They are making copies all-right. Great -- no. Very usable still though. Just check any music shop around, the low-priced stuff is all made in China, although few does advertise it as openly as Studio Projects.

Gunnar.

Kel HM-1. I hear that it is damn close to the U87 and only $99.

thank you i ll check it out

therecordingart wrote: Kel HM-1. I hear that it is damn close to the U87 and only $99.

NOT

The HM-1 is a SDC ... I don't know why they would be compared to the U87.

audiofreqs wrote: NOT

Ok...it's not a U87...never said it was, but according to a lot of reviews it has been compared to the U87 with great feedback.

And they're Canadian, EH? 8)

ok so who makes the Kel HM-1 ?
and whats the name of the other one?
any links?

KEL at kelaudio.com
and project studios i dont know there address but if you look around here (in the reveiws) your find it.

i highly recomend the KELs

thank you :lol:

http://www.studioprojects.com and http://www.kelaudio.com

I think it may have been my remarks that Arthur is referring to. Have some other people said that too Arthur?

I would be interested to hear if there are others who are hearing the same thing which is, when compared side by side (same take, same vocalist, 9098 pres) I noticed that the HM-1 sounded very similar to my U87ai ... not exactly but close enough that it would be hard to tell the difference if you were listening in the context of a whole song, instead of A / B ing them side by side.

I saw you mention comparing to the U87ai, but before that from a studio owner out here in Illinois compared them to Neumann, but I'm not sure what model. After ordering 1 of the HM-1's he ordered 3 more. He likes them on vocals, toms, and guitar cabs.

I also have a buddy of mine who has some nice mics of all types including Neumann, Royer, Groove Tubes, Shure..etc and he said that the Kel has a place right next to em...no b.s. Yes I realize that comparing ribbons, condensers, and dynamics is comparing apples to oranges, but he said that the Kel mics hold their own next to the big boys for their intended purpose.

Once I get more pres I think I'm going to get a matched pair.

Thanks Art ... I need to hear stuff like that for the review .. anyone else who's heard the HM-1's have any thoughts?

what about mic made by studio projects like the t3?
any comments on them?

You got me there....I hear Studio Projects makes good stuff, but haven't had a chance to use it.

The SE brand seems to be getting decent reviews in the popular trade magazines (S O S, Recording). Anyone using the SE 2200 or SE-1As to good effect?

None of the cheap Chinese condensers have really held up for me over a long period of time...typically they'll sound good when I first put them up on a vocalist, but their weaknesses tend to show when they're hit with anything with dynamic content in either extreme, as well as there often seems to be something funky going on in the higher frequencies that is exacerbated especially when any sort of high shelving EQ's are applied (especially when compared to a U87 or other higher-end microphones). But I haven't heard them all and certainly can't speak for all of them.

-Duardo

i have had the chance to compare a Kel HM-1 to a U87ai side by side. in cardioid, in a close miking scenario such as vocals, they sound almost identical to my ear. of course you don't get the multi patterns and the roll offs but you do get to keep three thousand dollars.

OMG, this is astonishing, and in some ways disturbing or concerning and maybe even hard to believe. But that could be because I don't want to think or support more Chinese in my home. I sold 4 Kel mics to Davedog and recently sold my U87ai. I never even tested the Kels out. Maybe I should have!

i think the HM1s are still available ... but they cost about $250 now (old thread). still worth it fwiw / imo. lol

audiokid, post: 404248 wrote: OMG, this is astonishing, and in some ways disturbing or concerning and maybe even hard to believe. But that could be because I don't want to think or support more Chinese in my home. I sold 4 Kel mics to Davedog and recently sold my U87ai. I never even tested the Kels out. Maybe I should have!

Yeah, you shoulda tested them. The HM-7U is a VERY nice mic. I used a two mic set-up for my last project and it worked side-by-side with my vintage U87. And Kelly took excellent care of the problem mic. I can't recommend Kel mics enough! I still use my HM-1 I bought in 2003 for $89 on the first release! BTW the HM-1 has been discontinued so the legacy will have to be through the used marketplace.

it's too bad KEL discontinued the HM-1 as it was a real winner. i suppose they are outsourced and whoever was making them stopped production ... one of the problems when you outsource products from a manufacturer that you have no control over. i had a pair but i'm not sure if they were sold in the last round of sell off i went through last year. i'm hopeing i didn't sell them now... if i did i guess i'll be watching the ebay for another pair.

I think Kelly Dueck @KEL mics calls all his own shots and simply stopped making a mic he's made for 10+ years. He isn't a huge company so in order to move forward sometimes you have to stop the past. He has new products coming soon. The HM7U is also discontinued. If you can find NOS or a used one I recommend these also.