Designer David Bock remarks: "I started out designing a more affordable and mellow version of the ELUX 251 while still retaining all the 251's meat and sound. Something you can't get from a 47 or any of the other vintage mics. The E250 is not as bright as the 251 with its pronounced high-frequency peak. The 250 is mellowed down a bit and I sculpted the proximity effect more towards the middle of the vocal range than down below it where it usually lives. Basically the 250 is a condenser version of the 251 optimized for close vocals and includes all our modern enhancements with lower noise and distortion specs."
Another problem with close miking vocals is high-frequency directionality or the "beaming effect." This is where any slight head movement by the singer can produce a big change in the high-frequency content. Bock continues: "The new E250 has a broader cardioid polar pattern than our standard 251, which is fairly directional up close, and that makes it much more forgiving in these cases."
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
