Description

The X1S Vocal Pack takes sE’s well-regarded X1S condenser microphone and pairs it with the hardware you’d otherwise have to hunt down separately. You get the mic, a shock mount to isolate it from stand and floor vibrations, a metal pop filter to tame breath blasts, and a 3-meter cable to connect it all — a complete signal chain out of the box.

At the core is the X1S itself, sE’s refined follow-up to the original X1 that helped define what an affordable, hand-built condenser could sound like. The capsule is still hand-assembled and tuned in sE’s capsule room, but the internal electronics were reworked to push dynamic range and sensitivity higher while cutting self-noise considerably. SPL handling now tops out at a hefty 160dB, so the mic won’t choke on loud sources.

Practical controls back up that headroom: two pad settings (-10dB and -20dB) let you close-mic anything from screaming guitar cabs to kick drums without distortion, while switchable low-cut filters at 80Hz and 160Hz knock out rumble, footfalls, and proximity-effect bass buildup on vocals and close instrument work.

Build quality carries through as well — the all-metal body shields against electrical interference and holds up to daily studio use, and a gold-plated XLR connector keeps the signal path clean over the long haul. A mic clip is included standard for stand mounting.

Good for: