Back when I was first playing in bands, sound systems were very primitive, to say the least. To give you an idea, when the Shure Vocal Master came along, it was a revelation for bands everywhere, something that’s quite laughable today. Another standard of the time was the Electro-Voice 664 microphone, which we all used at some time during our early careers.
The 664 was definitely under-appreciated for its sound, but we all loved how rugged it was. In fact, it was nicknamed the “Buchanan Hammer” (Buchanan, Michigan is where EV was located), because you could literally use it to hammer nails and then sing into it with no sonic deterioration.
The 664 disappeared from active production quite a while ago, but it’s spirit lives again in Warm Audio’s new Retro 64 recreation, a cardioid dynamic mic built for the stage.
Perhaps the biggest feature of the original 664 was what EV called Variable D, which was a port design on the sides of the mic to overcome proximity effect. That meant when you got closer to the mic, the frequency response stayed essentially the same. It also tightened up the directional pickup pattern, which kept feedback at bay.
You’ll find that as well with the Retro 64, as well as a specially tuned dynamic capsule, and all the internal shock mounting to keep the mic as rugged as it’s predecessor.
The Retro 64 also eliminates the on-off switch on the front of the mic, something that we usually taped in the On position to make sure that the mic was kept hot. This eliminates the whole bottom section of the mic, which added to its considerable weight.
Make no mistake, the Retro 64 is meant to be used in a live situation, although you may find it useful for more than just vocals. It’s frequency response is tailored for the upper-midrange frequencies, while the high’s are a bit suppressed to decrease sibilance.
The Retro 64 has an MSRP of $149 and comes in either black matte or silver finish. You can find out more here, or watch the video below for more details.
