Quote:
Originally Posted by AMIEL  Would be great to put some Audio files of the different instruments?
I am pretty confused about those mics:
Do they have their own capsules?
Because i see they use also some Peluso and others....
Can you explain better the Philosophy and products of JJ Audio?
I just that the website is a bit confusing.
Thanks! |
Hello Amiel!
Studio E is currently the owner of the audio clips in question, so they will be posting them shortly.
Regarding our philosophy at JJ Audio Mics, we use what the customer requests to give them the mic they need. As far as capsules, we use MANY different capsule sources. The only mic currently that has a Peluso capsule in it is the JJ Audio Mics Mutt (my personal 1 off mic!), which has the Peluso PK67 capsule in it. The microphone is based around a custom EF86 circuit, with a NOS Amperex Bugle Boy EF86 tube and a Cinemag NiCo transformer. The mic was tested a few times this weekend on mono room into an ART Tubepac compressor (very midsy focused/retro sounding result) and as the only mic on a vintage Fender Vibrolux for recording electric guitar (rhythm and lead).
We ascribe to believing that microphones are one of the most important parts of any studio and therefore we have gone about designing microphones that are far from overpriced OEM overseas products and instead are hand assembling microphones here in the USA. We source capsules from all over the planet, including Europe (reskinned Neumann, Thiersch and Tim Campbell), China (the V67G mod uses the stock Chinese capsule), North America (JJ Audio Capsules) and beyond.
My secondary and most important role in the company is to collaborate with Jim in the design stages, to provide our customers with expensive sounding platforms that are financially within reach of the everyman. One of the ways we have accomplished this is by hiring entities to fabricate custom parts for us (including transformers, shock mounts and capsules).
For example, a mic we have prototyped (literally this past week!) and brought to Studio E was the JJ Audio Mics American Husky. It is based around a 6AK5W tube, 80% Nickel Core transformer and an M7/K47 capsule. We have begun to source PIO capacitors for use in microphones at the coupling cap position and this is to great results!
The Husky's design is rather enlightening considering that it uses a 6AK5W tube, when usually the M7/K47 capsules were coupled with the VF14 or the AC701K tubes. Interestingly (and pleasingly!) it delivers a good amount of low end and low mid authority (with an easy to source and cheap tube) as well as a nice amount of chocolate high mids and sweet yet subtle top end.
Normally a mic embodying a design like this would street for a few thousand dollars and no one would blink.
We wish to change the culture of how mics are purchased and therefore would sell a mic like the Husky for under $1000. (street price)
I will reserve my personal feelings as a recording engineer and mic designer about the Husky (which has been my personal crusade since I met Jim btw) until the host Studio E staff chime in.
As you can also tell the paintjobs, grilles and pcbs are far from stock OEM parts. Instead we etch pcbs or recycle the pcb from the donor mic, transposing the new circuit in the old ones place.
Many of our mics have been showcased in various threads here on Gearslutz, however the breadth of product that we have to offer, is I feel rather compelling considering we have (at the moment) over 14 different models of microphones that we have constructed and produced, in addition to our ever increasing lists of mods, crossgrades, upgrades and rebuilds. I hope to keep JJ Audio Mics as transparent as possible, while I represent what we do. I also wish to keep JJ Audio Mics, hip, savvy and ahead of the curve when it comes to client relations. As you can see, we have done alot of grassroots interfacing with hip hop/urban music. This of course has alot to do with my personal background in Hip Hop and R and B music.
I don't wish to exclude any one particular set of people with my companies' efforts or marketing, however I personally feel the Hip Hop/R and B/Urban demographic has been a slight touch alienated by the equipment industry, often microphone companies in particular, exhibit demos of male/female rock vocals, electric guitar and drum overheads. This kind of leaves the Hip Hop community in the dark as to what equipment to purchase and why. Individuals like Tony Belmont have done the community a great service by showcasing microphones, preamps and compressors in use within the context of Hip Hop music. I highly respect this fact about him and Gearslutz and this aspect has kept me coming back time and again.
This is also why, I personally reached out to Bobby Eli aka Philly Soul Man, a regular here on the Hip Hop forum, to be a part of the JJ Audio family. I had read many a time about his use of budget mics to get a great sound and I had the same aesthetic in mind when I began to discuss pricing with Jim. However, we decided to begin this journey by making these mics obtainable for even the poor musician.
I will not cease to emphasize the sub $1000 market is wide open.
I continue to see items that cost nearly $1000 but need help here and there to simply do what everyone thinks they should in the first place.
When I release a microphone I want it to be absolutely resilient. That means, you shouldn't need to buy another tube to make the mic behave in your recording environment, the internal components are actually a decent part of the price involved in construction (no mods needed!) and it has a killer sound quality.
I hope this thread stays right where its at in the Hip Hop forum (as of this writing) and that people continue to dialogue about the fact that an ambitious rapper/technofile geek from Syracuse, New York and a brilliant EE from Glenwood, Maryland: formed a microphone company. The first people they reached out to were the hip hop community.
I continue to say this as well, I hope one day we can do business with Tony Belmont's company High Profile Audio.
I truly believe in the concept of giving back and it would be perfectly within reason that Tony sells our microphones with that same Gearslutz discount he offers. I would also have no problem hopping in my car and bringing along a few dogs to your studio Tony Belmont! I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy your company and learn some cool things too!
Again on behalf of JJ Audio Mics, I'd like to give a huge thanks to the staff at Studio E (Bob, Matt and Joe), the wonderful session musicians that came (Philadelphia Slick (rap vocals, bass, keys and drums) and one bad ass drummer, Jeff) and the two rappers that came by Sunday morning, Dame and Wendell, they sounded absolutely PHENOMENAL on the Chocolate Lab (MXL 2001 U87 mod) on Dame and the Akita (6AU6A) on Wendell. If I heard correctly they were tracking to music done by the infamous 9th Wonder!!
As well a big thanks to the city of Philadelphia, it was an absolute blast, including the wild bout of snow. I got to eat some great food, spend time with some great people and hear some great recordings in a great studio!
Thanks
Langston Masingale, Sales and Customer Support @ JJ Audio Mics