So, an affordable cardioid dynamic microphone with a step-up transformer that will give me all the benefits of a dynamic handheld, while delivering the detail and frequency range benefits of a condenser? We’ll see. A rugged offering from a well-respected name in professional audio that is tough enough to withstand the rigors of the road while equally adept and worthy in the best of studios? All while priced under $240? Let’s just say I had my doubts.
When I first received the new M 80 from Telefunken USA, I had no expectations, good or bad. I was cautious, as it was the first time I had walked into a microphone trial without having any idea of what to expect, and no guiding words from a staff of people who already knew the mic. I used the mic at “both ends of the snake” both as a performer and mix engineer and what I experienced was surprising, to say the least, and has left me excited to work with this mic in the future.
The Gear
The look and feel of the M 80 is impressive and well up to par with the professional reputation that comes along with the Telefunken name. The microphone is heavy with a rock-solid construction. It handles unlike any other mic I’ve used, like the slimmer Shure KSM9s, Beta87s or Audix OM7s. The most blaring difference comes in the form of a tight, rubberized finish that covers the entire body. This has its ups and downs. For instance, I first used this mic onstage at a summer festival outside Chicago, and I could say conservatively that temperatures rose to around 360 degrees that afternoon. Needless to say, it would have been incredibly easy to lose my grip on a mic while running the length of the stage and sweating like I was. Not with the M 80. The mic stayed put in my hands with a steadfast reliability that was very much appreciated, especially for that particular gig. The only problem I ran into with the mic staying put was that it did so almost too well for my purposes while mounted in the clip. If you work with the type of singer who likes to constantly pop the microphone in and out of the clip during your stage show, you will likely run into some resistance with this finish. However, overall, the rubber grip proved to be far more functional than a hindrance, especially for miking instruments. This rubberized grip/clip combination is a godsend, allowing you to make small, precise movements during placement without worrying about the mic “pushing back” into the clip and affecting its distance from your source.
The Gig
I was most pleasantly surprised with the sonic performance. While the M 80 certainly has the look and build of a high-performance live mic, I had heard of even Green Day utilizing them in the studio, so that is where I began. I’ll admit that I spent very little time analyzing the M 80 for vocals in the studio because, frankly, why would I pitch my normal setup of a U87, C-12 or U47 FET? However, in just speaking into the microphone, it became instantly clear that this could be a prime candidate for spoken broadcast applications, podcasting, etc. The M 80 out-performed many of my standard “go-tos” in the studio on both guitar, and surprisingly, hand percussion and horns. The velvety midrange, along with the low-mass diaphragm deliver a more focused “pop” in the transients and eliminated the need for compression on congas, bongos and djembe.
Reading into Telefunken USA’s specs of the M 80, they boast a 30Hz-18kHz range, which is audibly noticeable, and “condenser-like performance” delivered largely in part to the American-made AMI/TAB-Funkenwerk output transformer. As for the condenser claim, I would argue both yes and no, but neither in a bad way.
The M 80 delivers when it comes to a wider frequency spectrum than your everyday cardioid dynamic, and its sensitivity to small details and nuances offer the performance characteristics of a condenser. The mic shines with the musicality of its output—the low mids are smooth, detailed and not swampy. The highs are crisp and detailed, without being overly coarse and bright. As I alluded to earlier, there are namely two characteristics that prove that the M 80 does not behave like you’d expect a handheld condenser to onstage. It does not become a nightmare “cymbal amplifier” for a vocalist on a small stage, and it does not exhibit uncontrollable bleed, making it ideal for a drum kit.
Honestly, percussion is the last place I expected to use the Telefunken M 80 onstage, but it quickly became one of my favorites on snare drum. The off-axis pickup and rejection qualities of the mic gave me excellent isolation from even the loudest hi-hat source. Adding to that, the focused transient response and slight boost in the 7-10K range delivered a crisp, detailed result, giving me the best of both worlds with a loud, controlled “crack” in the pocket, all while accentuating each grace note and delicate stick play. At front-of-house, I simply laid the mic flat while miking snare, gave a slight boost around 200 Hz (I just love the chest-thumping snare!) and rolled off under 100 Hz. Simply the best sounding snare response yet!
The M 80 also made my life easy while miking guitars for San Diego rock quintet My American Heart. The band’s style demands that the guitar tones sit full and heavy in the mix, all with plenty of bite. I achieved this effortlessly with nothing but a 120-Hz rolloff. I was blindsided by how the mic was able to get two battling guitars to sit so nicely in the mix, prominent, but not overbearing, biting but not shrill, thunderously full, but not muddy. If I have the choice, I will use nothing else on rock guitars and snare when I mix FOH.
At the end of the day, I am completely sold on the newest offering from Telefunken USA. If you’re a front-of-house engineer looking for no-bull, best bang for your buck (no pun intended), the Telefunken USA M 80 is a worthy contender. For this writer, I have fallen in love with it, specifically on live guitars, live and recorded snare drum, hand percussion and horns. It is truly an ideal tool—a weapon I can be confident in taking to battle day in and day out. Simply put, I am looking forward to making Telefunken USA M 80 a staple in both my touring and recording microphone arsenal.
Telefunken ELA M 80 Handheld Mic
What It Is: Handheld cardioid dynamic mic.
Who It’s For: Everyone.
Pros: Versatile, great sound, fair price.
Cons: Rubberized finish can make the mic hard to get in and out of a clip.
Price: MSRP: $239.00
Web site: www.telefunkenusa.com
