Sontronics

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Reviews | Sontronics Halo
S
o, how do you mic up a
guitar amp’s speaker
cabinet? There are many
ways including using
multiple microphones but the tried and
tested method that will always get you
results is to stick a dynamic mic
close-up in front of it.
The most commonly seen mic both
onstage and in the studio is Shure’s
SM57 but there are others that are well
suited for the task like the Sennheiser
E609 and now Sontronics have come
up with the Halo, designed specifically
for use on guitar amps and cabinets.
The Halo is based on Sontronics’
STC-80, a hand-held dynamic vocal
microphone and uses the same
capsule, albeit enhanced to suit guitar
frequencies. The capsule, though, is
placed it in a completely different
setting to a hand-held mic.
In a design seen previously in
Sontronic’s Saturn and inspired by
1940s and ’50s vocal mics, the
capsule is suspended at the centre of a
circular frame by four springs, which
are intended to keep it isolated from
shocks and rumble. The frame is
attached to a mount that can pivot
through 180 degrees.
Flexibility
We used the Halo to mic up a series of
guitar amps both in the studio and at a
live gig where it attracted a bevy of
admirers who’d never seen anything
like it before. The first thing of practical
note about the halo is its positioning
capabilities – it can be easily placed
right up close to speaker grilles, while
the pivoting mount is easily adjustable
to any position, adding more flexibility
in stand placement in tight spaces.
What’s more, although use of a
stand would usually be the preferred
option, the Halo can be ‘dangled’ on its
lead from above like the flat-profiled
Sennheiser MD409 and E609 – useful
in a stage situation where space is tight
and a stand is likely to get knocked.
The mic’s stunning looks and
practicality wouldn’t mean much if it
sounded crap though, and fortunately it
doesn’t. In fact, the Halo yields a great
sound in front of a guitar speaker. The
idea behind the mic, say Sontronics, is
to serve up quality electric guitar sound
without having to resort to any EQ and
it’s been designed with a frequency plot
to achieve just that with a low end
roll-off below 250Hz, a broad presence
boost above 1kHz and a response that
starts to tail off rapidly above 7kHz.
The result is a microphone that can
accurately capture the sound of a
typical guitar cab with plenty of natural
bite and presence but no unwanted
boom or fizz.
Mic check
In a side-by-side test, miking up a
Fender combo, we found that there
wasn’t an awful lot to choose between
the Halo and a Shure SM57, which is
saying quite a lot as the latter is an
industry standard. Both, to our ears,
captured just the right balance of
frequencies with slight variations and
we’d be happy to use either mic for the
job if both were in our collection. That
said, the Halo could have some
advantages in terms of placement in
certain situations.
The bottom line is that if you need
to mic up guitar speakers on a regular
basis the Halo is a viable alternative to
the previous popular choices.
WHAT is iT?
A dynamic mic for use in
front of guitar amps and
cabinets
ConTACT
Who: Sontronics
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.timespace.com
HiGHLiGHTs
1 Captures a nice balance
of frequencies
2 Flat design allows
unobtrusive placement
3 Cool retro looks
speCs
Capsule type: Dynamic
microphone
Response: 50Hz - 15kHz
Sensitivity: -53dB
+/- 1.5dB
Polar pattern: Cardioid
Impedance: ≤600 Ohms
Connector: Three-pin XLR
Weight:
370g
Sontronics
Halo | £129
VeRDiCT
BUILD
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VALUE
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EASE OF USE
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VERSATILITY
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RESULTS
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The Halo is not only a great
performer when close miking guitar
cabinets, it’s also the best-looking.
His mum thinks he’s a little angel of course, but
Trevor Curwen never had a Halo until he tried out
Sontronics’ latest mic
FMU248.rev_sontronics.indd 82 12/7/11 10:59:28 AM