Sennheiser e914

The Sennheiser e914 is a small-diaphragm cardioid condenser for stage and studio. It is rented as a drum overhead and for hi-hat, acoustic guitar, piano, choir and percussion, wherever a dynamic mic would sound too dull. Switches on the body give a low-cut and a pad, so the same mic works in front of a quiet acoustic guitar and a loud cymbal set. It is built for live work and survives touring better than studio microphones.

Its closest relative in our stock is the Shure SM81, also a cardioid small-diaphragm condenser with similar switches; the choice between them often comes down to whether the rest of the kit is Sennheiser or Shure. The Sennheiser MKH8040 is a more neutral, more expensive studio-grade mic, and the Shure BETA181 a more compact side-address alternative. For overheads take two e914s alongside the e902 and e904; all need phantom power from the mixer, which the Yamaha DM3 provides per channel.