Serrano 84 Microphone

I have never needed the pad. I use it mainly on acoustic instruments and the output is not hot to begin with. I don't think you'll be missing anything unless you plan on micing drums with it.

I’ve never engaged it on drums. Even with bashers when using it for hi hat and those awful ping rides (no offense to users of them 😁)

I’ve never used it on snare except for jazz dudes.

At the risk of asking a dumb question - why have you (Serrano) and Banzai for that matter, chosen to omit the pad when it affects the circuit and you are trying to make an accurate copy? Is it metalwork/switch cost and/or complexity or something else? Just curious.

To answer this question about the lack of a -10db pad. 

The Serrano 84 is almost 5dB less than a completely serviced Neumann KM84 with new capsules. The difference then of the Serrano 84 and a fully functional Neumann KM84 with its -10dB pad engaged, would then be just 5dB greater. 

So will you miss the pad? I can't be entirely sure but I don't think you will. I don't think most people will. Whether you engaged the pad in a Neumann KM84 or not, the difference would always be only about 5dB in the Serrano 84. 

I don't recall ever using a pad on any SDC I've recorded with.

I would probably use one if I used the mic for snare or hi-hat. For overheads I've never had an issue where I couldn't correct the levels at the preamp or in the DAW input.

Thank you for your question. Please excuse the length of this response but I want to give you a complete, nuanced answer. Keeping costs down? No, and yes:

There hasn't been any decisions to cut costs down at the component level of the individual microphone. That is to say that all the parts, the capsule, the transformer, etc. are all at the highest level of premium. 

However, when it comes to metalwork companies, they will typically require a minimum quantity order of several thousands of units in order to lengthen the body to accommodate a pad. This is because the tooling and moulding has to be "rebuilt." Just to do a slight modification on a body would require a minimum quantity order over 10-20 times of that which I currently order. So these metalwork manufacturers mostly work with very large companies who have grown their business to the retail level. You can find their products at Guitar Center, MusiciansFriend, zZounds, etc. The drawback is that those large companies are required to have a distributor like RAD Distribution or else Guitar Center, MusiciansFriends and zZounds will not do business with them. And then to have a distributor like RAD, they might require 1/3 of the profit (though I don't know exactly their cut.) Doing this typically causes one of two scenarios; either the consumer price of the products will need to be significantly raised, or the products themselves will need to have compromises made and won't sound as good -- which is why companies like Black Lion Audio, Revive Audio, Signal Art Electronics, Oktavamod, etc. can then create a thriving business just by undoing and fixing the compromises through offering modifications that put in more premium components. A company like Neumann makes no compromises and their products are very expensive (however an argument could be made that their TLM line is their own way of compromising.) And I'm sure you can think of companies who's products are being modded all the time to sound better -- I won't mention them by name in order not to disparage them; but you get the idea.

At the level of principle I don't think there is anything wrong with being in retail. But to do it without compromising with products requires a lot more capital and a lot more resources. Serrano Audio simply is not in the retail business and does not have a distributor. Serrano Audio also sells products in small batches. Going back to these metalwork manufacturers; only a few of them are willing to do OEM business with me if I use bodies/chassis that are readily available and don't require more tooling with extremely high minimum quantity orders.

Because Serrano Audio operates on small scale, is not in retail with a distributor and uses readily available metalwork, the prices of our products can remain lower while also being at the at the highest level of premium. And thus modding them with more premium parts is not a thing.

I wasn't able to find readily available OEM bodies, from a company WILLING to work with me, that only included an opening for a pad.   

Also, after building several prototypes without pads as well as some DIY kits without pads, I was extremely pleased and content without the pad. I have also not heard complaints from others who have built DIY KM84 kits about a lack of a pad. And what I mentioned in an earlier post about the Serrano 84 only having a 5dB difference with a Neumann KM84 with its pad engaged, I think it becomes even less necessary.

Because of all these factors Serrano Audio is then able to make available the Serrano 84, with no compromises in sound quality or components, at this very affordable price. ... But you don't have a pad. 

Yes thanks for the response. I know Warm said the same thing about making a body that the Neumann capsules would work with - and, clearly Warm IS in stores with a distributor so it’s got to be a massive increase in ordered quantity as I’d imagine they sell quite a few of their mics!

Warm did manage to add the pad though, which makes we wonder where they're cutting corners. Given the $749 price for a pair of WA-84, which, in addition to what Serrano offers, Warm also provides two shock mounts and a hard case, so Warm must be cutting corners somewhere, especially when you consider the middle man markup.
Economy of scale only goes so far, I would think.

I'd trust Serrano to get it all right more than Warm, which is why I'm interested in the Serrano and not the Warm. But it still makes you wonder what's under the hood on the Warm stuff, when they purport to use quality parts. I'm guessing Warm cheaps out on the capsule.

Pre-ordering is closed for now. Regular pricing will be announced soon.

3U Audio is not a small company and they ARE a manufacturer. They do the metalwork themselves and for other companies. I've asked them to create samples on several occasions and received replies that they are too busy to work on those for me. They are fine with selling some of their already made parts though.  

Congrats but I admit I'm a bit sad I never got a response to my pre-order days ago... sigh

superwack I don't see a PM from you. I emailed back everyone that emailed me. If you emailed, please forward it to me. Thanks!