recordinghacks

Audix i5

Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

The Audix i5 is an all-purpose studio dynamic mic that invariably draws comparisons to the ubiquitous Shure SM57.

The case is a bit shorter and fatter than the SM57, but the applications are generally the same. Reviewers report great results on snare drums, percussion, and electric guitar cabinets.

The frequency response graph is telling; the mic’s -3dB points are found around 50Hz and 16kHz; in between you’ll find a +5dB peak at 150Hz and a +9dB peak at 5500Hz.

SoundOnSound

My first practical test was to use the i5 at a live gig for miking a guitar combo, which it managed superbly. It nailed the tone of the amp and helped cut through the mix without making the sound too aggressive. In the studio it worked well on both hand percussion (djembe, in this case) and kit drums, where it made a decent tom mic and also proved capable of good results on the snare drum.

Electronic Musician

Overall, the i5 exhibited an open, beefy sound. Although it was a bit on the dark side due to its low-end emphasis, the mic had plenty of definition.

ProAudioReview

The warm, sounding hollow-body guitars sounded great with the i-5s. The top-end had much more presence than I would expect from a dynamic, but it was not exaggerated. The bottom end was clean, but not rolled off. And you could get this sound by locating the mic three inches from the amplifier. Man, who needs a condenser when you can get this sound out of a dynamic.

I also tried the i-5 on a Martin 000-16SGT, 12-fret acoustic guitar just to see if the dynamic had enough presence to bring out the essence of the mahogany and spruce. The recorded material was very good. The i-5 does not have the sweet overall presence of the Audix SCX-25, but it opens up, more than most other dynamics I have used, the character on the top end without being brittle.

The Audix i5 is also known as: i-5.

The mic was released in 2004.

Specifications

Frequency Response - CardioidClick Graph to Compare!

Pickup Patterns	Pads & Filters
Cardioid (1.5 mV/Pa; 50 - 16,000 Hz)

Coil Diameter	Impedance	SPL/Noise
n/a	150 Ohms (Low)	Max SPL: 140 dB

Weight	Length	Max Diameter	Interface(s)
183g (6.46oz)	142mm (5.59'')	38mm (1.50'')	3-pin XLR male (1)

Power Specifications

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