Products of Interest

Neumann TLM 107 Microphone

The TLM 107 from Neumann, is a multi-pattern, large-diaphragm microphone with an edge-terminated pressure gradient transducer (see Figure 1). The user can choose from five different polar patterns: omnidirectional, cardioid, wide angle cardioid, hypercardioid, and figure-of-eight.

The microphone delivers an almost linear reproduction of the original sound up to 8 kHz with highly stable levels. The frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The grille has been designed for low sensitivity to pop sounds and the microphone itself has low self noise of 10 dBA. It has reduced sensitivity to dust and humidity thanks to the edge-terminated transducer, and both diaphragms are at ground voltage. The microphone has a maximum SPL of 141 dB, which can be increased to 153 dB with use of the pad (0, −6, and −12 dB settings). A low-cut filter can be set to linear, 40 Hz, or 100 Hz, to correspond to the lowest instrument and voice frequencies.

Figure 1.

Neumann’s TLM 107 multi-pattern, large-diaphragm microphone.

The back of the microphone body displays the pattern being used and there are LED status indicators for the pad and low cut filter. A joystick control is used to switch between polar patterns and to control the filter and pad.

The microphone is available in matte nickel and black. The design is based on the company’s M 49 and M 50 models. It weighs 445 g and measures 64 × 145 mm. It is packaged with a stand mount (the SG-2). Additional accessories include an elastic suspension, battery supply unit with 48-V phantom power, and remote control.

The TLM 107 microphone is listed for US$ 2,198. Contact: Georg Neumann GmbH, Ollenhauerstr. 98, 13403 Berlin, Germany; telephone (+49-30) 4177240; fax (+49-30) 41772450; electronic mail sales@neumann.com; Web www.neumann.com.

Sontronics ARIA Cardioid Condenser Microphone

The ARIA microphone from Sontronics is a valve/tube cardioid condenser microphone designed for vocal use (see Figure 2). It features a large 1.07-in. edge-terminated capsule inside a chrome grille housing and a 12 AX7/ECC83 tube for a classic vintage valve microphone sound. The power supply unit includes a pad (0 and −10 dB), controls for the linear and 75-Hz filters, and an LED that indicates when the tube is warmed up and ready to record.

The ARIA microphone has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. It offers a maximum SPL of 125 dB (0.05 percent total harmonic distortion [THD] at 1kHz) and an equivalent noise level of 18 dB (A-weighted).

The microphone is packaged in a velvet-lined wooden box and comes with its own aluminum flight case. An elastic spider suspension mount, mount ring, power supply, connecting cable, and power lead are also included.

The ARIA microphone is listed for US$ 1,599. Contact: Sontronics, The Aztec Centre, 44 Nutfield Road, Poole, Dorset, BH17 ORT, UK; telephone (+44-1202) 236862; electronic mail info@sontronics.com; Web www.sontronics.com.

Figure 2.

The ARIA Condenser Microphone from Sontronics.

Sennheiser MK 8 Multi-Pattern Microphone

The MK 8 from German electronics manufacturer Sennheiser is a dual-diaphragm condenser microphone that offers the user a choice of five different polar patterns. It is intended for both home recording and studio use.

Figure 3.

The Yamaha MG06X six-channel mixer.

The diaphragms are one inch in size and are spattered with 24-carat gold. The capsule is shock-mounted in a sturdy metal housing. A three-step pad switch has 0, −10, and −20 dB settings. A three-step filter can be used as a low-cut filter to remove noise below 60 Hz (−18 dB per octave) or as a roll-off filter for frequencies below 100 Hz (−6 dB per octave). Omni-directional, wide cardioid, cardioid, super-cardioid, and figure-of-eight polar patterns are available for recording. The microphone has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Its maximum SPL is 140...