Heil Proline Microphones
I subscribe to Radio Magazine. This is a fantastic resource for industry news, gear reviews and expert tips in reference to Radio and Broadcast Engineering. In a past edition of the magazine, I came across the Heil PR-40 Studio Dynamic Broadcast Microphone. Guess what? This mic was one of the winners of radio’s most prestigious technology honors, the “Cool Stuff” Award, sponsored by the Las Vegas Radio World Newspaper. The awards were announced at NAB, 2005. The Heil PRO 40 was the ONLY microphone picked this year. This product has raised the bar on dynamic technology.
-paul.
Is it better than the EV RE27?
Hi Richard,
I purchased the EV mic about a month ago. Very happy with it. However, I am hearing great things about the PR-40 [Heil]. It’s here - waiting to be connected to my gear and tested. I’ll post a few samples and a review –> I’ll keep you posted.
-ptfigg.
I have two microphones I have to buy for the podcast awards and I am wondering Paul if this is a good choice I have a budget of $1000.00 for the two.
Todd..
Hi Todd,
I am real impressed with the PR-40. It’s very afforadable and I think the recognition it has received backs up my opinion of it. I might add it is packed in a beautiful cherry wood box, and if you are considering giving this mic out as an ‘award’ … I think it’s a great idea.
-paul.
This morning I was watching Meet the Press, and I noticed that everyone on the show was using clip-on lavalier mics, and the sound quality was quite good. The same is true of the CNN anchors, and Face the Nation, and This Week…
My observation is that it seems like the television world makes heavy use of small, clip-on mics for spoken word, while the radio world seems drawn to large, fixed mount microphones, such as this Heil.
I’ve heard good podcasts done with both kinds of microphone, but since I listen to most podcasts through headphones, I occasionaly find the ones recorded close to a big mic (in proximity effect range) to be uncomfortable and too intimate — as if the person was speaking right into my ear.
Anyway, think it’d be really interesting to hear an A-B comparison, recording simultanously with one mic of each type and spliting them in the edit so that the differences could be heard. (Hint-hint)
I think Leo Laporte received the PR-40 at the Podcast Expo (for People’s choice award) and used it on the twit podcast (#30). Listening to the ‘cast there is a noticeable difference in sound quality — what a great sounding piece.
At the Podcast Expo our Podfather Adam Curry also received a Heil mike, although I don’t know which model. He was, and is, so impressed by the sound quality that he has promoted it for several times already on the Daily Source Code.
Please note: boppod.com will become live next week…
Have you read my most recent post?
http://podcastrigs.com/?p=51
Yes, I did! Does sound good, doesn’t it!
And such is life: I just bought a Rode NT-1A for my podcast, two weeks before everybody starts telling me about how great Heil is.
Anyway; I’m still a WHOLE lot better of than talking into my Powerbook!
Love your site, by the way!
Just the info I need…
:-))
Thanks Rogier.
-ptfigg.
Just purchased a Heil PR-40 and had the chance to A/B it with our RE-20 and RE-27 EV microphones - no comparison…
RE-20 - Smooth, but very un-dynamic and dead sounding.
RE-27 - Smooth, but a harsh high end that sounds distinctly different than the lower ranges of the mic. Still not as crisp or detailed as a condenser.
PR-40 - Very smooth, very condenser-like in crispness and sharpness/clarity of detail, very nice low and high ends.
For half the price, the PR-40 is an amazing mic and to my ears sounds much better and clearer than the RE20 or the RE27. If you’re looking for a mic that will work with just about any guest you have recording in your studio, perhaps the RE20 is a better choice, but only because via lack of clarity and lack of dynamic response, it hides a multitude of problems with some voices. But if you want the clarity and crispness of a condenser mic without paying the price or hassling with power supplies, the PR-40 can’t be beat!
Hi Mark,
Great review. Question for you –>> did you notice the PR-40 was much more susceptable to plosives? I love the way the mic sounds as well.
-ptfigg.
Hi, we want to start podcasting. The plan is to plug a microphone into our computer and record in that manner. Would this Heil microphone be suitable, or do you think it’s too high-end? I’m really not sure where to start.
Thanks.
Hi,
In most cases you wiil need some sort of external pre-amplification provided by an audio interface [USB or Firewire], or a standalone pre-amp.
I suggest you join the forum and I will answer all your questions.
-ptfigg.
-podcastrigs.com
forum:
http://podcastrigs.net/forum/
I own a recording studio and I do a morning radio show. The radio station uses an EV RE-27 and my studio microphone selection includes an RE-20 a Shure SM-7 and assorted Sm-58’s and a few Sennheisers.
I love the full bodied flavor of the SM7 but was looking for a brighter top end…my SM7 has “balls” but I wanted clearity and distinctness…but condensers are too loud as far as background noise…in my experience.
The Heil PR-40 is sensetive to “plosives” but has the brightness I was looking for. So I think that if I talk “across” the microphone at about 3″ at a 45 degree angle…it will give me the sparkle and clearness without the plosives…being a problem.
The several cuts I have done since getting the heil PR-40 last week have been crystal clear and I just love it…
I have the big baritone “thunderpipes” kind of voice…so I was looking for that clear bright sparkle in my voice tracks for production and I think I have found the “sugar booger” I was looking for!
It’s as close to a neuman as I can find…for $325.00