Press release is out: Custom Rycote mount for the SRND 360

PRESS RELEASE LINK

SDC shootout in Tape Op part 3

I've written about the massive SDC shootout in Tape Op (No. 72 July/Aug 2009) previously. Part 1 & Part 2.

Andy at Tape Op just informed me that there is an unedited version of the article on reviewer Mike Jasper's website.

The shootout involved some 90 mics and both Milabs (a VM-44 and a DC-96B) were selected as top choices. It was a blind test on acoustic guitar. The competition was very stiff and the way I interpret it, no other brand did as well as Milab.

How to get a free Milab DC-96C

The contest for a free Milab DC-96C is up at MM:s website (in Swedish):

http://www.musikermagasinet.se/index.php?sida=tavling

Milab Microphones - News - Rycote shockmount for the SRND 360

Milab Microphones - News - Rycote shockmount for the SRND 360

Win a Milab DC-96C

In the upcoming issue of Swedish music magazine MM (Musikermagasinet) there is a chance to win a brand new Milab DC-96C! Out November 23.

Mic size comparison

Neumann U87, AKG 414 (EB?) and PML (Milab) DC-96

Buying a used microphone

We come across customers from time to time who have bought a used mic at a great price, only to find out that the mic needs a new capsule - which can be quite expensive.

Buying a used mic with a bad capsule is like buying a used car with a broken engine.

I am working on adding a page to our website about general advice when buying a used mic. However, there are a couple of things I can say right away:

#1. If you buy a high-end microphone - like a Milab - and take proper care of it, you will have a great tool for decades. But if the microphone is abused, the capsule exposed to dust, dirt etc., you may shorten it's life-span considerably. So the first thing to look for when buying a used mic is the general impression. If the outside is in bad shape - there is a big chance the inside is just as bad.

#2. Always listen to it carefully. Some problems can be caused by electronic components or be solved by a good cleaning or some soldering, but if it doesn't sound good, chances are there is something wrong with the capsule, which is by far the most complex and expensive part of a condenser microphone.

#3. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions about a used microphone. You may even want to send us the microphone for a check-up before you decide to buy, if it's possible to arrange with the seller.

You can make great deals on used gear, just be careful.

Milab + Rycote

We've been working with UK based Rycote for a while now. They make some of the best shockmounts and windscreens on the market and they have helped with a new shockmount for the SRND 360 surround microphone.

From now on all SRND 360:s will be delivered with the Rycote mount - which is a custom modified version of the Invision USM. The standard version has received brilliant reviews, e.g. in Sound on Sound: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar10/articles/rycoteinvisionusm.htm

I'm working on a press release to make the collaboration official.

The standard Invision USM.

Press release: Milab appoints Huahui Audio as distributor for China

I've mentioned it previously on the blog, but now the official press release is out.

Milab DC-96C reviewed in Resolution Magazine

The latest issue of Resolution Magazine contains a very nice review of the Milab DC-96C.

You'll find some excerpts here (the bottom review): http://www.milabmic.com/showproduct.asp?id=1138&show=reviews

John Bonham

I found this cool picture on the Prosoundweb forum. It's John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, probably taken around 1969. Members of the forum are trying to determine what mics are on the kit - and the one above the cymbals to the left seems to be a PML/Milab. My best guess is that it is a TC-4, but I'm not sure - it may very well be a different brand altogether.

Click here for the full size picture

Anna with an LSR-1000

Isn't this a beautiful picture? My friend Anna Ekman singing into a Milab LSR-1000 at an outdoor wedding (the mic is fitted with a windscreen).

Queen

A great picture of Queen drummer Roger Taylor in action. If I'm not mistaken there are at least three Milab DC-96B:s visible in this shot. See if you can find all three.

http://www.milabmic.com/showproduct.asp?id=1108

New distributor for China

I'm happy to let you know that Milab has signed an exclusive distribution agreement for the Chinese market with Huahui Audio Technology.

Huahui is a highly regarded company, mainly working with radio, TV and theatres. They have offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hongkong and have exclusive distribution rights for several high-end pro audio brands including Midas, Klark-Teknik, Adam, Focal and L-Acoustics.

The partnership will be officially presented at the BIRTV tradeshow in Beijing next week.

Full contact info: www.milabmic.com/distributors.asp?region=asia

DC-96C reviewed

It's been a while since my last post - but after a good summer holiday I am now back at the office and I'm looking forward to a busy autumn.

The first review of the DC-96C was published a few weeks ago in Swedish pro audio magazine MM. In the test the DC-96C was compared to a Microtech Gefell M930 and a vintage AKG C414EB.

Some excerpts:

"Milab's theory about the rectangular capsule seems to be correct. When I turn the DC-96C 45 degrees from the source, the very highest frequencies drop slightly, but not much, and the drop feels very natural and smooth. The two other mics are definitely not bad, but both sound significantly darker in this position. It seems obvious that the DC-96C would be an excellent mic for stereo recording - both for XY and AB setups - probably just as good as a small diaphragm condenser."

(Testing all mics on a drum kit): "I know my C414 well. It delivers what I expect - a clear but nice sounding HF lift, a pretty neutral mid range and a steady low end. But when I switched to the DC-96C recording I almost fell out of the chair. The top is a little softer than the C414, but it's really "there" - and so silky and beautiful! Cymbals and hi-hat shine beautifully and there's not a trace of distortion. [...] But the most obvious difference is the incredibly "juicy" low end. The punch in the kick drum and the toms is "present", fat and full, and the two other mics sound much thinner. Let me be clear: The bottom end in the Milab is huge. Huge."

"I am once again reminded of the good transient response, which is excellent for vocals when you want a clear and natural vocal sound at the front of the mix."

"The steady bass reproduction has been impressive throughout the entire test."

"I gaze at the tiny Milab mic that looks so innocent on the other side of the control room window. It seems as harmless as Clark Kent when I set it up in front of the different sound sources. But when I turn my back on it and make my way to the control room, it transforms itself - and comes out like Superman in the studio monitors."

"With its silky smooth top, its neutral mid range and a low end that can only be described as gigantic - the DC-96C is an extremely useful tool for any serious recording engineer. A matched pair of DC-96C:s ought to be one of the best foundations imaginable for any mic collection."

Not bad huh?

First review of the DC-96C

The next issue of Swedish Musikermagasinet contains the first ever reivew of the new Milab DC-96C.

The magazine will be out July 13th and i believe it will also be available for purchase/download at their website MMonline. For you non swedes out there I will make sure to translate some excerpts and publish here on the blog.

Back from London and AES

So I'm back from the AES convention in London.

The "Single-unit surround microphone" workshop went really well. We had some different recordings to choose from, but a Händel concert that I got from Andreas Scholl (german world-class countertenor) sounded absolutely amazing, so we decided to only use that and play a full five-minute piece instead of different short demos as we had intended from the start.

Mikkel Nymand of DPA and Helmut Wittek of Schoeps presented their surround solutions and all in all it was an interesting workshop with some nice sounding demos.

In the afternoon our distributor had arranged a meeting with the BBC (at Maida Vale) and their chief engineer was kind enough to give us a two-hour tour of the studios. Very interesting. They use some of our mics there.

Later that night I was invited to see the musical Jersey Boys and got to sit with the sound engineer, Digby Shaw, for the entire show. It was a great show and for me it was very interesting to get a backstage view of the production and to see Digby work. You need multitask talents to be able to handle that kind of work for sure.

Milab USA website launched today

North American distributor FDW-Worldwide has just launced a dedicated USA & Canada website for Milab. Check it out at: www.milabusa.com

Pro Sound News Europe

I'm quoted in an article about microphones for string and brass instruments in the latest issue of Pro Sound News Europe.

Read the article here (pages 40-43): http://cde.cerosmedia.com/1Q4bd700da4f2a7671.cde

There is also a nice image on page 40 of the VM-44 Link fitted on a saxophone with our sax clamp.

Edit: The web version of the article can be found here: http://www.prosoundnewseurope.com/main-content/full/gratuitous-sax-and-violins;jsessionid=1843B8E0BCFD93D96A9EBD792BB780EA

AES Convention in London

I will be on the panel at an AES workshop on Single-Unit Surround Microphones at the 128th AES Convention in London. The event takes place at the Novotel London West at 9am on the 25th of May. I will present the Milab SRND 360.

The other panelists will be from Schoeps, DPA and Josephson.

http://www.aes.org/events/128/workshops/?ID=2304 (the list of panelists has not been updated after we accepted the invitation)

Ash cloud

The Icelandic volcano has had a major impact on air traffic in Europe, and some of our long haul deliveries have been delayed - but since we have all our production in-house and most of our sub-contractors in the region, our production has not been affected at all.

DC-96C review

We are sending out the first DC-96C for a review tomorrow. Which magazine gets the honour? You'll have to wait and see...

BDM-01

More and more BDM-01:s are reaching end users, and we are getting valuable feedback. Something I've heard from several different sources - including the first review of the BDM-01 (in Audio Technology) - is that it does the job that previously required two microphones. For the kick drum it is quite common to use one microphone for the "bass" and on for the "click" to get a good sound, but it is complicated to find the best mic combo, and using two mics can cause phase issues.

The BDM-01 seems to be able to capture both the bass and the click of the kick drum, a rather tempting solution for all you drummers and engineers out there.

The summary from the review in Audio Technology:

"So… wow! Once upon a time I was quite happy with the results I got just shoving a D112 into the hole of my bass drums, pointing arbitrarily somewhere near the beater. Then at some point, I felt I needed more, so I moved the D112 to the outside head, and would use something like an SM57 or M88 for the detailed ‘click’. The Milab BDM-01 would seem to do a better job than any, or maybe even all, of these combinations. Though a lot more expensive than what we’re used to paying, there wasn’t much I could throw at this mic that it didn’t deliver on. Plus, it feels solid and robust – almost bulletproof, which, for a condenser, is a great thing. That would make it a pretty good investment for any studio I’d expect. And as a live bass drum mic, the ease of use and quality of sound would be a lifesaver in most situations."

A Gearslutz user has reached the same conclusion:

"My normal setup is to use a sennheiser e-602 to get the fundamental and a AT 4047 to get the shell. I have always hoped for a single mic to capture the drum without the phase compromise that is natural in multi mic techniques. Upon placing the BDM-01 in front of a small jazz kit with no hole in the front head I was curious if something so tiny could capture the complexity of this source. Using the on board pres of a ULN-8 as the front end I adjusted the gain and was ready to go. upon listening to playback I was very surprised to hear the transient "knock" fully intact as well as the overtones from the shell of the drum. I will try this mic with some other kits as soon as I am done with this current record. My conclusion is that this mic is a great choice in the kick drum category because it translated the whole of a complex bass drum with ease. If you are like me and always looking for more elegant and simple solutions to make recording less work the Milab really fits the bill..."

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/476268-milab-bdm-01-kick-drum-mic-review.html

See you in Frankfurt!

Tomorrow morning we are flying down to Frankfurt and Prolight + Sound.

If you want to have a look at our line, check out the new DC-96C and have a chat with me or our R&D manager please stop by Hall 8.0 booth A47.

See you there!

DC-96C exposure

I'm very impressed by the impact of our press release regarding the new DC-96C. Although I sent it out last thursday, we registered an all time high for website visitors last week.

The DC-96C has been mentioned on most of the major Pro Audio websites and the press release has already been translated into several languages:

Italian: http://www.ziomusic.it/news/viewnews.php?id=26167

French: http://fr.audiofanzine.com/microphone-statique-transistor/milab/dc-96c/news/a.play,n.11977.html

Russian: http://cjcity.ru/novosti/hard/news105.html

Greek: http://www.alive.gr/articles/2/?2123

PRESS RELEASE: Milab presents the DC-96C

Milab presents the DC-96C condenser microphone

Helsingborg, Sweden – 2010-03-11

The latest addition to the Milab product family is the DC-96C, a side-addressed large membrane microphone designed mainly for studio work, but also for many live applications. The DC-96C is the latest version of the classic DC-96 series - originally released in 1967 - and has been updated with the latest technology. It shares most of its components, including the capsule, with the DC-196, but like previous DC-96 versions, it is cardioid only and has a single layer mesh grid.

The DC-96C is suitable for a wide range of applications, including studio vocals, acoustic guitar and piano, hi-hats and overheads, guitar amps and more.

Features:

* Hand built in Sweden
* Cardioid
* Large rectangular condenser capsule
* 12 dB(A) self noise
* Transformerless
* 12 dB attenuation pad
* 144 dB max. SPL
* Gold plated XLR-connector

Shipped with:

* Individual frequency chart
* Windscreen
* Stand adaptor

The DC-96C will be presented at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt, March 24-27. Visit Milab in Hall 8.0, booth A47.

Like all Milab models, the DC-96C comes with a lifetime warranty.

About Milab:

The history of Milab Microphones goes all the way back to 1939 when founder Rune Rosander started building microphones. More than 70 years later, all Milab microphones are still built entirely by hand in Sweden. Every microphone is measured independently and shipped with an individual frequency chart. All new Milab microphones come with a lifetime warranty.


Download the PDF

Download hi-res image

Bo Kaspers and Milab

The latest issue of MM (the no. 1 Swedish magazine for musicians) contains an interview with Johan Molund, FOH for Swedish band Bo Kaspers Orkester.

They use several Milabs on tour, including VM-44:s for drums and LSR-2000:s for vocals.

Johan talks about a test comparing the VM-44:s to the Sennheiser e604:s:

"The 604 is a very good microphone and easy to use on drums [...] but the difference was really big to Milab's advantage."

"[The VM-44] is really a fantastic microphone that works for pretty much everything."

The Sennheiser is cheaper, but then again, it was made specifically for drums.

My multi-instrumentalist friend...

My friend and bandmate Jesper just put together a short demo piece in his home studio. Drums and bass were recorded with Milab VM-44:s.

Note that he plays all the instruments himself. He is also a good guitar player and a great singer...

Watch it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jfF9dU8WaY

Classic albums recorded with Milabs

One of the most rewarding things in a job like this is hearing that artists you admire are working with your products. One of the most frustrating things is that I will never know of a fraction of the albums that were recorded with our microphones. I'll bring up some of the albums here that I've been informed were recorded with our mics. I'll start out with the great Jeff Buckley:


Artist: Jeff Buckley

Album: Grace

Year: 1994

Mic(s): Milab VIP-50 for vocals



Grace is a beautiful album that is often mentioned as one of the great albums of the 90's. Ironically Jeff holds a Shure 55SH on the album cover, but from what I've learned his amazing voice was recorded with a Milab VIP-50.
There are several haunting tracks on this album, including a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah - that actually peaked charts as late as 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_(Jeff_Buckley_album)

Spotify link: Jeff Buckley – Grace

Visit us in Frankfurt

Time passes quickly and it is already time to go to Frankfurt.

Milab will share a booth with our German distributor - FBM Audio - and I will be there together with our R&D manager Per Ove Almeflo.

Please let me know if you would like to book an appointment. http://www.milabmic.com/content.asp?page=contact

Visit Milab Microphones in Hall 8.0 - booth A47, March 24-27.

DC-196 for vocals

The DC-196 is an excellent vocal mic - it would be my first choice for studio work. Still, I find that some are reluctant to consider it for vocal recordings - and I believe it's only because of its size. Funny how the music business can be prejudiced some times.

The DC-196 is a large membrane microphones - and delivers a wonderful, smooth vocal sound - but thanks to the rectangular shape of the capsule it's almost the size of a pencil mic.

Some quotes from reviews confirm the vocal qualities:

"[The DC-196] shines as a vocal mic, capturing a smooth, detailed and full-bodied sound that belies its small stature." - Review in Audio Technology (Australia)

"Vocals: The DC-196 sounds very good with a warm and full 'quality tone' that keeps the voice steady. Once again, the smooth frequency response brings out the midrange which helps create a rich tone." - Review in Monitor (Sweden)

"...even though the mic may look a bit lost in a vocal booth it has a reputation as a very good vocal microphone." - Review in Sound On Sound

Still, both the reviews from Sound On Sound and Audio Technology realized that the small size may be a problem:

"Cons: Diminutive size may put some users off trying it for vocals." - Sound On Sound

"The only problem you’ll have using the DC-196 is the quizzical look singers throw you when you first put it in front of them. I found I only had to ask them to give it a try and once they heard the playback they loved it and forgot about the size factor." - Audio Technology

So, have I convinced you yet? If not, you should contact your local dealer/distributor and take the opportunity to try the DC-196 out for yourself.

New upcoming review of the BDM-01

I have received word that the BDM-01 has taken part in a shootout between 14 kick drum mics in a German pro audio magazine. The review has not been published yet, so I don't want to leak too much information, but from what I've heard it's another strike for the BDM-01.

As soon as the magazine is in print I will give you more info.

The BDM-01 has sold far better than we had expected, and as a result of this it has been hard for me to get demo mics to send out to magazines. But you can expect more reviews within the next few months.

Full Compass

I'm in Madison, Wisconsin at the moment briefing the sales staff at Full Compass (which is quite a number of people) on Milab and our products. It's been a great day so far. Everyone is so friendly and have made me feel really welcome. They have fantastic studios here and that means it is a wonderful environment for mic demos.

I've never been to this part of the U.S. before, and now I realize I should have delayed the flight home a day or two which would have given me a chance to look around Madison. It seems to be a very nice city.

NAMM

The first day of the NAMM show is over. Not as busy as I had expected - but everyone says it will pick up tomorrow and on saturday.

We have some performers in the booth - most interesting for Milab fans are the drum micing workshops by John Emrich. John is considered as one of the best drum recording engineers in the business. He will be using the Milab BDM-01 for kick drum and VM-44:s for toms. John's workshops are at 2.30 pm friday and 3 pm on saturday.

Stop by booth 6630 if you are attending the NAMM show.

See you in California?

I'm finally booked for NAMM. Leaving for California on the 11th to join the guys from FDW Worldwide in booth 6630. Drop by if you have a chance.

I've also arranged for a couple of days at FDW-W headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin which I think will be great.