I see there is mention of the Golden Age mic here
Subject: Chance - Mic & Preamp tests at ABBEY ROAD Studio 3 - ONE WEEK ONLY
Microphone and Preamp tests recorded at ABBEY ROAD Studio 3
Special Offer for one week only
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Just a quick note to say that we have been recording and filming at London's Abbey Road Studio - 'home of The Beatles' - recently.
We compared a total of 14 microphones and 5 preamps in three sessions, with three female singers.
The mics include some that are so classic they would cost up to $30,000 each - if they ever came up for sale. We also included mics you can buy for less than $300.
The mics are these...
Neumann U47 vintage tube (2 of them!)
Neumann U47fet - the vintage transistor version of the original U47
AKG C12 vintage tube (2 of them) - a close equivalent to the Telefunken ELA M251 in North America
Telefunken M 12F - a modern recreation of the AKG C12
Neumann U87 - the original classic U87
Neumann U87Ai - the modern U87, which some people say isn't as good as the original U87. Is it?
AKG C12VR - a modern recreation of the classic C12/M251, but is it exactly the same?
Shure SM57 - a classic dynamic mic, available today for around $100
Bruel & Kjaer (DPA) 4011 - one of the most accurate mics available anytime, anywhere
CAD M9 - a modern tube mic for around $300!
Golden Age R1 Active - a modern ribbon mic for around $200
Neumann M147 - a modern vacuum tube microphone
The preamps are...
Avalon M5 - probably the best you can get, for around $1600 per channel!
Focusrite Octopre LE - can a preamp at a reasonable price compete with the best?
Universal Audio Solo/610 - a modern tube preamp with a classic vintage sound
Neve 1073 - THE CLASSIC transistor preamp!
Behringer MIC100 - a tube preamp for $40! Was it a crazy idea to take it to Abbey Road? Judge for yourself when you hear it!
What you will hear in these tests are the EXACT sounds of these microphones and preamplifiers, tested in Abbey Road Studio 3.
Each microphone test consists of 9 24-bit/96 kHz, 'Studio Master' recordings, each lasting around a minute to a minute and a half - plenty of time to evaluate the mic without over-taxing the singer. After each set of tests, the singer performs another verse with a selected microphone or preamp combination.
You can download the exact, uncompressed 'Studio Master' recordings that were made in the actual session, without any processing.
If you have a low-bandwidth Internet connection, then smaller file size versions are also available.
And there is video too!
Not only can you hear these classic and modern microphones and preamps in ultra-fidelity recordings, you can also see the sessions as they took place.
This offers a fascinating insight into how the tests were conducted, from the singers' points of view. It also shows a 'real-life' view of work going on in the live room of Abbey Road Studio 3.
In total, the videos from the three sessions are 80 minutes long and you get to hear all of the studio 'chat'.
How often do you normally get the chance to see a session in progress?
In summary, we haven't had so much fun in the studio for ages, and the audio and video recordings that have come out of the Abbey Road sessions will show you amazing things about the mics and preamps we chose.
Ultimately, the material will go into the Audio Masterclass Music Production and Sound Engineering online course, which currently costs $267 and is likely to go up in price due to these new additions.
But for a period of ONE WEEK, which is unlikely ever to be repeated, we can offer the audio and video material at a very special price...
Test 1, including 9 totally classic mics, is available for just $11 US dollars.
Test 2, including 9 classic and modern mics, is also available for $11.
Test 3, which includes 5 preamps from $1500 down to $40 is available for just $7.
You can buy all three tests together for $23, which is a $6 saving on buying them individually.
Really, you owe it to yourself to hear some of the best mics and the best preamps in the world, recorded in the best studio in the world.
You might find the results surprising!
http://www.record-producer.com/ar91027463.cfm
David Mellor
Record-Producer.com