MICROPHONE OF THE MONTH NOVEMBER 2022

The EV PL 95 is a dynamic directional microphone, a quality product from the 1970s and 1980s. It was also sold as DS 35; the abbreviation PL stands for Professional Line, a series of products intended for pro audio users. In terms of sales, the DS (Dynamic Single D?) line was aimed at consumers.

In the eighties, EV changed the color of the PL series, from light gray to dark green-grey, but the interior of the microphones remained the same.

The PL 95 differs from many other EV models, which used the 'variable D technique', a system patented by EV in which the sound of microphones is less affected by the distance from the user to the microphone.

With standard directional microphones, when used closely, the bass increases, which is known as the 'proximity effect'.
The PL 95 therefore sounds more like microphones from other manufacturers.

The sound is described by some as a condenser microphone with extra mids, or as a cross between a Shure SM 57 and an Electro-Voice RE 15 (which does use the 'variable D principle').
Outwardly there is a strong resemblance with the Electro-Voice RE 16, an RE 15 with extra pop filter.

Personally I think the RE 15 and RE 16 are very nice microphones, but there are artists who like to use the proximity effect, which can make voices sound extra fat.

Although Electro-Voice makes more 'single D' designs, like the formerly popular PL 80 vocal microphone, it's a bit like Apple's Steve Jobs would have released a Windows machine, because some customers were used to it: hardly imaginable.

The PL 95 was considerably cheaper than the RE 16, but still had enthusiastic users who preferred this version. The microphone was very insensitive to ambient noise and could therefore be used next to loud monitor speakers or PA systems. It was also extremely shock-resistant, because the element was mounted in a kind of rubber shock absorber (image nr 2).
To effectivly countering all pop sounds, an extra pop filter was not a luxury.

The PL 95 was also very suitable for use as a tom microphone, or for amplifying electric guitars: a real 'live sound' microphone.

Nowadays almost all EV microphones are made according to the 'single D principle', only the PL 20 still uses the 'variable D design', which remains a great microphone for speech, vocals and instruments with a lot of low tones such as sax , kick drum and bass.

Many more types feature in my book Witnesses of Words. More information about that can be found at www.witnessesofwords.com