& present

GEAR
GUIDE

MICROPHONES
For Studios
TOP ENGINEERS’ PREFERENCES AND PRACTICES: LARGE-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICS
SMALL-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICS • DYNAMIC MICS • RIBBON MICS

TELEFUNKEN ELA M 260 MICROPHONE
elefunken Elektroakustik is pleased to
T offer our version of the ELA M 260, our
first small-diaphragm, tube condenser
model. While the microphone bears the
“ELA M” designation, it is part of Telefunken
Elektroakustik’s “R-F-T” series as it is not a
historically accurate reproduction of the orig-
inal Telefunken GmbH ELA M 260, which
employed a different tube and output trans-
former.
The current “R-F-T” ELA M 260 system
affords unparalleled versatility, astounding
audio quality, all for an affordable price con-
sistent with all R-F-T Series product offerings,
and was the 2008 TEC Award® winner for
Microphone Technology.
The ELA M 260, features a NOS (New Old
Stock) Telefunken EF-732 vacuum tube, and
custom-designed output transformer. In
application, the ELA M 260 has been found
to be an excellent-sounding transducer,
which many engineers and producers have
enjoyed in widespread application over many
varying genres of music.
The Telefunken Elektroakustik ELA M 260
system is supplied with a set of three inter-
changeable capsules (the 260 cardioid, 261
omni, and 262 hyper-cardioid), as well as a
custom adaptor designed by our friend and
fellow audio enthusiast, Chip Machokas, that
permits the use of any of the AKG “CK”
series of capsules, as well as capsules made
OCTOBER 2009
ADVERTORIAL
by other manufacturers with the same thread
and has an available adapter that will accept
Neumann/Gefell bayonet-style capsules.
As with all small capsule mics, the ELA M
260 excels for the recording of acoustic
instruments of all types. Acoustic guitars,
drum overheads, percussion and strings are
typical signal sources that sound excellent
through the ELA M 260.
Even more impressive than our TEC
Award are some of the testimonials we have
received from actual users.
Bil VornDick (Allison Kraus, Bela Fleck,
Bob Dylan) gave us a shout after trying
them: “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, it
gently smoothes it out.”
Bil then added, “If you’re not careful
when recording a mandolin, you get undesir-
able overtones between the bridge and the
tailpiece that have nothing to do with the
tempered scale. I put the 260 about six inch-
es away and got a perfect sound. I’m looking
forward to using these mics on a hammered
dulcimer, 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 and
Bruce Hornsby, I switched to the hyper-car-
dioid capsule and put the mic near the top
side of his bass because I wanted to target
his sound and minimize leakage from the
piano and other instruments in the room. An
engineer’s hardest battle is making the musi-
cians feel on playback that the instrument
sounds like it did when they were playing.
Charlie listened back and wanted to take the
microphone home with him, so I scored a
home run with him.”
The Telefunken Elektroakustik ELA M 260
comes complete with microphone, cardioid,
hyper-cardioid and omni capsules, power
supply, Gotham Audio cable, wooden mic
box, and when registered, a one-year warran-
ty on the capsules and tube and a 4-year
amplifier and power supply warranty. All you
need to supply is the talent!
LEARN MORE ABOUT TELEFUNKEN
AT WWW.TELEFUNKEN.COM
GEAR GUIDE STUDIO MIC 3
 OCTOBER 2009 GEA R GUIDE
Each link of the recording chain is critical, but without the first link, MICROPHONES
the microphone, the rest of the chain is rendered dysfunctional.
For Live Performance
PUBLISHER
Microphone selection is as important as skill in their use. Gear JOHN PLEDGER
jpledger@nbmedia.com
Guide: Recording Microphones surveyed leading engineers on their
EDITORIAL
microphone preferences and application practices. FRANK WELLS EDITOR
615-848-1769, fwells@nbmedia.com

FRED GOODMAN MANAGING EDITOR

Condenser microphones are noted for their sensitivity, clarity, and 212-378-0423, fgoodman@nbmedia.com

CLIVE YOUNG, STROTHER BULLINS,

often when their onboard amplification stage utilizes a tube, their CHRISTOPHER WALSH
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
warmth. The two general classes of condenser microphones are
ADVERTISING
based on the size of the diaphragm. TARA PRESTON ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
212-378-0456, tpreston@nbmedia.com
LARGE-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICROPHONES . . . . . . . . . 5 KAREN GODGART ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
323-868-5416, kgodgart@nbmedia.com
SMALL-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICROPHONES . . . . . . . . . 11 ART & PRODUCTION
NICOLE COBBAN SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

ANNMARIE LASCALA ART DIRECTOR

Dynamic microphones, the common parlance for moving coil mic
FRED VEGA PRODUCTION MANAGER
designs, are the rugged workhorses of the transducer world, basics NEWBAY MEDIA L.L.C.
of any microphone collection. While they typically exhibit less sensi- STEVEN PALM PRESIDENT/CEO

PAUL MASTRONARDI CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

tivity and less transparent transient response than their condenser
TONY SAVONA DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL,
MARKETING AND CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
kin, those very traits can be part of their allure, imparting a charac-
ADMINISTRATIVE, ADVERTISING
teristic sound often equated with the “standard” recorded sound of & EDITORIAL OFFICES
810 7th Avenue, 27th Floor
instruments like the snare drum. New York, New York 10019
TEL: 212-378-0400 ■ FAX: 212-378-0470
DYNAMIC MICROPHONES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
COPYRIGHT ©2009 NEWBAY MEDIA

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission

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.
is prohibited. Gear Guide is published by NewBay
Media L.L.C. All product information is subject to
change; publisher assumes no responsibility for such
change. All listed model numbers and product names
are manufacturers’ registered trademark. The publish-
er does not take responsibility for any of the products
advertised within.
PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

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

4 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE OCTOBER 2009


Recording Microphones:
ENGINEERS
BY CHRISTOPHER WALSH
LARGE-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER
MICROPHONES
art of an engineer’s job, says Robert
P Carranza (Jack Johnson, Ozomatli), is
microphone shootouts. “That’s based
on trying to get away from routines,” he
explains. “But if you compare certain micro-
phones, you end up saying, ‘Well, this one
still sounds good!’ I have a few that are sta-
ples: the Telefunken U-47 and the
OCTOBER 2009
STUDIO MICROPHONES
Eshy Gazit, house producer/engineer at New York’s Cutting Room Studios, sets up an
AEA R84 ribbon and Shure SM57 dynamic mic on the front, and a Sennheiser MD 421
on the back, of a guitar amplifier.
Telefunken ELA M 251. I can’t get away enough where you get the overall picture of
from them. the drums—and vocals, too. It’s a great
“The 251, to me, is a little more aggres-
sive sounding than the U-47,” Carranza
observes. “Throw it up, and it sounds great
vocal mic.”
Carranza places the 251 about a foot
above the drummer’s head, facing the kit at
on everything. Put the 251 on an acoustic a 45-degree angle. “So much sound hap-
guitar and forget it: It gets the classic pens right there, most of the time. It varies;
acoustic sound. I’ve actually been using it a sometimes there, but always a foot or two
lot for overheads—not too close, far over the guy’s head and at 45 or straight
GEAR GUIDE STUDIO MIC 5

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With 18 patents pending, Audio-Technica’s
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large-diaphragm condenser, is recommended
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drum overheads, orchestras, ensembles and
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While the application of phantom power
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6 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE
ADVERTORIAL
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■ Handmade production, including ribbon
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■ Phantom-powered active electronics
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microphone preamplifiers
OCTOBER 2009
 STUDIO MICROPHONES

on-axis, depending on how hard the guy

hits the drums. You throw a U-47 in front, Shure
about six feet away from the kit, midway SM57
between the toms and kick. That’s another
go-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 once
in a while as a mono overhead,” he allows,
“and as a faraway room mic. There’s just
something that happens with the U-47 that’s
way below—octaves below—what I hear has an interesting voice, and it was the per- ever made. Put the fader up and it’s clear, [it]
with the 251,” he continues. “It’s almost like fect handshake.” captures air. If it’s clear, I feel like I can do
natural EQ. A lot of people use the U-47 for Dugan used the U-47 as a mono drum anything with it. A lot of times, with acoustic
acoustic guitar. You’ve got to be careful mic on another Green Day project, as well. instruments, you don’t want any artifacts. You
with them, though—there’s a body buildup “It’s one of those mics that has this nice big, really want to capture the instrument.”
that happens, so mic placement is probably warm and somewhat flat response. It’s one “For vocals, it’s either a U 47 a U 67,
the most important thing with the U-47.” that I would stick in front of a drum kit, depending on the voice,” says Michael
Chris Dugan (Green Day, Iggy Pop) is immediately. The way we tracked [21st Frondelli (Crowded House, Big Bad Voodoo
also a fan of the U-47 and ELA M 251. Like Century Breakdown], we pretty much had Daddy). “For piano, I like the M 149. For
Carranza, the Telefunkens fared well in a everything set up at once, and I only had room, the M 50—or, if it’s a rock ‘n’ roll drum
shootout, this one to select microphones for one [U-47], so it remained in the vocal booth. kit, the Shure VP88. For strings, I’ll use U
Green Day’s 21st Century I’ve used other mics, but 67s, if I can get them. For a big band, again,
Breakdown. The U-47 Neumann when we’re just tracking U 67s, U 47 on the upright bass, U 47 on the
was chosen as Billie Joe U 47 drums or something, baritone sax. I can use condensers on brass
Armstrong’s vocal mic; that’s definitely a mic I as well: I’ll use U 67s if I have them.”
the 251 was the go-to would put in front of the “I am a huge fan of the Neumann U 47
choice for drum over- kit, about five feet back, for vocals,” says Eshy Gazit, house produc-
head. kind of pointed at the kick er/engineer at New York’s Cutting Room
“There’s always one drum. It captures that Studios. “The Neumann SM 69 is a great
mic that’s right for the really nice, warm sound.” stereo mic. The U 47 FET is the best bass,
application,” Dugan A conversation with kick-out and double-bass mic ever; and the U
observes. The U-47, he any professional engineer 67 is very ‘vibey’; I use it with care, though.”
adds, “was absolutely about microphones will For guitar amps, says Frondelli, “it’s a
perfect for [21st Century inevitably be peppered question of color. I find that a U 67 gives
Breakdown]. I’ll go on with references to some me the flattest response. I’ve used 67s and
record and say it was the of recording history’s most 87s in conjunction with [Sennheiser MD]
perfect mic for Billie to famous models, such as 421s and [Shure SM] 57s on the same amp.”
sing into. We did a the Neumann U 47, U 67 Tucker Bodine, owner and operator of
shootout, and Billie and U 87. “Give me a Playback Recording Studio in Santa
specifically came in and decent tube U 47, and I’m Barbara, CA, is a fan of Neumann’s U 87 Ai,
said, ‘What’s that one? generally very happy,” which he uses for vocals, guitars and as a
That’s the one I like.’ To says Eric Liljestrand room mic. “The one I have is not from the
be honest, I had just (Lucinda Williams, Corinne old school; it’s the U 87 Ai, but it’s right on
heard all these awesome Bailey Rae). the money. It’s a great all-around mic. It can
mics, and I was saying, The classics—U 47s— handle anything you throw at it.”
‘These are all great.’ But are always a great By virtue of its dynamic microphones,
there was something choice,” agrees Ed Shure is perhaps the best-known brand in
really good about that Cherney (Rolling Stones, the world. But the manufacturer’s KSM
U-47 with his voice. It Bonnie Raitt). “I think the series of condenser microphones launched
was nice and thick, and U 67 is the most under- a new era, as recording engineers took to
it wasn’t too hyped. He appreciated microphone them in a very big way.

8 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE OCTOBER 2009

 STUDIO MICROPHONES

“I’m using the Shure KSM 27 for instru-

from the capsule; it just vibrates Audio-Technica
a little more. With the 4050, I
ments, overheads and stuff like that, says AT4050
Nashville-based Randy Poole (Take 6, seem to be able to get it close
and it’s warm.
Hezekiah Walker). “It’s probably my favorite
for overheads, because it has a little bit of “A friend of mine who does
that smiley-face EQ curve. Some people sound for the Rolling Stones was
using them for guitars,” Carranza
use it on vocals. If I have to mike a choir
and I want it to be more of a medium roomadds. “Later, I was at the studio
mic, not right up there one or two feet doing guitars, they had a couple
pairs there, and said, ‘Let me
away, the smiley face helps it not sound thin
throw those on.’ I was really sur-
or distant. It’s a great choir mic, from that
standpoint.” prised. With [the 4050], that was
“I’ve been using the KSM 32 on toms aall I needed. It had the warmth
and the realness I was looking
lot,” confides Nashville-based Bil VornDick
(Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas). Sometimes I for, and the clarity and details of
would use it on bottoms, before, but I’vethe amp. You can get real close
if you want that sound. If you
flipped that to the top and the 421 on the
pull it back, it gets even better.
bottom. The initial attack is a little more
present, getting better overtones on the The pickup patterns are differ-
whole top than I was before.” ent, and if you put one of those
“In terms of newer microphones,” saysin bidirectional in front of a bass
Carranza, “I’ve become a big fan of the amp, it sounds great too.”
Audio-Technica [AT]4050. I have a couple of “I have a pair of Audio-
Technica [AT]4033s,” says
them. I like them a lot on guitars, because
Frondelli. “I use them in stereo.
they can handle a lot of SPL. A lot of micro-
phones have some weird honks sometimes, I’ve used them for vocal, I use
them on guitar, percussion. It’s
usually around 1k, when they get a little too
close to something. They have resonance interesting—depending on the kind of per- phone where you push up the fader and it’s
cussion you’re recording, thin con- there. I’ve been using the ATM25 on toms,
densers like a 4033 might work. It’s for the most part.”
bright enough, it’s got a small tube in AKG, it goes without saying, is another
it that makes it sound warm. For per- oft-mentioned and revered brand of con-
cussion, generally I’m using a wide- denser (and dynamic) microphone. “I’ve
diaphragm condenser if I have a always liked AKG C12s for overheads,” says
room [in which] I don’t have to use a Cherney. “That’s just a wonderful micro-
tight pattern to keep isolation. But if phone. I’ll go to 414s on toms—that’s
you’re recording timpani, or a real another go-to for jazz sessions and stuff
low-end drum, I’m happy using it, that’s a little more sensitive.”
depending. If it’s a single recorded “I am a huge fan of the C12 for vocals,
drum as an overdub, I’ll use a wide- or the stereo version, the C24—an amazing
diaphragm condenser, but in an room mic,” says Gazit. “A few others that I
orchestral situation, you can use a love: AKG 451 [small diaphragm condenser]
[Sennheiser dynamic MD] 421 five to or 414—very good definition mics for
six feet above the timpani and it will strings and acoustic guitars. I love it espe-
work. The low end needs time to cially as stereo XY.”
develop.” “I really go for the C12 A on the toms,”
“Audio-Technica made the adds Dugan, “and 414s on the bottom. Real
ATM23 HE—I’m not sure they make C12s for piano, with a [Neumann] M 50 at
CAD Audio E60 cardioid condenser placed under it anymore,” says Cherney. “I’ve the bottom, at the base of the piano.”
a tom. been using it on snare drums. For “I also love AKG C12-A mics,” says
rock snare, it’s the kind of micro- Liljestrand. “Not the C12, which somehow I

OCTOBER 2009 GEAR GUIDE STUDIO MIC 9

 STUDIO MICROPHONES
don’t have good luck with, but
the 414-looking tube mic. I
find them incredible on toms
(only if you trust your drum-
mer) and overheads, as well
as other acoustic instruments.
I have some very old AKG
451-E mics (once part of the
RCA Studios collection),
which are a great contrast to
my Schoeps if I have multiples
of the same instrument.”
“I love C451s on the over-
heads and hi-hat—all the cym-
bals,” confides Frondelli, who
has recorded many perform-
ances for high-definition televi-
sion broadcast in recent years.
“When I recorded Norah Jones for
the Gram Parsons tribute [Return to
Sin City], we taped an AKG C414
and a [Neumann] KM 184 with a
special break mount across the
piano—that’s with the lid closed—so
I could get an angle down and keep the
body of the microphone parallel to the
soundboard. I used them both together,
and it was quite an interesting combina-
tion—low and high end.”
The aforementioned manufacturers are
perennial favorites, many decades after their
founding. But as any observer knows, com-
petition is fierce, from inexpensive mics
mass-produced in China, for example, as
well as high-end, boutique models built in
smaller quantities. “My favorite large-
diaphragm condenser that I own is the
Soundelux ELUX 251,” says Lynn Fuston of
Franklin, Tennessee-based 3D Audio regard-
ing the latter category. “It offers a very flat-
tering interpretation on most voices. I just
made a record for an older gentleman, and
it captured the resonance of his baritone
voice and made him sound like Bing Crosby,
showing off a warmth and depth that other
mics missed. At almost $5,000, it’s not for
everyone, but it’s worth every cent.
“On the more affordable side,” Fuston
adds, “my two new favorites are the
Advanced Audio CM-47 and Mojave [Audio]
MA-200. The CM-47 works on everything.
10 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE
I’ve used it on French horn, per-
cussion, tympani, voice—I
haven’t found anything it doesn’t
sound good on. It’s warm but
not unnaturally so. The MA-200
is a little more selective. It offers
an enhanced top and bottom
and, for some singers, that is
great. On lead and background
vocals I use it quite a bit.”
“I’ve been using the Mojave
MA-200 as well,” says Liljestrand,
“which makes a fabulous drum
and percussion mic and—the real
payoff—about four feet in front
of an electric guitar cabinet, com-
bined with either a Sennheiser
409 or 609, or a Royer ribbon close
to the grille. This mic has saved me
from having to find working U 67s for
the guitars, and at the price
AKG
point it is very attractive
C414
indeed.”
Los Angeles-based Joe Barresi
(Matisyahu, Queens of the Stone Age) is a
fan of the Mojave MA-201 FET, as well as
“anything by Violet [Design]. All their stuff is
killer. The Globe is standard, and the
Amethyst as well on anything: overheads,
acoustic guitars, even electric
guitar with a pad in front of it.
Kick drum outside, drum kit
mono rooms, bass guitar—
pretty much anything.”
“A buddy of mine is a pro-
ducer that does a lot of
vocals, more than anything,”
Poole shares. “He uses a
Korby Convertible. You can
pop the capsule off and put
different ones in.
“The new mic I’m loving
that doesn’t cost a lot is the
Equation F.20,” Poole adds.
“That is a good one. It’s like an
[AKG] 414; not quite so much
proximity effect, but it doesn’t
have that midrange bark, I
would call it, that a 414 has
sometimes. That’s really one of
my favorite go-to mics for
Mojave MA-200
vocals mainly, but piano, overheads, bass
cabinet, and I’m using it on the top of my B3
right now.
“The only thing I don’t like it for is those
places where you go, ‘I need to close-mic a
drum, I like a lot of proximity effect,’ so your
drum sounds bigger than it really is. But for
everything else, especially if I have a stri-
dent female vocal or something, I know that
I’m getting a nice, pure tone and no accen-
tuated weirdness or anything like that.
“For vocals,” he continues, “I also use
the MXL V69. That’s still a great mic. I’ve
compared it to many expensive mics, and it
still works pretty well, especially with a new
tube in it. It’s, like, 300 bucks!”
Liljestrand also employs a number of
boutique models: “David Bock is making
some great large-diaphragm mics again. I
was using a [Bock Audio] 195 recently and
really enjoyed it. I own a Brauner Valvet,
which I like but doesn’t work on everyone’s
voice. Some singers just completely crap it
out, even if I back way off. Corinne Bailey
Rae, yes; Jane Carrey, no; Lucinda Williams,
sometimes; Susannah Hoffs, yes; Robert
Hunter, no no no! It sounded like he broke
it! I’m working with an English baritone right
now, and the thing loves him. This is a great
instrumental mic, too, though—it
shines on stringed instruments
and woodwinds.”
“A lot of times, woodwinds
like a condenser, like a Sony C37
or something like that,” Cherney
adds. “I love the C37,” Barresi
agrees.
“I am a huge fan of the Sony
C800,” Gazit adds, “especially
when it comes to female singers.
The C800 has a strong mid and it
cuts through very nicely when
used on the right vocalist. I used
this on Lisa Loeb’s LimeWire
Store EP [Live at Lime with Lisa
Loeb], and Ida Maria.
“Another great mic that I
would use,” he adds, “is the
Manley Reference, especially if I
don’t know the vocalist. The
Manley is an excellent condenser,
OCTOBER 2009

very natural-sounding. Its big advantage (and
sometimes disadvantage) is that it doesn’t
color the sound too much. I used it on
Chrisette Michele’s last album, the Roots and
Phoenix.”
SMALL-DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER
MICROPHONES
As with large-diaphragm condensers, com-
petition has really heated up in the small-
diaphragm category. Higher frequencies—
cymbals, acoustic guitars, for example—are
captured by a wide variety of both trusted
and upstart models. In this survey, many
respondents note the startlingly high quality
of many new models, often comparing
them favorably with the most trusted mics
from the most revered manufacturers.
Says Frondelli, “In making choices for
microphones, my concerns are one, the
instrument and how it’s played; two, the room
that it’s in, whether it’s an overdub or an
ensemble; and three, how much isolation I
need. I’ll always go with a wider pattern if I
don’t need isolation. I’ll use a tighter mic with
good front-to-back rejection in an ensemble
situation if I don’t want to use the spill.”
That said, Frondelli likes the Neumann
KM 84 on acoustic guitars. “I like the new KM
OCTOBER 2009
STUDIO MICROPHONES
184—I use it in X-Y. I also like U 47s and U 67s
on acoustic guitars, depending on if I’m
doing a live vocal with it. For a tight acoustic
guitar, a picked piece or something, it
depends on what’s around it. If I’m recording
it live, how tight a pattern do I need to get
isolation? For a big dreadnaught guitar that
you want to jangle,” he adds, “you want a
wider diaphragm. With a really big Martin or
(Above) Equation VS-10 supercardioid
dynamic in a vocal position.
(Left) A Shure SM57 cardioid dynamic
paired with a CAD Trion 7000 dual
element ribbon mic on a guitar amp.
jumbo Gibson, you want to get it to thrash a
bit 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’s
just got a super-flat response; it basically gives
me exactly what I’m hearing in the room,
which I like. It’s my go-to for anything that has
high-frequency response, like cymbals.”
“My all-time favorite acoustic guitar mic is
a Neumann KM 140,” says Barresi. “It’s crystal-
clear and a very natural, beautiful-sounding
microphone. The fact that it’s got a pad on it
is amazing, as opposed to the 184, which has
no pad. It’s got switchable capsules as well.
It’s just a great mic; I love it. Although Mojave
is working on a small-diaphragm condenser—
we just did some beta testing on it—that
sounded unbelievable, on snare drum, too. It
can handle the power.”
A great stereo pair, says Gazit, “is the
Neumann KM 84s—I love them on piano. I
was recently working with a new artist—
Misty Boyce, we’re producing her debut
album—and I recorded pianos using the
GEAR GUIDE STUDIO MIC 11
 STUDIO MICROPHONES
KM 84s as close mics and the C24 as room,
which sounds so warm that you will need to
lower the temperature on your AC!”
“I still love my favorite mic of all time,
the Neumann 582, which is a tube,” Poole
shares. “I use it on acoustic guitars, strings,
piano, all that good stuff.” Poole also favors
the Schoeps CMC 64 for acoustic guitars.
“Something inexpensive: CAD makes the
[equitek] e70. That’s a really good mic for
acoustic guitars and wherever you’d put a
small-diaphragm condenser.”
“I like Shure SM81s for hi-hats and
such,” Liljestrand notes. “They have a very
pronounced midrange (in the 1-2 kHz
octave), which I feel gives me the sound of
the tip hitting the cymbal without too much
4-6 kHz ear fatigue.”
VornDick provides a working example of
the widening array of high-quality small-con-
densers. “There is a new mic called KEL
[Audio], out of Canada,” he confides. “This
guy is making mics for acoustic instruments,
and he’s got some smaller diaphragms
called the HM-1 and HM-2D. They’re really
good on dobros and mandolins. I was very
impressed. I used the two on a lap dul-
cimer—you know how whiny those things
can get. I would typically use a KM 84 or 64,
or something like that. But this thing really
made that lap dulcimer sing. I don’t record
lap dulcimer a whole lot, but on this occa-
sion, I just couldn’t find a mic, grabbed that
and put in on there. It was just transpar-
ent, and more focused. The more I’m
using those microphones, I’m finding
how flat they are, not hyped.
Tekefunken ELA M 251AC System
12 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE
“I was in Ocean Way [Nashville, Studio]
A doing drums,” he adds, “and replaced
two 87s with the KEL HM-7U, and the room
just became transparent. I was with a bunch
of people, and they went, ‘Whoa, what are
those?’ And these things are under $400.
“This is going to be a shocker,”
VornDick continues. “Someone told me
about the Sterling [Audio] ST33. I’ve been
using it on snare. Instead of using a [Shure
SM] 57 and a 451 or 452 combined, I can
put that Sterling there and get the side
stick if I need it, for those kind of songs,
without having to turn on the 451. But I get
a fatness, too, on a 57.”
A self-described “KM 84 nut” for
acoustic instruments, VornDick recently
discovered the new Miktek Audio line.
“The main thing is, you can’t get KM 84s
anymore,” he explains. “I heard an 84
A/B’d with [Miktek’s] small-condenser, a
little bit bigger than a KM 84. We were
miking an acoustic guitar, and I didn’t get
the proximity effect off of the Miktek that I
was from the KM 84. For people looking
for KM 84s, this would be an extremely
good choice.”
Finally, VornDick also likes the
Telefunken ELA M 260: “That’s one of my
new secret toys. I use it a lot on upright
bass and acoustic instruments.”
“My hands-down favorite [small-con-
denser] is my Schoeps stereo set,”
Liljestrand says.
“Both the MK-2 omni
capsules and the
CMC6 U bodies are
matched. The MK-2
capsules are the
DPA 4041
medium high-end rise model (they make a
flat capsule and one with a more pro-
nounced rise for distant placements like
concert halls and so on), and they are the
most transparent mic I have heard. I’ve
used them on just about everything, and
they always satisfy. Even the sound of some-
one entering the room and sitting down
sounds like Foley—amazingly present and
detailed. 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 sounds
really 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 wood
flute and bouzouki. I was very impressed,
and so were the musicians.”
DYNAMIC MICROPHONES
From the smallest coffeehouse to the
largest stadium, Shure dynamic
mics will be found in live-
music venues the world over.
In particular, the SM58 and
SM57 have long been stan-
dard for vocals, guitar amps
and snare drums. So successful
is the SM58, in fact, that it has
OCTOBER 2009
 ADVERTORIAL

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MICROPHONE
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Due to its low-mass capsule and super-thin (yet surprisingly rugged) capsule membrane, the
M80 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 nets
added 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,
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Don’t take our word for it, here are what some professional touring engineers have had to say:

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—Paul Babikian, FOH—Kate Voegele,
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14 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE OCTOBER 2009
 STUDIO MICROPHONES
spawned numerous imitators and, regret-
tably, counterfeit models.
Shure remains a dominant player in
dynamics, many of which are employed in a
variety of ways. “The SM57,” says Gazit, is
the “all-time best-value microphone. Best
electric guitar, snare and I love it on vocals.
The SM7 is great as a kick/snare combina-
tion [and] roomy-type sound—or get it
close to the snare and gate out the kick for
a great snare sound.”
The SM7, says Cherney, is “without a
doubt the go-to mic to get out of trouble
for a rock vocal. Sometimes you get a girl
singer with a voice that’s got a beam in it
that would cut glass. The SM7 will get you
out of trouble with that all the time, espe-
cially if you have a loud singer that will blow
up a large-diaphragm microphone. An SM7
or [Electro-Voice] RE20 will always get you
out of trouble. Plus, if I’m tracking with the
singer 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 times
with acoustic instruments, you don’t want
any artifacts. You really want to capture the
instrument.” He is quick to note, though,
that “sometimes you don’t want a micro-
phone that hears something too well. That’s
when I’ll go to a dynamic like an SM7 or an
RE20. It’ll still have that clarity about it, but
lots of headroom and doesn’t hear that
well, so it doesn’t hear the bad things, like
squeaks 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 for
about a year now, but it really sounds good
on voice and electric guitar cabinets. With
the mid boost in, it’s like an SM57 with
beef—lots of wonderful low end. I usually
keep it on the guitar cabs, but I might like it
somewhere else, too.”
In his ample experience with live events,
Frondelli is often recording with micro-
phones largely chosen by a front-of-house
engineer. “I’ve used everything at least
once,” he recalls. “In a live application,
engineers will use a [Shure] Beta 52 on the
kick, 57s on the snare top and bottom,
16 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE
“Sometimes you don’t want a microphone
that hears something too well. That’s
when I’ll go to a dynamic [mic].”
SM81 on the hi-hat, Beta 98—the clip-on
condensers—on the toms; and KSMs on the
overheads. [Electric] guitar is usually a 57.
“Everybody prefers the 58,” Frondelli
observes. “The 58 is easy for front-of-house
guys because they don’t get feedback—and
that’s what kills my recording, feedback—so I
have to go with whatever they’re comfort-
able with. You can EQ an SM58 to work for
live vocal performance, with good front-to-
back rejection, and I get a decent sound on
the vocal and clean it up with EQ.”
A relatively new entry in the dynamic
mic category is the Telefunken M-80, one of
which, Dugan shares, was onsite for the
recording 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, exactly
what I wanted for a snare drum. We’ve now
incorporated it everywhere. In the live show,
we’re using them for vocals, which it is
amazing for, as well as snare. We only had
one at the time we were making the record;
I wish I’d had the opportunity to try it out
on other things. But I plan to.”
The Sennheiser MD 421, says Barresi, “is
my all-time favorite, and the SM7—that’s my
favorite vocal mic, actually. I use [the 421]
on kick, toms, bass and guitars. Obviously,
you can’t go wrong with a 57, but the 421
adds that extra character that’s missing
from a 57, and also they sound better on
toms. It would be my first choice as an
additional mic with a 57 on guitars. It’s
always my first choice inside a kick drum—
—ED CHERNEY
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, says
Poole, is going to be dull: “57s and 421s:
They just work,” he says. “I’ve been using
that 57 with a [Tab-Funkenwerk] output
transformer from Mercenary Audio.
“For kick drum, the Electro-Voice 868
makes me smile,” he continues. “At my
home studio, I’m using Sennheiser 604s,
those little ones, on toms. It’s similar to a
421—not quite as good, but very similar. My
tom combination is 604 on top, and the
CAD e60 on the bottoms. That’s a great lit-
tle mic; the bottom toms sound really good
on the e60 to me. If I’m at a studio, howev-
er, I have to say, ‘Give me an AKG 414 with
a 20 dB pad underneath the toms.’”
AKG’s D112 is perhaps the most popular
kick drum mic of all. “That’s one of the best
standard mics on the planet,” says Bodine.
“I love that dynamic mic; you just can’t go
wrong with it. I use it for kick drums and
bass amps.” Gazit adds that the D112 or
D12 is his choice for kick drum, while the
Electro-Voice RE20 is his go-to mic for bass
amplifiers.
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’ve
historically used were mushy-sounding; the
PR 40 was clean, bright, punchy, but didn’t
get the proximity muffle that the others did.
OCTOBER 2009

Now, I’m a big 421 fan on kick, too; and, of
course, it depends on the kick, but that’s a
new one I’ve been using a lot.”
“One of the mics I really love recently is
the Audix i-5,” Bodine relates. “It’s really,
really nice. It’s different than a 57, but has
kind of the same setup. I use it on snares
and amp cabinets. Even though it’s a
dynamic, it reacts almost like a condenser in
the way it sounds. I’m a really big fan of the
Audix stuff.”
RIBBON MICROPHONES
In the ribbon category, a small number of
manufacturers dominate the market, while
classic models continue to top many an
engineer’s go-to list. Ribbon mics have
gained in popularity in recent years, and
manufacturers are increasingly offering less
Engineer Randy Poole places an EV N/D868 dynamic cardioid mic inside a kick drum.
OCTOBER 2009
STUDIO MICROPHONES
expensive models.
In a recent development in the realm of
ribbon microphones, Shure, which manufac-
tured ribbon mics from the 1950s through the
1980s, announced the acquisition of Crowley
and Tripp Ribbon Microphones in April.
VornDick favors Crowley & Tripp’s El
Diablo and Naked Eye, both featuring a
Roswellite ribbon. The El Diablo—recently
reintroduced as the Shure KSM353—”is just
spectacular for arch-top guitars and dobro,”
he notes. “I’ve used them on Jerry Douglas.
The Naked Eye [now the KSM313] is also a
Roswellite, unbreakable ribbon. That’s one
thing about them—the diaphragms are
really hard to break. I used it on [guitarist]
Bryan Sutton on Charlie Haden’s new
album.”
“I’m a fan of Royer, like everyone else,”
Carranza states. “The R-121, and I also
have the SF-12 stereo, [in the] Blumlein
pattern. In a time where we have multiple,
multiple tracks to do whatever we want, it’s
a nice luxury to throw a stereo ribbon mic
up. The Blumlein pattern on the trumpet or
a saxophone sounds incredible. You can
throw up all kinds of microphones and it
will sound good; but ribbon microphones,
God. Yes, you’ve got to add a little EQ, a
little high end, but the depth you’re going
to 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 to
make a ‘Royer record,’ with all Royer mics. I
use the R-121 like crazy. I have the SF-24
GEAR GUIDE STUDIO MIC 17
 STUDIO MICROPHONES

that we used in the room [for 21st Century

Breakdown], and I’ve used it as an overhead
for drums before. It’s awesome for that.”
Fuston reports that he tries at least one
new ribbon mic per month. “I have a collec-
tion of about a dozen,” he says, “but my
two ‘bread and butter’ mics are the AEA
R84 and the Royer R-122. I use these on
almost every session I do. The R84 sounds
good on voice, on strings, on trumpet. The
R-122 is amazing on brass, and I use it on
the outside head of a kick drum. Both of
them 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 Wes
Dooley’s Audio Engineering Associates (AEA)
is much loved by professionals. “Recently, a
lot of people have been coming by with this
[R88] stereo ribbon,” says Barresi. “It sounds
fantastic, a really, really good microphone. It’s
not incredibly expensive, and coupled with
an 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 is
amazing on just about everything. I love it
on electric guitars, acoustics, vocals—for a
retro vibe.”
“One interesting microphone,” Gazit
notes, “is the Blue [Microphones]
Woodpecker, which is a nice combination of CAD Audio e70 modular dual-capsule condenser mic aimed at cymbal bottom.
ribbon and condenser. I loved it on horns.”
Poole is also a fan of the CAD Trion a decent console to mix the things to. I usu- figure-eight is picking up more room
7000. “It’s not quite as small a package as ally do a [Shure SM] 57 and a ribbon, sounds, so you don’t want to put it a foot
some other ones, like Royers and stuff,” he whether it’s the Royer or the CAD, and away, though in a certain room, that’s fine.
allows, “but [is good for] guitar cabinets, blend the two to one track in Pro Tools. If But as long as the guitar player is not going
drum room mics, those usual places where we can get back to that model—good, to kill the microphone, I put them at about
you’d like a thicker sound. I also use the beefy mono guitar tracks—and make that three inches, in that area. As long as the
CAD ribbon for trumpets. It works great. It’s blend just right for each guitar part that volumes are reasonable, that seems to work
a figure-eight—it’s picking up a little bit of goes down, it really helps in the mix. You’ve great, and the phase is much easier to work
room, like all ribbons tend to do—but it got the same guitar player—he may be with. The ribbon is usually more in the mid-
sounds good, very similar to an R-121, and switching guitars a little bit, but he’s got the dle, so it’s picking up a brighter tone to
it seems to—no offense to Royer—take same amp. It just helps to change one more begin with.”
maybe 3 dB more level before it craps out. thing to set those tracks apart from each “I’ve been using the Coles
Now, I have had a guitar player blow one other. I can always say, ‘Let’s check the [Electroacoustics 4040 Studio Ribbon] mic
up, but he tends to switch sounds and hit blend on those two mics.’ for drums lot, horn instruments and guitars
the down strum with no warning. “If it’s a player who hits you with 140 too,” says Carranza.
“I usually do the standard guitar-miking dB,” Poole continues, “I put them both fair- “All these things,” he concludes, “are
thing,” Poole confides, “especially if I have ly close, right in the same plane. Again, the dictated by the sound source.”

18 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE OCTOBER 2009

 STUDIO MIC MANUFACTURERS DIRECTORY
ADK
ADK was established in 1997 by recording
engineer/vintage-mic collector, Larry Villella, in
order to replicate the sonic attributes of vin-
tage European microphones. He did this
through spectrum analysis and computer mod-
eling of the response curves of his favorite
microphones.
www.adkmicrophones.com
AEA
Audio Engineering Associates’ (AEA) Wes
Dooley drew upon his 40 years of experience
and passion for ribbon microphones when he
reintroduced the AEA R44 (based on the RCA
44) back in 1998. Since then, AEA has intro-
duced mic preamps specifically for ribbon use
alongside other ribbon microphones, includ-
ing the A440 active version of the 44 mic.
www.wesdooley.com
AKG
Founded in Vienna in 1947, AKG has grown a
great deal to become one of the principal
microphone manufacturers with a product
range that spans all areas of professional
audio—the Blue Line range of modular mics,
lavaliers, instrument, live recording and others.
www.akg.com
AMT
Applied Microphone Technology has been
manufacturing microphones for near two
decades, and takes the approach of producing
microphones for specific instruments. A recent
addition is the Wi-5 wireless system for wood-
wind and brass. www.appliedmic.com
AUDIO-TECHNICA
Audio Technica began back in 1962 in Tokyo’s
Shinjuku-Ko district manufacturing stereo
phono cartridges. The company’s range of
microphones offers models for applications in
live, broadcast, studio, commercial and indus-
trial. www.audio-technica.com
AUDIX
Starting life back in 1984 in Redwood, CA,
Audix moved to Oregon in 1991 where it
established a manufacturing facility. The com-
pany focuses on simple, elegant designs with
microphones covering applications in corpo-
rate, live, broadcast and studio.
Audix www.audixusa.com
(Compiled with the assistance of Audio Media Worldwide)
OCTOBER 2009
AVANTONE
Avantone is manufactured by Avant
Electronics, which is owned by Ken and Sue
Avant. The product line includes ribbon, FET
and tube mics. www.avantelectronics.com
AVLEX
Based in Kansas City, MO, Avlex offers solu-
tions principally for presentation and theater
applications. Other audio applications are cov-
ered with microphone ranges with different
brand names, such as Mipro for location and
broadcast use, and Superlux for more studio-
specific uses. www.avlex.com
AZDEN
Azden has more than 40 years of experience
utilizing CAD and SMT technology to create a
number of standard and wireless transduction
solutions. Originally an OEM manufacturer for
many brands, the last 15 years has seen Azden
raise its own brand identity.
www.azdencorp.com
BEHRINGER
Uli Behringer founded the company in 1989 in
Germany. Since then, Behringer has grown to
have offices in 10 countries. Behringer has a
range of general-purpose dynamic and con-
denser microphones, including the B-2 Pro
and stereo pair C-2.www.behringer.com
BEYERDYNAMIC
Beyerdynamic started back in 1924.
Developments in a number of audio areas
continue, and beyerdynamic condenser, rib-
bon and general dynamic microphones still
form the backbone of many mic collections.
www.beyerdynamic.com
BLUE
Headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, with
engineering and manufacturing facilities in
Latvia, Blue Microphones started in 1995 when
founders Skipper Wise and Martin
Saulespurens put together a few hand-built
microphones for fellow musician friends. The
company’s Vintage Mic Store offers vintage
mic restoration services.
www.bluemic.com
BOCK AUDIO DESIGNS
From 1996 to 2006, former studio tech David
Bock ran Soundelux Microphones. He then
opted to start his own company where he con-
tinues to develop his designs.
www.bockaudiodesigns.com
BRAUNER
Dirk Brauner was developing ideas with tube
microphone circuits back in 1993, then started
Brauner Microphones, creating a limited num-
ber of handcrafted microphones based on his
VM1 design. There are now six core designs
and 14 total microphones in the range, includ-
ing the VM1. www.brauner-microphones.com
CAD AUDIO
CAD Audio manufactures a variety of visually
distinct condenser, tube, ribbon and instru-
ment-specific microphones for the studio, live
and installation markets. www.cadmics.com
CASCADE
U.S.-based Cascade produces wide variety of
types, but is probably best know for its range
of ribbon microphones and the retro styling of
many of its designs, including the Fat Head II.
www.cascademicrophones.com
CHARTEROAK ACOUSTICS
Founded by producer/engineer Michael
Deming in Connecticut in 2002, CharterOak
manufactures tube and solid-state micro-
phones, which are assembled and inspected
by hand, with each being studio-tested before
shipping to the customer.
www.charteroakacoustics.com
COLES ELECTROACOUSTICS
Coles Electroacoustics has manufactured the
BBC-designed ribbon microphones in the U.K.
for over 30 years. Originally designed for radio
and television broadcast, the company’s rib-
bon mics have become primary tools of choice
throughout the sound recording industry.
Coles also fabricates headphones, telephone
headsets, speaker drive units and related
equipment. www.coleselectroacoustics.com
(distributed in U.S. by Independent Audio)
GEAR GUIDE STUDIO MIC 19
 STUDIO MIC MANUFACTURERS DIRECTORY
COUNTRYMAN ASSOCIATES
With more than 30 years of experience,
Countryman Associates manufactures micro-
phones for a variety of live applications includ-
ing theater, presentation and live music. The
range consists of a number of mini and micro
microphones. www.countryman.com
CROWN
Starting from humble beginnings in 1947,
Crown’s microphone range now includes mod-
els in boundary, PZM, lectern and mini, as well
as conventional studio microphones.
www.crownaudio.com
DPA
In 1992, Danish company Bruel and Kjaier took
the decision to spin off its pro audio division
and outsource sales and service of its 4000
series microphones to the former employees
that designed them. It formed Danish Pro
Audio and since 1994 has introduced new
products into its line. These include mini, com-
pact, large-diaphragm and reference test
microphones, and also a phantom-powered
underwater microphone, the P48 Hydrophone
and a line of instrument mics.
www.dpamicrophones.com
EARTHWORKS
Formed in New Hampshire by David Blackmer,
the inventor and founder of dbx, Earthworks
Audio has developed mics, specializing in
electret pencil microphones in omni and direc-
tional versions, and their PianoMic system.
www.earthworksaudio.com
ELECTRO-VOICE
Electrovoice has been developing pro audio
products principally in the area of sound rein-
forcement for 80 years. Its microphone range
illustrates this orientation in both its standard
and wireless microphone products.
www.electrovoice.com
EQUATION AUDIO
Armed with the intellectual property of noted
mic guru Fred Cameron, and comprised of key
members of the team behind the original CAD
Equitek line, Equation Audio’s mic lines
include the Alpha drum mic series, the
Dominion series of handheld condenser and
dynamic microphones and the F.20 large
diaphragm condenser mic.
www.equationaudio.com
20 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE
FOSTEX
Founded by the Foster Electronic Company in
Tokyo back in 1973, Fostex has established
itself in location recording and broadcast
audio areas, producing a number of micro-
phones for these applications.
www.fostex.com
GROOVE TUBES
Formed in California in the late 1970s by
Aspen Pittman, Groove Tubes now produces a
range of tube, FET and ribbon microphones,
including the MD1. www.groovetubes.com
HHB COMMUNICATIONS
HHB recently entered the microphone market
with a range of recording microphones aimed
at audio journalists and field recordists. In col-
laboration with Sennheiser, it now has a range
of devices with various options.
www.hhb.co.uk
HEIL SOUND
The origins of the company date back to the
1950s when a young organist, Bob Heil, began
to dissect the sounds around him. Moving
onto design and then the manufacture of
organs, and then into retail, Heil eventually
moved into the microphone market with the
HC Series. The company currently boasts a
range that leans towards live applications.
www.heilsound.com
HOLOPHONE
Musician and sound designer Michael Godfrey
founded Holophone in Toronto, Canada in
1994, looking to deliver realistic listening
experiences with recorded audio. The compa-
ny has a number of products that accommo-
date surround applications. www.holo-
phone.com
JOEMEEK
Referencing many of the experiments made by
Joe Meek in the early to mid 1960s, Joemeek
continues to provide solutions in a number of
areas of project and pro audio, with a range of
small- and large-diaphragm condenser and
dynamic microphones. www.joemeek.com
JOSEPHSON ENGINEERING
Since 1998 Josephson Engineering, as well as
producing and supplying capsules to other
microphone manufacturers, has produced its
own range of microphones for studio, location,
live and instrument-specific applications.
www.josephson.com
JTS MICROPHONES
For near three decades, JTS has been
investing large amounts of resources into
microphone research and development of a
line that includes both wired and wireless
microphones optimized for affordability,
performance, and reliability.
www.jts.com.tw
JZ MICROPHONES
Over the past decade, Latvian manufacturing
company, Scruples, ventured into the pro
audio market with a number of products,
including microphones under the Violet
brand. Scruples created a spin-off company,
JZ Microphones, that has been established to
concentrate on microphone development.
www.jzmic.com
KEL AUDIO
Canadian mic maker KEL Audio specializes
in microphones with unique sonic
signatures, conceived to enhance sound
sources. Four condenser models, each with
a specific character, currently comprise the
value-priced, high-performance line.
www.kelaudio.com
LAWSON
Founded by Gene Lawson in 1979, and now
handcrafted in Nashville, TN, Lawson
Microphones has a range of high-end tube
and FET microphones.
www.lawsonmicrophones.com
LAUTEN AUDIO
Lauten Audio was founded by Brian
Loudenslager and is based in San Jose, CA. It
is a high-end microphone manufacturer, focus-
ing on microphones that target both profes-
sional and amateur recordists. The company
released its first product, the Horizon tube
microphone, in October 2006.
www.lautenaudio.com
LECTROSONICS
Since 1971, Lectrosonics’ wireless micro-
phone systems and audio processing prod-
ucts have been used in mission-critical appli-
cations including broadcast and stage. It is
based in Rio Rancho, NM.
www.lectrsonics.com
OCTOBER 2009
LINE 6
Line 6 is a manufacturer of digital modeling
guitars, amplifiers and related electronic
equipment. The company was founded in the
mid-1990s and is based in Calabasas, CA. In
2008, Line 6 acquired X2 Digital Wireless,
which entered the company into the digital
wireless market with products for guitar, bass,
vocals and wind instruments. www.line6.com
MANLEY LABORATORIES
Since 1989, and now located in Chino, CA,
Manley Laboratories has focused on the devel-
opment of a number of products based on
tube designs. Among these are the range of
Manley tube microphones, which include its
stereo tube reference microphone.
www.manleylabs.com
M-AUDIO
Formed in 1988, and now part of the Avid
Technologies family, M-Audio is focused on
computer-based products and those aimed to
provide 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
MERCENARY
Based in Foxboro, MA, Mercenary Audio not
only distributes gear from many other compa-
nies, but it also manufactures its own products.
www.mercenary.com
MICROTECH GEFELL
The origins of Microtech Gefell can be traced
back to 1928 when Georg Neumann and Erich
Rickmann formed Georg Neumann and Co. In
1943, production moved to Gefell, where
many years of developing and producing
products took place. www.microtechgefell.de
MIKTEK AUDIO
A new company, Miktek will debut its micro-
phone line at the October 2009 127th AES
Convention in New York. Early reports favor-
ably compare the Miktek small-diaphragm
condenser mic to classic, out-of-manufacture
designs. www.miktekaudio.com
OCTOBER 2009
MILAB
The 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 AUDIO
David 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
MXL
MXL 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 SYSTEMS
Founded 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
NEUMANN
With 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
NEVATON
Nevaton 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)
PEARL
In 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)
PEAVEY
After 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
PSC
Since 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
RED
As 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
GEAR GUIDE STUDIO MIC 21
 STUDIO MIC MANUFACTURERS DIRECTORY
RØDE
Røde came into existence after Henry and
Astrid Freeman emigrated from Sweden to
Australia in 1967. Their background in audio
product development within their own
Freeman Group of companies led to the
development and release of the first Røde
microphone in 1990. The company’s range has
grown with tube and conventional micro-
phones for mainly broadcast and studio use.
www.rodemic.com
ROYER LABS
Formed in 1998 to bring David Royer’s ribbon
designs to the world, Royer produces a wide
range of ribbons that include phantom-pow-
ered and tube models. www.royerlabs.com
SAMSON
Samson began 26 years ago designing and
producing wireless microphone systems. Since
then, the company has diversified into a num-
ber of areas including conventional, ribbon
and USB microphones. www.samsontech.com
SANKEN
Sanken Microphones is based in Tokyo and
has focused on producing original condenser
and dynamic microphone designs for studio,
broadcast and live use since 1926.
Samson www.sanken-mic.com
SCHOEPS
Founded in 1948, the company has specialized
in the design and manufacture of condenser
microphones. The Schoeps range is now an
extensive one with condenser solutions for all
manner of studio, broadcast, live, and location
scenarios, as well as surround applications.
www.schoeps.de
sE ELECTRONICS
The origins of sE Electronics started with Siwei
Zou, a classical musician from Shanghai.
Through years of education and experience in
both China and the U.S., his designs were
eventually developed back in Shanghai in
2003. The product line includes tube, ribbon,
modular and conventional microphones.
www.seelectronics.com
22 STUDIO MIC GEAR GUIDE
SENNHEISER
Sennheiser 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
SHURE
Founded in Chicago, IL by Sidney Shure in
1925 selling radio parts, the company pro-
duced its first microphone in 1932. Shure now
boasts a collection of wired and wireless
microphones including the SM58, which just
celebrated its 40th birthday. www.shure.com
SONODORE
Sonodore microphones and microphone pre-
amplifiers are manufactured in Holland by
Rens Heijnis Audio Electronics. Producer/engi-
neer Bert van der Wolf of Northstar
Recordings has been involved in the develop-
ment of these recording tools from their con-
ception in the early ‘90s, and has been using
them in his own recordings for many years.
www.sonodore.com
SONTRONICS
Designed and developed in the U.K. and
handcrafted in Shanghai, Sontronics produces
condenser, tube and ribbon designs, distrib-
uted in the USA by FDW Worldwide.
www.sontronicsusa.com
SONY
Sony has a long history when it comes to
microphones and its current range (which
includes nearly 100 different models) reflects
Sony’s continued involvement in all pro audio
arenas. www.sony.com
SOUNDFIELD
Based in the U.K. and formed in 1993,
Soundfield manufactures and continues to
develop its multi-capsule, tetrahedral design
for both enhanced stereo and multichannel
applications. www.soundfield.com (distributed
in the U.S. by TransAudio Group)
STERLING AUDIO
Sterling Audio employs several advanced
technologies in its large-diaphragm condenser
mics. One of the features is the exclusive Disk
Resonator system. With it, the mics have been
able to compensate for the 14 kHz frequency
roll-off that is inherent in large-diaphragm
mics. www.sterlingaudio.net
STUDIO PROJECTS
From the B, C and CS Series, Studio Projects
microphones are designed and engineered by
Brent Casey. www.studioprojectsusa.com
TELEFUNKEN | USA
Telefunken | USA was incorporated in early
2001 to provide restoration services and build
reproductions of vintage Telefunken micro-
phones. www.telefunkenusa.com
T.H.E.
Based in Connecticut, Taylor Hohendahl
Engineering produces microphones designed
by Andy Hohendahl. The range includes refer-
ence condensers, modular mics and a binaural
sphere. www.theaudio.com
TRINNOV AUDIO
Located in France, Trinnov Audio specializes in
the digital processing of acoustic fields. The
company has produced the SRP surround
array of microphones, based on a special high-
resolution technology. www.trinnov.com
VIOLET DESIGN
Violet has been developing and manufactur-
ing in Latvia since 2003, where it produces a
combination of tube, solid-state, large- and
small-diaphragm condensers, distributed in
the U.S. by FDW Worldwide.
www.violetusa.com
ZAXCOM
Known primarily for its Deva location recorders
and digital wireless systems, Zaxcom recently
introduced the ZFR800 handheld digital
recording mic to the field recording and
broadcast journalism markets.
www.zaxcom.com
OCTOBER 2009