Recording - October 2016 - 23

Sontronics (www.sontronics.com): Not yet well established in the USA, UK-based Sontronics has impressed us
several times, with mics like the STC-1 pencil condenser
($199 or $449 for a boxed pair; reviewed January
2015), which Paul found very bright and open without
being hashy or spitty and a great value for the money,
and the Sigma ($839; reviewed June 2010), a smooth
and dark active ribbon with a serious vintage tonality.

mic in history. In 2000, an American firm acquired the rights to
the Telefunken name and logo, and began reverse engineering
the ELA M 251, finally showing their rebuilt version (photo 21)
in 2002 to wide acclaim and following it with equally painstaking rebuilds of the U 47, U 48, and C 12.
Telefunken followed up with its R-F-T designs, combining
overseas metalwork and capsules with American electronics
and construction. Paul has reviewed, and loved, the 251- and
47-inspired AR-51 and AK-47 MkII ($1895 each; reviewed
November 2010 and October 2011) and the all-new CU-29
Copperhead ($1295; reviewed June 2011), for their successful
bottling of vintage magic in affordable mics. Most recently,
Telefunken has released an excellent line of dynamic mics,
reviewed in July 2012 and January 2014. The M80 and M81
($249 each) are suitable for snare, toms, and handheld vocal
work, and the M82 ($399) has four distinct EQ voicings and
works on kick drum and broadcast vocals.

Soyuz Microphones (www.soyuzmicrophones.com):
Soyuz is a new manufacturer situated in Tula, Russia. We've
reviewed the handbuilt tube condenser SU-017 ($3499;
April 2015), with Paul enjoying its rich tonal quality, wonderfully even mids, and tiny forward push on the upper
mids and highs. Other models include the SU-011 pencil
condenser and the SU-019, a FET version of the SU-017.
Studio Projects (www.studioprojects.com): This
American-based manufacturer has been around for
decades, and several of its mics pop up regularly in
pro studios. One particular standout is the B1 ($149;
reviewed June 2007), a cardioid LDC which John
Fishell found stacked well on background vocals and
gave good results on acoustic and electric guitar.
Telefunken Electroakustik (www.telefunken-elektroakustik
.com): We end our list with a name that conjures magic. The
German firm Telefunken gained fame for distributing the iconic Neumann U 47, followed by a mic designed for
Telefunken by AKG, based on its own successful C 12. That
mic, the Telefunken ELA M 251, may be the most sought-after

And there's more

Phew, what a list, right? If you think we left out a mic or
maker that others should know about, write to us at
talkback@recordingmag.com and tell us! It'd be a blast to fill a
Talkback column with your own choices and personal anecdotes about the microphones you love.
In future months, we'll be bringing you even more new mics,
including the long-anticipated Slate Digital VMR microphone
modeling system and the Sphere mic/software package from
new maker Townsend Labs. The future's as bright as the past is
precious, and the mics of tomorrow will proudly rub shoulders
with the mics of yesterday and today.

http://www.sontronics.com http://www.soyuzmicrophones.com http://www.studioprojects.com http://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com http://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com http://www.mwtm.eu

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