On April 18, Shure introduced the KSM11 Wireless Vocal Microphone Capsule, which features the company’s new premium condenser microphone transducer technology. Promising an elegant combination of low and mid-range clarity and essential high-end detail, the KSM11 is already being adopted by some of the industry’s biggest names. Here’s a preview video from Shure on the KSM11:
More details from Shure:
As live sound production has evolved over the decades, vocals have increasingly relied on meticulous signal processing to cut through the mix. Shure developed the KSM11 to provide the most natural, transparent, and high- clarity sound without necessitating the use of additional processing for in-person, broadcast, simulcast, and live- streamed performances. Whether an audience is listening live at a concert or streaming the show at home, the KSM11 ensures the vocals are captured in unmatched clarity.
“As a musical theater vocal mic, where achieving vocal clarity is absolutely sound design 101, my first experience of [the KSM11] is that it is a great step forward, and I’m really enjoying using it,” said Broadway sound designer Gareth Owen, whose latest project is MJ the Musical. “The vocal is just more upfront somehow.”
“When we’re looking at vocal mics, we want the mic to produce the artist in a true form,” said Will Nicholson, FOH engineer for Dua Lipa. “You want to be able to hear the vocal that people have come to expect. It was immediately obvious that the KSM11 was doing that better than anything else we were using at the time,” he added. “It felt like a really easy step up without any effort on our part. If I was to try to sum up the KSM11 with one word, it would be ‘honest.’”
The KSM11 offers the full lows and clear mids typically found in dynamic microphones and the high-end detail provided by condenser microphones to deliver transparent and stunning vocal reproduction. Combined with exceptional off-axis rejection, outstanding capsule shock isolation, and plosive protection, the KSM11 presents an artifact-free artist performance to audio engineers on which to build their mix. This means they can spend less time applying processing and focus instead on elevating the entire performance.
“When I compared it to the other very popular mic, I was surprised that the [KSM]11 had much better high-end to it,” said Paul Hager, FOH engineer for Miley Cyrus. “It was much smoother, much more natural. I’d say put it in your lineup, because it is going to be a great-sounding mic.”
“Rappers, MCs — they always cup the mic,” said Paul Wichmann, FOH engineer for Tyler the Creator. “That is the notorious problem with hip-hop. I actually talked to Shure, and I said, ‘boy, it’d be really nice if you had a mic that could do this.’ So, they sent me a capsule of the KSM11… And I was like, ‘Nailed it, you got it.’ It is consistent whether or not your artist cups the mic. I can just trust it. I can trust that capsule to get the job done.”
Available in black and brushed nickel finishes for use on Shure wireless handheld transmitters, this next generation in the KSM line benefits from a lighter, streamlined design. With specifically developed microphone technology for wireless, the KSM11 transducer is outfitted with a ¾” gold diaphragm and premium electronics for industry-leading dynamic range. The KSM11 accurately presents artists’ vocals with unprecedented clarity and virtually zero handling noise, thanks to its advanced suspended isolation system.
“I love it because it makes my performance effortless. Compared to other capsules, [the KSM11] is far superior,” said performing artist Benny Dayal.
“A festival is your best test really, the elements and everything. She [Kehlani] stepped out on stage, and she still had clarity,” said Moshe Davenport, Kehlani’s FOH engineer.
“Through our strong relationships with customers and engineers, we learned exactly what artists need in a top-tier condenser vocal microphone. No detail was overlooked. That’s why the KSM11 is so exceptional,” said John Born, associate director, global product management, at Shure. “When coupled with our industry-leading digital wireless, the KSM11 delivers vocals in the purest form, freeing the engineer to build their mix around the most important channel on their desk — the artist.”
Here’s a recap of the KSM11’s key benefits for professional users:
- Proprietary wireless condenser capsule using a ¾” gold diaphragm and premium electronics for exceptional dynamic range and transient response
- Highly consistent, deep cardioid polar pattern reduces off-axis phase distortion for pristinely focused vocal reproduction to provide rich and full low frequency response, linear and transparent mid-range and natural high-end detail
- Streamlined design for an overall smaller and lighter capsule footprint
- Advanced suspended isolation system for virtually zero handling noise
- Dent-resistant hardened steel grille with 3-stage plosive reduction pop filtering for consistent, artifact-free vocals
- Available in black or brushed nickel finish for use with compatible Shure handheld wireless transmitters.
For more information on the KSM11 Wireless Vocal Microphone Capsule, visit www.shure.com/ksm11
More Praise for the KSM11:
“I would 100% recommend the KSM11 capsule to anybody in the business… It works great for doing big
arenas, big crowds. It’s fantastic. Sounds great.”—Christian Murphy, monitor engineer, Tyler the Creator
“The KSM11 has a terrific response. It responds to EQ really well. It can make it feel like you’re not even using a microphone. It’s simply amplifying the vocal that you’ve become accustomed to, that you become used to off axis rejection is fantastic, and it’s very flattering from that point of view.” —Will Nicholson, FOH engineer, Dua Lipa
“I think that’s why I’m really grateful for KSM11, because it helps my performance be what I listened to in my ears… is just super clean, like super undisturbed. And at the same time, I know that when I start singing my next note, nothing is going to hinder… whatever I’m going to sing.” —Benny Dayal, Artist
“It translated well, and it made her vocal sound like the record, that’s the goal… I definitely would recommend the KSM11 to my other engineer cohorts as a mic for them to use and give it a chance…” —Moshe Davenport, FOH engineer, Kehlani
Further information from Shure: www.shure.com
