Empirical Labs EL-9 Mike-E Reviews

4.9/5.0 based on 6 customer reviews

Sweetwater Advice

Nate Edwards

The Empirical Labs EL-9 Mike-E is a hidden gem. Everybody knows about the Distressor and the Fatso, but this piece is a secret weapon, and every studio needs at least one secret weapon.
Its beauty lies in its simplicity and quality. The pristine preamp has tons of gain, and the CompSat section has tons of mojo - and the ability to give a warm gentle squeeze to those sounds that need a little love before hitting your DAW. Great for gently hugging vocals and crushing synths and drums. It has quickly become the busiest workhorse in my studio.

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Customer Reviews

Nick
from NJ
April 25, 2013

Killer!

Tons of gain out of the preamp. Its got a very big clean sound, that stays nice and tight. The saturation cicuit is divine, and will fatten up anything you run through it without sounding harsh or too edgy. I love the compressor as well. It can be super transparent, or squash the crap out of whatever you run through it. The cool thing though is that it just never sounds bad! This is definitely a characteristic of the empirical labs products. They cover so much ground so well! A swiss army knife in the studio, and one of my new favorite toys.

John Ducci
from CT
December 5, 2012

Wow - Time to Sell Some Other Gear!

Truly blown away by two things with this product - the audio quality and the ease of use/workflow.

First, the workflow - I spend hands down the least time dialing settings and tweaking and the most time actually recording with this unit than any other preamp/compressor combination I have evry owned.

The premap is awesome - as transparent as they come, and very very sweet sounding without adding color. The comp section sounds just like the distressor but with a more streamlined workflow with easier settings recall. The HF focus option is very useful, and the saturation circuit is just what the doctor ordered more often than I could have imagined.

I own Vintech x73's, API's, LA-610's, Focusrites, and Chandler Germs, and the Mike-E is getting more use right now on acoustic, vocals, and mic'd electrics than all the rest combined, and the DI is spectacular on bass with the comp and sat. I really hate to say it, but the saturation circuit is so musical and useful that I think I'm going to unload my 610's and buy another. The analog warmth is so authentic and controllable that I just can't see myself using the LA-610 instead of this on anything, given the option to use both.

This is a game-changer for me - the range of sounds available and the lightning fast workflow to compare different sounds is second to nothing I've ever used.

Chris Schlarb
from Long Beach
April 16, 2012Music Background:
Musician, Composer, Producer

Whatever you record Mike-E likes it!

After much reading, researching, listening, and so on I finally picked up a Mike-E a few weeks back. Initially I was considering an API lunchbox (with Shadow Hills. Vintech, and Elysia modules) but decided that I could get more stability and consistency out of the Mike-E.

So far, I have used it on acoustic guitar, live drums, direct electric guitar, and vocals. The range of color that you can dial in is truly inspiring. Essentially, you get a Fatso-style saturation circuit, Distressor-style compressor (with 20:1 Nuke setting), and high performance preamp with mix controls for blending clean/saturated/compressed sounds. One of the great things about the Mike-E is the "mix" knob. Without the CompSat section engaged, the preamp is VERY clean.

I couldn't be happier with the Mike-E. It's made in the USA, built like a tank, and has very high quality components (Lundahl input transformer and Germanium semiconductors in the saturation circuit). I should also mention that the Mike-E manual is incredible.

Unfortunately, there aren't many audio/video examples about the Mike-E online. I made a quick demo video showcasing different settings on acoustic guitar and drums. You can search for it on Youtube.

SuperMan
from Los Angeles
August 8, 2011Music Background:
Producer, Engineer, Musician

Awesome!!!!

Very pleased with my purchase! Awesome Product!

Paul
from Denver
February 28, 2010Music Background:
Live Engineer

NOTHING LIKE IT!!!!

From LA610 to VOXBOX to Avalon this thing is hands down the best channel strip on the market when you want a compressor that kicks the snot out whatever you want. It opens up anything you throw through it and mopst of all....its simple. We are taking it on the road for a live rig as it performed so well in the studio! So far.....just as good live. Don't be afraid to try the NUKE setting on vocals!

Corey
from Pittsburgh
December 12, 2009Music Background:
Engineer and Producer

Another awsome product from Empirical Labs!

I have had the Mike-e now for 2 months and this thing is great on everything. Stellar preamp, Very Distressor-like Compressor and the CompSat section. I've used it on Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Kick, and Snare. I've also ran some recorded tracks through while mixing. Great for that as well. I had guitars that had some harshness in the upper frequencies and i was able to roll them off so to speak by using the Emphasis and CompSat section. Di Bass is pretty incredible through it as well. So far my favorite being vocals and snare. Only reason this guy doesn't get a 5 is because I would have liked the preamp to be a little more "colored". But thats just my opinion.