Looking for some new toys for your recording studio? Pro Studio Edition is here to help you ring in the New Year in style with eclectic tube mics, a few handy gadgets no up-to-date studio should be without, and a whimsical item that may add just the right touch of vibe to your den of dBs.
Tube Mics
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innerTUBE Audio's MM 2000. It’s a conversation piece and a world-class tube condenser mic.
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Michael Groh of Cutting Edge Audio Group in San Francisco is effusive in his praise for what has to be one of the most unusual mics to come out in a long time: innerTUBE Audio’s MM 2000 tube condenser mic. Built into a rugged flashlight housing, “this is definitely a product that will set your studio apart from the competition,” says Michael.
“It’s a high gain (line level) tube mic with very low noise circuitry that provides detailed, transparent reproduction of just about any sound source you put up in front of it. It features a hand-tested 6922 tube, built-in -20dB pad, and offers continuously variable pickup pattern adjustment from the power supply ranging from omni directional through cardioid to figure 8. It can also be special ordered in a dual capsule stereo version.”
The unit is available in black, dark red, and electric blue from Southern California-based boutique audio manufacturer innerTUBE Audio. It retails for $3,000, and includes a case, shock mount, cables, and power supply. Although a considerable investment, it’s one that Michael feels, “is definitely well worth it based on the sonic performance this mic delivers.”
A different mic also caught the ears of Brent Williams at The Musician’s Superstore in Westminster, CO. It’s M-Audio’s Sputnik, a sub-$1,000 tube mic that’s been turning heads ever since its debut late in 2006.
“This is the perfect mic to add to a digital home or project studio,” according to Brent. “It’s a multi-pattern tube mic with a separate power supply that is at home recording vocals and any acoustic instrument in your studio. The 6205 new old stock vacuum tube brings a nice warmth to any digital track. The folks at M-Audio consulted with a number of top LA engineers and producers to create the design specs for this mic. As a result, it runs rings around many other higher priced mics.”
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M-Audio's Sputnik tube mic offers impressive performance in the sub-$1000 price range. Pictured above, the Sputnik with attendant accessories.
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The limited edition, hand-built Sputniks come with a hard case, power supply, and shock mount. It offers switchable omni, figure 8, and cardioid pickup patterns, as well as -10 dB pad and an 80Hz, 12 dB per octave bass roll off switch. With a list of $699 and street prices around $599, “the price-performance ratio is pretty tough to beat,” concludes Brent.
Moving on to studio gadgets, Michael offers up two new toys worth adding to your shopping list. The first is the adjustable “voice screen” from Popless Voice Filters. ”These are adjustable pop filters which you can set for each different voice or narrator. You can go from the most acoustically transparent (very little filtering) to maximum filtering for voices with extreme sibilance or for voice-over work. They come in 3” and 6” sizes with a range of mounting options that come with or without a gooseneck. They range in price from $35 to $79.” The company also offers replacement parts for pop filter assemblies.
The second is the Spectron, a spectral-based delay and effects plug in from Izotope. “It allows you to isolate any one of thousands of frequencies in a signal and apply delay or filtering/EQ to just that frequency,” says Michael. “The GUI is very intuitive and easy to navigate, making it perfect for sound design or just adding special effects to a track. Street price is $99. It’s especially handy for isolating one instrument in a composite mix, or a specific frequency range on an instrument without affecting adjacent frequencies.”
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With the Adjustable Pop Filter, you simply add or remove a layer of protection to fit the needs of each session.
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Brent’s toy selection is the cousin of Zoom’s H4 pocket recorder (which we featured in last year’s Wish List). Zoom’s new H2 pocket recorder fits nicely in the palm of your hand and “has been generating a ton of buzz around our store because once you have one, you will find so many ways to use it. The unit records to removable (and inexpensive) SD cards and functions as a stereo or surround sound recorder. It functions both as a USB mic recording directly any Mac or PC and has a USB interface for data dumps to your workstation. It’s perfect to record live gigs, rehearsals, location audio or anything that requires you to go outside your studio.”
“One of the new features is that you can record in stereo with a perspective of 90, 120, or 360 degrees (W-X/Y) stereo that lets you convert your recording to 5.1 surround sound. Recording time varies with the quality you select and the size of the card you are using,” says Brent.
It comes stock with a 512 MB card which will record over 1,000 minutes of MP3 (320 kbps) audio for rehearsals, jamming, and song writing. If you want to record at 24/96 and get a 4 Gig SD card, you can record for 115 minutes.” Street price on this powerful mini studio is $199. It runs on two AA batteries for four hours time and comes with ear buds, 512 MB card, tripod stand, and a mic stand adaptor. Did we forget to mention that it fits in your shirt pocket and weighs 4 ounces?
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With its accessories, the H2 kit is a real plug-and-play system.
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Finally, we asked our contributors for something that was just a little bit wacky or unusual, but still functional for the studio. Michael offered up Salon Acoustics, distributed by MSR, Inc., who have developed a line of sound diffusing and absorbing products with over 100 images available. The available images include artwork, abstract patterns, nature photos, and shots of jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Stan Getz. Or, if you provide them with a picture, they will send your acoustic panels with your images printed on them for the ultimate in studio personalization.
Brent was a bit more retro/traditional. “Get a lava lamp. It’s a great visual element to have in the studio, and adds a funky vibe that’s hard to beat.” Interestingly, Lava Lamps have just celebrated their 40th anniversary and show no signs of letting up.
Brent Williams at The Musician’s Superstore in Westminster, CO gadget of choice is Zoom’s new H2 pocket recorder. It fits nicely in the palm of your hand and “has been generating a ton of buzz around our store because once you have one, you will find so many ways to use it. The unit records to removable (and inexpensive) SD cards and functions as a stereo or surround sound recorder. It functions both as a USB mic recording directly any Mac or PC and has a USB interface for data dumps to your workstation. It’s perfect to record live gigs, rehearsals, location audio or anything that requires you to go outside your studio. |
