Recording - August 2014 - 35

Mabel sings
Of course I was expecting Mabel to simply sound like a multi-patterned variation of Edwina, and while they have a similar forward weight, overall I found
Mabel to be a tad smoother and warmer, less crisp than her sibling. Not that
Edwina is a bright, crisp mic-it's just that Mabel is a tad rounder.
Where I found Edwina to be blunt and forward, I would call Mabel round and
solid. Moving between the patterns, Mabel's sound gets crisper and less punchy in
Omni mode, which (like any omni mic) exhibits little or no proximity effect. In figure8 the sound gets a touch thicker and, dare I say, almost vintage-flavored.
The off-axis rejection and side null points in figure-8 are exceptionally smooth
and tight, as is the off-axis rejection in cardioid mode. Interestingly, in omni mode
there is still a hint of side rejection; it is not as seamless an omni sound as that of
many modern mics.
Even though the capsule is of Chinese origin, Philip has done a great job of tuning it, both on the component level as well as in the materials and design of the head
basket. As a result, there is none of the cheap brittleness often found in overseas condensers. It both feels and sounds like a handmade microphone... because it is.
Mabel goes to work
Mabel is a mic with a sonic vibe to match her look. While not necessarily "vintage" in nature, she treads similar sonic ground to many classic FET-style mics. As
such, Mabel excels on acoustic guitars and mandolins, and after a live bluegrass
session the banjo player wanted to know where he could buy one and how much
it would cost, proclaiming it "the best mic he has ever used on banjo!"
My favorite use of Mabel was on guitar cabinet for everything from classic rock
and blues tones all the way to dirty punk distortion. Right in the grille or a few feet
back, Mabel loves guitar amps!
On vocals, Mabel will be singer-specific, depending on the tone and weight you
are after. As such, I preferred Mabel on strong vibey rock vocals, Americana, folk,
and country, rather than jazz, pop or modern R'n'B. I will note that Mabel, like
Edwina, works great as a live mic on drums, guitar and percussion, and can even be
used as a handheld vocal mic. She has a bit more handling noise than your average
SM58, but not so bad as to be a nonstarter.

On drums I found Mabel is a great, full frontof-kit mic, but too smooth and weighty for general overhead duties unless you want a subdued vintage cymbal weight. I also preferred
Edwina on toms and kick, as she is a slightly
brighter and faster-sounding mic than Mabel.
Yes, 'tis Mabel!
I mentioned in my last review that while I loved
the sound of Edwina, I stopped short of labeling
her an "all-around workhorse mic" due to her specific tone and nature, which may be too colored
and unique for some. With Mabel I need to
amend that statement.
I found that in side-by-side listening comparisons, Mabel sits comfortably alongside both the
Shure KSM44 and Audio Technica's 4047MP.
Not that it is a clone of either of those mics, but it
has the same natural smoothness and solid sound
that they exhibit and that has made them modern
classics.
While most bricolage-style mics are typically
lo-fi specialty types, Mabel is a fully fledged pro
studio mic of the highest order, and is priced
accordingly and even appropriately at $1000.
The only real decision that you will need to make
with respect to Mabel is whether you like her visual style... sonically, this girl holds her own with
any other mic in her price class!
Price: $1000
More from: Ear Trumpet Labs,
eartrumpetlabs.com

http://www.eartrumpetlabs.com http://www.cras.edu http://www.cras.edu

Recording - August 2014

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