Recording - December 2015 - 11

Sure, there are iOS apps that sorta kinda do this, but
there's nothing quite like the Circuit that just works
straight out of the box. This beastie is going to make a
lot of friends, and I predict that it will be popping up in
studios all over the place as an adjunct to DAW-based
studios and a great analog synth... when it's not out on
the road making music, that is.-MM

AKG K553 PRO Headphones
$199.99; www.akg.com

In our March 2014 issue, we brought you reviews of three
high-end headphones from AKG, representing price-noobject quality and attention to detail; the K812 topped out
at nearly $1500 and was worth every penny. For this
year's Buyer's Guide, we bring you a much more affordable AKG headphone-the K553 PRO.
This is a closed-back circumaural design that AKG claims
offers the spaciousness normally found in an open-backed
headphone. Unlike most other AKG designs, the K553 PRO
has a padded headband rather than a sling suspension; fortunately, at barely 11 ounces weight, it's not fatiguing to wear
for long periods. The closed and well-padded earcups swivel
flat for easy storage; they're filled with a comfortable memory
foam and are replaceable. The cable is permanently attached
to the left earcup but is generously long (over 10') and ends in
a gold-plated minijack with screw-on 1/4" adaptor.
A few specs are in order: the K553 PRO is a 32 ohm
phone, meaning it will get good and loud even when run
from fairly anemic headphone amps. AKG does provide
two sets of frequency response figures: a very impressive 12
Hz to 28 kHz without tolerances, but a nicely believable 20
Hz to 20 kHz ±3 dB. Not many manufacturers dare to put
tolerances on frequency figures, so kudos to AKG!
In use over several weeks of tracking and mixing, I grew
very fond of the K553 PRO. It offers very good isolation and
long hours of comfortable listening, and its sound has that very
broadband character that one comes to expect from AKG
phones. One trend we like in modern headphones is the tendency toward larger drivers for smoother bass, and the 50mm
drivers in the K553 PRO deliver lovely, solid lows that neither

skimp nor overwhelm. To my ears, the mids were ever so slightly pulled
back, but not to the point of unbalancing vocals or lead guitars. Treble
extension was solid without being spiky or shrill, and there was none
of the fatigue that can come from brighter phones.
All in all, a very solid, sturdy, comfortable, great-sounding headphone, suitable for tracking room or home studio. Pair it with a really
good high-quality headphone amp for clear and enjoyable listening...
or pair it with your phone for great audio on the go.-MM

Neat Microphones Worker Bee
$199; www.neatmic.com

Neat is a brand-new microphone company under the expanding
Gibson family of products. The people responsible for the look and design
of Neat carry quite a pedigree in the mic world-none other than Skipper
Wise and Martins Saulespurens, the founders of Blue Microphones.
The Bee product lineup is aimed at the entry market while maintaining a very high sonic standard, and every product in the line is
unashamedly bee-themed. We will be looking at the King Bee mic
and other Neat products (like the Beeline quad-conductor mic cable)
in upcoming months, but for now let's meet the very affordable
Worker Bee. Given its looks, its accessory package, and most of all
its sound, it's all set to create quite a buzz!
The Worker Bee comes in unique honeycomb-accented packaging. The
mic itself features a black-and-yellow lollipop-style capsule head basket
atop a squat, rectangular black metal body, its yellow rubber banding giving it its bumblebee appearance. The mic is cardioid patterned with a
24mm capsule, has a 20 Hz to 20 kHz freq response, a 19.0mV/Pa sensitivity, 135.5 dB dynamic range, and 9.5 dBA of self-noise.
The mic comes with some well-designed accessories that greatly
increase its value out of the box. There's a custom-made square shock
mount called the Beekeeper that bolts snugly and safely to the mic
body. It's secure, works very well, and is open at the front to aid in
placement. Pops and plosives are held in check by a snap-on metal
mesh pop filter known as the Honeycomb. The mic also comes with a
velvet bag and an artsy bee figurine with its own serial number!
It might be easy to dismiss this mic as a gimmick as far as its looks
and packaging go, but looks aside, everything is quite well built...
and more importantly, the mic sounds fantastic.
I used it recently to track an original children's song written by a
friend. With it I tracked baby grand piano, acoustic guitar, cajon, tambourine, and female vocals. There was no task it could not handle,
and while I thought it sounded good on every one of the instruments,
it sounded downright great on her voice!
The Worker Bee has a surprisingly rich sound for such an affordable mic. It's clean and quiet, not overly bright, and has a nice proximity effect that you can really take advantage of, thanks to the
Honeycomb pop filter. For under $200 ready to use, this is one
honey of a microphone.-PV
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http://www.akg.com http://www.neatmic.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2015