Line Audio microphones?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mr Funk
  • Start date Start date
I've heard recordings done with the QM12. It sounded wonderful on a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitar, trombone, percussion etc... never worked with it myself, but I think the surround thing about it is great. The QM12 uses 12 (!) diaphragms... 3 in each of 4 directions.

With this single mic you can do cardiod, hypercardiod, omni, figure 8, x/y, wide x/y, m/s, blumlein and sorround.

Just about all known mic techniques except for spaced omni, ORTF and jecklin disc... if I'm not forgetting anything.

And the sweetest part is that you can change the mic technique used after you recorded it.... you can actually choose the pickup pattern och stereo mic technique while mixing the song.
(Except for the different techniques where one uses a diaphragm towards the source of sound, while other techniques use the diaphragm in a 45 degree angle to it)

How cool is that ?
 
I have recieved a reply to my email and here is a summary:

Q. Where are the mics made?

They are made right here in Sweden, Europe. We buy the capsules via a Japanese trading house, I stumbled upon this capsule 10 years ago and was amazed what I could do with it (each capsule is tested and modified). Everything else is built by hand, assembled and tested in our own facilities in a small village in Sweden. No child labour or under paid workers!

Q. Where can we in the UK try and buy your products?

We do not have any retailer in the UK, (closest reseller to the UK is the Neatherlands). Instead we offer free shipping within Europe, for small orders to the countries where we do not have re-sellers.

We like all our customers to be satisfied, so you are welcome to return the microphones or preamps for a full refund within 20 days (minus shipping costs), if you should not find them satisfactory. The condition of the microphones should be "as new". Delivery time is 1-3 weeks, depending on product

Q. What about in the USA?

Same thing, no reseller. Instead We give a 50% rebate on the shipping cost.

Q. I hear good things about your pre amps. Can you tell me if any of your products have been or will be reviewed by any magazines etc?

No I cannot say. I'm not too happy about sending products to magazines since I do not want to sponsor them in order to get good results (principles...) and I'm not well informed which magazine that make objective tests.

So we recommend our customers to try themselves or ship it back if it should not please. Hardly no one does so it's practically no effort for us to offer this!

All the best, Roger Jönsson.



He didn't fully answer my qestions regarding the type of capsules used. I wanted to know about the thickness etc. I am guessing though that as they are at least 10 years old, they will not be of the sub 3micron variety? This is not to say that they aren't any good of course. Thinner diaphragms are used to give fast transient response (I believe), but as the caps used in the Line Audio mic's are SD's anyway, this is of less consequence -right?

I will try to get more info from Mr Jonsson.
 
Well damn... Might just have to try their QM12 soon... So no one wants to buy this Trident EQ so I can?
 
Well, diaphragm thickness isn't the end of the world (I seem to remember a few german mics with 12my diaphragms that sound half decent:)), but you should perhaps note that unlike the Rode NT5 it is not an externally polarized, but an electret capsule. (I don't know about the C4, but all the new AKG stuff is electret.) Which isn't the end of the world either I guess...
 
Are you saying all the Line Audio mic's are electrets, or just the CM-2? Like you say, this is not the end of the world if it is so, but still important to some.
 
Well if they use 10-year-old Japanese electret capsules, I hope they're not using some of the ones used in Sony electrets of the past... Or maybe they're related to TOA? Who know...
 
They're all electrets.

AKG had a mic in the 70's that used multiple diaphragms, can't remember the model no. There are probably others as well.

I recall asking Harvey quite some time ago what he thought of the concept with multiple diaphragms. I think he commented it as "interesting" but that it had to be very carefully executed in order to avoid phase anomalies. Do a seach, I'm sure you'll find the post (it was here on HR).

I also own the CM2, and quite frankly I don't use them a whole lot. They're not very bad mics (they're far better than my C1000's for example), I just think I have more useful ones.

Cheers
/Henrik

PS
Hello Meshuggah and Stefan!
 
I suggested to Roger that Harvey Gerst would be a good, impartial and respected person to review some of their mic's!

If you are reading this Harvey and would be interested, log onto lineaudio.se and contact Roger through the site?
 
Hi folks

Just thought I'd drag up this old thread and ask if anyone of you who showed an interest before actually ever got round to trying out any of these interesting Sedish mics?

I am still curious and will be contacting Roger again to try to get him to join this forum and tell us about his mics and pres etc.

I have not heard any of the Line Audio gear, but I like the fact that they are hand made in Sweden and have a multi cap array. I will take the plunge at some point in time!

Cheers
 
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