ProAudio Review - January 2009 - (Page 55)

accurate A-B test; the other mic was a Sennheiser 421. In this instance, I much preferred the Sennheiser to the D 40; in comparison, the 421 had nicer lows and a smoother, much clearer quality to it. The D 40 sounded not as “full-bodied” as the 421. For trumpet, I double-miked using the D 40 and a Shure SM57. Here, the D 40 won hands down; its high mid boost and natural roll-off simply made the trumpet sound better. With the D 40, this trumpet cut through the mix without much labor. After all field-testing was complete, I felt that it was time to Product Points Indestructible; affordable; mic stand adapter contains both thread sizes Limited positioning with rim clamp on snare; reduced low-end pickup settle my doubts about the durability of the microphone’s mount. The mount looked suspiciously like the D 40’s Achilles Heel; the rim clamp looked even weaker. So I did what any live sound guy with too much curiosity would do: I smacked it with a hammer in a few different ways to simulate a just bit of typical road abuse. In doing so, there were two things I found out: one, the mic still works like it did out of the box, and two, the mic is still attached to its plastic mount and rim clamp. I then clipped the rim clamp to the rim of an old beat-up snare drum. I took a drumstick and smacked the mic several different ways, managing to break a stick over it, yet the D 40 held on while working like a charm. Note that the rim clamp is very low-profile, which keeps the mic close to the drum, forcing it to be at a set angle to the head. Summary The AKG D 40 proved to be a great utility microphone for many uses. Its high-mid boost and low cutoff make it a good choice for drums, horns, and lead guitars — places where you want that “cut through the mix” sound. Finally, the D 40’s test-proven durability make it ideal for a truly roadworthy microphone collection. Score The AKG Dwell is aa sturdy liveuseful live 40 instrument microphone that performs in variety of applications. LaChapell (continued from page 35) are made by NKK, feature an impact rating equal to metal toggles, so no worries there. Summary The LaChapell 583s handles transients better than any tube mic pre I’ve encountered while retaining warmth unequaled in the world of solid-state pres. Its original, true-tube design and massive sound easily land it on my short list of the best mic preamps ever. they need a five-minute cool down before being removed). Scott LaChapell sent me several tubes to experiment with. While their differences aren’t drastic, they are noticeable. It’s nice to have the sonic variety offered by exchanging tubes. The durability of the plastic switches was my only initial concern regarding the 583s. Yet it turns out that the switches, which The LaChapell Pre: Now With EQ! Model 583e Scott LaChapell’s Model 583e ($2,025 list) offers the same high-gain tube based mic pre as the 583s, but adds three-band EQ on the right side of the module, making it the 583e. Its three-band transformerless EQ has fully sweeping frequency controls with cut/boost settings of +/- 8 dB, which can be used inline or independently with the second slot in/outs. Because I was in 500 Series-land for this review, I located some other 500 Series mic pres for comparison such as the Shadow Hills Mono Gama (nickel transformer setting) and the Biz from Purple. Testing these pres on floor tom, snare drum, vocals and voiceover, each pre’s character became clear. The LaChapell exhibited the silkiest high end of the three and a similar low end and midrange to the Mono Gama. The Biz was the most midrange-forward of the three, like the op amp design it emulates. The transient responses of the 583e and the Mono Gama were both stellar, with the Biz slightly more “FET-sounding.” Next, I engaged the 583e’s three-band EQ on the snare. Although I prefer four-band EQ on snare drums, I had no problem dialing in a great snare sound with this unit. The final test was Mike Payne on acoustic guitar using a tube mic through the 583e and a tube compressor. “Surely this combo could suffer from too many tube harmonics, causing the sound to be rounded off, or somewhat fuzzy.” I thought wrong; it sounded absolutely stunning, and the best the mic has ever sounded on acoustic. It should be noted that the 583s doesn’t possess as much tube color as its big brother, the Model 992, but more color can be dialed in by turning up the input gain while turning down the output gain-nice. The Model 583e tube pre/EQ excels with drums, voice, and harmonically rich stringed instruments. With the three-band EQ within the same two-module width as the 583s, you have a powerful combination for adding character to your recordings. Now, how many can I afford? —Randy Poole www.proaudioreview.com January 2009 | ProAudioReview 55 http://www.proaudioreview.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ProAudio Review - January 2009

ProAudio Review - January 2009 Contnets Technically Speaking New At NAMM: Studio Opinion: Studio Sense Feature: PAR Session Trials: Large-Diaphragm Microphones Review and Second Opinion: McDSP TDM Emerald Pack III featuring FutzBox PAR Contributor Of The Month Review: Audio-Technica AT2050 Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone Review: LaChapell Model 583s Microphone Preamp & Model 583e Microphone Preamp/EQ Review: RNDigital D4 Plug-In Mini Review: MXL Microphones V88 Large-Diaphragm Microphone Mini Review: Solid State Logic Mynx New at NAMM: Live New Live Products Opinion: Worship Audio PAR Recommends: Portable PA Options for 2009 Mini Review: Fishman SoloAmp Review: AKG D 40 Instrument Microphone Installation Profile: 9:30 Club, Washington, DC Single Slice

ProAudio Review - January 2009

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