ADK Hamburg and Vienna MkII - wow

[brithedark]

I recently got a chance to try out the new ADK Hamburg and Vienna Mark IIs. I've had them a little over a week and all I can say is "YES!"

I know mics are VERY subjective, and I know I'm usually not with the "in" crowd in my thinking. But I've tested them on a bunch of different scenarios (male, female, rock, folk, etc) and they've been home runs every time. All my clients are saying "What the hell happened to my voice??? It rocks!!"

Not that they sounded bad before :-) But it's just that these mics just seem to have so much more mojo than anything I've used. Maybe I don't have the biggest mic collection/testing units. But the ADKs have won hands down in almost every case over: Blue Mouse, Peluso 2247LE, iFet7, Gefell UT71, Rode K2, MXL V69, AKG 414TLII, Rode NTK, MXL 2001...and a Neumann U87ai that I had recorded some years back.

I don't work for ADK. And its not like I get paid to say any of this. I just wanted to share what I think are 2 REALLY amazing mics. People might not think of ADK as high end. But these might change that.

If you're itching to be gear slutty, at least try them. I wish I would have had these for the past 5 years.
thumbsup thumbsup thumbsup

brian

[BeepBeep]

I've got a Hamburg and my client (me) loves it. Very clear mic with a great sound. I don't know if the MKII is different or mic, but it's a great mic.

How would you compare the Hamburg to the Vienna?

[charleslee]

Originally Posted by brithedark

....But the ADKs have won hands down in almost every case over: Blue Mouse, Peluso 2247LE, iFet7, Gefell UT71, Rode K2, MXL V69, AKG 414TLII, Rode NTK, MXL 2001...and a Neumann U87ai that I had recorded some years back.

...

Brian, any samples to let us check it out against the big boys' mikes? Thanks!

[JPM]

how do they handle sibilance, ess, etc.?

what pres are you liking them with?

[softwareguy]

I would love to hear more as well. What are the differences between the Vienna and the Hamburg? Is it actually analogous to a C12 and a U47? And has anyone heard both the new ones and the old ones?

Thanks for the heads up!

[bing81]

I also have both ... think it's a Mark 1 Vienna and a Mark II Hamburg. Agree with the above .. they just hold their own, even moreso. I have a 195, 87 (modified by JP with a tube front end .. don't ask!) and a custom ADK CS1/Blue capsule ... OK, none of this is C12/47 stuff, but you hear what you hear, and the ADK's give a quality sound. Of course, and especially on vocals, maybe not always the right sound, but compared to many of the "chinese" mics out there, it's chalk and cheese. I'd be really happy to have just a Hamburg/Vienna pair .. would cover most bases for me. Vienna is also a useful LD condensor on things like acoustic guitar, and the Hamburg isn't disgraced in front of a kit.

As to what they sound like compared to the classic/standards .. it's a kind of flavour. As I understand it, they're not designed to be copies of anything, but the Hamburg is more meety/middy (Neumann?), the Vienna bit lighter in the mids and open up top (AKG/Telefunken?). Perfectly complimentary in many ways!

My .2 eurocents of course.

B

[James Lehmann]

I'm glad to hear they've improved the Vienna - the MkI I tried left me distinctly under-whelmed, even given its cheap price.

But is this thread really 'High End'?

[brithedark]

It depends on your definition of "high end". I don't think Gefell, Soundelux, Blue, AKG and those types of mics are "low end." If those mics are low end to you, then I understand that last comment.

The ifet7 and Pelusos, fine mics I guess in their own right, frequently get raves in the "high end" forums. And the ifet and Peluso I tried (47LE) were not even in the ballpark as far as usability or being able to sculpt the sound. For the price of 1 of those mics (which in my situation were far too bright and hypey sounding), I managed to get 2 mics, both which smoked em (IMO), and I got two "colors" of good to boot. To MY ears and MY situation, and singers that heard the ADKs versus some other better mics, they've all liked the ADKs best.

I've never heard the original Vienna or Hamburg. So I don't know how they compare to the originals. The new ones have ground up designed capsules made in Australia, Brit transformers and the best FETs they could find for the circuit (so I'm told). They didn't cheap out on components. And the they both have 2 way pads and roll offs, which is a huge plus. They do cost more than the originals.

Here's some quickie impressions, in my opinion:
Hamburg2... darker than most, not muffled though. you can high shelve it for days and not sound Chinese. Smoother than the Gefell UT71, Peluso2247LE and Mouse by a long shot. Sounds good and flat (not 414 no character flat... just flat as in no one particular frequency range tears your face off when hearing it). . Think of a darker SM7 with more gain, more detail and more on-mic features.

Vienna2... MUCH more open sounding. Brighter than H2, but not near as tinny as a 47LE, Mouse, NTK, ifet7. Not as spitty as 414TLII. There's no high end "ssssssssssssssss" going on when people lay into it. Beautiful bottom even at 12 inches away. Makes the Mouse sound harsh and whiny. More bottom and MUCH less sizzle than ifet7 in either mode. Modern pop sound when you eq it a tad..

I'm not trying to start a war here. I'm not big on whether or not something sounds like a 67, a 47, an 87 etc. I worked at a place that had a lot of those mics some years back. I'd spend 3k-4k on a mic if I thought it would get me where I want to go with my studio. But in all mega buck mics I've tried, none of them fit my needs like the ADKs. And if I hear one more person say "Dude, the ifet or the Mouse must have been broken or something" I'm going to spontaneously combust.

I'm running them into Great River, API, Universal Audio, and Focusrite ISA pres. And I'm using a Pro Tools HD rig. Hopefully I'll be able to post some sound clips at some point in the very near future. The schedule here is a nightmare the next couple of weeks.

I guess my point is, forget price for a minute. For day in day out use in a studio that runs about 350+ days a year, the ADKs were one heck of a find for me, better than anything I've heard regardless of price. Until you hear them in your studio with your clients, it's going to be hard to explain. YMMV

[Acoustic Cloud]

Originally Posted by brithedark

It depends on your definition of "high end". I don't think Gefell, Soundelux, Blue, AKG and those types of mics are "low end." If those mics are low end to you, then I understand that last comment.
YMMV

This thread was moved from the "high end" section. Thats what he meant.

[bing81]

Originally Posted by Acoustic Cloud

This thread was moved from the "high end" section. Thats what he meant.

Yes, but there's a difference between High End and Gear Snob. It's not about money, it's about sound and subsequently, the nature of the discussion that follows. There's a place on the High End forum for discussion of low-end, disposible items like guitar strings and drum heads, not to mention SM57's - so IMHO, there certainly should be space for discussions of quality mics like these two.

In other words, for me, the original discussion DID belong in the High End forum.

Not to take anything away from the Low End Theory section either, but if this is what's going to happen here, maybe the High End forum should be retitled the "Only Over $500" forum.

B

[brithedark]

These mics go for about $1000 each, so it's not like they're cheap.

Anyway, the important part is the SOUND. I think these guys hold up against anything I've heard. And they're better in my estimation than some of the darlings for the $1500-$3000 range (like the 47LE, Mouse, ifet7, Gefell 71 etc).

Are they "better" than a real 47? Or a Vintage 67? I do not profess to know. I've cut vocals with a 67, 87 and 47 and liked the results (years ago, mind you). So far, I've cut vocals with the ADKs and like them equally and in some cases better. Of course a little EQ and compression tend to even things out greatly. But for straight out of the box vibe, I personally really like the new ADKs.

How are they different from other mics I've tried?

1) They do not break up when loud belters hammer into them (unforunately, most of my clients are not trained singers/screamers). They are clean clean clean (with the pads engaged). My ifet, Mouse and cheap MXLs cannot take the transients, regardless of preamps.

2) They are detailed but not bright. And there's not some weird phasey sound in the uber high end. They aren't "hyped". I cannot say this about the Peluso 47LE, Mouse, Rode NTK, Rode K2, ifet7, Studio Projects C1, etc.

3) They offer two different lo rolloffs. Nice for certain instruments.

Anyway, I hope some folks try them. I think they'll be pleasantly surprised.

brian

[NesNeedsGear]

the adk vienna and hamburg have been staples around GS low-end forum for a while. I've had the chance to work with em, and they're a complete steal for the price. true bargain.

[brithedark]

I've never heard the originals. Maybe if I get a few extra bucks... :-)

All I know is that they went for broke with the new ones. Completely redesigned. All top notch parts, capsules made for them in Australia. Brit Oxford transformers. Super quiet. Non tapered body so they don't fall out of mounts. They seem to be really going for a different class with these. Not just a good bang for buck mic.

I hope it does well for them.

[jwnc]

This needs to be moved back into the High End.. The Hamburg 2 retails for 1699, I dont think thats low end at all. I have some new custom shop mics and there incredible.

The new Hamburg and Vienna are completely new mics compared to the original. Ray Charles owns 22 ADK mics.. so that says a lot to me.

One of the resistors in my custom mics cost 3.00.. most mics the resistors cost 1 penny for 5 of them.. low end my butt...

Jason
Proud ADK user.

[BeepBeep]

Shows my ignorance. I own the orginial which runs about $250. The II series of the hamburg and vienna go for about $1000.

http://www.frontendaudio.com/ADK_Ham...mer_p/8076.htm

I think my cheapo Hamburg rocks especially for the price. I have not heard the II series, which for $1000 must be a completely different animal and seems like high end to me.

ADk should just started a new series and drop the Hamburg/Vienna name for these. Bad marketing. Check out there site for more info.

http://www.adkmic.com/catalog/custom...AU-Edition.php

[tony666]

Originally Posted by jwnc

One of the resistors in my custom mics cost 3.00.. most mics the resistors cost 1 penny for 5 of them.. low end my butt...

Duh, a 3$ resistor in a 1699$ mic. Let's hope that wasn't the most expensive part.

Originally Posted by from ADK Website

Both Products now boast Australian-Designed Capsules, British Oxford Transformers, Hi-End Phillips Norelco Uber-FET. Manufactured with Hi-Fi Methods and Materials, including a $3 Resistor! It took three microphone experts including a PhD in Physics, a Design Genius in Belgium and a 40 year-old Mic Locker to create it! Add Two-Way Attenuation Pads (8 and 16 dB) to enable end-user to taylor the dynamic behavior of the microphone to the situation and obtain new textures, with rarely the need for outboard processors or even EQ.

This sounds a bit odd to me, like they have to proove their mics are descent enough? Other companies, like Gefell make their own capsules for this price. I would find it hard to spend that kind of money on a company who only design a PCB and assemble a mic with capsules from other companies. (when you can buy a real mic from a real company for the same price ! )

[jwnc]

I really think it comes down to sound.. different mics, diffrent colors, different prices. Its all about capturing the music and whatever works for you to get the sound you want..

Jason

[brithedark]

Originally Posted by jwnc

I really think it comes down to sound.. different mics, diffrent colors, different prices. Its all about capturing the music and whatever works for you to get the sound you want..

Jason

Exactly!

My point in bringing the new Mark IIs to everyone's attention is that they really are better than your typical "bang For Buck" $200 mic. The sound got me excited enough to make and continue a thread like this! They're not just good for the money, they're good period.

They are every bit in the league with the typical heavyweights. Of course, that's my opinion. But it's an informed opinion. I'm not using price or country of origin as a deciding factor. My only criteria are that a)it sounds good to me; b)it works well with a good cross section of the many genres I deal with, c) it sits in a mix; and d) it doesn't have some weird high end goofiness that mics like the Peluso, ifet and Mouse had. The new ADKs blew past some much higher priced mics. Not only to my ears, but to all the clients who sat in the Control Room with me.

Really. Let's not go down the road of how much a component costs vs selling price. My point in bringing up the price is just to highlight my confusion as to why it got bumped from the high end forum. If these mics cost $2k-$3k I'd still buy them (ADK please wait till I got my next Vienna please!!!!). If Gefell made mics that sounded good to my ears, I'd buy them too (I do have one). Different strokes for different folks.

All I wanted to do was spread the joy. Hopefully some of you will actually get a chance to hear them. Moreso, hopefully some of you will find them a home!

Front End Audio sells them.
brian

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by tony666

Duh, a 3$ resistor in a 1699$ mic. Let's hope that wasn't the most expensive part.



This sounds a bit odd to me, like they have to proove their mics are descent enough? Other companies, like Gefell make their own capsules for this price. I would find it hard to spend that kind of money on a company who only design a PCB and assemble a mic with capsules from other companies. (when you can buy a real mic from a real company for the same price ! )

I have a pair of ADK CE, ADK's "flagship" tube mic prior to the new Custom Shoppe Series mics. I also have Schoeps (CMC6/MK4) and Gefell mics (M294, UMT800). These ADK mics are right up there with the Schoeps and Gefells, for my uses and to my ears.

Sounds like you haven't tried the upper end of the ADK product line (Audiophile Series and new Custom Shoppe Series). I haven't tried any of the Custom Shoppe models yet, but I suspect they are quite nice.

[bing81]

Originally Posted by tony666

Other companies, like Gefell make their own capsules for this price.

What other companies?

B

[warhead]

Originally Posted by brithedark

Front End Audio sells them.
brian

Brian, we actually had the "version II" ones here (at least the Vienna II I think!) and recorded comparison clips with them a couple of months ago in a huge shootout we're working on. The Jam Room Studio next door has been recording ongoing mic test sessions, if I can scrounge up some files and post soon I will. We have them, I just need to see how quick I can locate them and if they are edited and exported etc.

I'll check around and see. I remember the mic sounding distinctly richer and smoother.

I agree with you, the Vienna and Hamburg sound way better than their asking price.

War

[Acoustic Cloud]

Originally Posted by bing81

Yes, but there's a difference between High End and Gear Snob. It's not about money, it's about sound and subsequently, the nature of the discussion that follows. There's a place on the High End forum for discussion of low-end, disposible items like guitar strings and drum heads, not to mention SM57's - so IMHO, there certainly should be space for discussions of quality mics like these two.

In other words, for me, the original discussion DID belong in the High End forum.

Not to take anything away from the Low End Theory section either, but if this is what's going to happen here, maybe the High End forum should be retitled the "Only Over $500" forum.

B

Thanks for setting me straight. I could see your perking nose smelling brussel sprouts cooking, as I read the text!!

[tony666]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

Sounds like you haven't tried the upper end of the ADK product line (Audiophile Series and new Custom Shoppe Series). I haven't tried any of the Custom Shoppe models yet, but I suspect they are quite nice.

I just find it hard to believe in such a company's product line. First they start with modifying Chinese mics, then they try people to believe their Hamburg and Vienna series (the cheap ones) are Neumann and AKG knockoffs and now they sell "custom" mics for the same price as traditional mic companies do. These mics probably sound good, but it's still odd they sell 50$ mics too. But hey, they sell about everything now, mic preamps, La2 clones, ... and probably some other junk

[brithedark]

Originally Posted by tony666

I just find it hard to believe in such a company's product line. First they start with modifying Chinese mics, then they try people to believe their Hamburg and Vienna series (the cheap ones) are Neumann and AKG knockoffs and now they sell "custom" mics for the same price as traditional mic companies do. These mics probably sound good, but it's still odd they sell 50$ mics too. But hey, they sell about everything now, mic preamps, La2 clones, ... and probably some other junk

This business model isn't hard to understand at all. When my studio started out, I had prosumer gear, no client base and practically no mics to work with. My clients understood this... yet beccause I was passionate about my job and did a fair job, they kept coming back. As the business (any my knowledge and cashflow grew), the studio expanded and upgraded. 5 years later, my clients reap the rewards of that expansion because I have better experience, better rooms, and pro gear. My original Pro Tools system can still make money for me, even though its not my HD rig (the LE is a more affordable mobile unit or weekend rental).

Point being, people don't mistrust me because my business has grown. They appreciate that I offer them the best I can at the time. ADK started with one guy modding Chinese mics to sound like other mics because he was curious to see if he could do it. People took note, his hobby started making money, and the business has grown. The new Custom Shop mics are the result. Why stop selling something that funds your newer and better designs? Pride? I didn't stop doing 1 hour hip hop sessions because I got better gear. I value those sessions highly; they're the reason I have the better gear.

The way I see it, ADK is probably proud of those mics for what they are... the best they could do at the time (and they are still useful tools sometimes). And if the sales of those mics give them the financial ability to create a "What if..." line, good for them. Why hammer a company trying to expand its horizons? Especially when those horizons are leading to better [American made to boot] products.

my 2c
brian

[ljmax]

Originally Posted by tony666

I just find it hard to believe in such a company's product line. First they start with modifying Chinese mics, then they try people to believe their Hamburg and Vienna series (the cheap ones) are Neumann and AKG knockoffs and now they sell "custom" mics for the same price as traditional mic companies do. These mics probably sound good, but it's still odd they sell 50$ mics too. But hey, they sell about everything now, mic preamps, La2 clones, ... and probably some other junk

Yeah just like this company who sells LDC mics starting below $100.

http://tinyurl.com/y6mt5p


http://tinyurl.com/y4qtyr


http://tinyurl.com/yadwam

[warhead]

Out of this thread I birthed another:

ADK Hamburg & Vienna vs "II AU" Versions

I hope you guys find it to be informative.

War

[Ted Perlman]

Originally Posted by James Lehmann

I'm glad to hear they've improved the Vienna - the MkI I tried left me distinctly under-whelmed, even given its cheap price?

The Vienna is a superb mic, with a brilliant sound regardless of what ADK is selling the mic for. A world-class mic that I've used on many high end recordings.

Originally Posted by James Lehmann

But is this thread really 'High End'?

If Larry Villella/ADK are releasing it, it's moist definitely "high end". Their A48 is my first choice for background vocals, their 151 is my permanent guitar amp mic, the SC7 and the original Vienna are two of my favorite steel string acoustic guitar mics. I'll have more feedback on the new Vienna later this week, but like I said - if Larry is releasing it, the quality and sound are undeniable. Larry is not some ex-sheet music salesman, but rather an excelent musician with ears as big as an elephants. He is more akin to a music gear insaniac than a manufacturer.

[tony666]

I wish I also had an ADK endorsement, like Ted

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by tony666

I wish I also had an ADK endorsement, like Ted

I would enjoy reading your personal opinions about ADK mics once you have actually tried ADK mics from the Audiophile Series of Custom Shoppe Series. Before then, I'll take a pass.

[Musiclab]

I downloaded Warren's clips of the ADK's and I have to say my milage definetly varies from what your hearing, If you think those mics sound better than a Peluso 2247
then you had a broken one. Don't get me wrong I don't have anything against ADK mics I own 2 pair of them. I remember at the last aes thinking the CE was a really nice mic, and I'm willing to bet that sounds alot better than these 2 did.