MIC NEWS

Sunday 7 October

Finally done with these ^%&#! tube mics

Since my last message, we've posted the second and third installments of the giant shootout of small tube microphones.

First we put Omnidirectional capsules on them, and heard them on local acoustic guitar hero Maury Manseau's vintage Taylor.

Next we put them on drum overhead duties, both in Cardioid (Recorderman) and Omni (Spaced Pair).

The Recorderman test was an interesting one, because when I listened back, my favorite of the bunch was the pair of FET mics I'd included for contrast. Ooops.

There's a whole lot of listening to do in both sessions. If you're considering a small diaphragm tube condenser, this series will absolutely help you pick a pair of mics that you'll enjoy using.

See the Overwhelming Tube SDC Review series:

1. Adam Sullivan's review of tube SDCs on everything but ferrets
2. Omni capsules on Acoustic Guitar
3. Drum Overhead Shootout

Put your nerd on

Can a $60 microphone go head-to-head with your best name-brand condenser?

No, of course not. Don't be ridiculous.

Then again, what if you replace all the substandard parts in that $60 microphone, and introduce a fundamental change to the circuit, so that the formerly cheap mic has a premium capsule, audiophile-grade components (including unobtanium transistors), and excellent specs for transient response, sensitivity, and self-noise? 

It's not a hypothetical question. We've just introduced a "mod kit" for the MXL 990 and MCA SP-1. The circuit modification was designed by Jim Williams, who owns a fleet of SP1s. The kit represents the latest evolution of Jim's transformerless circuit design. Click the image below to read more about the new mic mod kits from Microphone-Parts.com.

By the way, if you enjoy DIY pro audio, you might wish to subscribe to the new Microphone-Parts newsletter, which will give you access to limited-run products and private sale pricing. See the subscription widget on the Microphone-Parts.com homepage.

The U87 Shootout

I've heard too many old-school audio engineers lament the state of the industry, saying that even studio standard microphones like the U87 aren't made like in the golden days. I decided to put this notion to the test.

We spent a day at Sausalito's Loudville Studios, recording male vocals and voiceover, plus acoustic guitar, through a vintage U87 and contemporary U87 Ai. You can even see this one on video, thanks to the robotic cameras at Loudville.

The question has been on my mind because I'm finally, finally getting ready to pull the trigger on the inevitable U87 purchase. But which one?

Watch The Microphone Show episode 2, the U87 Shootout.