Heil PR-30 Dynamic Microphone

This is not going to be a long review, but I must say that the difference between the Heil PR30 and the Shure SM57 is night and day. I am using it to mike my Fender Tweed Bassman clone. As soon I strummed the first chord, every one on the production team looked up and said how much better this microphone sounds. They all said that it was like listening to the amp in person. I will never go back! Thank you again Front End Audio, the experience was ultra smooth and I am extremely happy!

I have a pair of PR30s that I use to record my drums. I use them in the "recorderman" configuration since my drums are in a poorly treated room. I love the presence of the PR30. It's like a ribbon mic, but with a little extra bite in the upper mids. They capture the initial attack of each drum hit very well. They also do a great job with rear rejection. I love the PR30 on drums!

Best price. Super fast shipping. Very knowledgeable sales people. So far so good with the PR-30's. Very nice for drum overheads, guitar cabinets and vocals so far. Very happy with them.

The PR30 may not beat every mic in your locker, but rest assured it will compete with mics that cost twice the price, even good condensers. Having said that, realise that the PR30 is not the SM57. There is good reason why the '57 is still used on snare drums and guitar amps-- because it is pleasing to the ear. The PR30 will also be VERY pleasing to the ear on multiple sources but in a different way. Yes, even on acoustic guitar! Recently I recorded a snare drum with it, with "accidental" bleed from the cymbals. What a pleasant surprise, as the compressed PR30 bleed from the cymbals sounded really, really good. The snare good too. It can definately be used for recording vocals too, though slightly bright and sibilant if good mic technique isn't used. But again, this is not a $3000. vocal condenser. It is a very good dynamic mic. Every good tool does at least one job well. The Heil PR30 does many jobs very well. If your interest is in capturing good sound at the source, buy one.

I use this mic more than any other mic when I'm in the studio. Great on drums, guitar amps, and surprisingly awesome on cello and viola. has a nice, warm and rich character.

Love Love Love this mic. Great sound OUTSTANDING noise rejection and a great all around mic. If your a live sound engineer you NEED this mic in your life seriously. Makes life a whole lot easier. Anytime you can put choirs in monitors with no EQ Winning!

I've been a big fan of high-end dynamic mics for recording and live sound. The PR30 fast became my first choice for so many things I used to use pencil condensers on. The mid-range, I'd say, is very forward, or assertive (not a linear mic by any means, but in a VERY good way). For most sources this is an magic bullet for cutting through (not many dynamic mics or otherwise at this price point handle kick, cello, guitar cabs and vocals equally well as the PR30 both studio and live), but once in a great while it's just a little too much/the wrong flavor. The only source I've not liked it on so far was a button box accordion that was very sharp to begin with. It's a VERY articulate dynamic with a very pleasing/useful character. I intend to fill up my locker with a few more of these!

I had a chance to run the PR30 through a couple of tests. I thought it sounded great on kick drum and I'm sure it would sound really good on other percussion and amps. Although it had nice clarity, I thought it was too bright on alto and tenor sax, especially in the upper register of the instrument. If I used it for voice over work or vocals, I would have to use a pop screen because the p's were really noticeable. I was hoping it would be similar to an RE20 with a lower price tag, but unfortunately not. Although, I’m sure it would have great uses for percussion, guitar and bass amps. Maybe a few roll-off switches would be a nice addition to tailor the sound a bit more.

I bought one of these based on advice received from a colleague. There have been times that this mic for some tasks proved to be the best choice out of many tried. It has a well deserved home in my mic locker.