Recording - July 2013 - 49

highlight the line’s honest sound. I have been a
Millennia HV-3D (the 8-channel model) owner and
user for well over a decade. It is a sound I know
and flat out cannot be without.
Beyond the series’ initial targeted applications for
classical, jazz and acoustic instrument recording, I
have used them for sound design on numerous sample libraries, on loud screaming guitars and drums
in metal, goth and indie rock recordings, on world
music albums of odd and nuanced ethnic instruments, on gritty Americana recordings, and more.
All this to say that you don’t need heavily colored
preamps to make gritty, vibe-filled and/or heavy
music; the preamp is only one link in the chain and
your instruments, playing style, mics, and placement
all figure into the final result.
Bottom line, the HV-37 always sounds good and
captures every source clearly, but somehow not boringly. You may have heard of the Millennia sheen...
it’s there for sure. I can’t describe it, but, man, do I
love it!
Like the HV-35, the HV-37 takes that famous
Millennia sound and adds a host of modern features
that I jealously wish my HV-3D had, all for users who
crave the sweet clear sound and fantastic flexibility
of the Millennia Media HV Series but who don’t yet
have a 500 Series enclosure. All I can say in conclusion is, the last 20 years’ evolution has brought us
one amazing preamp, and I can’t wait to see what
Millennia Media gives us in the next 20 years!
Price: $1600 ($1429.99 street)
More from: Millennia Media, www.mil-media.com

Specsmanship
Millennia Media quotes the following specs for the HV-37:
Minimum Gain:
8.5 dB
Maximum Gain:
60 dB (up to 70 dB in Ribbon Mode)
Frequency Response:
under 3 Hz to beyond 300 kHz (+0/–3 dB)
Equivalent Input Noise (EIN):
–130 dB (60 dB Gain, 10 Hz–30 kHz,
Inputs common)
Total Harmonic Distortion+Noise: < 0.001%, Typ. < 0.0005% (< 5 ppm)
(35 dB Gain, 10 Hz–20 kHz, +27 dBu Out)
Intermodulation Distortion:
< 0.0009% (50 Hz & 7 kHz, 35 dB Gain,
+27 dBu Out)
Phase Response:
< 2 degrees deviation (35 dB Gain, 50 Hz–20
kHz bandwidth, +27 dBu Out)
Common Mode Rejection Ratio:
> 65 dB, Typ. > 85 dB (35 dB Gain, 10 Hz–20
kHz bandwidth, 100 mV C.M.)
Slew Rate:
> 25 Volts per microsecond (35 dB Gain, +27
dBu Out)
Maximum Input Level:
+20 dBu (20 Hz–40 kHz, no attenuator pads
required)
Maximum Output Level:
+28 dBu (20 Hz–40 kHz)
Phantom Input Impedance:
6750 ohms (1 kHz)
Output Impedance:
24.3 ohms (x2)
Given Millennia’s reputation for sonic excellence, we thought it would be fun to have
the HV-37 bench tested and see how some of its impressive specs match up with the real
world. To do this, we were aided by Jeff Harris of the Conservatory Of Recording Arts
& Sciences (cras.org), who ran tests on our HV-37 using an Audio Precision 525 test set.
As one might expect, the results were stunning: just as an example, the AP 525
measured the HV-37’s frequency response as flat to within 0.09 dB from 20 Hz to 50
kHz. Many other specs were similarly tight, like phase deviation under 0.02 degrees,
and others were within the test setup’s margin of error, e.g. an EIN value of –128 dB.
If you’re curious about such things, our website at www.recordingmag.com/
resources/resourceDetail/399.html has a downloadable PDF of the test results.—MM
http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/399.html http://www.mil-media.com http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/399.html http://www.cloudmicrophones.com http://www.cloudmicrophones.com
Recording - July 2013

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