SE ELECTRONICS Reflexion Filter
096
|
COMPUTER MUSIC SEPTEMBER 2006 REVIEW
reviews
O
nce in a while there comes
along an idea that’s so simple
and so obvious that you wonder
why no one thought of it before. sE
Electronics’ Reflexion Filter represents
just such a concept – billed as a
“portable vocal booth”, its primary
function is to reduce the unwanted
sound reflections that all too frequently
form the tell-tale sonic signature of
tracks recorded at home.
The Reflexion Filter is basically a
semi-circular acoustic screen that you
position at the back of your
microphone using a set of clamps and
support bars. Unfortunately, these are
rather confusing, and we were forced
to download instructions on how to
assemble them. Nevertheless, they
offer flexible mounting options and
enable you to remove the screen
without changing the position of
your microphone.
Back to front
Although it looks like it’s designed to
shield your microphone and stop
sound getting in, the Reflexion Filter
actually works the other way around.
The idea is that the microphone picks
up your voice as normal, and then the
Reflexion Filter soaks it up before it
gets a chance to bounce off the walls,
which could create nasty resonances
and echoes. If you thought this device
was just designed to change your
mic’s pick-up pattern, think again.
The Reflexion Filter certainly looks
the business, and it seems bigger in
real life than it appears to be in
photographs. It’s actually rather heavy
too, so it works better with tripod-base
mic stands rather than weighted-base
ones. Sadly, despite its large size, the
Filter isn’t quite big enough to
accommodate all microphones in the
ideal position (ie, with the mic capsule
in-line with the screen opening).
Another concern is that the screen
resonates at certain audio frequencies.
If you tap it with your thumb it booms
like a drum, and if you sing loudly at it
you’ll find a frequency at which the
screen ‘sings’ along with you. Ideally,
panelling like this should be totally
dead. The literature says that there’s
“only around 1dB” of colouration, but
this isn’t a particularly helpful or
meaningful measurement.
Despite these slight reservations,
the Reflexion Filter can be summed up
as a nicely-structured device that will
undoubtedly be helpful to many
people. There’s something
psychologically reassuring about using
it, too – perhaps this relates to the
sense of privacy that it gives the
singer. However, the quality of the
Chances are you havent got room for a vocal
booth in your recording space, but thanks to sE
Electronics, you might not need one…
Reflexion Filter
SE ELECTRONICS
results you’ll get from using the
Reflexion Filter vary wildly depending
on your particular environment, so our
advice is to either try before you buy
or find a friendly shop that will give
you a refund if you’re not completely
happy with it.
cm
1
Improve your sound and avoid eye contact with
the sound engineer with the Reflexion Filter
Although it’s primarily designed to reduce the sense of
‘boxiness’ that domestic environments such as bedrooms can
project onto your vocal sound, the Reflexion Filter also has
countless other applications. If you’re a singer/songwriter who
needs to sing and play acoustic guitar at the same time, for
example, it can be difficult or impossible to correct the mix
later on because of the sound leakage between the vocal and
guitar. By positioning the Reflexion Filter under your chin,
however, you could dramatically increase the separation.
You could also use the Reflexion Filter ‘in reverse’ to cut
down leakage in other situations – when you’re recording a
percussionist live along with a band, for example. By placing
the Reflexion Filter in front of (rather than behind) the
microphone, you could create a space in which egg shakers,
guiros and other instruments could be played. It’s all down to
your imagination.
Not just for vocalists
VERDICT
FOR
+ Tames ‘bad’ room
conditions
+ Looks the business
+ Flexible mounting system
+ Many alternative uses
AGAINST
– Rather expensive
– Screen resonates
– Doesn’t fit all microphones
It won’t guarantee good vocal
recordings, but the Reflexion Filter
is certainly worth a try. Make sure
you hold onto the receipt, though…
RATING
7
3 ALTERNATIVELY
Acousti Pro products
N/A >> N/A >> £variable
Acoustic tiles, bass traps, speaker
isolation pads, sound screen
panels and noise barrier sheets
Ghost Acoustics products
N/A >> N/A >> £variable
A division of sE Electronics,
Ghost have a range of acoustic
treatment products
INNOVATION
PRICE: £229
CONTACT: Sonic Distribution: 01582 470260 WWW.seelectronics.com
What is it? A stand-mounted mini acoustic screen for vocalists
CMU104.rev_reflexion 096 7/8/06 15:38:47