Recording - June 2010 - 61

shakers and tambourine. I didn’t care for the M-Three on bass or kick drum; its frequency response just didn’t provide the power I wanted in the lows. The M-Three worked well on acoustic guitar, where the dip in low midrange actually helped eliminate some of the muddiness that plagues the 100–300 Hz range of my Taylor acoustic. For my situation the dip in mids was acceptable, but there will be guitars where the M-Three’s response would be limiting. In omni mode, the M-Three does a good job of delivering an open sound and works well as a room mic. The lack of proximity effect in omni mode did slightly exaggerate the low-mid dip, but for most room mic omni applications this is perfectly acceptable. The M-Three isn’t the warmest sounding condenser mic I’ve used, but it doesn’t have the typical brittle crispiness found in most inexpensive condenser mics. At a street price of $199 the M-Three is quite the bargain; with three polar patterns and its other pro features the M-Three delivers many of the ingredients needed for a studio workhorse microphone. The M-Five The M-Five is ART’s offering in the ribbon mic category. Ribbon mics seem to be making a quiet comeback amongst mic manufacturers. New technology and more durable materials are bringing ribbon mics within reach of more and more studios. A small pencil body topped with an oversized round capsule gives the M-Five an interesting retro look. The build quality is very good and the mic comes packaged with a carrying case and basket shock mount. I’m a big fan of the ribbon mic sound so I was excited about giving the MFive a run for the money. Ribbon mics need a lot of gain and sometimes require a hot mic preamp, but advances in ribbon mic technology are helping to change this. The M-Five is a modern design that’s intended to work with mic preamps operating at lower levels. The end result is that the M-Five easily fits into an existing studio setup without needing special treatment. The M-Five also includes a high 148 dB SPL rating (atypical of many ribbon mics) which means it can be used with loud sources like guitar amps and drum overheads without fear of damaging the ribbon element. The M-Five has a sound that runs toward the dark and warmer side. Transient details are mellowed quite a bit through the M-Five which gives the sound a nice round character without sounding dull. As a vocal mic the M-Five has a warm sound that works very well for certain types of music. It wouldn’t be my first choice for an “in your

face” lead vocal sound, but it works well for a more retro sound. The M-Five’s states response is from 30 Hz to 15 kHz, so it’s not a first choice for sources that need a lot of “air”. However, the response is smooth without a lot of noticeable dips or bumps. I absolutely loved the M-Five on drum overheads. Transient details are fast and accurate without the harshness or crispiness that comes out with some condenser mics. Cymbals sound particularly smooth through the M-Five and the pop/rock “swimming cymbal” sound was easy to nail with the M-Five. In fact, I really liked the M-Five on anything with a percussive quality to it. Transient details just seemed to pop out more, but not in an artificial way. In front of a guitar amp, the M-Five delivers a sound with just the right amount of mid-range punch. The M-Five articulates details without hyping the upper end and tracks sit well in the mix. Tones ranging from jazz clean to screaming rock all worked nicely with the M-Five. On acoustic guitar the M-Five delivers an interesting sound—you’ll either love it or hate it, but it’s unique. Similar to its performance with vocals, the M-Five delivers a retro or “old-time” sound on acoustic guitar. It’s that kind of sound that works very well with a light arrangement or a singer/songwriter track. For a high energy jangle sound there are better mic choices. As a room mic the M-Five works wonders. While condenser mics do a wonderful job of picking up details, sometimes it’s just too much for a room-mic sound. The M-Five does a standup job of picking up just enough detail without sounding too present. I tracked guitar, acoustic guitar, drums and percussion with the M-Five as a room mic and was pleased with all four results. In the mix I was able to bring in the room tracks for just enough ambience without muddiness or high-end harshness. In a market full of copycat crispy condensers it’s nice to see a manufacturer doing something different. While it (probably) won’t replace a workhorse condenser mic, the M-Five adds an interesting flavor to any studio toolbox. At a street price of $149, the M-Five is almost a no-brainer. Summing up It’s always interesting to see how a new product line develops from an established manufacturer. ART did its homework with the M-Series. Both the M-Three and MFive will serve budget-conscious studio owners for years to come.

Prices: M-Three, $269 ($199 street); M-Five, $199 ($149 street) More from: ART Pro Audio, www.artproaudio.com. Nick Casares (casares@recordingmag.com) is a musician, producer, engineer, and web designer living and working in Colorado.
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Recording - June 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - June 2010

Recording - June 2010
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
Cloud Microphones JRS-34-P, JRS-34, and Cloudlifter
Mics, Mechanisms, and Myths—A Meditation
DPA Microphones 4099 Series
Chandler Limited Little Devils
A Studio Miking Primer
Sontronics Orpheus and Sigma
Zoom Q3 Video Recorder
Superscope Elevation—A Walking Tour
Recording’s Guitar Column
Reviewed and Revisited: Ableton Live Intro
Recording’s Keyboard Column
Avid M-Audio Fast Track and Pro Tools M-Powered Essential
It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 3: Recording Issues
ART M-Three and M-Five Microphones
Shure SRH440 and SRH840 Headphones
Readers' Tapes
Advertiser Index
Fade Out
Recording - June 2010 - Recording - June 2010
Recording - June 2010 - Cover2
Recording - June 2010 - 1
Recording - June 2010 - Fade In
Recording - June 2010 - 3
Recording - June 2010 - Contents
Recording - June 2010 - 5
Recording - June 2010 - Talkback
Recording - June 2010 - 7
Recording - June 2010 - Fast Forward
Recording - June 2010 - 9
Recording - June 2010 - 10
Recording - June 2010 - 11
Recording - June 2010 - Cloud Microphones JRS-34-P, JRS-34, and Cloudlifter
Recording - June 2010 - 13
Recording - June 2010 - 14
Recording - June 2010 - 15
Recording - June 2010 - Mics, Mechanisms, and Myths—A Meditation
Recording - June 2010 - 17
Recording - June 2010 - 18
Recording - June 2010 - 19
Recording - June 2010 - 20
Recording - June 2010 - 21
Recording - June 2010 - 22
Recording - June 2010 - 23
Recording - June 2010 - DPA Microphones 4099 Series
Recording - June 2010 - 25
Recording - June 2010 - Chandler Limited Little Devils
Recording - June 2010 - 27
Recording - June 2010 - A Studio Miking Primer
Recording - June 2010 - 29
Recording - June 2010 - 30
Recording - June 2010 - 31
Recording - June 2010 - 32
Recording - June 2010 - 33
Recording - June 2010 - 34
Recording - June 2010 - 35
Recording - June 2010 - Sontronics Orpheus and Sigma
Recording - June 2010 - 37
Recording - June 2010 - Zoom Q3 Video Recorder
Recording - June 2010 - 39
Recording - June 2010 - Superscope Elevation—A Walking Tour
Recording - June 2010 - 41
Recording - June 2010 - Recording’s Guitar Column
Recording - June 2010 - 43
Recording - June 2010 - Reviewed and Revisited: Ableton Live Intro
Recording - June 2010 - 45
Recording - June 2010 - Recording’s Keyboard Column
Recording - June 2010 - 47
Recording - June 2010 - Avid M-Audio Fast Track and Pro Tools M-Powered Essential
Recording - June 2010 - 49
Recording - June 2010 - 50
Recording - June 2010 - 51
Recording - June 2010 - 52
Recording - June 2010 - 53
Recording - June 2010 - It’s Your Music—Know Your Rights. Chapter 3: Recording Issues
Recording - June 2010 - 55
Recording - June 2010 - 56
Recording - June 2010 - 57
Recording - June 2010 - 58
Recording - June 2010 - 59
Recording - June 2010 - ART M-Three and M-Five Microphones
Recording - June 2010 - 61
Recording - June 2010 - Shure SRH440 and SRH840 Headphones
Recording - June 2010 - 63
Recording - June 2010 - Readers' Tapes
Recording - June 2010 - Advertiser Index
Recording - June 2010 - 66
Recording - June 2010 - 67
Recording - June 2010 - 68
Recording - June 2010 - 69
Recording - June 2010 - 70
Recording - June 2010 - 71
Recording - June 2010 - Fade Out
Recording - June 2010 - Cover3
Recording - June 2010 - Cover4
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