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Post by hadaja on May 15, 2024 16:51:54 GMT -6
So I have wanted a VL37 for such a long time but being in a totally different continent made the purchasing of this a bit prohibited. Its always a gamble buying a product that you cant readily get or hear in your own country.
I have been seeing people posting there comments on the VL37 over the years with such glowing reports I knew that at some point my time would come. IT so happened that that time came last month and I received it this week. ITs taken nearly 9 x years since this original thread to make it happen.
One of my problems with getting a new mic that you like means, for me, another ribbon mic has to leave the mic locker as I cant justify having a collection of stuff I know I am not going to use. I am not a commercial studio. So how do you go through the process of getting rid of stuff you really like when you want to have it all?
Quick spoken tests reveal a nice smooth sound. It is quiet. Not an over the top huge proximity effect compared to other ribbons which I like. I think the point will be how far away do you want to be on what sources you want to record. That will be interesting.
Some ribbon companies are making certain mic models sound like old mics and some companies are making particular ribbon models sound like condenser mics. I think Samar has found the in between spot between vintage ribbon mojo and modern hi-end clarity in this VL37 mic. I think I am really going to like this mic a lot.
The worst part of it was I should have bought 2 x of them while the opportunity was there.
But thanks Mark for your great work.
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Post by hadaja on May 14, 2024 14:51:29 GMT -6
I preferred my Bomblet over the 17 fet as well. other then thinking the Bomblet was way overpriced for what it was (as well as the 17fet , it was a nice enough mic. But alas all my Soyuz's collection is gone and I wont be coming back to them.
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Post by hadaja on May 10, 2024 19:25:28 GMT -6
Mics are in pelican style cases and then stored in large over sized Metal Storage locakable lockers.
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Post by hadaja on May 10, 2024 15:13:01 GMT -6
Have you checked with him to see if he has one left?
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Post by hadaja on May 9, 2024 16:18:13 GMT -6
After buying a few myself and also asking EmRR a few guiding questions before buying a few years ago, I think if you look at the condition of the unit itself it will tell a story. It needs to be all there when buying. Would worry about engravings or some grille damage thats all fixable. BE prepared that you are mostly likely going to have to get it serviced if it hasnt been seen to in a few years.
But to offset that suggestion. Test it out first and if you like what you hear then DONT get it serviced as it will come back different sounding. Replacing a ribbon with a new one with new tension and tuned, with cleaning of magnets and motor will all have an effect on the sound. So you might actually like the sound of how you get it. If it doesnt have an proper XLR cable on it, it will most likely need a service as it will have not been used for many decades. Which should be reflected in price.
44BX do not come cheap, rare to find a bargain and they might be a bargain for a reason you will find out later that may cost you a pretty sum. Being ALnico magnets they do lose there gauss over time so make sure it still has enough pulling power in the magnets.
If the price of a 44bx scares you, then look at the cheaper Stager SR1a - which is really a nice alternative. The AEA 44 doesnt sound quite like a 44bx but is also another great alternative. I actually own RCA engineer John Sanks original one form 1957 and it is in showroom condition. He even signed it internally. But there will be a great history with every 44bx that is out there.
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Post by hadaja on May 9, 2024 16:06:35 GMT -6
The cheap Klark Teknik (Behringer) works fine. 7K input Z. There's a Polsen and Triton that are 22K input Z. I bought that one too but I thought it imparted a slightly undesirable sound. But I cant discount that that might be psychological with just the dirty feeling of buying a Klark Teknik (BEhringer) product.
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Post by hadaja on May 9, 2024 16:01:54 GMT -6
Ya know what’s most likely to suffer over time? The quality of the chrome. Anyone here have any cheap chinese mic chrome that still looks clean? Unlikely. I can see it now - grab my Warm Audio WA-44 hardly used with natural PATINA or Grab my Warm Audio Wa-44 which has been relic'ed ! But i wont be able to help myself and I will end getting a WA44 just to see what its like as i just love ribbon mics. But bear in mind I will make some adjustments to it.
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Post by hadaja on May 8, 2024 15:15:43 GMT -6
My Stager Sr1A is a massive mic. That thing has even more low end the RCA44bx which I didnt think possible. It sounds closer to the RCA then the Cloud 44a. If you get the opportunity to try out that particular stager model you should really try it.
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Post by hadaja on May 8, 2024 14:59:17 GMT -6
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Post by hadaja on May 8, 2024 3:22:25 GMT -6
I own both the Cloud 44a and the RCA 44bx. Both are nice mics. The Cloud sounds nothing like a RCA 44bx.
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Post by hadaja on May 8, 2024 0:33:30 GMT -6
It dosnt make sense about the weight of the mic. They are not heavy Alnico magnets. they are the newer Neodymium magnets. Neodymium magnets are light. Wonder why they are calling them heavy? Whats going on here to give it the weight?
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Post by hadaja on May 7, 2024 15:42:59 GMT -6
If you want to get the Cloud lifter with the selectable impedance to have some tonal options thats a great choice, but if you dont want that option then just buy a cheaper one. the Fethead sounds fine. There are so many different options of probably the same J-Fet design.
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Post by hadaja on May 4, 2024 17:26:53 GMT -6
I listened to the Impedance talk by Paul Wolff and Roger Cloud. I was inspired and it made sense but i have probably forgotten 1/2 of it by now. I wanted to order the CLoudlifter Zi unit so I could hear the effects on my vintage Ribbon mics. I was quite impressed at the tonality changes that it makes to these ribbon mics. It was like tailoring the signal before it was recorded. I previoously had another Chinese unit and was not happy with that at all. But this having a Cinemag transformer I thought the quality of the unti should be reasonable. I did open the unit up to take. apeak inside and now I am not so sure the signal is actually using the Transfroemr to change impredence but some other proces sis taking place. But I am not electrically engineered intelligent to know what is happening. But my ears are.And I do like what I am hearing waaaayyyyy more then the Magnetronics or whatever brand that other unit was. You can hear the proximity effect /bass reduce and the sound get a little thinner and you can hear the weight of the signal changing as you engage the Impedance knob to your liking. I think this is a must before reaching for your EQ knob with ribbon mics. I will be looking forward to testing this a lot mor ein the future with some dynamic mics that need some gain. Attachments:
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Post by hadaja on May 2, 2024 15:03:26 GMT -6
I think a mic stops reaching it usefulness when you dont use it anymore. Then it goes on the chopping bloke. But without reading all these posts - did you actually have one ?
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Post by hadaja on Apr 28, 2024 15:33:09 GMT -6
Love a KM84. Have gotten great and similar enough results with Beesneez Lulu FET, Samar MG20 and the Peluso tube SDC. How similar is the Lulu to a KM84? I own/love an 84 but would never spend today's prices on another. I also have a Beesneez Arabella so know they can make a killer mic and the price on the Lulu is great. Having owned both the Lulu's are not the same as a Km84. Sold them pretty quick as they did not add anything extra. even tried the tube verison but that was meh ! I did think the Samar MG20 was interesting enough to keep I liked its focused quiet sound. The Serrano 84 sounded way closer to the KM84 then the Lulu. The Mc930 are always a nice option. If you wanted something on the cheap side the Warbler 127 flat are decent - boring sounding - but decent. I was also surprised by the ATM450 side address mic. Its a little crunchy on the top but it does well when not pushed too hard and fits in tight spaces.
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Post by hadaja on Apr 28, 2024 14:48:50 GMT -6
The MC930 mic is no slouch. It is clear and clean and noise free. I could live happily ever after with a pair of MC930 (of which I still own) and my fairy tale life would continue. But I originally got on the MC930 bandwagon about a decade ago when the only real options was the the KM184 mic. I had to record a church album and I had heard the KM184's and was not a fan of the top end. I was looking for a km84 type mic without the associated price tag. I did search for another mic and tried a few but I ended up with the using the MC930's as O/H for drums and acoustic guitar. we were very happy with the result. Nowadays I have a little more disposable cash so the options are wider for me. The Soyuz 013 are hot mics, dont think they sound like a km84 clone but they are have a great top end.
The Serrano 84 tried to emulate the km84 sound by same circuit and the same capsule technique. Did they succeed? Well I think they are close enough to say that I liked them and have kept a pair on hand. For something a little different I did buy the Samar MG20. And therer is something I quite like about that sound. So super queit, very focused, very good weight to the sound. I have not spent a super amount of time with it but I do enjoy that mic.
Back to the MC930 - We are extremely blessed to be in an era of time when there are so many options before us. I know I am going to sound like a broken record but when you come down to it all those mics will work very well and by the time you add it all in a mix the differences become way less noticeable. I have also used the MC930 as a vocal mic for BGV's and it was quite a pleasant result for a female voices.
Its like a drinking a nice Expresso coffee. When you have done that so many times you can start to pick apart the flavour of the beans that were used. Like I think that was a Colombian Volcan bean, or I can taste the boldnes sof the BRazilian Buourbon bean or that Indian Elephant hills flavour is punching through. 99% of people wont have a clue and think that it tastes great. Only you and a few baristas/brewers will know. How important that knowledge is to you will determine whether how important it will be to chase that holy grail of SDC sound.
BTW - I do want to try a pair of Scheops CMC6 mics next but the choice of capsules might be a worrying concern (I have to have them all). Hope this helps.
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Post by hadaja on Apr 24, 2024 16:21:41 GMT -6
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Post by hadaja on Apr 24, 2024 16:15:29 GMT -6
Yes like Mark said above the 013 is a very hot mic. You dont need a high gain preamp for that mic. Thats where some of my older tube mic pres really worked with this mic as I never had to push them. And like Mark also said the 17 fet which I had was a little higher in noise then some of my other mics. I did find the bomblet was a little quieter. I think those mics has a wider pickup cardioid pattern so the relationship between the wide open sounds with the perception of more noise (as it is pickup up more stuff/info) is interesting bit not really off putting. I dont regret selling them, but they were still a nice addition to the collection.
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Post by hadaja on Apr 24, 2024 15:33:03 GMT -6
My Soyuz 13 Fet had no imperfections. Actually neither my 023 or my 017. I did not find the noise floor unreasonable in the 013 and I dont recall it being a problem at all. Have you looked at Serrano Audio SA84's they have been a better option with multiple caps coming with them. They sound VERY good indeed. www.serranoaudio.com/84
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Post by hadaja on Apr 9, 2024 14:42:07 GMT -6
"Aside from all the above, vibe wise, some describe it as almost as if you're hitting 1/2" tape.
I was in touch with a user of the product and he echoed your sentiments. When ever you have access to many products and some of them really excel at certain things, I think the comment of not having a sweet top end was not to say that is did not have top end. But comparing it other preamps, the REDD47 top end was not something people talked about that stuck out in peoples mind. Thats not to say that in reference to the top end and the many other excellent features it has diminishes the usefulness of the product.
Thanks Spock for you detailed response.
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Post by hadaja on Apr 8, 2024 16:08:45 GMT -6
So I have read that the redd47 does not shine on the top end. Or have a sweet top end. Is this what you users have found? Or do you find its no different to most preamps on the top end? It seems like it excels more in the mids? And also handles the low end in a competent way.
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Post by hadaja on Apr 7, 2024 23:23:01 GMT -6
Thanks Guys for your feedback. Really Appreciate and yes you to MIKE. I am going to start going down the rabbit hole of mixing up impedances on various equipment to see what comes of that. SO the Redd47 looks like a good candidate for that. As well as being a well liked and well used piece of gear. Glad to hear its not a one trick pony from a few people now.
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Post by hadaja on Apr 7, 2024 16:13:45 GMT -6
I was looking at low impedence preamps and matching some of my low impedence mics to a low impedence preamp. I see the REDD47 is one such beast . Input = 200ohms. I know low impedence and mismatching effects the sound of the signal and is also a creative way of tailoring the fequency response of the signal . But I am interested in this preamp and its usefulness as a generla preamp and not just a special type of preamp for special things. SO I was asking the people who have one of these, as its bee. out for some time now, how they are finding using it? IS it a preamp they reach for just about everything or is it specific to just sopecialo duties? I have the opportunity to buy one and am just sussing it out. HAving previously looked at YT clips and bought. aproduct based in that to end up finding that the product was not all that it cracked up to be , I find that some of those reviews out there to be not so helpful. I am guessing I would like to use this more for accoustic sources, but I am wondering what advantages does the REDD47 have over just sticking with my Neve, Locomotive, Audioscape, Buzz Audio etc stuff. I do have alll the regular mics, - Ribbons, U47, 251, 67, Km84's so its going to be used with htos ein mind. As a side note I have also ordered the Cloud Zi so i can experiment with impedence changes of signals with a quality Cinemeag transformer. I previously bought a cheaper transformer equioed unit that had a no brand transformer in it (I am guessing chinese) so my thinking is if I have a quality transformer to tap off the impedence changes I should get a reasonable result in mixing and matching. But thats a discussion for another time. Thanks for anyone wishing to contribute. Attachments:
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Post by hadaja on Apr 3, 2024 16:39:55 GMT -6
HE did one of my KB2C
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Post by hadaja on Apr 1, 2024 4:24:28 GMT -6
Bens 251. does look very interesting.
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