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Speaking of the New Year – I recently found a gem of a microphone from JZ Microphones. Receiving the box straight from Latvia, I found a very unconventional looking mic with a rectangular ‘hole’ in the center! The unconventional bead mount works great and looks …different.

The most important aspect of this microphone is that it’s designed, ground up, as a condenser vocal mic. True to form, the audio was velvet smooth. You can hear the sound and decide for yourself.

Besides that smooth vocal sheen, I thoroughly enjoyed what was not included. The BH-2 has no attenuation switch; no alternative patterns. I enjoy simplicity and the BH-2 just works well, without the need for care or adjustment of any kind. The cardioid pattern allowed for a nice bit of off-axis leniency while drastically tightening up on the back side.

Included is a nice cherry wood finish case and shock mount. There is a custom (and very cool looking) blast filter available as an option. Instead, I utilized the Studio1A-standard Stedman filter. Working the microphone closely slickened (is that a word?) up the sound, while backing off made things more transparent. …just a hint of proximity effect

In the world of boutique microphones, you never know what might come along. I can say that my time with JZ microphones has been time well spent. The BH-2 is well made and, as advertised, offers great vocal performance. But – don’t take my word for it. Listen in and hear the Black Hole 2 for yourself.

At publish date, street prices are hovering at $1099 …subject to change.

Listen in and let me know what you think?

@markjensen

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The team at Blue Microphone still know how to get a reaction. The ‘reactor’ is a radical, albeit functional offering, bringing to mind visions of a Fringe alternate reality episode.

This mic is hefty. Arriving in a handsome, padded flight case, a nicely crafted ‘orbital’ shock mount and rare earth magnetically affixed blast filter are on-board.

Unconventional as it appears, I found the lighted, large and magnified rotary pattern switch to be a treat! Just by a glance, you’ll know which pattern is selected and how to reach the others. The blast filters magnets attach it to the capsule, but a quick twist below the filter allows you to alter it’s position; left/right, near/far.

Being an externally charged, large diaphragm condenser; the reactor requires 48 volts phantom power. After lighting it up, the reactor treated me to a full, crisp sound. This one, indeed, would make a fine voiceover microphone. The omni pattern was very pleasing, as it didn’t pull up the noise floor.

Reasonably priced and a great performer (not to mention a head turner), I found this one from Blue to be a sonic gem.

At publish date, street prices are $499.xx.

Listen in and let me know what you think?

@markjensen

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The little microphone with a big voice. The Heil PR-31BW large diaphragm dynamic.

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Always at work, developing new sounds for his fans. I spoke with Bob Heil about the latest at HeilSound. It’s always a pleasure to speak with Bob because he is so passionate about his work. It’s downright inspiring compared to trading emails from ad agencies. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but HeilSound is a large presence in the microphone world that still takes time to listen when their customers talk.

The PR-40 started the phenomenon at just the right time – as podcasting and new forms of media broke ground with amazing speed. Following the PR-40, with its ultra-smooth low-end dynamic sound came the PR-20 and the unsung hero – the PR-30. While the PR-40 continues to be a guiding light, the PR-30 made quick inroads to television and live sound. The 30 was a little easier to tame in live venues and behaved well on (comparatively) noisy television sound stages. In a broadcast booth, the full sounding PR-40 is king, although it too can be found on-stage.

When a well known customer came to Bob with a request, it wasn’t long before the PR-31BW emerged. While the PR-30 filled a sonic void, it was a bit large for drum placement, under cymbals and sometimes even in front of a guitar amp. The PR-31BW was born; the “BW” referring to FOH engineer Bob Workman. Bob Heil went to work, “chopping” the PR-30, retaining its character while turning it into a shorty. The transformation worked quite well, and I’ll let you decide how it sounds. The only thing I would add to this little/big dynamic is a shock mount. The SM-2C works fine. In placing a large element in a small capsule, the laws of physics just won’t bend.

Join me for a sonic peak at the PR-31BW and the latest from HeilSound.

More to come …stay tuned!

@markjensen

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An instant classic? The Electro-Voice RE-320 poses with our RE-20 and RE-27.

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It’s inevitable. The new Electro-Voice RE320 dynamic microphone will be compared to the RE20 and RE27 – both radio (and studio) legends.

As I opened the box, a very nice nylon-over-resin hard case was the first difference noted between the 20 and 27, which have a foam lined hard case. The new RE320 has a very nice looking matte black finish and greyish metal grille with the body of an RE20. The new 320 fits perfectly on the (optional) EV model 309A shock mount. The standard, included mount is identical to the RE20/27.

Plugging it in, I was struck by just how nice this microphone looks on the boom. As I potted up the fader, it became instantly apparent that the 320 has its own sound. I was intrigued by, what appeared to be, a notch switch on the body where a high-pass filter switch would normally be found. Turns out, the 320 has a ‘kick drum’ mode built in! Brilliant idea, since I never use the on-mic filters anyway. This switch drastically alters the character of sound. The 320 utilizes the same variable-D pattern found on the RE20 and 27, allowing us to wander off axis a bit without altering the frequency curve. As the rumor goes, the sound really is somewhere between an RE20 and the brighter (also pricier) RE27.

So, we now have a way to access those famous RE20 features at a great price. The Electro-Voice RE320 will be around for a long time, as it fills a void that only its maker could foresee. Have a listen and try one out!

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The classic character of a U67 in a modern TLM design. An old friend returns to our VO studio – the Neumann TLM-67.

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It always happens just as a piece of gear leaves Studio1A. I realize just how much it will be missed. And so, the story goes with the Neumann TLM-67 microphone.

The sound, brought back to life from a simpler time, just feels right. A bit of that cozy-warm character …but not too much, exemplifies the TLM-67. An 80th Anniversary tribute to Georg Neumann, the 67 has a bold bronze colored silhouette of the man himself

The 67 is available as a standalone microphone or with the classic shock mount ‘Set’. If you don’t have a Neumann EA87 shock mount laying around, the TLM-67 Set is the way to go.

Body size is roughly U87, but coated in a darker color with the bronze looking badge. Being a TLM, this is a transformerless microphone, relying on a circuit card to match the output. On the back, you’ll find attenuation and low-cut filter switches. On the front, a single pattern switch allows for cardioid, omni and figure-eight pickups. For a sensitive, large diaphragm condenser, this one is just right for a project studio. The 67 isn’t overly sensitive and proximity effect is minimal. That’s what I like about this model. It’s not too transparent, bright or boomy; but just right.

Don’t take my word for it, have a listen to the new Neumann with a classic sound…

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I am very pleased to be included in this edition of Shure Notes. Sign on to their mailing list for great tips from an audio legend!

The Shure logo, above layout and Shure Notes are registered trademarks, and property of Shure Incorporated.

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New from Blue! The small and affordable Spark.

Blue microphones are always a surprise. They stand out in a crowd, but I really enjoy the variety and quality of their product.

A relative newcomer, the Spark is an affordable and great sounding microphone. The Spark is a smaller ‘bottle’ with a capsule to match, making it a medium diaphragm condenser. So – here’s this (street price at publishing) sub-$200USD mic, with a catchy name in a long lineage of quality.

People were saying great things about the Spark, so I just had to try it out. First; it comes in a nicely padded cherry-type wooden box, complete with shock mount and blast filter. The shock mount is not the typical spider type and is very low profile. The best surprise in the box is this nicely branded blast filter. With a single thumb screw, it becomes part of the microphone.

The sound is right in the middle – excellent for voice and general purpose while feeling very solid. If you want a condenser microphone that isn’t too sensitive, but does well with speech the Spark works just fine. Instead of a low-cut filter, there is a ‘focus’ switch. This basically is a very aggressive high-pass filter. The focus button skirts or emphasizes enough low end that the Spark can sound moderately sharp or take on a pronounced bump on the low end. It certainly increases the utility of this microphone.

I could type for days, but lets listen in and hear the Spark at work!

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The Equitek E100S from CAD Microphones.

Unique is how I’d characterize the Equitek E100S from CAD Microphones. In so many ways, it is just a different piece.

First; it has that classic rectangular look and a shock mount that can’t quite be described by words, although low-profile is a good start.

The E100S looks great on a boom or stand. It’s a large diaphragm condenser, but coated with nickel instead of the standard gold sputter. The nickel likely gives it a signature sound – although the quad FET configuration powering this mic may account for some of that. There is a nice rich low-end with a little dip somewhere in the middle of [my] speech. But, just when you think things might get muddy, this nicely orchestrated mid-range brings in just the right amount of articulation.

The sound studio guys (a different breed than most broadcasters) seem to love this mic and I could hear why they covet this model. I was quite impressed with how it handled speech. At a quoted 150db SPL, this element claims to handle some loud audio. Again, I wonder if the nickel coating (being stronger than gold) has something to do with the mics high SPL rating.

The pickup pattern is supercardioid and did a great job of rejection, while letting me work it just a bit off the side. During playback of the show, I noticed some thunder (not quite plosives) in the speech. As I backed away from the mic, you may notice the sound lightened up slightly and fell into place very well.

A simple 80hz rolloff and 10db pad are in plain sight on the front panel. Somewhere between ribbon, dynamic and condenser lies the unique sound of the E100S.

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The Kiwi Multi-Pattern Studio Condenser from Blue.

I always thought microphones like the RE-27 and other broadcast standards were physically large …until I hefted the BlueMic Kiwi from its lush wooden box. Then comes the over sized shock mount. It almost tipped my trusty Atlas desk stand over. Happily, it did not.

At Studio1A, we’ve been talking a lot about Blue lately, and with good reason. Blue Microphones keep the hits coming. With their new Reactor, Spark, and the Yeti Pro a lot of buzz has followed. Instead of buzz, as you probably know, I like to plug them in and try them out.

Waiting on the very latest, I recently received the Kiwi. In the multi-pattern category of Blue, the Kiwi appears to tower above the Reactor and Cactus. But don’t let size fool you. One of the smoothest sounding voiceover microphones from Blue is called the ‘Mouse’. …little mic, big sound

Back to the Kiwi, which has been in production for several years. The large diaphragm condenser sounded very polished with a bit of vocal sparkle. For my type of work (speech), I enjoyed the cardioid pattern, but also found that omni brought some fantastic ‘air’ to the sound. The pattern control allows you to mix in a little cardioid with your omni, or vice-versa. I received the Kiwi Kit (includes shock mount). I’m not sure you can get it without – and I doubt anyone would want to perch this beauty on a generic mount. Do be aware that there are Kiwis out there with the ‘older’, clamp type mount. Either will do the job, but the newer, bottom thread is much more fitting of a mic in this class.

There weren’t any surprises with the Kiwi. Just a reliably smooth performance from all patterns. The back side of the figure 8 pattern was slightly dull compared to the front. As mentioned, omni mode is a real treat, without sounding noisy.

Now – the bad news. Some might just call it economic reality. Coming in at an average street price of $2000USD, the Kiwi is a serious investment. What justifies that kind of price tag?

This mic is beautifully engineered and constructed of discrete electronics, leading to a transformerless low impedance input. Two diaphragms matched in an anechoic chamber are nestled nicely behind the grill mesh. Fit and finish is immaculate. You just don’t find this type of detail and craftsmanship on many other brands. The cherry wood box is a nice touch. The diaphragms (as with many Blue mics) were carefully held in place for transit to avoid damage. The small nylon screws should be kept and re-used if your Kiwi needs to travel.

Tune in, and give the Kiwi a listen. We’ll be seeing and hearing more from Blue Microphones.

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The M179 multi-pattern Studio Microphone from CAD Audio.

Last time, we tried out the CAD Audio GXL3000. I would have called it the GLM3000 for “Great Little Mic”. Sounded excellent, multi-pattern and under $100USD street price. It’s right below if you happened to miss the cast. But this show is about an only slightly more expensive microphone from the same company…

The CAD Audio M179 is a bit of a surprise. First; while the microphone is rather modest in size, the carry case is huge. Be assured that your M179 will be well cushioned. The 1.1 inch dual diaphragm condenser sounds nice and crisp. Voiceovers are sharp and punctual. Admittedly, I worked this mic too closely during recording (about 3 inches) and worked in a few minor plosives. Although my own brain blocked them out, they were present in the playback. I could have filtered them out, but that would color the result. You are hearing the mic with compression (as we normally do), but not a bit of EQ.

Feed this one either P24 or P48 volts phantom. The shock mount is first rate. No clamp-on, as with the GXL3000. High-pass (100hz) and 20db pad switches sit above the ’360 degree pattern wheel’. This is the icing on an already good cake. The M179 doesn’t just switch patterns in and out, off and on. A cardioid center detent wheel allows you to smoothly roll from omni to cardioid and then hyper-cardioid. Throw in a figure eight pattern as well.

So – the husky shock mount holds onto a slightly compact (compared to the GXL3000) microphone that sounds not too big nor too small. For voice work, the M179 suited me just fine. It also helps to know that this is a well respected microphone that has a current street price around $159.

Don’t take my word for it though. Join me and listen in to the M179.

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