Shure's KSM27 Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Read Barry's Mix Magazine Review Of The Shure KSM27.
Shure's KSM27 Cardioid Condenser Microphone
by Ted Blaisdell
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Because most pro studios have great mic collections, I don't try out many new microphones. So before I checked out the KSM27, I wondered if Shure makes anything worthwhile besides SM57's and 58's. Well, YES they do! and the KSM27 is well worth checking out. The KSM27 is a side-address, large diaphragm cardioid (only) condenser mic with Class A, transformerless electronics. At $575 MSRP, it comes in an opulent red velveteen pouch with locking shock mount. Very nice...I've seen some shock mounts that alone, cost almost that much.

My first session with the KSM27 was for a female solo vocal at 48 Windows, a Pro-Tools studio here in LA, CA. I put it up along side a Neumann KM193 and both the singer and I thought the KSM27 sounded clearer in the midrange than the 193, although not as bright (aka: 'sizzle' or top end). In my opinion, this was a plus as I find frequencies, in the 10 or 12kHz area, very easy to add with just an equalizer. To my ears, some of the newer and more expensive mics are very bright...too bright for some vocalists. So in this case, I added a little high frequency boost from a Focusrite plug-in and we were stylin'!

Next was a bigger vocal session at the famous Village Recorder in West LA. In this case I had a male solo vocalist singing first followed by a twelve-person vocal group. I had three mics set up and decided to go with the KSM27 on the soloist. Again, I didn't miss the sizzle at all; the 27 just seemed to be the perfect match for him. When the group came in I used my other usual mics and it all sounded great with the solo vocal sitting within the mix very nicely. The KSM27 has a high output level so I used the -15db pad on the solo singers. The three-position high pass filter, with a choice of flat response, an -18 dB/octave rolloff at 80 Hz or a gentle -6 db/octave roll at 115 Hz, came in handy to counteract the proximity effect when close miking.

I brought the 27 into a small orchestra session with a string section where I tried it on one of the three cellos. In this case the KSM27 may have been a little out of its league next to the vintage Neumann U67s on the other two cellos. The brighter U67s helped here as adding extra EQ on the 27 didn't work out this time.

The KSM27 is a great addition to any studio. It's as quiet as a church mouse (just 14dB A-weighted), built very well and has unique clarity, especially on vocals, that's hard to find from any mic regardless of price. Can I keep it? Contact Shure at 222 Hartrey Avenue, Evanston, IL 60202 phone 847-866-2200 and on the Web at www.shure.com

Ted Blaisdell is an LA-based recording engineer.

Edited by: Barry Rudolph

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