Heil Sound PR-30 Dynamic Microphone

It's rare when a couple weeks' worth of hands-on time completely converts me. But the Heil PR-30 is different: I knew the first time I heard it I was dealing with something special. I've also changed my thinking about the world of condenser and dynamic microphones, and their traditional application roles.

The Heil PR-30 is a large-diaphragm, end-address dynamic microphone; and, simply, it's now one of my favorite microphones I've ever used.

As a busy live sound engineer and occasional studio engineer, the Heil PR-30 is the first microphone to make both me -- and my clients -- this excited in a long time.

Built with pride in the USA

The Heil PR-30 is a unique microphone in many ways; not only does it sound absolutely incredible, it isn't just another mass-produced microphone. Each PR-30 is hand-crafted and quality checked by Heil Sound's dedicated team in Fairview Heights, IL -- right across the river from my hometown of St. Louis, MO.

The PR-30's build quality is terrific. As any live sound engineer will tell you, a microphone primarily used in live sound will get put through various abuses over the years. A good live sound microphone needs to be able to hold up well, and deal with the stress of the stage, and the Heil PR-30 is no exception.

The microphone itself is all-metal construction -- easily able to withstand a large amount of abuse. The only non-metal part is the stand mount, which is built from high-impact plastic -- which, in the two weeks I've used it, showed very moderate paint wear around the edges from going back and forth from stage to mic case.

Each microphone is hand-finished, with a champagne-colored shell and grill. Based on my time with the PR-30, I'd expect the finish and build to hold up well, especially due to the lack of plastic parts.

While the Heil PR-30 is built extremely well, the true magic lies in the sound quality.

Hear it in action...

The best way to understand the sound of the Heil PR-30 is to hear it!

These clips were recorded directly off the sound board during a live mix, with minimal compression.

PR-30 on guitar amp, along with the PR-35 on vocals and PR-40 on kick, live, very light EQ and compression.

PR-30 on a high-quality guitar amplifier, mixed live.

Sound quality & applications

The Heil PR-30 is built around a new way of thinking about microphone technology. The large diaphragm is made from a special magnet structure, composed primarily of neodymium, iron, and boron, which gives the PR-30 its incredible dynamic range.

While the PR-30 shines on traditional "dynamic" duties, it also has a wide frequency response (40hz to 18kHz) and high SPL-handling capability which make it ideal for many jobs where a condenser microphone would have been a legitimate choice. It sounds magnificent on cymbals, something I never thought I'd say about a dynamic microphone. It easily outpaced my previously preferred drum overheads -- which cost twice the price!

On guitar amp, the PR-30 is simply my favorite mic I've used live. The first time I used the PR-30, I immediately got compliments. The PR-30 doesn't just amplify a good approximation of tone; it gives an honest image of what the guitar amp sounds like, and a player who strives for great tone will absolutely love the honest sound of the PR-30.

In the past, for critical live recordings, I've gone to double-micing guitar amps to achieve a blend of microphone sounds that represented tone accurately. With the PR-30, I get the tone I wanted with just one microphone. The PR-30 has a lush, accurate mid-range, perhaps the best tonal quality; high-end extension is tight without being brittle. Low-end extension is solid without getting in the way of the exceptional mid-range response.

I can't say enough about how the PR-30 helps my live mixes.

Sticker shock -- the good kind

My only negatives about the PR-30 have nothing to do with sound quality; for the price, I'd like to see a small case included, although most engineers, myself included, will always have their own mic case.

A case is important, because while $249 isn't expensive compared to the higher-end competition, it's still considered an investment for many working musicians, and protecting it as such is important to many.

I'd also like to see a stronger finish on the mic clip -- my test unit started showing wear after only a few days of living in my mic case. These are not major issues to most engineers.

The PR-30 is, overall, an exceptional microphone, and one of my new favorites. While it's not cheap compared to the competition, the added quality is worth it.

Whether you're a studio engineer or mix live sound for a living, you'll find the PR-30 to be indispensable on amps, overheads, and vocals -- although if you want to use the PR-30 on stage for live vocals, you should consider the handheld Heil PR-35, featuring the same elements of the PR-30 on a handheld package. The PR-30, while sounding great, is a bit awkward for live vocal use.

The biggest thing about the PR-30 that really surprised me was the price: $249 MSRP. I've used microphones costing many times more, and the PR-30 hands-down beats the competition. The PR-30 successfully bridges the gap between the low-end dynamic microphones of other manufacturers, and higher-end studio-quality microphones.

The Heil PR-30 is available directly from Heil Sound, or through their network of distributors worldwide.