Recording - May 2020 - 16

That One Mic: I ns t r u ments
Neumann TLM 107

Peluso P-28

Neumann calls the TLM 107 [reviewed
May 2014] a studio workhorse. Its natural and transparent sound is ideal for all
acoustic instruments, and sounds wonderful on acoustic guitars. Thanks to its five
polar patterns, pad, and low-cut settings,
it's really flexible and can be used in all
sorts of recording scenarios. A high-definition
microphone, its low inherent self noise of
just 10dBA makes it ideal
Acoustic Instruments, Vocals
for recording very soft instruments. On the other hand, it accepts SPLs of up to 153dB (pad
engaged), to capture even the loudest of instruments without
distortion. -Sebastian Schmitz, Sennheiser/Neumann

The P-28 [reviewed on Page 34] is the hidden
gem of the Peluso line! It brings together the lowend performance of a C28 with the high-end qualities of a KM 54. I hear all the time from our clients
how much they love this mic for recording acoustic
guitar and drum overheads, where it offers great
focus and phase coherency, with no brash or harsh
overtones. For impressions on unique instruments I
reached out to Jesse Thompson and Chad Brown
over at Ten Four ReAcoustic Guitar, Drum
cording Co. in NashOverheads, Strings, Percussion
ville. Jesse recently
recorded a 1950s Kay acoustic tenor guitar on a
P-28 and it was fantastic. Chad used one to record
a Nigerian udu percussion pot! -Chris Newitt,
Peluso Microphone Lab

$1399; en-de.neumann.com

Pearlman TM-1

$1760; pearlmanmicrophones.com
The TM-1 [reviewed October 2019] is the
mid-priced offering in the Pearlman product line
and is the most popular for instrument and vocal
recording. It seems to be the most versatile and
can be used in many applications. Its high-cut
switch allows it to be used on many different
instruments and voices; users say that it's like
having two mics in one. For the weirdest thing
recorded, I recommend the sound of everyone
washing their hands, but please remember: mics
are powered-keep a safe distance from water.
-xo, Dave Pearlman
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Drum
Overheads, Room Mic, Strings, Brass, Vocals

$1099; pelusomicrophonelab.com

Placid Audio Copperphone
$275; placidaudio.com

The standard Copperphone [reviewed September 2008] is
great for all-around instrument miking. Because of the limited-bandwidth single-coil magnetic transducer, and the mechanical filtering of the rear-ported diaphragm, the Copperphone
will always impart a nostalgic
lo-fi character on the signal. The weirdest thing I've
heard someone use this mic
on was a Marxophone-an
antique zither.
-Mark Pirro, Placid Audio
Piano, Strings, Horns, Guitar
Cabinet, Room Mic for Drums

Oktava MK-012

$199 (single), $399 (pair); en.oktavatula.ru
The Oktava MK-012 is a condenser mic with three interchangeable capsules. It's small and light (only 4 oz.),
with a sensitivity of 12-16 mV/PA per 1000Hz, and low self noise. The standard microphone kit includes the
small diaphragm capsules; optional large diaphragm capsules are available as well, making this mic even
more flexible. If we can call a weapon a 'strange instrument', Hollywood sound engineer Charles Maynes
uses the Oktava MK-012 for recording gun shots! During the
Orchestra, Strings, Woodwinds, Piano,
musical residency of the 'Yasnaya Oktava' project, a pair of
Timpani, Percussion, Harp, Acoustic Guitar
MK-012 mics were used at the Yasnaya Polyana estate museum to record Leo Tolstoy's grand piano-
a unique instrument from an historical viewpoint.
-Liubov Stalnova, Oktava
16 RECORDING May 2020

http://en-de.neumann.com http://www.pelusomicrophonelab.com http://www.pearlmanmicrophones.com http://www.placidaudio.com http://en.oktavatula.ru

Recording - May 2020

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