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Post by kidvybes on Apr 11, 2015 10:29:27 GMT -6
...there are a few higher-end LDC mics that offer multiple voicings (such as the Lauten Atlantis), but I've never seen one this affordable...anybody have any experience with one of these?...considering pulling the trigger to test one...build quality looks quite nice...WIMA caps, proper 9.5:1 ratio transformer (as in U87): www.ebay.com/itm/3U-Audio-Warbler-Condenser-Microphone-Switchable-Sound-Styles-Vocal-Instrument-/111642942574Well, I did some more research on these mics and found some interesting information...the gentleman behind these multi-voiced "Warbler" microphones is a veteran microphone design engineer that has worked for some of the better manufacturers in China since the 80's and later relocated in Australia to work for another prominent mic manufacturer there...he started his own company a few years ago, and he designs these mics entirely himself...the transformers are custom-wound, the capsules are manufactured to his specifications and the mics employ very high-quality capacitors and resistors (Dale and WIMA)...so they are designed in Australia and then hand-soldered/assembled in one of the better Chinese factories (and shipped from there to minimize shipping expense)... So these are not OEM/stock Chinese designs, like most of the typical Chinese LDC mics that fall into this price range...these are new designs based upon this engineer's many years of designing for other more costly brands...most importantly, the K67, K47 and C12 style capsules being employed are built to his specifications and are not sourced from other manufacturers in China... As a matter of fact, this multi-voiced "Warbler" model is going to be offered in three different configurations...the standard "87-style" as I posted above, and "47-style" (Warbler MKII) which employs a capsule very similar to that which Oktavamod uses for the majority of their mods, and a third "C12-style" (Warbler MKIII) which employs an edge-terminated capsule with extended high and low-end response...you can clearly see from the interior pics, that not only is the capsule different in each of the Warbler models, but the circuit designs vary as well as the transformers employed, as you would find in much more expensive product lines... Here is the link to the 3U website: www.3uaudio.com/index.asp...you can see that there are pictures of the build interior quality of all the mics (how many manufacturers offer pictures of their circuits and the type of components employed?)...WIMA capacitors are used even in the least expensive models, while the higher-priced models boast Fairchild FETs, Dale resistors and even Lundahl and AMI transformers... Clearly this new line of mics are not your daddy's Chinese LDC microphones...I'm hoping to try one of the Warbler variants and report back...
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Post by ragan on Apr 11, 2015 10:58:02 GMT -6
Very interesting find, Dennis. Let us know if you use one.
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 11, 2015 11:22:19 GMT -6
Very interesting find, Dennis. Let us know if you use one. ...I'm planning on it...what also impresses me is the fact that at this price point he has clearly focused on build quality (no fancy shockmount or aluminum roadcase) which is obvious in his full-disclosure style of posting picks of his circuits right on his website (very unusual!)... ...here is his K47-capsule/BV8 tranny version of the multi-voiced design: www.ebay.com/itm/3U-Audio-Warbler-MKII-Condenser-Microphone-Switchable-Sound-Style-/111638913923
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Post by mrholmes on Apr 11, 2015 11:42:00 GMT -6
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Post by tonycamphd on Apr 11, 2015 11:54:52 GMT -6
what i find interesting is the shape of the internal chassis, it's very U67/87ish, he probably started out with a replica Neumann body, then found out they would come down on him? so switched it back to what your seeing? Or it's the syt-5? Don't know why he wouldn't have stuck with that? here's a pic of winetrees Wally Heider U87's guts for comparison sake.
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 11, 2015 12:30:25 GMT -6
I reached out to the guy via his website and he was very gracious in his reply...he told me he was a physicist who started working in microphone design in 1983 in China...he worked for one of the more prominent manufacturers for many years, and later relocated in Sydney, Australia... The inclusion of AMI transformers and Fairchild/Dale/WIMA components tells me this guy ain't playing...even his custom PSU...is it just me, or is it not about time someone designed a PSU with both the power-switch and polar-pattern switch on the same end?...duh? And the build quality of his 67-inspired tube mic (NOS Telefunken EF86 tube & Lundahl tranny) is impressive (bottom pics)...
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Post by jcoutu1 on Apr 11, 2015 14:06:43 GMT -6
This GZ67 mic is listed at $2k, so he's obviously not messing around. I was hoping to see full blown, top-shelf, tube mics for 1/4 that price based on the thread title. For $2k, I'd personally be sticking with more of a known commodity.
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 11, 2015 14:19:11 GMT -6
This GZ67 mic is listed at $2k, so he's obviously not messing around. I was hoping to see full blown, top-shelf, tube mics for 1/4 that price based on the thread title. For $2k, I'd personally be sticking with more of a known commodity. ...those are the infamous "MSRP" prices...his mics are selling for around 50-60% of those prices on eBay... ...the "multi-voiced" Warbler-series mics go for $299 on eBay...
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Post by jcoutu1 on Apr 11, 2015 14:36:32 GMT -6
This GZ67 mic is listed at $2k, so he's obviously not messing around. I was hoping to see full blown, top-shelf, tube mics for 1/4 that price based on the thread title. For $2k, I'd personally be sticking with more of a known commodity. ...those are the infamous "MSRP" prices...his mics are selling for around 50-60% of those prices on eBay... ...the "multi-voiced" Warbler-series mics go for $299 on eBay... Ah, I assumed the $299 was a used one.
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 11, 2015 14:50:47 GMT -6
...those are the infamous "MSRP" prices...his mics are selling for around 50-60% of those prices on eBay... ...the "multi-voiced" Warbler-series mics go for $299 on eBay... Ah, I assumed the $299 was a used one. ...brand new product...just introduced...
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Post by ragan on Apr 11, 2015 15:51:41 GMT -6
My interest is certainly piqued.
Is it just me or does KidVybes always get the interesting backstory on mics? Love it.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,952
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Post by ericn on Apr 11, 2015 20:19:30 GMT -6
No offence but at least once a year a hear a story like this and I have yet to hear one that impresses me ! I'm the guy who has said at some point China will surprise us all with some great boutique stuff but at this point the high points have all been designed elsewhere , with a fair amount of western name parts.
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 13, 2015 8:40:25 GMT -6
...well, these multi-voiced "Warbler" LDCs for $299 are just an interesting impulse-buy kind of item, clearly not "boutique" (but that 67-inspired tube mic looks impressive)...his less expensive products remind me of KEL Audio (offering K47 and CK12 capsules in FET configurations), which had some great inexpensive utility-type mics for the home studio...anyway, I have a couple of mics on the way for demo purposes and I'll report back...I like to support small indy brands like this, so let's see what 3U's up to...
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 18, 2015 11:06:55 GMT -6
...I just received the "Warbler II", I have to say these mics are quite impressive (at this price-point of course)...loaded with German WIMA capacitors, custom-wound BV.08 type transformer, and a very nice quality, true K47-type capsule...this mic sounds good!...no harsh top-end, or hyped brightness...plenty of bottom...good articulation...this is a very solid product, worthy of a higher price-point, IMHO... ...the voicing options though, are a bit different then described on the eBay ad...they are 3 distinctively different settings...the "V1" position, to my taste, is the best all-around, balanced voicing...I compared this setting directly with my Lewitt LCT540 ($599) and preferred the Warbler II, which has a even smoother top-end than the Lewitt, a rather well-liked cardioid LDC mic to begin with...this "V1" setting is somewhat reminiscent of the now discontinued KEL HM-7U which also employed a K47-type capsule, but the Warbler II also adds a 47-style output tranny which gives the mic a bit more sonic girth/weight... ...based on a quick auditioning (just my speaking voice) the other 2 voice options, "V2" sounds like it has a low-cut, and "V3" sounds like "V1" with added top-end boost...so there are 3 different choices, but I would describe them differently than as is explained on the website...I hope to have a female vocalist available to demo the 3 different voice options sometime in the next week or two, at which time I will post the soundfiles...the differences should be more distinct on a singing voice...it also features a set of low-cut and pad switches to boot... ...but all things considered, this little "47-style" LDC punches well above it's price class (not to mention offers multiple voicings)...the Warbler II is very impressive at $299...since the more costly KEL HM-7U is no longer available, this mic could be the best alternative short of building or modding an existing mic with a K47 capsule...at $299 pre-built with this quality of components, it's a bargain, IMHO...
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Post by wiz on Apr 18, 2015 18:08:21 GMT -6
Have a look at the rejection pattern... thats a really weird response curve.. especially at 125ZHz.. does it sound like that...
actually the whole pattern, looks like if you stood to one side ish... it would be best? at about 45 degrees...
cheers
Wiz
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 18, 2015 20:49:59 GMT -6
I'd have to ask the AE designer what that's all about (looks like the left and right sides of that chart appear to reference a different set of frequencies, the blue line representing 125Hz on the left side, and 16Hz on the right)...
...while I heard distinct variation from one voicing position to the next, I certainly did not hear any shift in the axis...frankly, the variations in voice options didn't seem to align with that response chart, at least on my VO/speaking test recordings...once I have a proper vocalist in to demo it, I expect to better equate the individual voicings...the V1 position sounded quite good/balanced and that was the one I compared directly to my Lewitt LCT540...the two additional voicings, V2 and V3, sounded skewed to either side of V1...
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 21, 2015 15:46:10 GMT -6
I just tested the Warbler I with K67-style capsule and U87-type 9.5:1 tranny (2 bottom pics) and I like it better than the Warbler II (47 style)...smoother on the top-end and slightly bigger bottom... ...but the big surprise are the cheap (2 for $199 shipped) CM-1 FET condenser mics...these things sound surprisingly good (again reminiscent of KEL Audio)...the black-bodied mic has the same K67 capsule as the Warbler I, and the teal-bodied has a very nice edge-terminated C12-style capsule...both have nice quality components on the audio output segment of the circuit (WIMAs)...and shock-absorbing Capsule mounting supports...I don't understand how they can sell these so cheap...the one with the K67 capsule is a dead-on match for my Lewitt LCT540 ($599)... ...a big, smooth sounding C12 style FET condenser mic for $99? (if you buy the pair)...seriously, how'd they do that? Anybody looking for a nice pair of cheap FET condenser mics (not bright or hashy at all!) check these out: www.ebay.com/itm/3U-Audio-BLACK-CM1-Matched-Pair-Condenser-Microphones-Vocal-Instrument-Pro-Mic-/111650850223www.ebay.com/itm/3U-Audio-TEAL-CM1-Matched-Pair-Condenser-Microphones-Vocal-Acoustic-Guitar-Mic-/111651645795
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Post by M57 on Apr 21, 2015 16:57:24 GMT -6
That Teal color is off-putting. I don't know that I'd want that in my face while recording a vocal.
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Post by ragan on Apr 21, 2015 17:09:44 GMT -6
I just tested the Warbler I with K67-style capsule and U87-type 9.5:1 tranny (2 bottom pics) and I like it better than the Warbler II (47 style)...smoother on the top-end and slightly bigger bottom... ...but the big surprise are the cheap (2 for $199 shipped) CM-1 FET condenser mics...these things sound surprisingly good (again reminiscent of KEL Audio)...the black-bodied mic has the same K67 capsule as the Warbler I, and the teal-bodied has a very nice edge-terminated C12-style capsule...both have nice quality components on the audio output segment of the circuit (WIMAs)...and shock-absorbing Capsule mounting supports...I don't understand how they can sell these so cheap...the one with the K67 capsule is a dead-on match for my Lewitt LCT540 ($599)... ...a big, smooth sounding C12 style FET condenser mic for $99? (if you buy the pair)...seriously, how'd they do that? Anybody looking for a nice pair of cheap FET condenser mics (not bright or hashy at all!) check these out: www.ebay.com/itm/3U-Audio-BLACK-CM1-Matched-Pair-Condenser-Microphones-Vocal-Instrument-Pro-Mic-/111650850223www.ebay.com/itm/3U-Audio-TEAL-CM1-Matched-Pair-Condenser-Microphones-Vocal-Acoustic-Guitar-Mic-/111651645795Thanks for the details, KidVybes. Cool find. Would love to hear some samples.
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 21, 2015 18:00:32 GMT -6
That Teal color is off-putting. I don't know that I'd want that in my face while recording a vocal. I agree, but at $99 (and $20 for powder-coating or $3.99 for a can of matte-black spray paint) trust me these things sound impressive! I was told that he asked the factory to reference the AKG C12 (green body) and they came up with the teal...I suggested that he scrap that and stick with black or silver...
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Post by jdc on Apr 22, 2015 16:43:12 GMT -6
That Teal color is off-putting. I don't know that I'd want that in my face while recording a vocal. I agree, but at $99 (and $20 for powder-coating or $3.99 for a can of matte-black spray paint) trust me these things sound impressive! Do you have a preference between the teal or the black? How does the 4dB boost between 10 and 15k sound? Does it sound overly hyped?
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 22, 2015 18:32:48 GMT -6
I agree, but at $99 (and $20 for powder-coating or $3.99 for a can of matte-black spray paint) trust me these things sound impressive! Do you have a preference between the teal or the black? How does the 4dB boost between 10 and 15k sound? Does it sound overly hyped? ...the teal version with the edge-terminated C12-style capsule sounds big and smooth, with no signs of a hyped top-end (to the contrary!)...not what I'd expect from the typical edge-terminated capsule, but really nice!...almost, dare I say, "ribbon-like" smoothness... ...I can't wait to try a female vocalist on this one...I reached out to the guy behind these mics and he told me he will be offering 3 different voicings of his C12-type capsule...he is a strong believer in "voicing" his capsules (think ADK Z-Mod mics which employ capsules that are also voiced like the classics)...these mics remind me of the KEL Audio FET mics that had very distinct voicings, straying away from the typical Chinese hyped top-end characteristic... ...I hope to have some soundfiles to post soon...in the meantime, if anyone wants to hear my gruff New-Yawk accent (not pretty), I do have a few quick VO samples I can email (just PM me)...I'd prefer not to post on the thread until I have tracks from a serious vocalist...
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 23, 2015 12:30:38 GMT -6
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Post by lpedrum on Apr 24, 2015 7:58:39 GMT -6
I'd love to hear what the teal mic sounds like with acoustic guitar if you get around to doing some sound clips. His site is pretty bare bones with no samples and a somewhat dizzying assortment of 47/67 mics. Ebay has the mics listed as free shipping? Did it all work out that way? About how long did you wait for them to arrive? Thanks much for investigating these!
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Post by kidvybes on Apr 24, 2015 9:23:50 GMT -6
I'd love to hear what the teal mic sounds like with acoustic guitar if you get around to doing some sound clips. His site is pretty bare bones with no samples and a somewhat dizzying assortment of 47/67 mics. Ebay has the mics listed as free shipping? Did it all work out that way? About how long did you wait for them to arrive? Thanks much for investigating these! ...yeah, he still appears to be getting his site and the line organized...he did post some sound-clips here: www.3uaudio.com/xiazai.asp?dh=3...and also on this thread over at the purple site: www.gearslutz.com/board/new-products-coming-soon/986725-3u-audio-designing-switchable-sound-style-condenser-microphone-any-suggestion.html...yes, shipping was free, and it took a couple of weeks to arrive (hung in customs for a few days)...packed well and arrived in good order...he's trying to get mics into the hands of those that can put them thru their paces, and spread the word, so if you're interested you may want to pose your questions or product interest directly to him at: 3uaudio@gmail.com ...he's trying to build trust by offering good warranty and return policies on the site...he's very responsive and open to dialog...nice guy!
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