PRA 628 MKII : A viable replacement for the Sennheiser e609

The Sennheiser e609 shape makes it uniquely useful in a situation where a stage needs to look clean or stands are in short supply. That was until I discovered the Superlux PRA628 MKII. Shaped like the 609 it can be hung over the front of the cab.

I first discovered it while touring with a band as a sound engineer. I had let the house engineer set up and patch the mics on stage. We did the gig and I went up to the stage afterwards and happened to notice what I thought were oddly shaped e609's on the guitar cabs. It was only when I asked the house engineer about the mic that I realised what they were. I'd thought they were 609's all along from the sound.

When I got home I looked up the 628 and was amazed at the price. I immediately bought two to go with an order of other things that were needed.

Since buying them they've been used most nights on guitars, horns and percussion and they've done very well. The clamps that are provided with them come in useful for attaching to the rims of drums etc.

My only issues with these mics are the fact that the body is quite think. It doesn't hand quite as tidily as an e609 but it works well enough. Also, the stem on one of them started to come slightly loose but tightening the two Philips scres int he body fixed this.

They sound great and for the price they're amazing.