AudioMedia - October 2008 - (Page 27)

circuit that gradually saturates the signal (most condenser microphones clip abruptly). The ‘AU’ in the microphone’s model n u m b e r s re f l e c t s the fact that they now boast a special Australian-designed (yes, Australian, not Austrian) capsule in addition to British Oxford transformers, and high-end Phillips Norelco Uber-FET. The mics operate on V phantom power, have a sensitivity of mV/Pa= dBV (Hamburg) and mV/ Pa = - dBV (Vienna), and have a typical equivalent noise level (A-weighted per IEC - ) < dB. from about inches and the sound was amazing. To record piano I placed the mics inches from the strings, one over the high strings and one over the low, and ran the mics through the Pacifica mic pre, and ended up with a nice piano sound. I had even better results using the Hamburg II-AU over the low strings while keeping the Vienna II-AU on the high strings. In addition to vocals, I found the strength of the Hamburg II-AU to be acoustic and electric guitars, percussion, and piano. The mic did an impressive job capturing tambourine, shaker, and guiro (in each instance with the high-pass filter set at Hz). I’m not sure why but the Hamburg II-AU sounded much better on distorted guitars than the Vienna II-AU. The mic did a wonderful job recording a Taylor -CE acoustic guitar and, on a solo acoustic guitar piece, I was able to get a fantastic sound using the Hamburg II-AU on the neck and the Vienna II-AU on the body. All said, I was impressed with the performance of both mics, and was especially impressed by how the mics complemented each other when using one of each on acoustic guitar and piano. The ADK Custom Shop series of microphones are remarkably versatile and, for the price, can’t be beat. The Hamburg II-AU and the Vienna II-AU are perfect choices for single-mic project studios, or for full studios interested in increasing their microphone selection options. ∫ I N F O R MAT I O N Summar y £ Hamburg II AU/Vienna II AU – US$1,199.00 / GB£680.00 / €853.00 each (exc.tax) A ADK Microphones USA, 4130 SW 117th Ave. 442, Beaverton, OR 97005-8999, USA T +1 503 296 9400 F +1 360 326 1602 W www.adkmic.com A EU Distributor: Golden Age Music T +46 322 66 5050 W www.goldenagemusic.eu I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to experience the ADK Custom Shop line over the past few months. Its microphones have an exceptional sound quality that is quite impressive. After extensive use I found that while the Hamburg II-AU and the Vienna II-AU microphones sound completely different, they are interchangeable in most situations. The Vienna II-AU has a boost in the upper mid frequencies reminiscent of many of the classic Austrian (e.g., AKG) microphones, and the Hamburg II-AU has a boost in the lower mid frequencies reminiscent of the classic German (e.g., Neumann) microphones Both of the mics work extremely well on vocals. Which one sounded better simply depended on the vocalist, and with both mics the clarity was particularly impressive for a microphone in this price range. Overall, I tended to prefer the Vienna II-AU on female vocals and the Hamburg II-AU on male vocals. but this wasn’t always the case. Including a gooseneck pop filter was a nice touch by ADK and I found that it worked remarkably well. Both mics sound warm, open, and transparent. with a nice top-end sparkle. The Vienna II-AU excelled on drum overheads, upright bass, and piano. It also worked well on clean electric guitar. I used the mics in a spaced pair fashion on drum overheads with the pads on both mics set at dB and I had wonderful results. The electric guitar was rather loud so I used the dB pad and placed the mic about six inches off the cabinet, pointed directly between the centre of the cone and the rim. I ran the signal through an A-Designs Pacifica mic preamp and ended up with a wonderful tone. The high-pass filter was useful on drum overheads but it seemed to affect the sound too much to work well with vocals. To record upright bass I aimed the mic at the ‘f’ hole I n Use AUDIO MEDIA OCTOBER 2008 27 http://www.adkmic.com http://www.goldenagemusic.eu http://www.zaxcom.com http://www.zaxcom.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - October 2008

Audio Media - October 2008 Content Recording Post Broadcast Geofocus:�Portugal &�Spain What's Up UK IBC Report Microtech Geffel UM 930 Steinberg Cubase 4.5 ADK�Hamburg &�Vienna Final Cut: House of Fallen Lexicon PCM96 Review The Conch Awards Feature Sound Devices 788T Review Lexicon PCM96 Allen &�Heath Zed R16 Power: Fact & Fiction, PT.2 Product Sampler Plug-ins Video Guide AMSR Plasa Report Audio Technica IEM�M3 Rushes Live Mixing Techniques:�Bruce Johnston Drawmer 4x4 Kickbox

AudioMedia - October 2008

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