ProAudio Review - September 2008 - (Page 36)

STUDIO | REVIEW stereo bar is a nice extra, and one can position the microphones so that they will conform to the ORTF specification for microphone spacing. There is also a considerable range of adjustment possible, which is good if you choose to deviate from the ORTF spec. I mounted the Pulsar IIs to large Atlas studio boom stand using the ORTF mounting bar and positioned them so that they were approximately one foot in front of the drum kit and three feet above the rack tom. Other than the bass drum (which was a bit low in the mix) the kit sounded surprisingly realistic, rendering the cymbals as more than just white noise (a common affliction among inexpensive mics) while providing an excellent representation of both the Ayotte and Ludwig snares. Toms sounded fairly robust, and the microphones did a more than credible job at tracking the transients. Later, I pulled the stand away, positioning it about 12 feet in front of the drum kit to get an idea of how well the Pulsar IIs could resolve the ambiance and reverb tails of the M-AUDIO Continued From Page 35 IN USE First up for recording duties was a birch Premier jazz drum kit with a 20-inch kick, along with a 12-inch rack tom and a 14-inch floor tom. I’ve grown fairly accustomed to the woodrimmed Ayotte Keplinger stainless-steel snare drum that I’ve been using for a while, but truth be told it’s a bit too much for the rest of this kit to keep up with. With that in mind, I also called into use a 1970’s Ludwig Superphonic, which better matched the character and acoustic output of the rest of the kit. Cymbals for this project were 1970’s Zildjian A and K series models. Before I had the chance to record a single bar, I ran into something about the Pulsar II that really irritated me: it readily slides around inside of its clip. If someone were to consider using these on a gig, they’d absolutely need to duct tape the mics to the clips. Also, the tension on the angle adjustment of clips was much too loose out of the box (so don’t forget to bring some mic clip Viagra — a 2.5mm Allen wrench — to a gig with the Pulsar II). On the other hand, the included APPLICATIONS Project Studio, Live Sound KEY FEATURES Matched pair of small-diaphragm condenser microphone, class A FET output, 10dB pad, high-pass filter, ORTF microphone bar. PRICE $399 pair (list) CONTACT M-Audio USA | ¤ 626-633-9055 | · www.m-audio.com room. Turns out they were pretty good! I didn’t mistake the Pulsar IIs for a Neumann KM84/184 pair with a more “Schoeps-like” top end, (or even a 40 Series Audio-Technica small-diaphragm condenser), but I was nevertheless pleased with the overall ambiance and sense of space in this particular application for a microphone at this price point. Thanks to the on-board pad (which extends maximum SPL handling to 144dB), the microphone didn’t ever seem to overload when I put it very close to the shell of the snare drums. While it wasn’t ultimately a sound used on that particular song’s mix, it was still quite respectable. I didn’t care for the sound of the Pulsar nearly as much when used in the typical “angled towards the drum head” positioning, but that sort of arrangement doesn’t typically work that well (for me, at any rate) with most non-dynamic microphones I’ve used. The Pulsar IIs were at their best when placed directly above the ride and crash cymbals, providing a nice contrast between the sound of nylon-tipped sticks hitting the cymbal and the wash of the undertone. I did notice that the low note of the K Series 20-inch ride was a little attenuated in volume compared to other (more costly) microphones I’ve used in this application. The Pulsar II also sounded quite good when used to capture the high hat. The Pulsars sounded clean, bright, and detailed when miking a brass-jingled tambourine, and I had similar good results with triangle and afuche-cabasa. Once again, I appreciated that the M-Audio mics didn’t M-AUDIO continues on page 56 ® 36 | ProAudio Review | September 2008 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.m-audio.com http://www.acousticsfirst.com http://www.acousticsfirst.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

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ProAudio Review - September 2008 Contents Publisher’s Page: It's A Hard Drive World Broadcast News and New Products Lawo mc256 Digital Production Console Studio News and New Products Earthworks PM40 Piano Mic System Onkyo Professional PR-SC885 HDMI 1.3a Surround Sound Processor Developments and Trends: Instrument Microphones Benchmark Media DAC1 Pre Focal Twin6 Be Studio Reference Monitors Cascade FAT HEAD II Blumlein Package Studio Projects CS5 Microphone M-Audio Pulsar II Small-Diaphragm Condenser Live News and New Products JBL MRX512M Live Monitor QSC: Behind The Scenes Contracting News and New Products Primacoustic Broadway Professional Acoustic Solutions Buyer's Guide: Contracting Amplifiers/Mixers Buyer's Guide: Contracting Speakers Single Slice: pc muñoz "Chatter & Buzz"

ProAudio Review - September 2008

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