New line of 3U Audio mics from a veteran audio engineer...worth a look and listen!

kidvybes

kidvybes

New member
...there are a few higher-end LDC mics that offer multiple voicings (such as the Lauten Atlantis), but I've never seen any this affordable with coupled output transformers...anybody have any experience with one of these?:
3U Audio Warbler Condenser Microphone Switchable Sound Styles Vocal Instrument | eBay

Well, I did some more research on these mics and found some interesting information...the gentleman behind these multi-voiced "Warbler" microphones is a veteran microphone design engineer that has worked for some of the better manufacturers in China since the 80's and later relocated in Australia to work for another prominent mic manufacturer there...he started his own company a few years ago, and he designs these mics entirely himself...the transformers are custom-wound, the capsules are manufactured to his specifications and the mics employ very high-quality capacitors and resistors (Dale and WIMA)...so they are designed in Australia and then hand-soldered/assembled in one of the better Chinese factories (and shipped from there to minimize shipping expense)...

So these are not OEM/stock Chinese designs, like most of the typical Chinese LDC mics that fall into this price range...these are new designs based upon this engineer's many years of designing for other more costly brands...most importantly, the K67, K47 and C12 style capsules being employed are built to his specifications and are not sourced from other manufacturers in China...

As a matter of fact, this multi-voiced "Warbler" model is going to be offered in three different configurations...the standard "87-style" as I posted above, and "47-style" (Warbler MKII) which employs a 34mm K47-style capsule, and a third "C12-style" (Warbler MKIII) which employs an 34mm edge-terminated C12-type capsule with extended high and low-end response...you can clearly see from the interior pics, that not only is the capsule different in each of the Warbler models, but the circuit designs vary as well as the transformers employed, as you would find in much more expensive product lines...

Here is the link to the 3U website:
3U Audio Microphones,Condenser Microphones

...you can see that there are pictures of the build interior quality of all the mics (how many manufacturers offer pictures of their circuits and the type of components employed?)...WIMA capacitors are used even in the least expensive models, while the higher-priced models boast Fairchild FETs, Dale resistors and even Lundahl and AMI transformers...

...I just acquired samples of 2 of the Warbler-series and 2 of the basic CM-1 FET condensers...I plan on recording samples and posting once I have vocalists available for tracking...I just tested the Warbler I with K67-style capsule and U87-type 9.5:1 tranny...smooth on the top-end and nice low-mid response...no harsh, edgy top-end, common to so many Chinese LDC mics at this price point...

...the big surprise are the cheap (2 for $199 shipped) CM-1 FET condenser mics...these things sound surprisingly good (very reminiscent of KEL Audio mics)...the black-bodied mic has the same K67 capsule as the Warbler I, and the teal-bodied has a very nice edge-terminated C12-style capsule...both have nice quality components on the audio output segment of the circuit (WIMAs)...and shock-absorbing Capsule mounting supports...I don't understand how they can sell these so cheap...the one with the K67 capsule is exceptionally close in sound to my Lewitt LCT540 ($599)...

...a big, smooth sounding C12 style FET condenser mic for $99? (if you buy the pair)...seriously, how'd they do that?

Anybody looking for a nice pair of cheap FET condenser mics (not bright or hashy at all!) check these out:
3U Audio Black CM1 Matched Pair Condenser Microphones Vocal Instrument Pro Mic | eBay
3U Audio Teal CM1 Matched Pair Condenser Microphones Vocal Acoustic Guitar Mic | eBay

Clearly this new line of mics are not your daddy's Chinese LDC microphones...I will report back in the next couple of weeks with sound files...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1649.JPG
    IMG_1649.JPG
    410.1 KB · Views: 1,087
  • IMG_1653.JPG
    IMG_1653.JPG
    487.4 KB · Views: 1,108
  • IMG_1648.JPG
    IMG_1648.JPG
    569.4 KB · Views: 1,092
  • IMG_1655.JPG
    IMG_1655.JPG
    689 KB · Views: 1,110
  • IMG_1652.JPG
    IMG_1652.JPG
    706.3 KB · Views: 1,103
Last edited:
Here are some additional pics of the less expensive CM-1 FET mics (2 for $99) with either the 34mm edge-terminated C12-type capsule or the 34mm K67-type center-terminated capsule...notice the shock-absorbing mounts under the capsule mount and the higher-quality components (WIMA, etc) used in the audio-output section of the circuit...

Both of these mics sound much better than their price-points would imply...smooth, with good articulation and warmth...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1665.JPG
    IMG_1665.JPG
    467.5 KB · Views: 943
  • IMG_1664.JPG
    IMG_1664.JPG
    517.7 KB · Views: 936
  • 20150419_200047.jpg
    20150419_200047.jpg
    1.3 MB · Views: 983
  • 20150419_200010.jpg
    20150419_200010.jpg
    1.1 MB · Views: 963
  • 20150417_200354.jpg
    20150417_200354.jpg
    570.7 KB · Views: 984
Interesting update this morning from the designer of these mics...this "Warbler" series will be expanded to 5 models:
Warbler I (U87 with K67 and 9.5:1 dual-bobbin tranny)
Warbler II (FET 47 with K47 capsule and 6.5:1 dual-bobbin tranny)
Warbler III, IV, & V (C12 variants from C12 thru 251 tonal range, with edge-terminated C12 capsules and 12:1 dual bobbin tranny)

All mics offer 3 voicing settings, that essentially attenuate top-end frequencies...all feature Dale capacitors, WIMA resistors, Fairchild FETs and custom-wound transformers...capsules are produced in-house, no OEM...

Clearly, this AE is looking to make waves in the low-end ranks of the mic marketplace...judging how good his $99 CM-1 with C12 capsule sounds, I'm anxious to hear his 3 upgraded Warbler variants...

His C12 capsule looks like:
 

Attachments

  • C12 1920.jpg
    C12 1920.jpg
    323.6 KB · Views: 927
OK, got some sample files, and more to come...first is my own VO test...the first mic is the 3U Warbler I (K67 capsule), all three voice positions, and then the Teal CM-1 (C12 capsule):

https://app.box.com/s/udyh8dvcnkiz0891j39nlqyxlyxkhh2i

Then I had a reggae artist pass thru the studio, so I had him do two quick passes on the same two mics for comparison...first, the Warbler I (K67 capsule), voice position 1:

https://app.box.com/s/96c5nq6by1e48wn081ewrpcwbt8jflee

Next is the Teal CM-1 (C12 capsule):

https://app.box.com/s/0k4be0uy65z1sbnnsezrd16gvf25p2hb
 
...I tried something interesting the other day...I had to set up a mic for a client today and I thought it would make for a revealing comparison to one of the 3U Warbler-series microphones...

...the mic that was requested by my client is an Ioaudio MK-47, which is one of the GroupDIY U47 clone microphones, one model below the top-of-the-line MK-U47...this MK-47 employs a full-size BV.08 reproduction transformer, a pair of NOS RCA 408a (gold-pin) pentode tubes, and an HK-47 capsule skinned by capsule-builder Eric Heiserman...the MK-47 equates easily to a $2K+ U47-style clone...

...I chose to compare it on VO (my New-Yawk talk) with the 3U Warbler II which also employs a K47-style capsule and BV.08 transformer, but is a FET-type rather than tube-microphone...

...I think the comparison is rather striking, considering the vast differential in the cost of the two mics ($2K+ vs. $299)...the Warbler II comes in at 1:38 of the recorded file:

TO HEAR SOUNDFILE CLICK ON: app.box.com/s/8gtcrdcx85s2784mmlyklu6f45135gy4
 

Attachments

  • 20150513_163901.jpg
    20150513_163901.jpg
    56.2 KB · Views: 868
Due to the fact that the images I uploaded in the earlier posts were too large to be seen clearly (and I am not able to edit those earlier posts) I am uploading smaller versions of some of those pics so the quality of builds can be better seen...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1676.jpg
    IMG_1676.jpg
    124.1 KB · Views: 843
  • IMG_1644.jpg
    IMG_1644.jpg
    86.7 KB · Views: 837
  • IMG_1649.jpg
    IMG_1649.jpg
    96.1 KB · Views: 828
  • IMG_1648.jpg
    IMG_1648.jpg
    109.5 KB · Views: 833
  • IMG_1655.jpg
    IMG_1655.jpg
    109.7 KB · Views: 833
...More pics...
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1661.jpg
    IMG_1661.jpg
    70.9 KB · Views: 821
  • 20150417_200354.jpg
    20150417_200354.jpg
    67.1 KB · Views: 829
  • 20150419_200f010.jpg
    20150419_200f010.jpg
    78.8 KB · Views: 830
  • IMG_1670.jpg
    IMG_1670.jpg
    112.4 KB · Views: 832
  • IMG_1667.jpg
    IMG_1667.jpg
    235.3 KB · Views: 838
So, 7 months later, this line of mics is creating major buzz on other sites, and no one here is interested?...if I told you you could buy high-quality LDC mics (inspired by the classics) directly from the manufacturer at wholesale prices, wouldn't that sound more interesting than the "deal of the week" at Musiciansfriend/Guitar Center?...

Almost 100K hits at the purple site:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/low...ordable-ldc-microphone-multiple-voicings.html
 
kidvybes said:
...the 251-inspired options from 3U Audio work very well on female vocals, as does his GZ67fet, which falls in somewhere between a U67 and a 70's U87...M269 comes to mind...
Click to expand...

Are you affiliated with this seller? Are you this seller? You seem to spend a lot of time posting about these microphones.
 
I see heavy shilling going on.

They may be great mics for all I know, but it seems both here and on Gearslutz there is excessive posting by the same few people on threads exclaiming the virtues of these mics.

This to me is a turn off, as I can't trust the opinions of the posters as being legitimate users. They seem more like salesmen.
 
...I've been on these forums for well over a decade, and the "shill" nonsense has been tossed around before...I was supposedly a "shill" for Stellar Microphones, Golden Age PRE-73, KEL microphones, iSK microphones, etc...seems all those products turned out to be pretty damned legit, after the smoke cleared...there's a big difference between being an "enthusiastic early adapter" and "shill"...

...so the GS thread that now has over 11K hits, and countless additional "early adapters" with nary a bad word said in over 1600 posts...anybody who has any experience with mics in this price range, or DIY mic building could look at the build pics, listen to the numerous sound-clips, read the posts by longtime forum members and recognize the legitimacy in the overall discussion...

...and then there's always those that choose to stand on the sidelines and call "shill", only to jump in later when prices rise and availability becomes more restricted...
:thumbs up:
 
Wether it was or wasn't, I too looked at the post and thought 'does not look legit'.
Perhaps I'm wrong (I'd like to be in this case), but it might be the way the original post(s) was written rather than the content. It was quite a gushing torrent of praise.

That said, I would be interested to hear a side by side comparison (same take) of these and other cheap(ish) condensers, I have a budget for new mic/kit in the new year.
 
...If you read my earliest posts about the 3U Audio mics, my focus was on build-quality, with lots of photos of the mic's guts...in the past couple of years I had transitioned my own collection of mics from some of the more popular boutique-retail options like Advanced Audio, Pearlman, BeesNeez, etc over to custom built clones which became available via the GDIY forum...I became entrenched in the DIY cloning options, where build topology is very much a focus...I got a good education in the value of high-quality components (resistors, capacitors, FETs, as well as proprietary transformers and capsules)...in a matter of maybe six months I sold close to a dozen reputable branded tube-mics and put the funds into half as many custom-built clone mics (C12. 251, M49, M269, U47)...and I gained a great appreciation for what's inside the mic, not what badge is on the body...

...that's what inspired my initial excitement about the 3U Audio mics...what other mic company posts pictures of the complete insides of every mic they sell on their website?
...check it out for yourself: 3U Audio Microphones,Condenser Microphones
...boasting German red WIMA capacitors, Dale resistors, Fairchild and Toshiba FETs, proprietary transformers and custom-tuned capsules...these are the same elements that set the GDIY custom-clone mics apart from most of the mass-marketed boutique-brands, and here they were on full display, but instead of the mics costing thousands, these were only hundreds...that's the source of my enthusiasm, paired of course with the performance of these mics...no more, bright, spikey top-end bite so common to $200-300 LDC mics...these mics bring smooth top-end response coupled with rich mids and solid bottom...

...truth is, I don't mind the skepticism, because each time someone takes the leap of faith and then chimes in on the threads to add their own vote of confident from their own hands-on experience with the product, I'm pleased to introduce people to good value in a market flooded with mediocrity...so the "shill" accusations fade in time as more forum members join in to validate the enthusiasm...it's all part of the process...
:thumbs up:

Jake_JW said:
That said, I would be interested to hear a side by side comparison (same take) of these and other cheap(ish) condensers, I have a budget for new mic/kit in the new year.
Click to expand...

...I'd recommend checking out the GS forum thread where there's dozens of sound-clips comparing the mics to some very reputable products:
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/low...ordable-ldc-microphone-multiple-voicings.html
 
...if anyone is confusing these mics as being in the class of MXL, Apex, Perception, or the like, they are severly underestimating the opportunity to own a serious sounding LDC mic at some very affordable pricing...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top