Gefell M 900 - The Arty Condenser Mic

M900

There is not a more exotic looking mic than the Gefell M 900 ($995). Part ray gun, part Venutian gynecological instrument, the cardioid condenser M 900 (and its hyper-cardioid cousin the M 910), are striking in their appearance. 

The M 900 is a transformerless, large-diaphragm condenser microphone with a single cardioid pattern. The membrane is a standard 1-inch gold sputtered Mylar membrane. The capsule was designed and computer-modeled at NIKFI in Moscow. According to GPrime, the US distributors, it has a ceramic backplate that is more stable to temperature changes than the often used brass. The conductive side is then chrome-plated. Over that is evaporated a one micron coating of Teflon. The Teflon acts as an insulator between the membrane and backplate and prevents damage as a result of incidental contact between the two. 


* Studio/Live Condenser Mic
* Cardioid Pattern
* Next to imposible to find

Sound Devices MixPre-D Two Channel Mixer with Analog, Digital and USB Outputs

Sound Devices MixPre-D

In the field, in the studio or in post, there are times when you don’t need or don’t want a big audio mixer. Maybe you’ll only be working with a mono or stereo source, but you want something better than camera microphone inputs. In some cases, the devices you’re asked to feed have no reliable balanced, analog audio inputs; computers, iPhones, iPod touch or iPads.

• Transformer-balanced mic/line selectable inputs
• 48-volt or 12-volt phantom power
• "Unclippable" input peak limiters, dual-mono or stereo linked operation
• Input panning to Left, Center, or Right outputs
• Mid-Side Stereo (MS) matrix with width control and front-panel channel flip
• Return can be used as ch3/ch4 aux-level inputs, selectable pan and level control
• High-pass filters, 80 Hz or 160 Hz
• Slate microphone and tone oscillator
• Mic/Line/AES digital selectable outputs, digital SR of 44.1 , 48 , or 96 kHz
• 24-bit, class-compliant USB streaming output for interconnection with Mac OS, Windows, Linux, and select iOS devices, computer audio in MixPre-D headphones
• Dedicated mic-level output on locking TA3 connector for unbalanced camera inputs
• Headphone monitoring of program audio or external return audio
• Sunlight-viewable, 16-segment GaN LED output meter with adjustable brightness
• Internal battery-power from two AA
• External power input, 10-18 VDC
• High-strength, extruded aluminum chassis with metal connectors

AT835ST AT815ST Are Now BP4029 and BP4027

Audio Technica BP4027

This review was written about the AT835ST and AT815ST. The models were changed slightly in 2007 before being renamed the BP4029 and BP4027, respectively. In the rapidly changing world of pro audio, taking things for granted is not a good idea. If you think you know what to expect from a stereo shotgun mic, you might accidentally dismiss Audio Technica’s 9-inch AT835ST ($899) and 15-inch AT815ST ($999) mics. 

Audio Technica 4047/SV FET Borrows From The Past

Audio Technica AT4047

In today's overcrowded condenser mic market, a neutral mic easily gets lost. To stand out, you need some attitude. That's what the other mic makers are doing, and Audio Technica is now following suit. The AT4047/SV FET cardioid condenser microphone ($695 with mic, vinyl case and suspension mount) is a marked departure for Audio Technica. 

Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 Firewire Interface

Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 Front and Back Panel

I’m running Mac Lion and Pro Tools 10 on a 2 x 2.4 GHz Quad Core Intel Xeon Mac with 32GB of RAM. I make my living with this and other Macs. In the past, I have run into problems by trying to be too close to the cutting edge. Just before I began the installation of the Focusrite Saffire MixControl and driver software, I did a search to see if there were any problems. I called the US offices of Focusrite in California and asked to speak to someone who could talk to me about any conflicts. I spoke to Raul Resendiz, who assured me that there were no worries, but pointed me to the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 download page to get the latest version of the driver and MixControl. The install was easy.

Neumann TLM 103D - Intelligent Mic with A Memory

Neumann TLM 103D

The Neumann family of Solution D digital mics currently includes the TLM 103D, the flagship D-01 and the KM D series (KM 183 D, KM 184 D and KM 185 D). The TLM 103D has an internal 24/192 kHz A/D converter and channel strip DSP. The TLM 103D may be used by itself without the channel strip, if used with the connection starter kit that provides power to the mic and a simple AES output. The full blown three-part system is comprised of one or two TLM 103Ds, RCS software and the two input DMI-2 digital mic interface.  

The channel strip is accessed via high-functioning, Mac and PC-compatible RCS software. From it you can see each mic’s, pattern (if adjustable, which pattern), pre attenuation (-6, -12, -18dB), gain (0-63dB), variable low cut, de-esser, test signal with tones, comp/limiter, peak limiter, mute, polarity reversal, LED on-mic light intensity, sync, AES 42 info and other features. Settings are stored in the mic. The TLM 103D, then, is an “intelligent mic with a memory.” The DMI-2 interface can support two AES42 digital mics, each of which with it’s own preamp and channel strip.

Rode NTG-3 Shotgun Mic - Ready For Action

This Australian-made Rode NTG-3 microphone ($699) seems extremely well-placed for its price and performance. Like the Sennheiser 416, the NTG-3 is an RF-condenser unit that combines a somewhat sophisticated RF circuit with the capsule to reduce the deleterious effects of high humidity. It's tricky to design, but worth the effort. That design element has contributed greatly to a "bullet proof" reputation for similar mics and should do the same for the NTG-3. 

Neumann TLM 102 - The VolksMikrofon

Neumann TLM 102

The Volkswagen is named so because it was designed to be "a car for the "volks" or people." Neumann makes world class microphones that typically cost more than most personal budgets can support; until now.

Should you wonder, after a very quick listen, the TLM 102 and TLM 103 sound very different. The TLM 102 is relatively flat with a closer focus on the midrange than the TLM 103. What does that mean? It means that the TLM 102 can be less problematic in environments that aren't designed as recording studios. 

The TLM 102 is considerably smaller than the TLM 103, but that difference in size does not mean the TLM 102 is a proportionally lesser microphone.

I really like that Neumann has taken a leadership position in swinging the pendulum back from the years long industry trend of making mics brighter and brighter. Brighter is not better, especially when you start using dynamics plugins aggressively or record in a non-optimal acoustic environment.

MCA SP-1 Cardioid Condenser Mic

MCA SP-1 Cardioid Mic

A few years ago, a friend sent me one of these MXL MCA SP-1 mics so I could evaluate it. His thought was that it sounded like it should cost a lot more than $39.99, which is what it streeted for back then. Lately I've seen it for $52.99 at B&H.