The DS-V10 is a super cardioid dynamic microphone designed to provide the performance necessary to satisfy the most demanding professional vocalists, excellent articulation for speech and will work easily for the untrained user.

The wide and smooth frequency response of the DOMINION SERIES DS-V10 provides a natural, transparent sound quality. The super cardioid pattern helps to minimize annoying feedback and reduces the pickup of off-axis sounds. The DS-V10 has a unique “plosive” filter and internal multistage pop filter, which minimizes wind and breath noise.

The DOMINION SERIES DS-V10 has a hardened steel grille screen that resists denting. This reduces the risk of capsule damage, which can adversely effect the microphone's performance

* Review

EQUATION AUDIO

DS-V10 Dynamic Vocal Microphone

Equation Audio is a relative newcomer to the microphone market, having been established approximately five years ago. The company offers a complete line of dynamic and condenser mics, including its popular handheld, the Dominion Series DS-V10 ($179 list). This dynamic, supercardioid vocal model employs Neodymium magnetic materials and has a 40 to 17k Hz response. Its zinc body is coated with a rubberized, matte-black finish intended to reduce handling noise. A steel-mesh grille protects the capsule from harm while reducing plosives. Maximum SPL is rated at 140 dB.

I used the DS-V10 on vocals in a number of live sound situations, and took it for a quick spin in the studio. Without saying anything, I put DS-V10s onstage for Richie Castellano (keyboard and guitar player for Blue Oyster Cult) in his two mic positions. It was comical to watch him sing into the mic while trying to read the brand and model of the mic. Castellano fell in love with the sound of his voice on the DS-V10, and so did I. It's clear that someone on Equation Audio's engineering team did their homework. The mic is voiced such that it requires little (if any) EQ to get presence in the mix without harshness. The DS-V10 produced a smooth response yet maintained clear articulation across the frequency range.

The DS-V10's off-axis rejection was outstanding and I noticed a significant drop in leakage of keyboard and guitar amps into his vocal mic. In fact, the pattern of the DS-V10 is so tight that if you're speaking into the mic on-axis and turn your head, your voice all but disappears. This could be a double-edged sword: The mic rejects stage spill very effectively, but a singer who doesn't stay on-mic will experience drastic dropouts when he/she moves off-axis.

Proximity effect on the DS-V10 is gentle. When Castellano sings a falsetto part, he gets right up on the mic, and if there's too much proximity effect, his voice can become muddy. Not so with the DS-V10, which maintained clarity under these circumstances. The DS-V10's pop filter works extremely well when a singer's mouth is right on the grille, but (surprisingly) less so when the mic is pulled back around six or eight inches, where plosives are still audible.

When you add solid construction and a finish that helps minimize handling noise to the DS-V10's sonic attributes, you come up with a vocal mic that's a clear winner.