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Musically Speaking reviews the MP-75

Steve Childs in Studio
It probably will not surprise when I say that that many of my students over the years have asked me what, in my opinion, was a real good, affordable stage microphone for singers. Although there are many good microphones out there to choose from, the TC-Helicon MP-75 Modern Vocal Performance Microphone really does stand out from the rest for many reasons.

First of all, the company itself, TC-Helicon, has produced more voice centered gear than any other company that I know of, and it shows in the thought that goes into their products. In other words, they think like singers. They think of singers needs and they come up with all kinds of inventive ways to help us finally take control of our on sound on stage. The MP-75 is a perfect example of this. For example, the microphone itself is equipped with a single button momentary switch which controls some of the features of other TC-Helicon vocal products such as delay, reverb and harmonizing effects. With a quick push of a button, from anywhere on the stage a singer can now turn off their vocal effects while talking to the audience, and then turn them back on when they start singing again. Up until now this job left to the sound guy who may or may not even be paying attention. It is very unprofessional for a singer to be trying to connect with the audience between songs, only to have their voice drowned out by reverb and delay. Therefore, this alone is a great feature to have at your fingertips.

Let me give you another example. If the MP-75 is connected to the TC-Helicon harmonizer (the Harmony-G XT), the vocalist can turn on harmonies during a chorus and then shut them back off again for the verse, no matter where they are on the stage and without interrupting their performance. Also, if you string any of the TC-Helicon vocal singles together, such as the reverb, doubling and delays pedals, you can turn some of the effects off while leaving others on. Again, with the MP-75 it is the singer who is now in control of their vocal sound and it can be done from anywhere on the stage with just the push of a button.

So, let’s take a closer look at the MP-75 as a purely a vocal microphone. I have to say that I am very impressed with it as a whole. To be honest, I wasn’t even thinking that I would like this mic because like many singers, I had what I thought was my mic of choice, which for me was the Shure SM-58. This is a mic that I have used for years and I was very comfortable with it. However, what I found in the MP-75 has a well thought out design and excellent overall construction.

“It is clear that every part within the mic is based around quality…”

Frankly, this mic is built like a tank! For example, the wire mesh grill ball top is made up of hardened steel, which is said to be ten times stronger than an ordinary grill. Although I cannot attest to this exact figure, I must say it wouldn’t surprise me if it is accurate. You can feel how strong the ball is just by pressing in on it. I have actually dropped this mic in my studio during my analysis and there was no damage whatsoever to the grill. Every other mic in my studio has grill damage, which does change the tone of the mic. So, is an important area to put strength into a microphone. Next is the capsule, which is the heart of a microphone. This is another great feature of the MP-75. It contains a dual material diaphragm which has a rigid section for high frequencies and a flexible section for a its low frequency response. It contains neodymium magnets which are the strongest type of permanent magnet made in the world. The magnet is actually a rare earth element and can be found in other high tech devises such as computer hard disk drives. Even the switch on the front of the mic is a quality component which is made of an elastic polymer, which you find on custom computer keyboards.

It is clear that every part within the mic is based around quality. This doesn’t just mean that the mic can withstand the torture of live performance, it also means that the sound quality that you get is absolutely amazing. I tested this mic against other mics at my studio such as a Shure SM-58 and the Audio Technica MB 3000L and the difference was very obvious and for the most part extremely positive.

First of all, because this microphone is meant specifically for singers, its’ polar pattern is designed to reject sound coming into the sides and rear of the mic. At first this threw me off a bit because the mic requires you to find its sweet spot which is directly in front and pretty close in. But after performing with the mic I really appreciated this design because there is hardly any unwanted stage noise coming though the mix. Again, most mics are not designed specifically for vocals. The MP-75 is not meant to pick up cymbals or guitars like an SM-58 and so it is truly meant for singers only. This means that you can expect a huge reduction of feedback on stage. Trust me, this is a major plus for any singer who wants their vocals turned up on stage. The less feedback, the louder you can be.

Another great feature of this mic is the low handling noise. Almost every mic I have ever used on stage makes a ton of noise just by holding it and having the skin of the hand rubbing against the mic body. Because the capsule is suspended in the mic, much like a studio mic is suspended in a shock mount, the mic hardly makes any noise at all. This was a very obvious aspect which I noticed immediately while performing with the mic.

Finally, I would like to talk about the the tone of the MP-75. This is where I spent most amount of time analyzing this mic, both in live settings and through flat monitors in our recording studios control room. The mic has a very pristine high end that really make the vocals shine through. This mic almost seems more similar to a studio mic than a live mic, but again, it does not allow for feedback issues that you will find with a studio dynamic mic on stage.

In addition to the high frequencies, the low end is there as well, but almost to a fault. I found that the MP-75 has a lot of low end, which if not handled correctly by your live sound engineer, could be a slight problem. But to me this is actually a good thing as I would rather have the low end represented in the mix than not there at all. Remember, you cannot add to a mix what is not there, but you can always remove it by rolling off some of those lower frequencies. This allows the mic to be shaped to each singers tone rather than forcing the singer to compensate for what lacks in their mic. For a female singer, having that low end would be a plus, and for a deeper male voice a simple EQ roll off is all that’s needed. Just get to know this mic for your own voice so you can relay your preferences to the sound guy and you will be set.

I honestly do believe that the TC-Helicon MP-75 is a fantastic vocal mic that gives singers more control over their effects as well as their tone on stage. It is a quality product with a lot of flexibility and I am sure that you will love it from the moment that you sing into it.

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