ProAudio Review Studio Microphone Gear Guide (Oct2009)

GEARGUIDEGEARGUIDE

MICROPHONESFor Studios

MICROPHONESFor Studios

TOP ENGINEERS’ PREFERENCES AND PRACTICES: LARGE-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICSSMALL-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICS • DYNAMIC MICS • RIBBON MICS

& present

T elefunken Elektroakustik is pleased tooffer our version of the ELA M 260, ourfirst small-diaphragm, tube condenser

model. While the microphone bears the“ELA M” designation, it is part of TelefunkenElektroakustik’s “R-F-T” series as it is not ahistorically accurate reproduction of the orig-inal Telefunken GmbH ELA M 260, whichemployed a different tube and output trans-former.

The current “R-F-T” ELA M 260 systemaffords unparalleled versatility, astoundingaudio quality, all for an affordable price con-sistent with all R-F-T Series product offerings,and was the 2008 TEC Award® winner forMicrophone Technology.

The ELA M 260, features a NOS (New OldStock) Telefunken EF-732 vacuum tube, andcustom-designed output transformer. Inapplication, the ELA M 260 has been foundto be an excellent-sounding transducer,which many engineers and producers haveenjoyed in widespread application over manyvarying genres of music.

The Telefunken Elektroakustik ELA M 260system is supplied with a set of three inter-changeable capsules (the 260 cardioid, 261omni, and 262 hyper-cardioid), as well as acustom adaptor designed by our friend andfellow audio enthusiast, Chip Machokas, thatpermits the use of any of the AKG “CK”series of capsules, as well as capsules made

by other manufacturers with the same threadand has an available adapter that will acceptNeumann/Gefell bayonet-style capsules.

As with all small capsule mics, the ELA M260 excels for the recording of acousticinstruments of all types. Acoustic guitars,drum overheads, percussion and strings aretypical signal sources that sound excellentthrough the ELA M 260.

Even more impressive than our TECAward are some of the testimonials we havereceived from actual users.

Bil VornDick (Allison Kraus, Bela Fleck,Bob Dylan) gave us a shout after tryingthem: “The 260s have a nice smooth tex-ture, so if you are working with an instru-ment that is a little harsh or too bright, itgently smoothes it out.”

Bil then added, “If you’re not carefulwhen recording a mandolin, you get undesir-able overtones between the bridge and thetailpiece that have nothing to do with thetempered scale. I put the 260 about six inch-es away and got a perfect sound. I’m lookingforward to using these mics on a hammereddulcimer, which, in my opinion, is the hardest

instrument to record.“Next up, I was recording Charlie Haden’s

standup bass in a room with Jerry Douglas,Brian Sutton, Bela Fleck, Pat Metheny andBruce Hornsby, I switched to the hyper-car-dioid capsule and put the mic near the topside of his bass because I wanted to targethis sound and minimize leakage from thepiano and other instruments in the room. Anengineer’s hardest battle is making the musi-cians feel on playback that the instrumentsounds like it did when they were playing.Charlie listened back and wanted to take themicrophone home with him, so I scored ahome run with him.”

The Telefunken Elektroakustik ELA M 260comes complete with microphone, cardioid,hyper-cardioid and omni capsules, powersupply, Gotham Audio cable, wooden micbox, and when registered, a one-year warran-ty on the capsules and tube and a 4-yearamplifier and power supply warranty. All youneed to supply is the talent!

OCTOBER 2009 G E A R G U I D E STUDIO MIC 3

ADVERTORIAL

TELEFUNKEN ELA M 260 MICROPHONE

LEARN MORE ABOUT TELEFUNKENAT WWW.TELEFUNKEN.COM

PUBLISHER JOHN PLEDGER

[email protected]

EDITORIAL

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All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permissionis prohibited. Gear Guide is published by NewBayMedia L.L.C. All product information is subject tochange; publisher assumes no responsibility for suchchange. All listed model numbers and product namesare manufacturers’ registered trademark. The publish-er does not take responsibility for any of the productsadvertised within.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

OCTOBER 2009

Each link of the recording chain is critical, but without the first link,

the microphone, the rest of the chain is rendered dysfunctional.

Microphone selection is as important as skill in their use. Gear

Guide: Recording Microphones surveyed leading engineers on their

microphone preferences and application practices.

Condenser microphones are noted for their sensitivity, clarity, and

often when their onboard amplification stage utilizes a tube, their

warmth. The two general classes of condenser microphones are

based on the size of the diaphragm.

LARGE-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICROPHONES . . . . . . . . . 5

SMALL-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICROPHONES . . . . . . . . . 11

Dynamic microphones, the common parlance for moving coil mic

designs, are the rugged workhorses of the transducer world, basics

of any microphone collection. While they typically exhibit less sensi-

tivity and less transparent transient response than their condenser

kin, those very traits can be part of their allure, imparting a charac-

teristic sound often equated with the “standard” recorded sound of

instruments like the snare drum.

DYNAMIC MICROPHONES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Transducers in the second class of dynamic microphones, ribbon

mics, are by contrast very sensitive. Ribbon microphone designs are

attributed with a natural sound and modern ribbon mic designs,

unlike their early predecessors, are robust enough to be favored for

applications like guitar amp miking.

RIBBON MICROPHONES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

GEA R GUIDE MICROPHONESFor Live Performance

4 STUDIO MIC G E A R G U I D E OCTOBER 2009

BY CHRISTOPHER WALSH

LARGE-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSERMICROPHONES

Part of an engineer’s job, says RobertCarranza (Jack Johnson, Ozomatli), ismicrophone shootouts. “That’s based

on trying to get away from routines,” heexplains. “But if you compare certain micro-phones, you end up saying, ‘Well, this onestill sounds good!’ I have a few that are sta-ples: the Telefunken U-47 and the

Telefunken ELA M 251. I can’t get awayfrom them.

“The 251, to me, is a little more aggres-sive sounding than the U-47,” Carranzaobserves. “Throw it up, and it sounds greaton everything. Put the 251 on an acousticguitar and forget it: It gets the classicacoustic sound. I’ve actually been using it alot for overheads—not too close, far

enough where you get the overall picture ofthe drums—and vocals, too. It’s a greatvocal mic.”

Carranza places the 251 about a footabove the drummer’s head, facing the kit ata 45-degree angle. “So much sound hap-pens right there, most of the time. It varies;sometimes there, but always a foot or twoover the guy’s head and at 45 or straight


S T U D I O M I C R O P H O N E S

Recording Microphones:

ENGINEERS

Eshy Gazit, house producer/engineer at New York’s Cutting Room Studios, sets up anAEA R84 ribbon and Shure SM57 dynamic mic on the front, and a Sennheiser MD 421on the back, of a guitar amplifier.


U sing proprietary revolutionary technolo-gy, Audio-Technica has introduced itsfirst-ever ribbon microphones. With

these handcrafted microphones, Audio-Technica delivers the coveted sound of aclassic ribbon microphone while solving theproblems of fragility and low output thathave historically plagued ribbon mics andlimited their use.

With 18 patents pending, Audio-Technica’sinnovative ribbon transducer advances theevolution of ribbon microphone technology,combining remarkable durability and highSPL capability with smooth, rich audio quality.A significant breakthrough in ribboncartridge design, Audio-Technica’s innovativeMicroLinear™ ribbon imprint minimizesribbon distortion for durable performanceand accurate reproduction of the soundsource.

AT4080 AND AT4081 BIDIRECTIONAL ACTIVERIBBON MICROPHONES

The AT4080 and AT4081 are side-addressactive ribbon microphones with bidirectionalpolar patterns, which make them equallysensitive to sounds originating in front andback of the mic. The AT4080, whose footprintresembles that of a classic Audio-Technicalarge-diaphragm condenser, is recommendedfor vocals, horns, strings, acoustic instruments,drum overheads, orchestras, ensembles andguitar cabinets. The AT4081, with an appear-ance more like that of a pencil condenser, isoptimized for strings, saxophones and otherhorns, acoustic instruments, drum overheads,orchestras, ensembles and guitar cabinets; itslow-profile stick design maximizes placementoptions. Both mics excel in recording studiosas well as in live-sound settings.

While the application of phantom powerwas prohibited for old-school ribbon

microphones, Audio-Technica’s ribbonmicrophones require 48V phantom power foroperation. The phantom power is used—notfor each microphone’s dynamic ribbontransducer—but for its active electronics,which bring its output to near condensermicrophone level. This higher output andstable impedance offer maximum compatibilitywith microphone preamplifiers.

Extremely powerful N50 rare-earthneodymium magnets provide high outputlevels, and the mics’ innovative dual-ribbonconstruction offers increased sensitivity andSPL handling capability. Audio-Technica’sMicroLinear ribbon imprint minimizes lateralflexing for durable performance and accuratereproduction of the sound source, as well asfreedom from distortion. Both microphonesfeature extended frequency response for nat-ural audio reproduction, and the AT4080 usesan acoustic baffle system and an extra-large

output transformer, providing natural low-frequency response and extendeddynamic range.

The AT4080 and AT4081 are enclosed inrugged housings and feature stabilizedinternal components. An ultra-fine “pop-stopper” inner mesh helps protect theribbon elements in both models againstdamage from wind and plosives. Bothmicrophones benefit from Audio-Technica’smeticulous attention to detail. Each ishandcrafted—including ribbon corrugation,imprint and assembly—and individuallyinspected for 100 percent quality assurance.

FEATURES■ Smooth, warm and natural sound with

precise, articulate detail ■ Groundbreaking Audio-Technica ribbon

design with 18 patents pending■ Proprietary MicroLinear ribbon imprint for

superior durability and freedom fromlateral flexing and distortion

■ Innovative dual-ribbon construction forincreased sensitivity

■ Extremely powerful N50 rare-earthneodymium magnets for high output level

■ Ultra-fine mesh helps protect againstribbon damage from wind and plosives

■ Classic bidirectional (figure-of-eight) polarpattern picks up sounds equally from thefront and back of the element

■ High-SPL capability for exceptionallyversatile performance

■ Extended frequency response for naturalaudio reproduction

■ Handmade production, including ribboncorrugation, imprint and assembly

■ Phantom-powered active electronicsprovide stable impedance and higheroutput for maximum compatibility withmicrophone preamplifiers

ADVERTORIAL

AUDIO-TECHNICA INTRODUCES 2REVOLUTIONARY RIBBON MICS

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AUDIO-TECHNICA RIBBON MICROPHONES AT AUDIO-TECHNICA.COM

on-axis, depending on how hard the guyhits the drums. You throw a U-47 in front,about six feet away from the kit, midwaybetween the toms and kick. That’s anothergo-to, where it’s just, ‘That’s the sound.’”

Carranza uses his U-47 almost exclusive-ly for vocals. “I’ll use it on drums every oncein a while as a mono overhead,” he allows,“and as a faraway room mic. There’s justsomething that happens with the U-47 that’sway below—octaves below—what I hearwith the 251,” he continues. “It’s almost likenatural EQ. A lot of people use the U-47 foracoustic guitar. You’ve got to be carefulwith them, though—there’s a body buildupthat happens, so mic placement is probablythe most important thing with the U-47.”

Chris Dugan (Green Day, Iggy Pop) isalso a fan of the U-47 and ELA M 251. LikeCarranza, the Telefunkens fared well in ashootout, this one to select microphones forGreen Day’s 21st CenturyBreakdown. The U-47was chosen as Billie JoeArmstrong’s vocal mic;the 251 was the go-tochoice for drum over-head.

“There’s always onemic that’s right for theapplication,” Duganobserves. The U-47, headds, “was absolutelyperfect for [21st CenturyBreakdown]. I’ll go onrecord and say it was theperfect mic for Billie tosing into. We did ashootout, and Billiespecifically came in andsaid, ‘What’s that one?That’s the one I like.’ Tobe honest, I had justheard all these awesomemics, and I was saying,‘These are all great.’ Butthere was somethingreally good about thatU-47 with his voice. Itwas nice and thick, andit wasn’t too hyped. He

has an interesting voice, and it was the per-fect handshake.”

Dugan used the U-47 as a mono drummic on another Green Day project, as well.“It’s one of those mics that has this nice big,warm and somewhat flat response. It’s onethat I would stick in front of a drum kit,immediately. The way we tracked [21stCentury Breakdown], we pretty much hadeverything set up at once, and I only hadone [U-47], so it remained in the vocal booth.

I’ve used other mics, butwhen we’re just trackingdrums or something,that’s definitely a mic Iwould put in front of thekit, about five feet back,kind of pointed at the kickdrum. It captures thatreally nice, warm sound.”

A conversation withany professional engineerabout microphones willinevitably be pepperedwith references to someof recording history’s mostfamous models, such asthe Neumann U 47, U 67and U 87. “Give me adecent tube U 47, and I’mgenerally very happy,”says Eric Liljestrand(Lucinda Williams, CorinneBailey Rae).

The classics—U 47s—are always a greatchoice,” agrees EdCherney (Rolling Stones,Bonnie Raitt). “I think theU 67 is the most under-appreciated microphone

ever made. Put the fader up and it’s clear, [it]captures air. If it’s clear, I feel like I can doanything with it. A lot of times, with acousticinstruments, you don’t want any artifacts. Youreally want to capture the instrument.”

“For vocals, it’s either a U 47 a U 67,depending on the voice,” says MichaelFrondelli (Crowded House, Big Bad VoodooDaddy). “For piano, I like the M 149. Forroom, the M 50—or, if it’s a rock ‘n’ roll drumkit, the Shure VP88. For strings, I’ll use U67s, if I can get them. For a big band, again,U 67s, U 47 on the upright bass, U 47 on thebaritone sax. I can use condensers on brassas well: I’ll use U 67s if I have them.”

“I am a huge fan of the Neumann U 47for vocals,” says Eshy Gazit, house produc-er/engineer at New York’s Cutting RoomStudios. “The Neumann SM 69 is a greatstereo mic. The U 47 FET is the best bass,kick-out and double-bass mic ever; and the U67 is very ‘vibey’; I use it with care, though.”

For guitar amps, says Frondelli, “it’s aquestion of color. I find that a U 67 givesme the flattest response. I’ve used 67s and87s in conjunction with [Sennheiser MD]421s and [Shure SM] 57s on the same amp.”

Tucker Bodine, owner and operator ofPlayback Recording Studio in SantaBarbara, CA, is a fan of Neumann’s U 87 Ai,which he uses for vocals, guitars and as aroom mic. “The one I have is not from theold school; it’s the U 87 Ai, but it’s right onthe money. It’s a great all-around mic. It canhandle anything you throw at it.”

By virtue of its dynamic microphones,Shure is perhaps the best-known brand inthe world. But the manufacturer’s KSMseries of condenser microphones launcheda new era, as recording engineers took tothem in a very big way.



ShureSM57

NeumannU 47

“I’m using the Shure KSM 27 for instru-ments, overheads and stuff like that, saysNashville-based Randy Poole (Take 6,Hezekiah Walker). “It’s probably my favoritefor overheads, because it has a little bit ofthat smiley-face EQ curve. Some peopleuse it on vocals. If I have to mike a choirand I want it to be more of a medium roommic, not right up there one or two feetaway, the smiley face helps it not sound thinor distant. It’s a great choir mic, from thatstandpoint.”

“I’ve been using the KSM 32 on toms alot,” confides Nashville-based Bil VornDick(Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas). Sometimes Iwould use it on bottoms, before, but I’veflipped that to the top and the 421 on thebottom. The initial attack is a little morepresent, getting better overtones on thewhole top than I was before.”

“In terms of newer microphones,” saysCarranza, “I’ve become a big fan of theAudio-Technica [AT]4050. I have a couple ofthem. I like them a lot on guitars, becausethey can handle a lot of SPL. A lot of micro-phones have some weird honks sometimes,usually around 1k, when they get a little tooclose to something. They have resonance

from the capsule; it just vibratesa little more. With the 4050, Iseem to be able to get it closeand it’s warm.

“A friend of mine who doessound for the Rolling Stones wasusing them for guitars,” Carranzaadds. “Later, I was at the studiodoing guitars, they had a couplepairs there, and said, ‘Let methrow those on.’ I was really sur-prised. With [the 4050], that wasall I needed. It had the warmthand the realness I was lookingfor, and the clarity and details ofthe amp. You can get real closeif you want that sound. If youpull it back, it gets even better.The pickup patterns are differ-ent, and if you put one of thosein bidirectional in front of a bassamp, it sounds great too.”

“I have a pair of Audio-Technica [AT]4033s,” saysFrondelli. “I use them in stereo.I’ve used them for vocal, I usethem on guitar, percussion. It’sinteresting—depending on the kind of per-

cussion you’re recording, thin con-densers like a 4033 might work. It’sbright enough, it’s got a small tube init that makes it sound warm. For per-cussion, generally I’m using a wide-diaphragm condenser if I have aroom [in which] I don’t have to use atight pattern to keep isolation. But ifyou’re recording timpani, or a reallow-end drum, I’m happy using it,depending. If it’s a single recordeddrum as an overdub, I’ll use a wide-diaphragm condenser, but in anorchestral situation, you can use a[Sennheiser dynamic MD] 421 five tosix feet above the timpani and it willwork. The low end needs time todevelop.”

“Audio-Technica made theATM23 HE—I’m not sure they makeit anymore,” says Cherney. “I’vebeen using it on snare drums. Forrock snare, it’s the kind of micro-

phone where you push up the fader and it’sthere. I’ve been using the ATM25 on toms,for the most part.”

AKG, it goes without saying, is anotheroft-mentioned and revered brand of con-denser (and dynamic) microphone. “I’vealways liked AKG C12s for overheads,” saysCherney. “That’s just a wonderful micro-phone. I’ll go to 414s on toms—that’sanother go-to for jazz sessions and stuffthat’s a little more sensitive.”

“I am a huge fan of the C12 for vocals,or the stereo version, the C24—an amazingroom mic,” says Gazit. “A few others that Ilove: AKG 451 [small diaphragm condenser]or 414—very good definition mics forstrings and acoustic guitars. I love it espe-cially as stereo XY.”

“I really go for the C12 A on the toms,”adds Dugan, “and 414s on the bottom. RealC12s for piano, with a [Neumann] M 50 atthe bottom, at the base of the piano.”

“I also love AKG C12-A mics,” saysLiljestrand. “Not the C12, which somehow I



Audio-TechnicaAT4050

CAD Audio E60 cardioid condenser placed undera tom.

don’t have good luck with, butthe 414-looking tube mic. Ifind them incredible on toms(only if you trust your drum-mer) and overheads, as wellas other acoustic instruments.I have some very old AKG451-E mics (once part of theRCA Studios collection),which are a great contrast tomy Schoeps if I have multiplesof the same instrument.”

“I love C451s on the over-heads and hi-hat—all the cym-bals,” confides Frondelli, whohas recorded many perform-ances for high-definition televi-sion broadcast in recent years.“When I recorded Norah Jones forthe Gram Parsons tribute [Return toSin City], we taped an AKG C414and a [Neumann] KM 184 with aspecial break mount across thepiano—that’s with the lid closed—soI could get an angle down and keep thebody of the microphone parallel to thesoundboard. I used them both together,and it was quite an interesting combina-tion—low and high end.”

The aforementioned manufacturers areperennial favorites, many decades after theirfounding. But as any observer knows, com-petition is fierce, from inexpensive micsmass-produced in China, for example, aswell as high-end, boutique models built insmaller quantities. “My favorite large-diaphragm condenser that I own is theSoundelux ELUX 251,” says Lynn Fuston ofFranklin, Tennessee-based 3D Audio regard-ing the latter category. “It offers a very flat-tering interpretation on most voices. I justmade a record for an older gentleman, andit captured the resonance of his baritonevoice and made him sound like Bing Crosby,showing off a warmth and depth that othermics missed. At almost $5,000, it’s not foreveryone, but it’s worth every cent.

“On the more affordable side,” Fustonadds, “my two new favorites are theAdvanced Audio CM-47 and Mojave [Audio]MA-200. The CM-47 works on everything.

I’ve used it on French horn, per-cussion, tympani, voice—Ihaven’t found anything it doesn’tsound good on. It’s warm butnot unnaturally so. The MA-200is a little more selective. It offersan enhanced top and bottomand, for some singers, that isgreat. On lead and backgroundvocals I use it quite a bit.”

“I’ve been using the MojaveMA-200 as well,” says Liljestrand,“which makes a fabulous drumand percussion mic and—the realpayoff—about four feet in frontof an electric guitar cabinet, com-bined with either a Sennheiser

409 or 609, or a Royer ribbon closeto the grille. This mic has saved mefrom having to find working U 67s for

the guitars, and at the pricepoint it is very attractiveindeed.”

Los Angeles-based Joe Barresi(Matisyahu, Queens of the Stone Age) is afan of the Mojave MA-201 FET, as well as“anything by Violet [Design]. All their stuff iskiller. The Globe is standard, and theAmethyst as well on anything: overheads,acoustic guitars, even electricguitar with a pad in front of it.Kick drum outside, drum kitmono rooms, bass guitar—pretty much anything.”

“A buddy of mine is a pro-ducer that does a lot ofvocals, more than anything,”Poole shares. “He uses aKorby Convertible. You canpop the capsule off and putdifferent ones in.

“The new mic I’m lovingthat doesn’t cost a lot is theEquation F.20,” Poole adds.“That is a good one. It’s like an[AKG] 414; not quite so muchproximity effect, but it doesn’thave that midrange bark, Iwould call it, that a 414 hassometimes. That’s really one ofmy favorite go-to mics for

vocals mainly, but piano, overheads, basscabinet, and I’m using it on the top of my B3right now.

“The only thing I don’t like it for is thoseplaces where you go, ‘I need to close-mic adrum, I like a lot of proximity effect,’ so yourdrum sounds bigger than it really is. But foreverything else, especially if I have a stri-dent female vocal or something, I know thatI’m getting a nice, pure tone and no accen-tuated weirdness or anything like that.

“For vocals,” he continues, “I also usethe MXL V69. That’s still a great mic. I’vecompared it to many expensive mics, and itstill works pretty well, especially with a newtube in it. It’s, like, 300 bucks!”

Liljestrand also employs a number ofboutique models: “David Bock is makingsome great large-diaphragm mics again. Iwas using a [Bock Audio] 195 recently andreally enjoyed it. I own a Brauner Valvet,which I like but doesn’t work on everyone’svoice. Some singers just completely crap itout, even if I back way off. Corinne BaileyRae, yes; Jane Carrey, no; Lucinda Williams,sometimes; Susannah Hoffs, yes; RobertHunter, no no no! It sounded like he brokeit! I’m working with an English baritone rightnow, and the thing loves him. This is a great

instrumental mic, too, though—itshines on stringed instrumentsand woodwinds.”

“A lot of times, woodwindslike a condenser, like a Sony C37or something like that,” Cherneyadds. “I love the C37,” Barresiagrees.

“I am a huge fan of the SonyC800,” Gazit adds, “especiallywhen it comes to female singers.The C800 has a strong mid and itcuts through very nicely whenused on the right vocalist. I usedthis on Lisa Loeb’s LimeWireStore EP [Live at Lime with LisaLoeb], and Ida Maria.

“Another great mic that Iwould use,” he adds, “is theManley Reference, especially if Idon’t know the vocalist. TheManley is an excellent condenser,



Mojave MA-200

AKGC414

very natural-sounding. Its big advantage (andsometimes disadvantage) is that it doesn’tcolor the sound too much. I used it onChrisette Michele’s last album, the Roots andPhoenix.”

SMALL-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSERMICROPHONESAs with large-diaphragm condensers, com-petition has really heated up in the small-diaphragm category. Higher frequencies—cymbals, acoustic guitars, for example—arecaptured by a wide variety of both trustedand upstart models. In this survey, manyrespondents note the startlingly high qualityof many new models, often comparingthem favorably with the most trusted micsfrom the most revered manufacturers.

Says Frondelli, “In making choices formicrophones, my concerns are one, the

instrument and how it’s played; two, the roomthat it’s in, whether it’s an overdub or anensemble; and three, how much isolation Ineed. I’ll always go with a wider pattern if Idon’t need isolation. I’ll use a tighter mic withgood front-to-back rejection in an ensemblesituation if I don’t want to use the spill.”

That said, Frondelli likes the NeumannKM 84 on acoustic guitars. “I like the new KM

184—I use it in X-Y. I also like U 47s and U 67son acoustic guitars, depending on if I’mdoing a live vocal with it. For a tight acousticguitar, a picked piece or something, itdepends on what’s around it. If I’m recordingit live, how tight a pattern do I need to getisolation? For a big dreadnaught guitar thatyou want to jangle,” he adds, “you want awider diaphragm. With a really big Martin or

jumbo Gibson, you want to get it to thrash abit more, so I use a U 67 or U 47.”

“I’ve been using KM 184s a lot for over-heads and for acoustics,” says Bodine. “It’sjust got a super-flat response; it basically givesme exactly what I’m hearing in the room,which I like. It’s my go-to for anything that hashigh-frequency response, like cymbals.”

“My all-time favorite acoustic guitar mic isa Neumann KM 140,” says Barresi. “It’s crystal-clear and a very natural, beautiful-soundingmicrophone. The fact that it’s got a pad on itis amazing, as opposed to the 184, which hasno pad. It’s got switchable capsules as well.It’s just a great mic; I love it. Although Mojaveis working on a small-diaphragm condenser—we just did some beta testing on it—thatsounded unbelievable, on snare drum, too. Itcan handle the power.”

A great stereo pair, says Gazit, “is theNeumann KM 84s—I love them on piano. Iwas recently working with a new artist—Misty Boyce, we’re producing her debutalbum—and I recorded pianos using the



(Above) Equation VS-10 supercardioiddynamic in a vocal position.(Left) A Shure SM57 cardioid dynamicpaired with a CAD Trion 7000 dualelement ribbon mic on a guitar amp.

KM 84s as close mics and the C24 as room,which sounds so warm that you will need tolower the temperature on your AC!”

“I still love my favorite mic of all time,the Neumann 582, which is a tube,” Pooleshares. “I use it on acoustic guitars, strings,piano, all that good stuff.” Poole also favorsthe Schoeps CMC 64 for acoustic guitars.“Something inexpensive: CAD makes the[equitek] e70. That’s a really good mic foracoustic guitars and wherever you’d put asmall-diaphragm condenser.”

“I like Shure SM81s for hi-hats andsuch,” Liljestrand notes. “They have a verypronounced midrange (in the 1-2 kHzoctave), which I feel gives me the sound ofthe tip hitting the cymbal without too much4-6 kHz ear fatigue.”

VornDick provides a working example ofthe widening array of high-quality small-con-densers. “There is a new mic called KEL[Audio], out of Canada,” he confides. “Thisguy is making mics for acoustic instruments,and he’s got some smaller diaphragmscalled the HM-1 and HM-2D. They’re reallygood on dobros and mandolins. I was veryimpressed. I used the two on a lap dul-cimer—you know how whiny those thingscan get. I would typically use a KM 84 or 64,or something like that. But this thing reallymade that lap dulcimer sing. I don’t recordlap dulcimer a whole lot, but on this occa-sion, I just couldn’t find a mic, grabbed thatand put in on there. It was just transpar-ent, and more focused. The more I’musing those microphones, I’m findinghow flat they are, not hyped.

“I was in Ocean Way [Nashville, Studio]A doing drums,” he adds, “and replacedtwo 87s with the KEL HM-7U, and the roomjust became transparent. I was with a bunchof people, and they went, ‘Whoa, what arethose?’ And these things are under $400.

“This is going to be a shocker,”VornDick continues. “Someone told meabout the Sterling [Audio] ST33. I’ve beenusing it on snare. Instead of using a [ShureSM] 57 and a 451 or 452 combined, I canput that Sterling there and get the sidestick if I need it, for those kind of songs,without having to turn on the 451. But I geta fatness, too, on a 57.”

A self-described “KM 84 nut” foracoustic instruments, VornDick recentlydiscovered the new Miktek Audio line.“The main thing is, you can’t get KM 84sanymore,” he explains. “I heard an 84A/B’d with [Miktek’s] small-condenser, alittle bit bigger than a KM 84. We weremiking an acoustic guitar, and I didn’t getthe proximity effect off of the Miktek that Iwas from the KM 84. For people lookingfor KM 84s, this would be an extremelygood choice.”

Finally, VornDick also likes theTelefunken ELA M 260: “That’s one of mynew secret toys. I use it a lot on uprightbass and acoustic instruments.”

“My hands-down favorite [small-con-denser] is my Schoeps stereo set,”

Liljestrand says.“Both the MK-2 omnicapsules and theCMC6 U bodies arematched. The MK-2capsules are the

medium high-end rise model (they make aflat capsule and one with a more pro-nounced rise for distant placements likeconcert halls and so on), and they are themost transparent mic I have heard. I’veused them on just about everything, andthey always satisfy. Even the sound of some-one entering the room and sitting downsounds like Foley—amazingly present anddetailed. I’ll be adding figure-eight and car-dioid capsules soon.

“I am a big fan of DPA omnis, too,”Liljestrand adds, “particularly the high-volt-age models.”

“Violet Design’s The Finger mic soundsreally good on acoustic instruments,”VornDick offers. “The design is a little dif-ferent. It was at a session for a short while,and I floated it around, used it on a woodflute and bouzouki. I was very impressed,and so were the musicians.”

DYNAMIC MICROPHONESFrom the smallest coffeehouse to the

largest stadium, Shure dynamicmics will be found in live-

music venues the world over.In particular, the SM58 andSM57 have long been stan-dard for vocals, guitar amps

and snare drums. So successfulis the SM58, in fact, that it has



Tekefunken ELA M 251AC System

DPA 4041

T elefunken Elektroakustik has created the M80 to give the user a superior alternative to themidrange-laden character of the “industry standard” microphone. Featuring a wider frequen-cy response and higher SPL capabilities, the M80 delivers condenser-like performance in a

rugged dynamic design, producing a microphone equally suitable for voice, instruments, ordrums both on stage and in the studio.

Due to its low-mass capsule and super-thin (yet surprisingly rugged) capsule membrane, theM80 presents a wider range of emotion from a live vocal with an intimacy that has been tradition-ally reserved for studio-quality condenser microphones.

The head and capsule assembly has been designed to reduce proximity effect to which netsadded low-end clarity for vocals, while still providing “strength” and “authority” and an “open,”“airy” character without adding danger of upper midrange feedback or “honk.”

The M80 also features an American-made, custom-wound impedance matching transformer,which is where the magic really takes place. When coupled with our proprietary capsule assem-bly, the results have won hearts and minds in far less time, since its introduction than we everimagined possible.

Don’t take our word for it, here are what some professional touring engineers have had to say:

“The M 80 is loud, smooth, tight, and in your face. They seem pretty hefty and durable,maybe agricultural, like a tractor. It’s great to see Telefunken put out a real workingman’s micro-phone. I love this mic!”

—Mark “Bruno” Bradley, Monitors-Phish

“The Telefunken M80 puts the vocals right where they need to be in the mix with ease andgives the snare drum a full-bodied sound that’s not there with the “traditional” mic we all know.

My mic kit will never leave home without a couplein there!”

—Paul Babikian, FOH—Kate Voegele,Amon Amarth, Nevermore, Cannibal Corpse

“The M80 dynamic offers super rejection andbroadcast-quality sound. It’s the best singing drum-

mer mic I’ve ever used, and I’ve used them all. It’squite possibly the most controlled mic I’ve ever used.”

—Matt Jones, Monitors/FOH—Big Head Todd and the Monsters

The M80 is available in two versions: the “StandardVersion,” which includes a mic clip and bag; and the “StudioSet,” which includes a mic clip, wooden box, and an addition-al black head grille.


ADVERTORIAL

TELEFUNKEN M80MICROPHONE

LEARN MORE ABOUT TELEFUNKEN AT WWW.TELEFUNKEN.COM

spawned numerous imitators and, regret-tably, counterfeit models.

Shure remains a dominant player indynamics, many of which are employed in avariety of ways. “The SM57,” says Gazit, isthe “all-time best-value microphone. Bestelectric guitar, snare and I love it on vocals.The SM7 is great as a kick/snare combina-tion [and] roomy-type sound—or get itclose to the snare and gate out the kick fora great snare sound.”

The SM7, says Cherney, is “without adoubt the go-to mic to get out of troublefor a rock vocal. Sometimes you get a girlsinger with a voice that’s got a beam in itthat would cut glass. The SM7 will get youout of trouble with that all the time, espe-cially if you have a loud singer that will blowup a large-diaphragm microphone. An SM7or [Electro-Voice] RE20 will always get youout of trouble. Plus, if I’m tracking with thesinger in the room and leakage is a prob-lem, I’ll go to those.

In the large-diaphragm condenser sec-tion, Cherney stated that “a lot of timeswith acoustic instruments, you don’t wantany artifacts. You really want to capture theinstrument.” He is quick to note, though,that “sometimes you don’t want a micro-phone that hears something too well. That’swhen I’ll go to a dynamic like an SM7 or anRE20. It’ll still have that clarity about it, butlots of headroom and doesn’t hear thatwell, so it doesn’t hear the bad things, likesqueaks and pops, that a really good con-denser microphone can.”

“I’m a latecomer to the SM7 fan club,”Fuston admits. “I’ve only been using it forabout a year now, but it really sounds goodon voice and electric guitar cabinets. Withthe mid boost in, it’s like an SM57 withbeef—lots of wonderful low end. I usuallykeep it on the guitar cabs, but I might like itsomewhere else, too.”

In his ample experience with live events,Frondelli is often recording with micro-phones largely chosen by a front-of-houseengineer. “I’ve used everything at leastonce,” he recalls. “In a live application,engineers will use a [Shure] Beta 52 on thekick, 57s on the snare top and bottom,

SM81 on the hi-hat, Beta 98—the clip-oncondensers—on the toms; and KSMs on theoverheads. [Electric] guitar is usually a 57.

“Everybody prefers the 58,” Frondelliobserves. “The 58 is easy for front-of-houseguys because they don’t get feedback—andthat’s what kills my recording, feedback—so Ihave to go with whatever they’re comfort-able with. You can EQ an SM58 to work forlive vocal performance, with good front-to-back rejection, and I get a decent sound onthe vocal and clean it up with EQ.”

A relatively new entry in the dynamicmic category is the Telefunken M-80, one ofwhich, Dugan shares, was onsite for therecording of 21st Century Breakdown.“They sent us a prototype a long time ago”Dugan recalls. “We tried it on snare drum,and it was over-the-top perfect, exactlywhat I wanted for a snare drum. We’ve nowincorporated it everywhere. In the live show,we’re using them for vocals, which it isamazing for, as well as snare. We only hadone at the time we were making the record;I wish I’d had the opportunity to try it outon other things. But I plan to.”

The Sennheiser MD 421, says Barresi, “ismy all-time favorite, and the SM7—that’s myfavorite vocal mic, actually. I use [the 421]on kick, toms, bass and guitars. Obviously,you can’t go wrong with a 57, but the 421adds that extra character that’s missingfrom a 57, and also they sound better ontoms. It would be my first choice as anadditional mic with a 57 on guitars. It’salways my first choice inside a kick drum—

some people mock me for that.”The MD 421, Gazit adds, “is an all-timer

for toms, but I love it on the back of a gui-tar amp as well.”

A discussion of dynamic mics, saysPoole, is going to be dull: “57s and 421s:They just work,” he says. “I’ve been usingthat 57 with a [Tab-Funkenwerk] outputtransformer from Mercenary Audio.

“For kick drum, the Electro-Voice 868makes me smile,” he continues. “At myhome studio, I’m using Sennheiser 604s,those little ones, on toms. It’s similar to a421—not quite as good, but very similar. Mytom combination is 604 on top, and theCAD e60 on the bottoms. That’s a great lit-tle mic; the bottom toms sound really goodon the e60 to me. If I’m at a studio, howev-er, I have to say, ‘Give me an AKG 414 witha 20 dB pad underneath the toms.’”

AKG’s D112 is perhaps the most popularkick drum mic of all. “That’s one of the beststandard mics on the planet,” says Bodine.“I love that dynamic mic; you just can’t gowrong with it. I use it for kick drums andbass amps.” Gazit adds that the D112 orD12 is his choice for kick drum, while theElectro-Voice RE20 is his go-to mic for bassamplifiers.

Another choice for kick drum mic:“Recently, I’ve been using the Heil PR 40,”says VornDick. “Drummers really like it,which means I like it, too. The mics that I’vehistorically used were mushy-sounding; thePR 40 was clean, bright, punchy, but didn’tget the proximity muffle that the others did.



“Sometimes youdon’t want a microphone

that hears something too well. That’s

when I’ll go to a dynamic [mic].”

—ED CHERNEY

Now, I’m a big 421 fan on kick, too; and, ofcourse, it depends on the kick, but that’s anew one I’ve been using a lot.”

“One of the mics I really love recently isthe Audix i-5,” Bodine relates. “It’s really,really nice. It’s different than a 57, but haskind of the same setup. I use it on snaresand amp cabinets. Even though it’s adynamic, it reacts almost like a condenser inthe way it sounds. I’m a really big fan of theAudix stuff.”

RIBBON MICROPHONESIn the ribbon category, a small number ofmanufacturers dominate the market, whileclassic models continue to top many anengineer’s go-to list. Ribbon mics havegained in popularity in recent years, andmanufacturers are increasingly offering less

expensive models. In a recent development in the realm of

ribbon microphones, Shure, which manufac-tured ribbon mics from the 1950s through the1980s, announced the acquisition of Crowleyand Tripp Ribbon Microphones in April.

VornDick favors Crowley & Tripp’s ElDiablo and Naked Eye, both featuring aRoswellite ribbon. The El Diablo—recentlyreintroduced as the Shure KSM353—”is justspectacular for arch-top guitars and dobro,”he notes. “I’ve used them on Jerry Douglas.The Naked Eye [now the KSM313] is also aRoswellite, unbreakable ribbon. That’s onething about them—the diaphragms arereally hard to break. I used it on [guitarist]Bryan Sutton on Charlie Haden’s newalbum.”

“I’m a fan of Royer, like everyone else,”

Carranza states. “The R-121, and I alsohave the SF-12 stereo, [in the] Blumleinpattern. In a time where we have multiple,multiple tracks to do whatever we want, it’sa nice luxury to throw a stereo ribbon micup. The Blumlein pattern on the trumpet ora saxophone sounds incredible. You canthrow up all kinds of microphones and itwill sound good; but ribbon microphones,God. Yes, you’ve got to add a little EQ, alittle high end, but the depth you’re goingto get is amazing.”

“I love the Royer R-121 on electric gui-tars, horns and trumpets,” says Cherney.“They also have the R-122V, with the tube.That’s a fantastic microphone.”

“Someday,” says Dugan, “I’d like tomake a ‘Royer record,’ with all Royer mics. Iuse the R-121 like crazy. I have the SF-24



Engineer Randy Poole places an EV N/D868 dynamic cardioid mic inside a kick drum.

that we used in the room [for 21st CenturyBreakdown], and I’ve used it as an overheadfor drums before. It’s awesome for that.”

Fuston reports that he tries at least onenew ribbon mic per month. “I have a collec-tion of about a dozen,” he says, “but mytwo ‘bread and butter’ mics are the AEAR84 and the Royer R-122. I use these onalmost every session I do. The R84 soundsgood on voice, on strings, on trumpet. TheR-122 is amazing on brass, and I use it onthe outside head of a kick drum. Both ofthem yield wonderful results in those appli-cations with no work at all. It’s mic-to-pre-amp-to-DAW, and they sound amazing.”

The line of ribbon mics from WesDooley’s Audio Engineering Associates (AEA)is much loved by professionals. “Recently, alot of people have been coming by with this[R88] stereo ribbon,” says Barresi. “It soundsfantastic, a really, really good microphone. It’snot incredibly expensive, and coupled withan AEA mic pre it sounds amazing.”

“I really like the AEA R92,” says Poole.“The R84 is cool, too—a completely differ-ent frequency response on those two.”

“I own an R84,” says Gazit “which isamazing on just about everything. I love iton electric guitars, acoustics, vocals—for aretro vibe.”

“One interesting microphone,” Gazitnotes, “is the Blue [Microphones]Woodpecker, which is a nice combination ofribbon and condenser. I loved it on horns.”

Poole is also a fan of the CAD Trion7000. “It’s not quite as small a package assome other ones, like Royers and stuff,” heallows, “but [is good for] guitar cabinets,drum room mics, those usual places whereyou’d like a thicker sound. I also use theCAD ribbon for trumpets. It works great. It’sa figure-eight—it’s picking up a little bit ofroom, like all ribbons tend to do—but itsounds good, very similar to an R-121, andit seems to—no offense to Royer—takemaybe 3 dB more level before it craps out.Now, I have had a guitar player blow oneup, but he tends to switch sounds and hitthe down strum with no warning.

“I usually do the standard guitar-mikingthing,” Poole confides, “especially if I have

a decent console to mix the things to. I usu-ally do a [Shure SM] 57 and a ribbon,whether it’s the Royer or the CAD, andblend the two to one track in Pro Tools. Ifwe can get back to that model—good,beefy mono guitar tracks—and make thatblend just right for each guitar part thatgoes down, it really helps in the mix. You’vegot the same guitar player—he may beswitching guitars a little bit, but he’s got thesame amp. It just helps to change one morething to set those tracks apart from eachother. I can always say, ‘Let’s check theblend on those two mics.’

“If it’s a player who hits you with 140dB,” Poole continues, “I put them both fair-ly close, right in the same plane. Again, the

figure-eight is picking up more roomsounds, so you don’t want to put it a footaway, though in a certain room, that’s fine.But as long as the guitar player is not goingto kill the microphone, I put them at aboutthree inches, in that area. As long as thevolumes are reasonable, that seems to workgreat, and the phase is much easier to workwith. The ribbon is usually more in the mid-dle, so it’s picking up a brighter tone tobegin with.”

“I’ve been using the Coles[Electroacoustics 4040 Studio Ribbon] micfor drums lot, horn instruments and guitarstoo,” says Carranza.

“All these things,” he concludes, “aredictated by the sound source.”



CAD Audio e70 modular dual-capsule condenser mic aimed at cymbal bottom.

ADKADK was established in 1997 by recordingengineer/vintage-mic collector, Larry Villella, inorder to replicate the sonic attributes of vin-tage European microphones. He did thisthrough spectrum analysis and computer mod-eling of the response curves of his favoritemicrophones.www.adkmicrophones.com

AEAAudio Engineering Associates’ (AEA) WesDooley drew upon his 40 years of experienceand passion for ribbon microphones when hereintroduced the AEA R44 (based on the RCA44) back in 1998. Since then, AEA has intro-duced mic preamps specifically for ribbon usealongside other ribbon microphones, includ-ing the A440 active version of the 44 mic.www.wesdooley.com

AKGFounded in Vienna in 1947, AKG has grown agreat deal to become one of the principalmicrophone manufacturers with a productrange that spans all areas of professionalaudio—the Blue Line range of modular mics,lavaliers, instrument, live recording and others.www.akg.com

AMTApplied Microphone Technology has beenmanufacturing microphones for near twodecades, and takes the approach of producingmicrophones for specific instruments. A recentaddition is the Wi-5 wireless system for wood-wind and brass. www.appliedmic.com

AUDIO-TECHNICAAudio Technica began back in 1962 in Tokyo’sShinjuku-Ko district manufacturing stereophono cartridges. The company’s range ofmicrophones offers models for applications inlive, broadcast, studio, commercial and indus-trial. www.audio-technica.com

AUDIXStarting life back in 1984 in Redwood, CA,Audix moved to Oregon in 1991 where itestablished a manufacturing facility. The com-pany focuses on simple, elegant designs withmicrophones covering applications in corpo-rate, live, broadcast and studio.Audix www.audixusa.com

AVANTONEAvantone is manufactured by AvantElectronics, which is owned by Ken and SueAvant. The product line includes ribbon, FETand tube mics. www.avantelectronics.com

AVLEXBased in Kansas City, MO, Avlex offers solu-tions principally for presentation and theaterapplications. Other audio applications are cov-ered with microphone ranges with differentbrand names, such as Mipro for location andbroadcast use, and Superlux for more studio-specific uses. www.avlex.com

AZDENAzden has more than 40 years of experienceutilizing CAD and SMT technology to create anumber of standard and wireless transductionsolutions. Originally an OEM manufacturer formany brands, the last 15 years has seen Azdenraise its own brand identity.www.azdencorp.com

BEHRINGERUli Behringer founded the company in 1989 inGermany. Since then, Behringer has grown tohave offices in 10 countries. Behringer has arange of general-purpose dynamic and con-denser microphones, including the B-2 Proand stereo pair C-2.www.behringer.com

BEYERDYNAMICBeyerdynamic started back in 1924.Developments in a number of audio areascontinue, and beyerdynamic condenser, rib-bon and general dynamic microphones stillform the backbone of many mic collections.

www.beyerdynamic.com

BLUEHeadquartered in Westlake Village, CA, withengineering and manufacturing facilities inLatvia, Blue Microphones started in 1995 whenfounders Skipper Wise and MartinSaulespurens put together a few hand-builtmicrophones for fellow musician friends. Thecompany’s Vintage Mic Store offers vintagemic restoration services.

www.bluemic.com

BOCK AUDIO DESIGNSFrom 1996 to 2006, former studio tech DavidBock ran Soundelux Microphones. He thenopted to start his own company where he con-tinues to develop his designs. www.bockaudiodesigns.com

BRAUNERDirk Brauner was developing ideas with tubemicrophone circuits back in 1993, then startedBrauner Microphones, creating a limited num-ber of handcrafted microphones based on hisVM1 design. There are now six core designsand 14 total microphones in the range, includ-ing the VM1. www.brauner-microphones.com

CAD AUDIOCAD Audio manufactures a variety of visuallydistinct condenser, tube, ribbon and instru-ment-specific microphones for the studio, liveand installation markets. www.cadmics.com

CASCADEU.S.-based Cascade produces wide variety oftypes, but is probably best know for its rangeof ribbon microphones and the retro styling ofmany of its designs, including the Fat Head II.

www.cascademicrophones.com

CHARTEROAK ACOUSTICSFounded by producer/engineer MichaelDeming in Connecticut in 2002, CharterOakmanufactures tube and solid-state micro-phones, which are assembled and inspectedby hand, with each being studio-tested beforeshipping to the customer.

www.charteroakacoustics.com

COLES ELECTROACOUSTICSColes Electroacoustics has manufactured theBBC-designed ribbon microphones in the U.K.for over 30 years. Originally designed for radioand television broadcast, the company’s rib-bon mics have become primary tools of choicethroughout the sound recording industry.Coles also fabricates headphones, telephoneheadsets, speaker drive units and relatedequipment. www.coleselectroacoustics.com(distributed in U.S. by Independent Audio)


S T U D I O M I C M A N U F A C T U R E R S D I R E C T O R Y

(Compiled with the assistance of Audio Media Worldwide)

COUNTRYMAN ASSOCIATESWith more than 30 years of experience,Countryman Associates manufactures micro-phones for a variety of live applications includ-ing theater, presentation and live music. Therange consists of a number of mini and micromicrophones. www.countryman.com

CROWNStarting from humble beginnings in 1947,Crown’s microphone range now includes mod-els in boundary, PZM, lectern and mini, as wellas conventional studio microphones.www.crownaudio.com

DPAIn 1992, Danish company Bruel and Kjaier tookthe decision to spin off its pro audio divisionand outsource sales and service of its 4000series microphones to the former employeesthat designed them. It formed Danish ProAudio and since 1994 has introduced newproducts into its line. These include mini, com-pact, large-diaphragm and reference testmicrophones, and also a phantom-poweredunderwater microphone, the P48 Hydrophoneand a line of instrument mics.www.dpamicrophones.com

EARTHWORKSFormed in New Hampshire by David Blackmer,the inventor and founder of dbx, EarthworksAudio has developed mics, specializing inelectret pencil microphones in omni and direc-tional versions, and their PianoMic system.www.earthworksaudio.com

ELECTRO-VOICEElectrovoice has been developing pro audioproducts principally in the area of sound rein-forcement for 80 years. Its microphone rangeillustrates this orientation in both its standardand wireless microphone products.www.electrovoice.com

EQUATION AUDIOArmed with the intellectual property of notedmic guru Fred Cameron, and comprised of keymembers of the team behind the original CADEquitek line, Equation Audio’s mic linesinclude the Alpha drum mic series, theDominion series of handheld condenser anddynamic microphones and the F.20 largediaphragm condenser mic. www.equationaudio.com

FOSTEXFounded by the Foster Electronic Company inTokyo back in 1973, Fostex has establisheditself in location recording and broadcastaudio areas, producing a number of micro-phones for these applications.www.fostex.com

GROOVE TUBESFormed in California in the late 1970s byAspen Pittman, Groove Tubes now produces arange of tube, FET and ribbon microphones,including the MD1. www.groovetubes.com

HHB COMMUNICATIONSHHB recently entered the microphone marketwith a range of recording microphones aimedat audio journalists and field recordists. In col-laboration with Sennheiser, it now has a rangeof devices with various options.www.hhb.co.uk

HEIL SOUNDThe origins of the company date back to the1950s when a young organist, Bob Heil, beganto dissect the sounds around him. Movingonto design and then the manufacture oforgans, and then into retail, Heil eventuallymoved into the microphone market with theHC Series. The company currently boasts arange that leans towards live applications.www.heilsound.com

HOLOPHONEMusician and sound designer Michael Godfreyfounded Holophone in Toronto, Canada in1994, looking to deliver realistic listeningexperiences with recorded audio. The compa-ny has a number of products that accommo-date surround applications. www.holo-phone.com

JOEMEEKReferencing many of the experiments made byJoe Meek in the early to mid 1960s, Joemeekcontinues to provide solutions in a number ofareas of project and pro audio, with a range ofsmall- and large-diaphragm condenser anddynamic microphones. www.joemeek.com

JOSEPHSON ENGINEERINGSince 1998 Josephson Engineering, as well asproducing and supplying capsules to othermicrophone manufacturers, has produced itsown range of microphones for studio, location,live and instrument-specific applications.www.josephson.com

JTS MICROPHONESFor near three decades, JTS has beeninvesting large amounts of resources intomicrophone research and development of aline that includes both wired and wirelessmicrophones optimized for affordability,performance, and reliability. www.jts.com.tw

JZ MICROPHONESOver the past decade, Latvian manufacturingcompany, Scruples, ventured into the proaudio market with a number of products,including microphones under the Violetbrand. Scruples created a spin-off company,JZ Microphones, that has been established toconcentrate on microphone development.www.jzmic.com

KEL AUDIOCanadian mic maker KEL Audio specializesin microphones with unique sonicsignatures, conceived to enhance soundsources. Four condenser models, each witha specific character, currently comprise thevalue-priced, high-performance line.www.kelaudio.com

LAWSONFounded by Gene Lawson in 1979, and nowhandcrafted in Nashville, TN, LawsonMicrophones has a range of high-end tubeand FET microphones.www.lawsonmicrophones.com

LAUTEN AUDIOLauten Audio was founded by BrianLoudenslager and is based in San Jose, CA. Itis a high-end microphone manufacturer, focus-ing on microphones that target both profes-sional and amateur recordists. The companyreleased its first product, the Horizon tubemicrophone, in October 2006.www.lautenaudio.com

LECTROSONICSSince 1971, Lectrosonics’ wireless micro-phone systems and audio processing prod-ucts have been used in mission-critical appli-cations including broadcast and stage. It isbased in Rio Rancho, NM.www.lectrsonics.com



LINE 6Line 6 is a manufacturer of digital modelingguitars, amplifiers and related electronicequipment. The company was founded in themid-1990s and is based in Calabasas, CA. In2008, Line 6 acquired X2 Digital Wireless,which entered the company into the digitalwireless market with products for guitar, bass,vocals and wind instruments. www.line6.com

MANLEY LABORATORIESSince 1989, and now located in Chino, CA,Manley Laboratories has focused on the devel-opment of a number of products based ontube designs. Among these are the range ofManley tube microphones, which include itsstereo tube reference microphone.www.manleylabs.com

M-AUDIOFormed in 1988, and now part of the AvidTechnologies family, M-Audio is focused oncomputer-based products and those aimed toprovide solutions to mobile musicians. The M-Audio microphone selection includes a num-ber of units including the lollipop, large-diaphragm condenser, Luna.www.m-audio.com

MERCENARYBased in Foxboro, MA, Mercenary Audio notonly distributes gear from many other compa-nies, but it also manufactures its own products.

www.mercenary.com

MICROTECH GEFELLThe origins of Microtech Gefell can be tracedback to 1928 when Georg Neumann and ErichRickmann formed Georg Neumann and Co. In1943, production moved to Gefell, wheremany years of developing and producingproducts took place. www.microtechgefell.de

MIKTEK AUDIOA new company, Miktek will debut its micro-phone line at the October 2009 127th AESConvention in New York. Early reports favor-ably compare the Miktek small-diaphragmcondenser mic to classic, out-of-manufacturedesigns. www.miktekaudio.com

MILABThe Milab story begins in 1941 when Rune

Rosander produced crystal-, and then subse-

quently carbon and dynamic microphones. In

the late 1960s, the rectangular capsule and

double-sided rectangular capsule were devel-

oped and are still part of production today.

The name Milab (Microphone Laboratories)

came into being in 1970 and is distributed in

the USA by FDW Worldwide.

www.milabusa.com

MOJAVE AUDIODavid Royer established Mojave Audio in his

garage in Fullerton, CA in 1985. Known for his

ribbon microphone designs with Royer Labs,

Mojave Audio is the outlet for David Royer’s

tube microphone designs.

www.mojaveaudio.com

MXLMXL Microphones are designed and manufac-

tured by U.S.-based manufacturers, Marshall

Electronics, in El Segundo, CA. The brand has

a variety of standard microphone types aimed

at the expanding “cost-effective” market.

www.mxlmics.com

NADY SYSTEMSFounded by John Nady in 1976, Nady Systems

was, and remains, at the forefront of wireless

mic design. Nady was among the first to

address the issues of noise reduction in wire-

less systems. The company has branched out

and now includes a comprehensive range of

studio condenser, ribbon, instrument-specific

and USB microphones. www.nady.com

NEUMANNWith roots going back to Berlin in 1928,

Neumann has been involved in the design and

manufacture of a wide range of audio prod-

ucts, but it is with microphones that the name

is most associated. Neumann became part of

the Sennheiser group in 1991.

www.neumann.com

NEVATONNevaton is a Russian microphone manufactur-

er with roots dating back to 1947, when an

acoustic laboratory established itself at the

Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) optical and

mechanical association (LOMO). The compa-

ny’s product catalog includes stereo micro-

phones; small-, medium- and large-diaphragm

condenser mics; boundary layer shotgun

microphones; and miniature microphones.

www.nevatonusa.com (distributed in the U.S.

by FDW Worldwide)

PEARLIn 1941, Rune Rosander established Pearl,

which was the first microphone manufacturing

company in Sweden, and remained the sole

Swedish microphone manufacturer for the next

40 years. The company’s early stereo micro-

phone, TL 4, led to more than 20 other models

developed over the past several decades.

www.pearl.se (distributed in U.S. by

Independent Audio)

PEAVEYAfter graduating college in 1965, Hartley

Peavey started his company using the logo he

came up with while doodling in his notebook.

With products spanning the entire audio

world, Peavey microphones feature units for

use in the studio, speciality and in sound rein-

forcement. www.peavey.com

PSCSince 1976, Professional Sound Corporation

(PSC) has been a manufacturer and distributor

of professional audio products for the film and

video industries. Within the product range are

a noise-canceling headset and mini lavalier

microphones. www.professionalsound.com

REDAs a spin-off from the Latvia-manufactured,

California-based Blue Microphone Company,

Red Microphones offer the Type A tube and

Type B solid-state lollipop-style microphones

with interchangeable capsules.

www.redmic.com


RØDERøde came into existence after Henry andAstrid Freeman emigrated from Sweden toAustralia in 1967. Their background in audioproduct development within their ownFreeman Group of companies led to thedevelopment and release of the first Rødemicrophone in 1990. The company’s range hasgrown with tube and conventional micro-phones for mainly broadcast and studio use.

www.rodemic.com

ROYER LABSFormed in 1998 to bring David Royer’s ribbondesigns to the world, Royer produces a widerange of ribbons that include phantom-pow-ered and tube models. www.royerlabs.com

SAMSONSamson began 26 years ago designing andproducing wireless microphone systems. Sincethen, the company has diversified into a num-ber of areas including conventional, ribbonand USB microphones. www.samsontech.com

SANKENSanken Microphones is based in Tokyo andhas focused on producing original condenserand dynamic microphone designs for studio,broadcast and live use since 1926.Samson www.sanken-mic.com

SCHOEPSFounded in 1948, the company has specializedin the design and manufacture of condensermicrophones. The Schoeps range is now anextensive one with condenser solutions for allmanner of studio, broadcast, live, and locationscenarios, as well as surround applications.

www.schoeps.de

sE ELECTRONICSThe origins of sE Electronics started with SiweiZou, a classical musician from Shanghai.Through years of education and experience inboth China and the U.S., his designs wereeventually developed back in Shanghai in2003. The product line includes tube, ribbon,modular and conventional microphones.www.seelectronics.com

SENNHEISERSennheiser has been delivering pro audio for

more than 50 years, filling many microphone

cabinets, whether it be for music, broadcast,

post, live or location applications. The

Germany-based company has its U.S. head-

quarters in Old Lyme, CT.

www.sennheiserusa.com

SHUREFounded in Chicago, IL by Sidney Shure in1925 selling radio parts, the company pro-duced its first microphone in 1932. Shure nowboasts a collection of wired and wirelessmicrophones including the SM58, which justcelebrated its 40th birthday. www.shure.com

SONODORESonodore microphones and microphone pre-amplifiers are manufactured in Holland byRens Heijnis Audio Electronics. Producer/engi-neer Bert van der Wolf of NorthstarRecordings has been involved in the develop-ment of these recording tools from their con-ception in the early ‘90s, and has been usingthem in his own recordings for many years.

www.sonodore.com

SONTRONICSDesigned and developed in the U.K. andhandcrafted in Shanghai, Sontronics producescondenser, tube and ribbon designs, distrib-uted in the USA by FDW Worldwide.

www.sontronicsusa.com

SONYSony has a long history when it comes tomicrophones and its current range (whichincludes nearly 100 different models) reflectsSony’s continued involvement in all pro audioarenas. www.sony.com

SOUNDFIELDBased in the U.K. and formed in 1993,Soundfield manufactures and continues todevelop its multi-capsule, tetrahedral designfor both enhanced stereo and multichannelapplications. www.soundfield.com (distributedin the U.S. by TransAudio Group)

STERLING AUDIOSterling Audio employs several advancedtechnologies in its large-diaphragm condensermics. One of the features is the exclusive DiskResonator system. With it, the mics have beenable to compensate for the 14 kHz frequencyroll-off that is inherent in large-diaphragmmics. www.sterlingaudio.net

STUDIO PROJECTSFrom the B, C and CS Series, Studio Projectsmicrophones are designed and engineered byBrent Casey. www.studioprojectsusa.com

TELEFUNKEN | USATelefunken | USA was incorporated in early2001 to provide restoration services and buildreproductions of vintage Telefunken micro-phones. www.telefunkenusa.com

T.H.E.Based in Connecticut, Taylor HohendahlEngineering produces microphones designedby Andy Hohendahl. The range includes refer-ence condensers, modular mics and a binauralsphere. www.theaudio.com

TRINNOV AUDIOLocated in France, Trinnov Audio specializes inthe digital processing of acoustic fields. Thecompany has produced the SRP surroundarray of microphones, based on a special high-resolution technology. www.trinnov.com

VIOLET DESIGNViolet has been developing and manufactur-ing in Latvia since 2003, where it produces acombination of tube, solid-state, large- andsmall-diaphragm condensers, distributed inthe U.S. by FDW Worldwide.www.violetusa.com

ZAXCOMKnown primarily for its Deva location recordersand digital wireless systems, Zaxcom recentlyintroduced the ZFR800 handheld digitalrecording mic to the field recording andbroadcast journalism markets.

www.zaxcom.com



Documents

ProAudio Review Studio Microphone Gear Guide (Oct2009)