Recording - May 2016 - 46

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

Roswell Pro Audio Aurora Condenser Microphone
A new condenser mic with a prestigious sound well beyond its price
In our September 2015 issue, we took our first look
at a brand-new, highly affordable microphone from a
brand-new company. The microphone was the Mini
K47 and the company was Roswell Pro Audio.
Despite being the new brand on the block,
Roswell carries quite the pedigree; it's helmed by
microphone expert, historian, and hot-rodder
Matthew McGlynn. Matt is the man behind the
Recording Hacks website (recordinghacks.com)
with its extensive microphone database. He also
runs Microphone Parts (microphone-parts.com),
which is one of the top resources for microphone
modding, DIY mic building, and upgraded replacement parts. The Roswell brand takes full advantage
of Matt's expertise, his mods and hacks, and
expands them into new models and designs that
are exclusive to Roswell.
As my previous review attests, I am a huge fan of
Roswell's first endeavor, the Mini K47. It has
become one of my top recommendations for those
who are looking for a quality microphone in the
$300 or less category. Since it offers its own sound
with a nice touch of mid punch, I use it often on
guitar cabinet, drum overheads, and percussion,
despite having much more expensive mics in my
locker to choose from.
With that in mind, I was more than curious to
hear for myself what Roswell has cooked up for its
newest product, the Aurora.
The Aurora
The Aurora is a large-diaphragm condenser
microphone with a choice of cardioid and omni patterns and a 10 dB pad. Both switches are located on the
front of the mic. The 71/4" x 2" body is made of brass in a
black finish with the company logo and model painted in
white. The mesh head basket is a brushed silver.
The body itself, while utilitarian and not dissimilar to many
other import mics, is put together well; there are no cheapness
or quality issues to worry about. It's a solid, heavy brass vs.
many of the inexpensive aluminum tube-bodied imports.
The Aurora falls into the globally sourced hybrid-build category. The metal work is Asian sourced, as is the the K67-style
capsule, which features a 34mm center-terminated dual backplate design with a 3-micron thick membrane. The circuit
board (a transformerless design) is designed and populated
with quality capacitors and components in California, where
the microphone is assembled, tuned and tested. The mic
comes in a standard kit with a compact aluminum flight case,
shock mount, and vinyl mic pouch.
The spec sheet includes a frequency range of 20 Hz to 16
kHz, a sensitivity of 45 mV/Pa, an impedance of 200Ω, an 86
dBA signal-to-noise ratio, and less than 12 dBA equivalent noise.
46

RECORDING MAY 2016

Frequencywise it has a gently boosted low end from
20 to 100 Hz, a flat mid response to 1 kHz where it
rises to a 1 to 2 dB bump from 3 to 4 kHz, followed
by a wider, even 1 dB bump from 8 to 16 kHz, followed by a steep rolloff.
Sound
Unlike its 47-flavored sibling, the Aurora does
not try to ape or clone any specific model of yesteryear. It is a very neutral sounding mic with a nice
low end fullness and a well balanced, minimally
forward top end. While it does not strive to be a
U, C or E flavored mic, it does have a vintage
vibe... I would call it more reminiscent of a '70s
and '80s solid-state sound, from when condensers
were made to be full, clean, and honest, vs. much
of today's bright modern condenser fare.
Distilling the Aurora down to a handful of adjectives, I would call it full and well balanced. In cardioid mode the Aurora has a nice natural proximity
effect that is full up close and then rolls off nicely at
about 3". It combines well with the mic's good offaxis rejection. In omni mode the mic opens up with
almost zero proximity effect. It also passes the omni
mode spin test, sounding effectively the same all the
way around the mic.
Being a larger mic with more body space, it has
a bit more resonance when tapped compared to
the tight-bodied Mini K47, but it is still more of a
resonant thunk than a ringy ping.
In use
Due to its neutral fullness, the Aurora can be used
on pretty much any source you choose with little concern
or issues. Its smooth yet natural top end puts it squarely in
the "this could be your only microphone and/or workhorse"
category.
As with most large-diaphragm condensers, I spent most of
my time with the Aurora in one of three places-acoustic guitar, drum overheads, and vocals. I also gave it a whirl on percussion and electric guitar cabinet as well.
On acoustic guitar, its controlled proximity effect at 3" or
more makes it easy to place just off the soundhole for a full
warm tone. One can also move it closer to the classic 12th fret
position for a thinner, strumming folk sound that will sit nicely
in a mix. The top end smoothness gives a great picture of the
picked and strummed strings, but the 16 kHz rolloff keeps it
from sounding too buzzy and metallic.
On drum overheads, it's a "great big picture" mic. The low
end is forward enough to lend a gentle weight to the kick and
floor tom, but not so much that it will fight with the close mics.
Similar to acoustic guitar, the top end yields a good dimensional sound without taking your head off with extreme cymbal
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