TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
STUDIO MICROPHONES A high-quality, dependable studio mic can quickly become a cornerstone in your recording arsenal. Here is a round-up of some of the latest contenders for your attention.
Audio-Techn nicca
Sontroniics
AT5045
Aria
The hand-built AT5045 large-diaphragm sideaddress condenser microphone is the latest addition to the company’s flagship 50 Series studio range. It boasts Audio-Technica’s largest single diaphragm, allowing for fast transient response, low noise, high SPL handling (149dB SPL) and a dynamic range of 141dB. At just two microns thick and made from vapour-deposited gold it is designed for use on overheads, percussion, acoustic guitar, strings and other acoustic instruments requiring the capture of dynamic, detailed sound.
Designed by Sontronics founder Trevor Coley and developed with the input of several Abbey Road engineers, the Aria valve mic has a fixed cardioid pattern and features a -10dB pad, 75Hz filter and a European-made 12AX7 vacuum tube. The Aria is designed to deliver smooth results on sung and spoken vocals, but also to give quality results on piano, cello and acoustic guitar.
Audio-Technica’s premier studio condenser instrument microphone Discrete components for optimised capsule performance Transformer-coupled output is optimised to provide smooth sonic character Hand built and inspected for 100% quality control Advanced internal shock mounting decouples the capsule from the microphone body
www.audio-technica.com
Neuman nn TLM 107
Valve condenser mic with fixed cardioid pattern Specially selected European 12AX7/ECC83 vacuum tube Includes shockmount, power supply, cables and flightcase
www.sontronics.com
The TLM 107 is a universal, standard-setting microphone for studio, broadcast and demanding home recording applications. It has a modern, high-resolution sound transducer developed for exceptional impulse fidelity, able to capture the original sound without any coloration.
Multipattern large diaphragm microphone with five polar patterns: omni, wide cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid and figure-of-eight Navigation switch with LED illuminated display for polar pattern, PAD and low cut Transparent sound characteristic for outstanding transient response to naturally reproduce human vocals Balanced sound in all five polar pattern settings
www.neumann.com
32
March 2015