Shure SM35 Professional Condenser Headset Microphone with TQG Connector - Hands-Free Audio for Wireless Systems, Podcasting, Live Performances & Broadcasting (SM35-TQG) - Bodypack Transmitter Sold Separately

Some of the reviews had me a bit nervous about ordering this -- somebody didn't like the sound. But, really, I couldn't be happier with it. Its a phantom power microphone, but that is fine with me because I run it to my Peavey Mixer which has a Phantom Power Button (at first I thought I blew it up because when I first hit the phantom power button, the mic came on loud and then dead silence. Well, I just didn't push the Peavey button down far enough and it came right back up). Anyway, mics that run off of phantom power seem to have a great deal more gain than those that don't. So this SM35 has a lot of gain to play with. And the response was crystal clear. I don't know what that other reviewer was thinking of, unless he just had a muddy setup that he was running into.another thing I like about this SM35 is that you can wear it in several ways. I tried with the loop around my neck and that seems to work. But I now wear it on my head, along with my headphones... yes, it may be crowded up there on top of my head, but I have no problem wearing both. I use the SM35 in my Music Practice, which can go on for hours, and so, yes, the little adjustable pressure pad on the end of the head loop can begin to dig in and get uncomfortable, but then I found that I can cope simply by moving the placement of the SM35 off to the side or a bit up or down, and then one can compensate by repositioning the adjustable boom going to the microphone element (my usual First Position is to place the adjustable pad just above the top of my left ear and to position the right side of the Head Loop to the top of my cheek bone just in front of my right ear. When, after about an hour, I feel the adjustable pad on the left 'digging in' and causing some discomfort, then I lift it up in position by less than an inch while pulling the right side of the Boom just under my cheek bone -- very comfy! And that usually lasts me until I'm so popped that I drop). Oh, the little cord that comes off the head boom section from its side was tweaking my ear, and so I used a loop of string to fasten that little cord to the top middle of the boom from where it can fall down my back without bumping into my ear. Not enough of a problem to deduct a Star.Now, moving on ... As I said, the mic has a lot of gain to play with, and so you do not have to have it very close to your mouth. I position it off to the side to keep from picking up Nose Blast. Even with the Breeze Protector on the end covering the microphone element, if the breath exhalation coming from out of your nose is in line with that microphone element, it will come through loud and clear, like somebody 'blowing' into a microphone. But I have no problem bending the element out of the way of my Nose Snort and still being able to adjust the microphone element boom for good singing quality.Now, if you are wondering whether you should get a head boom microphone like this in the first place, but you are resisting because you fear not having enough dynamic control over the microphone for studio work or for sensitive stage performances, well, don't worry about it. When you need the kind of control that you would have with a hand held microphone, well, its easy enough to reach up and grab the flexible-adjustable boom and to work it like a hand microphone. I've done it. some songs require a full baritone (covering Leonard Cohen or Johnny Cash) and I am more like a tenor, and so I pull the microphone in real close and do a breathy baritone, and when I'm done, I just instantly twist it back to where it was before. No Problem.Oh, now that I think about it, there is something to get used to. whenever you decide to walk off your 'spot' you have to disconnect. I am already used to taking my Head Phones off, so it isn't much of a problem remembering about the head boom mic. With the SM35, you simply disconnect from the XLR connector. Everything else can stay in place.Oh, and there is the additional setup required for using the SM35 instead of just keeping a Microphone on a Stand somewhere. There is something of a procedure for putting it on. That involves putting the head boom on your head, and then running the light cord guide clip to the back of your shirt collar or wherever, and then plugging that light cord into the little but heavy preamp (bullet proof heavy -- that little thing weighs a lot. If you were to catch a cat fish half that heavy, you'd take a picture of it)that clips onto your belt or waistband (if you practice in your pajamas or underwear), and then finally you plug in your XLR Cable (not included) into that. It takes a bit more than a minute. Taking it all the way off, requires the reverse process. Now, I recommend disconnecting the little but heavy preamp from the cord and storing it separately, because, well if you decide to store the head boom section with its light cord by hanging it somewhere, well, that dangling preamp would be quite a pull on the little cord all the time. You know I was wondering why the little preamp is so heavy, and I decided to guess that the Engineers at Shure were getting Line Hum Noise from the earlier prototypes and just kept adding metal shielding until all the Electronic Noise Interference went away. They did a good job, because electronically, that SM35 is as silent as the grave, adding no additional noise to whatever is in your Sound System already.So, yes, going from regular Microphones to this head boom will require a few additional duties and require some small additional increments of time. But the upside of having a Head Boom Microphone is that, while performing, IT IS ALWAYS THERE and ready to go. Being a Musician with a regular mic on a mic stand, well, if you are playing an instrument, it is REALLY difficult to position for both your instrument AND the mic stand, or the microphone boom or whatever. With a regular microphone, you always have to watch it to make sure it doesn't creep away, or that you don't bump into it. And all while you are trying to play an instrument. So nothing is ever just right -- you are either somewhat ignoring your Instrument, or you are somewhat ignoring the microphone. But this head boom microphone is ALWAYS THERE and you can set it up for just the right gain and position for 98% of the singing you will do, and it is so unobtrusive that it is easy to forget you're wearing it. After working with it for a month now, I can't really understand why so many performing musicians still use those 'ordinary' microphones ... they have never worked with Head Boom microphones and simply take all of the aggravations of the ordinary microphones for granted. Oh, another thing! How many performing musicians have gone on break only to come back and find that their microphones have been stolen... even entire mic stands disappear! Well, let's see if anybody can steal a boom microphone right off the top of your head!anyway, no buyer's remorse here.