AudioMedia - December 2008 - (Page 20) The U77 is a admirable choice as your one and only truly high-end tube microphone, says DAN WOTHKE. erliner Microphones – named in part after Emile Berliner, one of the first builders of microphones via a telephone transmitter in the late s (which was eventually acquired by Bell Telephone) – completely skipped the cluttered budget microphone pool and jumped right into the elite world of high-end, hand crafted, Europeandesigned tube microphones. According to the manufacturer, the company name became a no-brainer as the capsules and transformers for its high-end offerings wound up being manufactured in Berlin – just call it nomenclatural destiny. I spoke at length with Dana Paul, the man behind Berliner, to voice my concerns about investing the dollars to purchase a product – the U multi-pattern tube microphone – from a startup company such as his; it was a concern that I felt was justified. Dana assured me that B The U is just over ½-inches long, weighs lbs oz, and is constructed of ‘duraluminium’ and stainless steel. It is right at home in its U -style shock mount with hinged clasps to assure a good grip on the microphone. It boasts three patterns – omni, figure-of-eight, and cardioid – with a frequency response of Hz to kHz. Connectivity between mic and power supply is provided with a GAC m Gotham cable using a -pin Tuchel connector. The brick-style power supply is encased in a thick black aluminium enclosure with the internal parts accessible via four screws. The single PCB is roomy in layout with all components well spaced out, and easy to follow traces located on the bottom of the board. The outside end of the power supply has a standard IEC Features BERLINER U77 Multi-pattern Tube Microphone Berliner was created out of a passion for creating music, as he himself is a producer and has a large collection of modern and vintage microphones. He has many other successful ventures and has not put his eggs all in the Berliner basket. I say this because I have personally reviewed equipment from startups in the past to find that only a few months after print, the company’s doors are closed. For Berliner, those concerns are put to rest; should the mic ever have any trouble, it will be covered under its lifetime warranty from the Berliner US support centre. power connector, selector for / V A/C, power switch, and indicator light. The other end consists of the -pin female Tuchel connector, female Neutrik XLR, and pattern selector switch. Overall, this is a very well designed and constructed mic with no low dollar Asian components. Even the transformer is hand wound in Europe and fully inspired by the original M / , credited in large part to its smooth and natural sound. Included with each microphone is a custom frequency response plot. THE REVIEWER DAN WOTHKE runs the gauntlet of all things media-related at Nashville’s Belmont Church in his role as Media Director. He invites you to e-mail him at dwothke@ yahoo.com. The Oxford SuprEsser plug-in from Sonnox . A new definition in de-essing. • Transparently controls aggressive frequencies • Linear Phase Dynamic EQ • Automatic Level Tracking • Graphic Display (FFT) for increased accuracy • Full spectrum operation • Easy to use & advanced mode for ultimate control Time limited introductory price offer. Oxford Plugins 20 www.sonnoxplugins.com AUDIO MEDIA DECEMBER 2008 http://www.sonnoxplugins.com http://www.sonnoxplugins.com
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