Recording - October 2016 - 16

appears all over the Beatles' discography, with a
rich dark sound and punchy mids that make it
amazing on drum overheads, and the 4030L
($1099) is a modern design that has more top end,
less proximity effect, and is much less fragile. Paul
compared them in May 2014.

Cascade Microphones
(www.cascademicrophones
.com): While Cascade does
make condensers, it's famous for
its ribbons, especially the "short
ribbon" designs typified by the
now-classic Fat Head ($195)
and its descendant the Fat Head
II ($399). These ribbon mics
have a unique smooth sound,
and pioneered the revolution in
modern affordable ribbons of a
more traditional type. Most
recently, we reviewed the Fat
Head II Active/Passive ($499;
September 2012), a mic whose
active electronics can be
7
switched off if desired. Paul
loved it on acoustic guitar, flute,
and hi-hats, finding the active mode louder and cleaner but the passive mode more malleable depending on preamp impedance.
Cathedral Pipes (www.cathedralpipes.com):
Charles Dickinson hand-builds tube and solid-state
condenser mics from scratch in a West Coast workshop, fitting them with bodies and accessories that
look as striking as the mics sound. Paul was very
impressed with the tube Notre Dame ($2400;
February 2015), which he considered an exceptional
take on the classic tube Neumann U 47 with deep
lows and solid, punchy mids that excelled at lead
vocals, front of kit, and acoustic guitar. Paul felt the
solid-state St. Jean Baptiste ($1300; October 2015)
was a more flexible version (thanks to its more open
high-end sound) of the original Neumann U 47 fet.
Cloud Microphones (www.cloudmicrophones.com):
Manufactured in Arizona, Rodger Cloud's mics are
handmade ribbons based on the designs and construction methods of 1930s RCA engineers, modernized
with new output transformers, internal suspension, and
other tweaks. These mics offer a vintage RCA ribbon
sound with smoothness and open yet controlled top
end. In addition to the active JRS-34 and passive JRS34-P, Cloud offers the 44-A ($1899; reviewed August
2014, photo 5), an active ribbon mic with a dual voicing switch that lets you choose between a full, natural
sound with lots of low end, great for drum overheads,
room miking, jazz vocals, and distant mic on guitar
cabinets, and a less weighty low end with reduced
proximity effect that shines on pop vocals, acoustic
guitar, and other string instruments.

Coles Electroacoustics (www.coleselectroacoustics
.com): This British manufacturer introduces new designs
periodically, while still building the exact same mics that
were used by BBC announcers and the Beatles in the
1960s. The 4038 ($1350) is a classic ribbon that

RECORDING OCTOBER 2016

DPA Microphones (www.dpamicrophones.com):
Danish manufacturer DPA has a huge line of applicationoptimized mics, all designed around a mere handful of
proven capsule designs. Perhaps the most famous DPA
mic is the 4011, which has grown into a huge family of
mics in many polar patterns and configurations called
d:dicate. A variation on this capsule family is used in the
d:facto handheld vocal mics.
DPA's d:vote 4099 mics ($619 each; first reviewed
June 2010, photo 6) are based on the same miniature
electret condenser element as the d:fine headsets and
d:screet miniature mics. They are sold with nearly a dozen
different mounting systems, making the small, unobtrusive
cardioid mic easy to attach to guitars, acoustic bass, sax,
violin, brasses, and more. There are stereo versions for
piano and accordion, and universal mounts that open up
the 4099 for use almost anywhere (we reviewed them
and revisited the 4099 in May 2014).
Ear Trumpet Labs (www.eartrumpetlabs.com): These
handmade mics are remarkable both for their steampunk design aesthetic and for their extraordinarily
smooth off-axis response and high gain before feedback, making them highly suitable for live recording and
broadcast of acoustic ensembles and vocal groups.
Recently, Paul had a chance to try the Josephine (photo
9
7) and Myrtle ($599 each), which he loved for their
workable proximity effect, mid-forward punch (Myrtle),
and overall vintage smoothness and wide soundstage (Josephine).
Earthworks (www.earthworksaudio.com): Virtually everything
Earthworks does is based around the exceptionally flat frequency
response of its tiny condenser capsules. At first glance, these mics
look more like measurement mics than what you'd find in a studio,
but their clarity and detail make them prized by many engineers.
Omni mics like the QTC50 (photo 8) offer astonishing accuracy (flat
to 50 kHz!), and the PianoMic system has become famous as a
portable, compact, highly detailed piano recording setup (last discussed May 2016). Most recently we reviewed the SR20 ($599;
May 2012) and SR40V ($999; February 2012), a pair of very
flexible cardioid designs (the latter optimized for handheld vocals).
Electro-Voice (www.electrovoice.com): Electro-Voice is most famous
for the Variable-D design used in many of its dynamic mics-most
recently the RE320 ($299, reviewed October 2011), but perhaps
most famously in the industry-standard RE20 ($399). These mics use
a mechanical venting system to essentially nullify proximity effect, so
the tonal response is very even no matter how you're oriented to the
mic. That makes them incredibly handy on just about everything,
from voiceovers and rock vocals to kick drum, brass, guitar amps,
and lots more. In his review, Scott noted the RE320's presence peak,
which made it fantastic for rock vocals, but also noted that the
RE20's flatter response gave it wider applicability.
Josephson Engineering (www.josephson.com): Among the
unsung heroes of the mic world is Dave Josephson's C42 ($455
each, $975/matched pair; reviewed July 2003). This marvelous
little pencil condenser offers a neutral, clear sound with lots of
high-end detail, and rivals models twice its price. Josephson's
Series 6 has several available configurations, including the e22S
($1390; reviewed June 2005, photo 9), a highly transparent sideaddress condenser spot mic originally designed for Steve Albini.

http://www.dpamicrophones.com http://www.cascademicrophones.com http://www.cascademicrophones.com http://www.eartrumpetlabs.com http://www.cathedralpipes.com http://www.earthworksaudio.com http://www.cloudmicrophones.com http://www.electrovoice.com http://www.josephson.com http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com http://www.coleselectroacoustics.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2016