sE Electronics sE X1 Reviews

Yea, it's seriously that great. For the money I have not one complaint. I was originally looking at a different mic at the time of purchase and that mic was actually out of stock. So this one was recommended by my sales engineer. I am so glad the mic I originally wanted was out of stock. I've used this mic for rap vocals, singing, voice overs and even recording acoustic guitar. Anything put through this mic sounds amazing. I haven't even used any other mic since I got this one. Seriously, get one. You can't go wrong.

I have never been "blown away" with a 5-Star rating.... but this one did it for me. I have some $3,000-5,000 condenser and ribbon mics, and mic pres ranging from Mackie boards to Milennia Stt-1, DW Fearn VT-2, and Manley, UA 1167. I ran this mic through the best of my gear, and compared it to the best of my mics. I then ran it through my mobile rigs with a TC Electronic Konnect, and M-Audio.
I am blown away by how well this mic sits in any mix or situation for voice and guitar. I think that for $199 i can use two of each... and have them now. With my Zoom H5 recorder, the sound quality of the X1 is a perfect match... and lifewise for my Casio HD camcorder.
For the money, and for the sound, this only comes along once in a while. Go for it.
I gotta thank my sales engineer, Brian Loney, for knowing the gear and helping me narrow down my selections to the X1 condenser, X1 Ribbon, the Zoom H5, and some great accessories... all for well under the budget I approached him with.
This one is a WOW-5-Star for me.

Yep...blown away is right. Plugged it in and recorded Vocals right out of the box. Very smooth and very accurate. Have not tried it on any thing else, but I'm sure it will have great results.

have used the mic for vocals and foley sounds great! Working out of untreated bedroom and studios with this and mic have had no problems with microphone. Would recommend it to anyone who likes getting great sound.

This mic sounds rich and full without the hyped top end of a Bluebird. I like the Bluebird, but after recording several songs with it, I’m getting tired of the extra ‘air’ and exaggerated sibilance - so I was looking for a more accurate mic when I bought the X1.

I would say the X1 delivers an ‘honest sound’ that has the richness you would expect from a large condenser. Believe it or not, the other contender was an AT 4047. While the X1 would not replace a 4047, in A\B listening tests, the X1 sounded beefier. I’m glad I bought it.

Verdict - Highly Recommended

I bought this about a week ago and have been using it through my Fishman Loudbox Artist amp. I tried 3 other mics through the amp which all sounded pretty bad. I was ready to take the amp back and try a small PA system and then I got this. It sounds great! You don't even have to mess with EQing it. I have all the knobs straight up (center) and the mic set to flat and it's just right. Real clear and has enough air to it to give that presence in the mix. I think it's a real deal. I plan on using it live for coffee house gigs and as a studio mic.

What an amazing sound this mic produces! After having the chance to try several mics in years past, this mic for the price is unbeatable. I was able to use this on some vocals and the sound that it produces is completely uncolored and natural. The amount of eq required to get a good sound was almost nothing and was a dream to use. I would highly recommend this mic for anyone looking for a reasonably priced mic with studio quality results.

I've had it a short time, used it in two sessions, once on a vocal and once on an acoustic guitar, and I think I can say this mic holds its own next to my priciest LDC for what I've heard so far. Mostly flat response but a nice presence bump for vocals, attack on acoustic sounds natural, very useful 10db pad, and the high pass filter is a nice roll-off that doesn't change the in-mix sound of the mic very much at all to my ears. Classy looking and professional build quality. Not a 5/5 for me because no bag for the microphone is included, and I think it is reasonable to include one even at this low price. Even so, I would absolutely buy this microphone again and also recommend it to anyone looking for a solid performer in a fixed-pattern LDC.

I bought the X1 with the studio bundle and have been very impressed. I needed a good workhorse and, while this may not be one by professional standards, it's fulfilled my needs well. It captures vocals in a pleasing way to my ear--somewhat bright but not quite harsh. I've used it on acoustic guitar with good results although I'm looking to buy a stereo set of SDCs for that purpose. I thought it would take the "bedroom" out of my recordings but I realize that was an unrealistic expectation. It does, however, make it sound like I'm using a very nice mic in my bedroom.. I guess I'm halfway there.

I gave it 4.5 stars because two things bother me about the X1 that may or may not bother you. First, the shock mount that comes with the studio bundle is a pain that I wouldn't trust with anything more expensive than this mic, so if you find yourself needing one (which you should), check out the updated version with the AKG-style fastener. You can get it in the "X1 Isolation Pack" here on Sweetwater. Second, the low cut switch seems like a cool feature at this price, but not if it cuts at 500Hz. That's not only softening bass but also any fundamentals from pretty much any instrument. That's bad news. What I do is either place the mic further away to lessen proximity effect or cut the bass with an EQ plug-in. You can't get something back that you never recorded, but you can take it away once it's there.

Overall a great purchase and I would highly recommend it to the budget bedroom engineer.

As a voice over performer, matching the microphone to the voice and the nature of the delivery is key. I found the sE X1 to be a great match for much of my work, which surprised me as this mic wasn't originally on my short list of mics in this price range.

I like an open sound, and this mic delivers it in spades. The broader presence rise in the frequency response gives me strong clarity, while the low end feels true - solid - not muddy unless I get too close. Many transformerless designs with K67 type capsules can be too sibilant for voice work, but for the most part the sE X1 keeps things under control. Still, it may be too bright for some voices, so give it a test drive first.

Construction is solid, and feels like a serious recording tool. The switches feel secure. When the mic is mounted in the "Isolation Pack" shock mount facing straight ahead, the roll-off and pad switches are impossible to get to, but then that prevents them from being accidentally moved while in use, so judge that for what it's worth. The included mounting clip can be difficult to work with; it's worth the extra money to buy the shock mount.

A poor man's TLM 103? Well, maybe... but if that's the sound you're going for, you need to check this out.

I use this mic with my Zoom H5 recorder. I compared it to one of my other condenser mics and to my EV RE20. This mic keeps up with all the others and shines in its own way... it really is a 'must-have' in your mic closet.

Really delighted with the improvement in sound quality.

It was a great microphrone, although a little overkill for my personal use, as I had to buy a phantom power supply and an extra xlr (mic) cable. If I had it to do again I would probably buy a USB microphone.

There's not much else to say about the quality other than that it's really solid.

I had tested this mic at a audio store in manhattan, along with other VO "industry standards", the man that helped me had pointed me I the direction of this mic after knowing I'm in traning for voice over, and on a tight budget. I don't have any experience with other condenser mics, but I love this mic, I have recieved positive feedback from my peers on the quality and I am really having fun learning mic technique with my sE X1.

For the price it is awesome ! I bought it with the reflection shield and it made a perfect combo ! I preferred it well on Rap vocals and gave you that punchy yet crisp sound. I highly recommend to project / home studio users !

Bought a few for drums they sound on top snare and bottom snare also on toms. Haven't yet try them as overheads or room mice but I'm sure they would sound as good.

We're a small country church. Our problem was the piano was hard to hear ... but not anymore. With this new sE Electronics sE X1 mic we hear clear crisp sound. The congregation has asked what changed? They love it. Thanks for your help Sweetwater!

The quality I got from this mic wasn't bad at all. I recorded in my bedroom by a window and still managed to get great quality vocals.

They should call this mic the 'ambient sound enhancer' it picks up the sound of rain outside louder than your voice. Maybe its decent if your room is acoustically tuned. Also the sound is ok but its not the swiss army knife people make it out to be.