ProAudio Review - February 2009 - (Page 36)

studio review by Randy Poole Mojave Audio MA-201 FET Condenser Microphone David Royer’s latest effort, the Mojave Audio MA-201 FET microphone, is a graceful, accurate, and well-priced workhorse condenser for the professional studio. In Use As luck would have it, Mojave provided a stereo pair for review. Right away, the MA201s went into service for stereo miking a piano. I usually use a pair of Neumann M-582 omni mics for this task, and these Mojave’s did not disappoint. The stereo imaging was excellent, and the frequency response suited the piano well, with a forward midrange and a subtle EQ rise in the upper frequencies. Further, I used the pair wherever I normally use the M-582s, including stereo room, strings, and drum overheads as well as stereo rooms on choir sessions. For strings, the mics were placed nine feet high with a wide spacing above the section, about 20 feet apart. On the string session, I also compared the sound of the MA-201 pair to a Schoeps cardioid pair. Room miking revealed the wide cardioid pattern of the MA201; it was nearly as open as my omnis. This proved extremely useful in my distant miking situations; as the open pattern provides minimal proximity effect, it also provides the lifelike low-end response of an omni. In contrast, the Schoeps were dry (comparatively low ambience) and silky on top, but lacked the low-end response of the Mojave 201 in this application. On choir, the MA-201s were placed around seven feet high in a stereo pair in the center of the room with the singers in a semicircle. Again, the results were compared to the M-582s. I added no EQ during tracking with the MA-201s; in the mix, I added just a small high-frequency boost with excellent results. In comparison, the omni M-582s offer a similar polar pattern as From Mojave Audio and the mind of David Royer comes a new largediaphragm condenser mic, the MA-201 FET. This is a phantom-powered, solid-state condenser mic with a fixed cardioid pattern, designed for instruments and vocals alike. It utilizes a 3-micron goldsputtered capsule, Jensen transformer, military-grade FET, and lownoise resistors. For those looking to expand their mic closet without exceeding their budget, this is Mojave’s most affordable effort to date, coming in at a list price of $695. Features The MA-201 is a fixed cardioid mic with no pads or roll-off switches. Thus, there are no switch positions to forget while you’re in the control room. The front side of the mic is clearly marked with the “Mojave Audio” logo. The shock mount is an improvement on the old, standard, elastic-band-style mount, with a threaded receiver in the bottom. The mic is threaded on the bottom for easy assembly with the shock mount, especially in direct comparison with a vintage-style tangle of elastic. Mojave protects the MA-201 with a custom 10x8.5x4.5-inch hard-shell case with foam cutouts. Randy Poole is a Nashville-based engineer/mixer and owner of the Poole Room studio in Franklin, TN. www.thepooleroom.com 36 ProAudioReview | February 2009 www.proaudioreview.com http://www.thepooleroom.com http://www.proaudioreview.com

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

ProAudio Review - February 2009 Contents From Razor Slice To Mouse Click Hot Gear At Winter NAMM ’09: Studio Prioritizing Good Acoustics In Tough Times Digidesign Pro Tools 8 Allen & Heath ZED-R16 Analog Mixing Console Mike Rivers Nevaton MC Series Studio Condenser Microphones FMR Audio Really Nice Series Pre-Amp and Dynamics Modules Mojave Audio MA-201 FET Condenser Microphone Genelec 6010A and 5040A Powered Loudspeaker and Subwoofer Massey Plug-Ins De:Esser Hot Gear At Winter NAMM ’09: Live White Space Regulation: What It Means To Us Recording Live Sound Summit Church in Fort Myers, Florida Bag End P-Crystal R Loudspeaker Mark Olson & Gary Louris’ “Turn Your Pretty Name Around”

ProAudio Review - February 2009

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