Recording - January 2012 - 26
B Y PA U L V N U K J R .
I like to think of Mojave Audio as “David Royer’s other microphone company”—the outlet for all of his non-ribbon fare. The Mojave line currently includes a pair of large-diaphragm condensers—the original MA-200 tube mic (reviewed January 2007) and the solid-state MA-201fet (December 2009)—as well as a pair of pencil condensers, the vacuum tube model MA-100 (May 2008) and its solid-state counterpart, the MA-101fet (July 2010). The cardioid-patterned MA-200 was the first mic in the line, and since its creation it has gained a very solid following. On the web, it usually pops up in “What’s a good U67 clone/replacement” threads. While it isn’t intended to be a full-on U67 clone, it does share similar sonic characteristics, qualities and favored uses. Mojave’s brand new MA-300 is essentially a multi-patterned version of the 200, with a handful of additional new features. Details, details The pickup pattern is continuously variable, from omnidirectional to figure-8. Also new: A 15 dB pad, and a switchable hipass/bass roll off (–6 dB/octave below 100 Hz). The MA-300 uses a dual back plate, center-terminated K67 style capsule with a 1” gold sputtered, 3-micron thick dual diaphragm. The MA-300’s amplifier circuit is a plate-loaded design that, like the MA-200, uses a miniature JAN 5840 militaryspec vacuum tube and a Jensen output transformer. The MA-300 is decked out in Mojave’s standard black body with silver sloped grille and head basket. Other than the new rearmounted switches, slight resizing of the logo and text, and the loss of the MA-200’s cardioid symbol on its head basket, the MA-200 and 300 could be identical twins. Although these mics are of Chinese origin I was instantly impressed with the construction of the MA-300. Its 1 lb., 75/8" body
dB around 1 kHz, and then rises gently and evenly back up again about +5 dB all the way to about 18 kHz, a bit higher in omni than in cardioid. In figure-8 it follows the same overall outline but rising less in the low mids and even less at the high end, making figure-8 the darkest of the three patterns, which is typical of most multi-pattern microphones. These graphs show that, with the exception of the 1k dip, this is a smooth yet big sounding mic, and most significantly this mic lacks the high-mid spike common to most modern (especially Asian) mics. Of course data and graphs only tell a fraction of the story; it’s how the mic captures sound and what type of sonic signature it imparts that is most important. So—to the studio we go! The MA-300 in session I received and immediately began using the MA-300 at the beginning of a folk session with acoustic guitar, banjo, layered harmony vocals and a hybrid percussion kit consisting of a set of Remo Tubanos (a cross between congas and a djembe), hi-hat, tambourine and shakers. I also tried it on drum overheads on a 5-piece rock drum kit and on a voiceover session. For reference I compared the MA-300 to a pair of multi-pattern tube mics in my collection, a Peluso 2247LE and a Telefunken AR-51 (reviewed November 2010). Overall it was the thickest sounding mic
Mojave Audio MA-300
is solid, well put together and very classy in its overall appearance and presentation. The MA-300 comes with a shock mount, power supply (with an externally switchable voltage selector), multi-pin cable, AC cable, and an individual mic flight case, all housed in a small briefcase-sized aluminum carrying case. Specs Like most modern mics, the MA-300 has a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response. Sensitivity is listed as –37 dB re 1V/Pa, maximum SPL is given as 120 dB (135 dB padded). The factory frequency graphs show the MA-300 in omni and cardioid to have a rising low-mid section that peaks very smoothly up to +7 dB around 100–200Hz. It scoops back down to 0
Multi-Pattern Tube Condenser Microphone
A yummy and versatile new mic expands your palette of options—on drums and more
of the three, and pretty much the antithesis of the very open and airy AR-51. This held true in all three patterns, with the figure-8 being somewhat darker than the others, of course. Stylistically it was closer in its sonic signature to the 2247, but still overall fuller and less midforward. For the application examples described below, the selected pattern was all cardioid, except for the shaker and tambourine overdubs—where I like omni since the source moves a lot. I tried figure-8 in front of the drum kit during testing, but ended up back with cardioid because I wanted a tighter, less roomy sound. I tend to only use figure-8 for group backing vocals, or drum overheads/front-of-kit when I want to add in the depth of the room, most of the time, or if I am doing M/S recording.
26
RECORDING JANUARY 2012
Recording - January 2012
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - January 2012
Recording - January 2012
Fade In
Contents
Talkback
Fast Forward
2011 AES Convention Report
“How I Like To Record My Drums”
Neumann KH 120 A Monitors
Mojave Audio MA-300 Multi-Pattern Tube Condenser Microphone
Recording Drums—Then and Now
Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 1: What Is Good?
Drumming and Drummers and Mics—Oh My!
Mixing Live Drum Tracks
Arturia Analog Experience: The Laboratory 49
Readers’ Tapes
Advertiser Index
iOS Music Tools: Analog Synthesis on iOS
2011 Annual Index
Fade Out
Recording - January 2012 - intro
Recording - January 2012 - Recording - January 2012
Recording - January 2012 - Cover2
Recording - January 2012 - 1
Recording - January 2012 - Fade In
Recording - January 2012 - 3
Recording - January 2012 - Contents
Recording - January 2012 - 5
Recording - January 2012 - Talkback
Recording - January 2012 - 7
Recording - January 2012 - Fast Forward
Recording - January 2012 - 9
Recording - January 2012 - 2011 AES Convention Report
Recording - January 2012 - 11
Recording - January 2012 - 12
Recording - January 2012 - 13
Recording - January 2012 - 14
Recording - January 2012 - 15
Recording - January 2012 - 16
Recording - January 2012 - 17
Recording - January 2012 - “How I Like To Record My Drums”
Recording - January 2012 - 19
Recording - January 2012 - 20
Recording - January 2012 - 21
Recording - January 2012 - 22
Recording - January 2012 - 23
Recording - January 2012 - Neumann KH 120 A Monitors
Recording - January 2012 - 25
Recording - January 2012 - Mojave Audio MA-300 Multi-Pattern Tube Condenser Microphone
Recording - January 2012 - 27
Recording - January 2012 - Recording Drums—Then and Now
Recording - January 2012 - 29
Recording - January 2012 - 30
Recording - January 2012 - 31
Recording - January 2012 - 32
Recording - January 2012 - 33
Recording - January 2012 - 34
Recording - January 2012 - 35
Recording - January 2012 - 36
Recording - January 2012 - 37
Recording - January 2012 - Recording Fundamentals. Chapter 1: What Is Good?
Recording - January 2012 - 39
Recording - January 2012 - Drumming and Drummers and Mics—Oh My!
Recording - January 2012 - 41
Recording - January 2012 - 42
Recording - January 2012 - 43
Recording - January 2012 - 44
Recording - January 2012 - 45
Recording - January 2012 - 46
Recording - January 2012 - 47
Recording - January 2012 - Mixing Live Drum Tracks
Recording - January 2012 - 49
Recording - January 2012 - 50
Recording - January 2012 - 51
Recording - January 2012 - 52
Recording - January 2012 - 53
Recording - January 2012 - 54
Recording - January 2012 - 55
Recording - January 2012 - Arturia Analog Experience: The Laboratory 49
Recording - January 2012 - 57
Recording - January 2012 - Readers’ Tapes
Recording - January 2012 - Advertiser Index
Recording - January 2012 - iOS Music Tools: Analog Synthesis on iOS
Recording - January 2012 - 61
Recording - January 2012 - 62
Recording - January 2012 - 63
Recording - January 2012 - 64
Recording - January 2012 - 65
Recording - January 2012 - 66
Recording - January 2012 - 67
Recording - January 2012 - 68
Recording - January 2012 - 69
Recording - January 2012 - 2011 Annual Index
Recording - January 2012 - 71
Recording - January 2012 - Fade Out
Recording - January 2012 - Cover3
Recording - January 2012 - Cover4
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