Recording February 2022 - 53

The Electro-Voice RE20 has a tighter
off-axis rejection and is virtually proximity
effect-free by design, while the Shure
SM7B is simply a classic sound that we
all know that's hard to argue with. I tried
ETHOS alongside a Neumann TLM 103;
this yielded the closest sonic match, with
ETHOS coming out smoother and more
balanced on speech.
Pop screen or not to pop screen?
While there are no EQ filters on
ETHOS, the included pop filter plays a
significant role in shaping its sound. With
the filter in place, it keeps the proximity
effect controlled by regulating the distance
to the capsule. It also gently damps down
the high-end crispness and air of the mic.
With the foam screen removed, you
can get about 2 " closer to the capsule,
where the proximity effect thickens. It's
still not muddy, but the bloom is more
pronounced. The high-end air and
brightness are also noticeably extended
without the pop screen in place (be
mindful of mouth clicks and breaths).
Taking one final step closer, you can remove
the metal mesh cage from the mic to
experience ETHOS in its full extended Earthworks
range. While these would not be my
first options for spoken word, doing one or
both further increases the mic's versatility.
Beyond the 'cast'
ETHOS is a great choice for sung
vocals. Based on the singer and style, I
would experiment with the foam screen
and by using a thinner, traditional pop
shield, allowing the talent to work the
proximity effect while the mic captures
more airy detail.
Regarding instruments, I quite liked
ETHOS on acoustic guitar. Here again,
it's worth auditioning the screen options.
For 12th
fret positioning with a touch
of distance, I preferred the mic with its
capsule exposed. Closer to the body I
liked both screens in place as it helped
balance the boom of the body and the
brightness of the strings.
ETHOS also makes a great drum
overhead. While it would have been
fun to experiment with a pair in stereo, it
worked great alone placed about four feet
above the snare, for a surprisingly threedimensional
capture of the kit, which just
needed a touch of added kick drum mic
for weight. If you are a minimal drum mic
person, you need to hear ETHOS in action.
Speaking of kick drum, ETHOS makes
a surprisingly lovely kick drum mic, with
an outstanding balance of low punch
and beater definition. And if you're
looking for a bright, well-defined snare
mic full of sparkle and air, it can be an
interesting creative choice there as well.
Well-tailored to the task
ETHOS is one of the most expensive
'casting options on the market; it's a fully
and unapologetically pro mic, and like
any high-end professional mic, it takes
less work to dial in a great vocal tone regardless
of the voices seated around the
desk. ETHOS is well-tailored to the task of
spoken word right out of the box. Add in
the fact that it does a great job on music,
and suddenly, even when compared to
other Earthworks mics, ETHOS is a bargain
for next-level content creators and
recording engineers alike.
Price: $699
More from: earthworksaudio.com
merging.com/anubis
LANCE POWELL
ON USING ANUBIS MISSIONS
" I'm constantly moving between my personal mix room
and various studios and spaces, which means the need
to have absolutely pristine quality on-hand all the time
is really important. With the Merging Technologies
Anubis I have a pair of really powerful mic preamps,
brilliant A/D and D/A converters and a perfect monitor
controller all in one box. I finally have a centerpiece that
I trust completely for both recording and mixing. "
Lance Powell- Engineer / Mixer
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Miguel,
Snoop Dogg, Jess Glynne, Blxst.
Independent Audio, Portland, Maine. T (207) 723 2424 E dennis@independentaudio.com W www.independentaudio.com

http://www.earthworksaudio.com http://www.merging.com/anubis http://www.independentaudio.com

Recording February 2022

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