan Wolf.
“My favorite mic from A-T would have to be the AT4050 large-diaphragm condenser. The low self-noise and neutral frequency response make it great for capturing details and subtleties that other mics miss. Having the ability to choose my pattern du jour is wonderful when you don’t know what you’re going to be miking. What goes in is what comes out, and I like that—drum overheads, guitar cabs and the human voice all sound natural and untouched. A great performer.”
—Jordan Wolf
Here are entries from the three runner-ups. Each of will receive an ATM510 cardioid dynamic mic ($169, pictured left) and an FOH T-shirt (priceless).
“With the Audio-Technica AE2500, I can contour and taper my kick sound across two separate elements, without fighting a larger footprint. When style changes from song to song, I can be on top of it by balancing between the two inputs. I lean on the dynamic for a rounded traditional worship feel and then push the condenser for an edgier, contemporary cut-through.”
—Michael Forehand
“I look for easy-to-use and true reproduction of the source. The AE5400 is my go-to mic for both reasons. Its even pattern response and lack of proximity effect make it ideal for singers who can’t stay on axis, and its ‘lack of personality’ is the exact personality that delivers the sound true to its source. I can work with that no matter what the source.”
—George Gleason, Owner, George’s Pro Sound Company
“Whether I’m mixing at front-of-house on an arena tour or at home dialing it in for three to four acts per night at The Bottom of the Hill, one of San Francisco’s legendary live music venues, I can always count on my Audio-Technica ATM25 and ATM23HE mics to make virtually any drum kit sound incredible. These AT mics perfectly span the entire spectrum of sound from capturing the lightest and most subtle brush strokes to pounding toms that sound like cannon fire.”
—Paul Thomas
