Recording - May 2020 - 56

REVIEW

Samar Audio Design

AL95 Passive Ribbon Microphone

An affordable piston-style ribbon microphone
designed and built by a master craftsman
REVIEW BY ALEX HAWLEY

amar Audio is a boutique ribbon microphone maker based in Salt Lake City.
Founded by Dr. Mark Fouxman, a renowned Russian electronics engineer, the
company is best known for building high-quality ribbon microphones with an
incredibly flat frequency response. Emphasis on the word building-Samar mics
are "built in an artisan tradition," completely handcrafted in-house, right down
to their custom-wound transformers. RECORDING editor Paul Vnuk reviewed the
Samar VL37 back in October 2015, and while this is my first time using a Samar
product, the guitarist in me is always excited to get my hands on a new ribbon mic!

Meet the AL95

The Samar AL95 is a passive figure-8
ribbon microphone designed specifically to
yield a smooth sonic character with extended frequency response and very low distortion. At $500, it's priced more affordably
than any other mic in the Samar catalog. Samar has a reputation for focusing on design
and quality over cost, and despite the approachable price point of this mic, these values are still intact. The integrity is achieved
through efficient engineering and utilization
of parts; the AL95 has very few parts and
features a uni-body design, so costs can be
drastically cut without sacrificing quality.
The AL95 features a piston-corrugated
ribbon instead of the regular zig-zag corrugation pattern. The benefits of piston ribbons
are extensive, and the only real drawback
is the increased difficulty of forming them.
A piston-corrugated ribbon allows for low
noise, deep and controlled bass response,
up to 3dB higher output, lower resonance
modes, and the ability to handle very high
sound pressure levels. Due to the improved
resonance, the stereotypical boxy character
of ribbon microphones in the low midrange is
practically nonexistent. Piston-corrugated ribbons can also deliver fast transient response
and a more open sounding sonic profile.
56 RECORDING May 2020

Other examples of piston-corrugated ribbon
mics include the Beyerdynamic M 160, and
Bang & Olufsen BM3, BM4, and BM5.
Founder Dr. Mark Fouxman sells mods and
repairs for such microphones and is the sole
aftermarket source for replacement ribbons
with Beyerdynamic-style piston corrugation.
I mention this only to illustrate the point that
the AL95 microphone was designed by a
true expert of the craft.
The AL95 also features a hand-wound
amorphous-core toroidal transformer. The
transformer ratio was specially paired for
this microphone, which was optimized
for low distortion and neutral response.

In Use

I love the sound of ribbon microphones
on guitar amps, so naturally, that's where I
started with the AL95. The size and weight
make it very easy to place. The shock
mount articulates nicely but doesn't seem to
be the most secure fit. I would recommend
pairing with a Rycote, or another alternative. [Samar notes: an optional, very slick
high-quality shock mount is in the works.]
I was surprised by just how balanced the
response is. It sounds incredibly natural and
open, while still exhibiting a slight roundedness that you'd expect from a ribbon.

Recording - May 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - May 2020