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TMV World Team

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  1. Like
    TMV World Team got a reaction from Robert Lunte for a record, Audix VX5 Condenser Vocal Mic Review   
    Audix VX5: American Built Budget Condenser Vocal Microphone
    What do Travis Barker, Buckcherry and Ani DiFranco all have in common? Give up? They all swear by Audix microphones. From its humble start in Redwood City, California in 1984 to its move to a state-of-the-art facility in Wilsonville, Oregon in 1991, Audix has a long-standing reputation of engineering and building world-class microphones. They are also one of the seemingly dwindling group of pro audio companies who have managed to maintain the entire design and manufacture of their product line domestically. There's something I find oddly satisfying knowing I could jump in the car and be at their facility in the matter of a few hours. While vocally speaking their primary focus has been leaning towards the live end of sound Audix has recently introduced some rather capable workhorse products that sonically speaking are at the level where they could pull double duty to provide some very satisfactory results in the studio as well.Without further adieu ladies and gentlemen allow me to introduce you to one of the latest offerings from Audix to visit the TMV test barn: The Audix VX5 condenser microphone.
    THE AUDIX VX5: LOOK AND FEEL
    As a departure from the typical all-business tuxedo black satin finish Audix has upped the ante with the VX5. In addition to a slimmer than average shaft this bad boy sports a rather subtle but sexy silver recessed lower grill which according to Audix also serves to provide some additional acoustical qualities. While it doesn't scream look at me its one of the nicest looking handheld mics I've had in my hands recently.
    THE AUDIX VX5: DURABILITY AND USEABILITY
    Unscrewing the pop screen reveals beauty is more than skin-deep as the capsule is also enclosed in an additional solid meshed polished cylinder so if durability were a concern for you its a safe bet the Audix VX5 could withstand a hell of a drop and survive unscathed. While I tend to prefer handheld microphones with a thicker handle the slim shaft on the VX5 combined with its balanced weight proved to be quite comfortable when used for extended periods. After a couple sessions, I found myself actually preferring it over some of the other mics in my arsenal.
    THE AUDIX VX5: PRICING AND COMPETITION
     
     
    At a retail price of $249 its pretty clear Audix has aimed the Audix VX5 squarely at some of its notable competition. In fact, the veteran condenser Shure Beta 87A also retails at $249 which I find hardly to be a coincidence. T his class of mic, commonly referred to as budget condensers are generally geared to pull double duty both live and in studio.
    It must also be noted however that these aren't to be confused with studio condenser microphones which still typically will have a superior frequency response.  That being said a well-engineered electret condenser using modern design technology will give you sound nearly approaching that of a studio condenser on top of the fact their typically super cardioid pickup pattern will offer fairly good sound rejection off axis.   That's not to say you can't use a dynamic to record vocals but given the choice between a dynamic handheld and a condenser you generally are going to have better results with the latter.
    With the VX5 Audix has also added in a few additional features that normally aren't found in a condenser mic in this price range that could potentially come in handy. Those include a recessed -10db pad switch as well as a 150hz bass rolloff both of which may come in handy given the VX5's fairly hot 6.9mv sensitivity. In light of durability, I especially appreciate the fact that these switches are actually chassis mounted with recessed screws.   As is fairly standard with a condenser style mic the Audix requires phantom power to operate so you will need to make sure your mic pre supports this.
    THE AUDIX VX5 TEST: THE CLARITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS
    http://astore.amazon.com/thevocastudin-20  
    For the actual test my signal chain consisted of the VX5 running into a TC Helicon VoiceLive for preamp/phantom power into a Mackie VLZ-1602 out to a pair of Mackie SRM-450 active monitors in my 13x13 studio. To get a feel for how the Audix VX5 would perform in different live environments my first test was performing vocals with pre-recording backing tracks followed up by the second test of performing with live drums, guitar, and bass - some very high SPL's for a rather small room.
    For the first test upon initially firing up the VX5 with all EQ zeroed out as well as bass roll-off / pad disengaged on the mic I was initially quite disappointed just how little gain before feedback the Audix exhibited - significantly more so than my Shure Beta87A. Afterfurther experimenting with monitor placement as well as some EQ adjustment I still was not happy with the results. However, after engaging the bass roll-off I was pleasantly surprised that this was able to eliminate nearly all of my feedback issues and after a slight EQ tweak to compensate for the room I was able to get the mix up to performance levels.  This is when what makes the Audix VX5 special became apparent. My vocals with the Audix VX5 took on a clarity and airiness that I have difficulty creating this side of a full blown studio condenser.  They were not thin nor were they muddy on the lower end. They possessed a very natural quality to them that just sounded right.  Along with an extremely low handling noise, the Audix VX5 sounds more expensive than it is.
    Test number two with the full band also proved interesting.  While  it should come as no surprise the VX5 does not handle extremely loud environments as well as a dynamic hypercardoid would it performed admirably well.  I might add that my small square studio is not likely an accurate representation of a performance environment so getting a workable sound in a fairly high SPL environment is a fairly good indication that the Audix VX5 would perform quite well in a more typical performance setting.
    WRAP UP: SONICALLY SLICK
    The Audix VX5 represents yet another fine offering from Audix. From a clarity of sound standpoint it without a doubt ranks right up at the top of my list when stacked up against some of its notable competition from the likes of  Shure, Rode, and Electro-Voice.  It sounds good right out of the box requiring little if any EQ to get the sound dialed in.  The quality of craftsmanship is top notch and the 3-year warranty lets you know Audix stands behind their products.  Short of full on screamo or extremely heavy metal acts this is one of the few mics that I feel confident would work well with nearly all voice types as it posesses a very natural frequency response.  The Modern Vocalist rates the Audix VX5 as highly recommended.

    Audix VX5: Specifications
    Type Pre-polarized Condenser  
    Frequency Response 40 Hz - 16.5 kHz +/- 3 dB
    Polar Pattern Supercardioid  
    Impedance 150 ohms
    Sensitivity at 1k 5 mV / Pa
    Equivalent Noise Level 26 dB (A weighted)
    Signal to Noise Ratio 68 dB
    Off Axis Rejection >20 dB
    Maximum SPL1 40 dB (w/ -10 pad)
    Power Requirements 9-52 V
    Connector Switcraft Male XLR connector
    Polarity P ositive voltage on pin 2 relative to pin 3 of output XLR connector
    Housing / Finish Die Cast Zinc Black E-coat
    Weight 227 g / 8 ounces
    Length 181 mm / 7.1 inches
    Audix Microphones
    www.audixusa.com
    +1 (503) 662-6963
    Review by Travis North
    *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

     
  2. Like
    TMV World Team got a reaction from Robert Lunte for a record, Placid Audio Copperphone Mini Review   
    Throw out your vintage effects, this mic does it better.

    You can find Placid Audio products on Vocal Gear Store.    
    Most of the time in either a live or studio situati on when I'm looking to give a vocal track a bit more of a distinctive sound I instinctively either reach for some flavor of an effects processor or my favorite plugin.  Why?  Because generally unless one enjoys combing through Craigslist and eBay listings for that perfectly elusive esoteric microphone, modern effects processors with hundreds if not thousands of available models to choose from often sound quite good in addition to offering nearly infinite control over our sound. Convenience, however comes at a price and there is one effect situation in my experience where the cold unfeeling electronics continually seem come up a bit short of something authentic sounding:  the vintage "telephone" effect.  Sometimes there's no replacement for the real thing and thanks to Mark Pirro of Placid Audio we have something called the Copperphone Mini  that may just fill that niche.
    INTRODUCING THE COPPERPHONE MINI
    Placid Audio was initially spurred by a need of the singer of Pirro's band - The Polyphonic Spree -  to find the perfect vintage sounding microphone. Instead of trying to actually find something authentically old Mark - whom is also a sound engineer - decided to have a crack at creating his own.  After creating a few prototypes, word started to spread around the musician community and in 2003 Pirro started producing small quantities in his garage outside of Dallas, Texas to fill the need.  As popularity grew he created two additional models, one of which is the Copperphone Mini .
     

    One of the most distinctive features about the Copperphone series is Placid Audio builds them out of rather robust looking polished copper housings.  The Copperphone mini is no exception and is rather attractive to look at especially when installed it is removable aluminum shock mount housing.  Construction and fit and finish is high grade and I would say the overall look belies its $299.00 MSRP. Oddly enough the Copperphone Mini was originally designed with Harmonica players in mind but after artists started using it on vocals, guitars, upright basses and the like it became apparent that the point of the Mini isn't the application but rather the creativity it can introduce into the sound.   The Copperphone Mini uses a fairly forgiving dynamic as well as a cardioid pickup pattern to make it fairly versatile both live and in studio.   Contrary to the look the Mini does not use any vintage internal components but rather high-grade modern electronics with an impressively low noise floor. It should be noted that any mic or effects box operating in a limited frequency bandwidth can increase the potential for feedback depending on how much gain you are trying to pump through it.  However, in practice  I didn't find the Mini to be any better or worse compared to other similar devices when pushed beyond realistic limitations.
    THE SOUND OF NOSTALGIA

     

    So then how does the Copperphone Mini sound?  Impressive. On vocals, the Mini finds an excellent balance between that vintage lo-fi effect and leaving a wide enough of a frequency band so the vocals still have some weight to cut through the mix.  The Mini when compared to some telephone effects I had in my signal chain really shined with its warm analog goodness. I found the Mini to inspire more creativity than just a stock telephone effect as I felt generally it had a much more authentic sound  and that could even be varied by careful use of proximity effect.
    WRAP UP
    With its tank-like boutique build quality, killer vintage sound and lifetime warranty the Copperphone Mini is decidedly one to consider adding to the arsenal.  It's not so much IF you'll find a use for it but rather WHEN and I'm willing to bet the first time you do you'll quickly find more and more uses.  We at TMV are certainly having some fun with ours.  ~TN
    Copperphone Mini Specs:

    - Type: Dynamic
     - Polar Pattern: Cardioid
    - Frequency Response: 200Hz , 1.4kHz
    - Impedance: 150 ohms
    - Output: 105 +/- 2dB SPL @ 1 kHz
    - Microphone Dimensions: 1.75 inch x 2.25 inch
    - Shock Mount Dimensions: 6 inch diameter x 0.75 inch
    - Weight: 0.75 lbs
    FEATURES
    - High-grade passive variable reluctance transducer
    - High-quality Switchcraft 3 pin XLR connector
    - Rugged copper housing and components
    - Dismounting kit for optional ergonomic handheld use
    - Handcrafted in the U.S.A
    - Lifetime operational warranty
    - Aircraft aluminum shock mount ring to fit North American style stands
    http://www.placidaudio.com/products/copperphone-mini/  
    Review by Travis North
    *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

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