Musicians, engineers, and producers looking to expand their microphone lockers will want to look at two new large-diaphragm options from sE Electronics, the sE4100 and the T1. Both mics are cardioid-only versions of existing multi-pattern models, with the sE4100 being otherwise almost identical to the sE4400, while the T1 is a single-pattern version of the T2.
Both models are very similar workhorse mics designed for a wide variety of vocal and instrument recording applications, sharing the same chassis and specs. The main difference is that the sE4100 has a gold-sputtered diaphragm, while the T1 has the titanium-sputtered diaphragm from the original Titan mic. The stiff titanium gives it a slightly faster transient response, providing even better performance on instruments with fast attacks such as drums, percussion, piano, and picked guitar. While the multipattern options are gone, both mics offer smart feature sets to ensure you get quality results, including a switchable -10 or -20 dB pad and a 6 dB per octave switchable low-cut filter that can be set to 160 or 80 Hz. With the -20 dB pad engaged, both mics can handle a whopping 157 dB of sound—plenty of headroom for loud sources like guitar amps and drums. Both mics offer a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, an 85 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and a low self-noise of only 9 dBA.
The sE4100 and T1 can be purchased as individual mics or as matched stereo pairs. In addition to the custom shockmounts designed for close-miking sources, the stereo pairs include an adjustable stereo bar that makes it easy to use the mics in an A/B or X/Y configuration.
We hope that gives you some idea of what these streamlined, cardioid-only microphones are all about. Retaining the terrific capsules and versatile features from the originals, the sE4100 and the T1 provide a cost-effective alternative for users who don’t need multiple polar pattern options. For more information, drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to reply to your comments and questions.
