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Post by teejay on May 3, 2023 8:41:21 GMT -6
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Post by srb on May 3, 2023 22:03:37 GMT -6
That looks real nice. I've been wanting to try a Roswell mic. I am going to talk myself out of this, though.
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Post by plinker on May 3, 2023 23:30:01 GMT -6
I’m sure it sounds great.
However, if I’m paying $2500 for a mic, I expect an expensive capsule to be inside of it.
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Post by thehightenor on May 4, 2023 1:52:40 GMT -6
The Roswell sales blurb says,
“The result is a stunning microphone that captures the sound and energy of the vintage ElaM 251”
Does a ElaM 251 have “energy” …. does any mic have energy! I know a tube mic uses energy, but providing it.
Last time I checked “energy” is the part I supply as the singer and the mic captures.
Who writes the sales copy for these companies!
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Post by niklas1073 on May 4, 2023 2:04:52 GMT -6
The Roswell sales blurb says, “The result is a stunning microphone that captures the sound and energy of the vintage ElaM 251” Does a ElaM 251 have “energy” …. does any mic have energy! I know a tube mic uses energy, but providing it. Last time I checked “energy” is the part I supply as the singer and the mic captures. Who writes the sales copy for these companies! True, and wouldn’t you rather have a mic that “captures the sound LIKE an elam” and not “…OF the elam” 🤣. Bu then again… im not sure what they are doing with the original elam in this context as it clearly seem to be a victim of some kind 🤣 |
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Post by BenjaminAshlin on May 4, 2023 20:54:23 GMT -6
That is expensive for what it is.
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Post by keymod on May 5, 2023 5:56:23 GMT -6
They claim they're not trying to be a clone, but something better.....
We have several Roswell mics, and Mic Parts mics, that see regular use. All are workhorse mics and good value.
This Aztec is a great mic, I'd bet, but the price does seem way too high in comparison to the rest of their lineup.
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Post by craigmorris74 on May 5, 2023 6:55:42 GMT -6
With a $25 capsule, I'd expect this to be a lot cheaper.
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Post by ninworks on May 5, 2023 7:05:57 GMT -6
Don't know about the Aztec but I have a pair of their Mini K47s and they are very useful. Not the best mikes in my locker but they have their place.
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Post by keymod on May 5, 2023 8:54:29 GMT -6
Don't know about the Aztec but I have a pair of their Mini K47s and they are very useful. Not the best mikes in my locker but they have their place. Yes, we have a matched pair of mini k47x which are quite decent |
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Post by tackhouse on May 5, 2023 9:04:48 GMT -6
With a $25 capsule, I'd expect this to be a lot cheaper. Is it in fact a$25 capsule? |
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Post by keymod on May 5, 2023 10:25:23 GMT -6
With a $25 capsule, I'd expect this to be a lot cheaper. I'd like to know the basis for this statement also |
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Post by craigmorris74 on May 5, 2023 10:59:17 GMT -6
I'd like to know the basis for this statement also Same people as microphone-parts. They sell imported capsules at a significant markup. I could be wrong and they're using a Tim Campbell, OPC, Beesneez, or MBHO-real CK-12 style capsules, but I would think that would be advertised. |
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Post by reddirt on May 5, 2023 23:22:49 GMT -6
That's a big call without substantiation craigmorris; if it's a higher end capsule would be nice if they'd define it given the crowd it's pitched to.
Cheers, Ross
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Post by craigmorris74 on May 6, 2023 7:56:48 GMT -6
That's a big call without substantiation craigmorris; if it's a higher end capsule would be nice if they'd define it given the crowd it's pitched to. Cheers, Ross Not sure why, Ross. All of their mics use cheap imported capsules. Some of those capsules are pretty good/great. Notice that the write up on the mic doesn’t mention the capsule, which is pretty odd for a mic at that price point. I could be wrong. |
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Post by Ward on May 6, 2023 11:45:29 GMT -6
Interesting exchange . . . has anyone invited Roswell Mics to the discussion?
I have a few friends who like to use the Mini series and are very pleased. It would be nice to have Roswell become a member and discuss their various products and other industry developments.
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Post by chessparov on May 6, 2023 13:05:40 GMT -6
I like Matt. Both as a person, and his dedication too.
Chris
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Post by Roswell Pro Audio on May 9, 2023 18:05:01 GMT -6
With a $25 capsule, I'd expect this to be a lot cheaper. Is it in fact a$25 capsule?
No, absolutely not. I can't speculate on craigmorris74 intentions, but the capsule we're using in the Aztec cost significantly more than $25. |
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Post by Roswell Pro Audio on May 9, 2023 18:12:30 GMT -6
That's a big call without substantiation craigmorris; if it's a higher end capsule would be nice if they'd define it given the crowd it's pitched to. Cheers, Ross Not sure why, Ross. All of their mics use cheap imported capsules. Some of those capsules are pretty good/great. Notice that the write up on the mic doesn’t mention the capsule, which is pretty odd for a mic at that price point. I could be wrong.
Craig, you are incorrect. There's nothing cheap about this capsule. As to whether it is imported, that part is true but misleading; our contract manufacturer for that component is not located within the US -- as is also true of the various CMs for transformers, XLR7 cable, rotary switches, etc. In all of these cases, we test many components and select the ones that provide the best performance, or, more commonly, we work with a CM to develop something new that better suits our needs.
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Post by craigmorris74 on May 9, 2023 18:36:31 GMT -6
Not sure why, Ross. All of their mics use cheap imported capsules. Some of those capsules are pretty good/great. Notice that the write up on the mic doesn’t mention the capsule, which is pretty odd for a mic at that price point. I could be wrong.
Craig, you are incorrect. There's nothing cheap about this capsule. As to whether it is imported, that part is true; we also import tubes, transformers, the pattern control switch, etc. In all of these cases, we test many components and select the ones that provide the best performance.
Is the capsule edge terminated with k67 style backplates? |
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Post by plinker on May 9, 2023 18:37:17 GMT -6
Hi, Roswell Pro Audio pro audio (hoping that link works  ) First, I'm a customer of both MicParts and Roswell and, I think, many here are either customers, or (at least) believe in the work you are doing. I mean, who hasn't visited recordinghacks.com at some point, right? Second, this is a very discriminating board that needs to understand the value-add of your mic over existing options. So, this is you opportunity to tell us why your new mic warrants the asking price. Third, regarding asking price, I personally feel (and believe many on this board agree) that the capsule is the single most important factor in signal capture. Thus, we're seeking validation that the capsule itself warrants the asking price. If there is something extraordinary about the mic that you have designed that warrants the price, then that's good to know too. Note: I certainly do not speak for this board -- but, as a resident, I'm gauging what the members are likely thinking. Thanks, and I hope for your continued success in helping both the AE community and your business! |
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Post by Roswell Pro Audio on May 9, 2023 19:07:45 GMT -6
This Aztec is a great mic, I'd bet, but the price does seem way too high in comparison to the rest of their lineup.
The Aztec does cost more, it's true. I never signed a contract that limits us to inexpensive microphones. ;-)
We have a half-dozen more products in the pipeline ranging from $500 (or maybe less) to $3500 (or maybe more). Ultimately it's up to the market to decide whether the prices are justified. We can only hope that the people who make those judgments have heard the gear before deciding.
IMO, the Mini K series is the best value on the market. We didn't set out with a price point in mind, hoping to build a "value" mic. But we mostly sell direct, so we don't have to build huge distributor margins to the cost. The result is a series of mics that -- according to customers -- perform well above what the prices would suggest. There are not many sub-$500 large diaphragm condensers on the market that can claim the same value proposition: - "point and shoot" simplicity
- through-hole construction for audio circuits
- circuits optimized for low noise
- 100% high-quality components, including NOS transistors and film caps; no off-brand shortcuts
- all design, soldering, assembly, testing, & tuning happens in California
- best-in-class accessories (e.g. our non-resonant Cutaway shockmount)
- very tight production tolerances (e.g. Mini K47 and Mini K87 mics are tuned to within 0.5dB sensitivity)
- four distinct capsule voicings (one each for Mini K47, Mini K87, Mini K47x, Mini K67x) -- and it's worth noting that the K67x capsule is a proprietary voicing that we spent a couple years developing
- two distinct circuit designs (the 'x' models have slightly rounded transients and second-order harmonic saturation, while the other two favor fast/accurate transient response and very low distortion)
- custom finish options
Are they the best mics on the market? No, they're not even the best mics in the Roswell product line. But if you value what we call "sonic diversity," they're extremely hard to beat for adding variety to your mic locker.
And they're used frequently by professional artists and engineers making music you've heard of. (Just to name one recent example, the Mini K67x was one of the two mics mixed together for Jack Black's voice and vocals in the new Super Mario Bros movie and the "Peaches" single.)
As to the 'LOL' complaints about the Aztec ad copy, the person responsible for that text has seen your feedback. Hint: I'm talking about me. I'll admit I'm not great at marketing. Perhaps some revisions to that text are in order.
Regarding the price of the Aztec, we've analysed a couple popular commercial alternatives at higher price points that have what I consider to be significantly inferior circuit designs and/or component quality. Whether the choices we made there translate to superior sound is for customers and reviewers to decide.
My philosophy for the Aztec was to use the best parts I could find to create the sound I wanted to hear. Examples: our RK-251 capsule sounds amazing. We tested *many* edge-terminated capsules, from famous makers, from Chinese factories, from so-called boutique shops; some were shockingly bad, but even the well-respected ones did not come close to the capsule we'd been developing. We're making our own electrolytic capacitors now, because they outperform the ones we'd previously selected after exhausting tests. We use them in the Aztec mic and power supply (and also in the Mini K47x and Mini K67x).
The internal wiring in the Aztec power supply is solid-core Kimber OFC. The input cap in the Aztec is a Cold War relic; if you can find those on Ebay, they cost $130 apiece, last I checked. (Yes, $130. That's not a typo. And no, I don't think they're intrinsically worth that much, but they are super stable and sonically *transparent*, which is why we chose to use them.) The transformer is custom-wound for this mic, selected from numerous candidates; it uses special lamination and wire metallurgy. Most of the resistors are PRP, with a few Vishay Dale, except for a couple really nice NOS tantalum parts in critical locations.
The point is that we actually spent a couple years' worth of R&D on this, and we took the time to hunt down great components.
We think this makes a difference. The early customer feedback tells me we made the right call.
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Post by Roswell Pro Audio on May 9, 2023 19:17:24 GMT -6
Craig, you are incorrect. There's nothing cheap about this capsule. As to whether it is imported, that part is true; we also import tubes, transformers, the pattern control switch, etc. In all of these cases, we test many components and select the ones that provide the best performance.
Is the capsule edge terminated with k67 style backplates? The Aztec capsule is edge-terminated. It does not use K67 backplates, because that would sound bad.
The Aztec circuit does no high-frequency filtering, because we wanted to retain as much "air" as possible, so we had to voice the capsule to provide a smooth top end that sounds open without being too bright.
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Post by craigmorris74 on May 9, 2023 19:30:22 GMT -6
Is the capsule edge terminated with k67 style backplates? The Aztec capsule is edge-terminated. It does not use K67 backplates, because that would sound bad.
The Aztec circuit does no high-frequency filtering, because we wanted to retain as much "air" as possible, so we had to voice the capsule to provide a smooth top end that sounds open without being too bright.
67 style (not 47 or ck12). Like this: Backplate |
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Post by timcampbell on May 9, 2023 23:32:10 GMT -6
I'll pipe in here because my name was mentioned earlier in a post. No this is not my capsule.
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