M-Audio's New Luna Mic

[InfiniteMH]

OK, so i got this issue of recording magazine today that i canceled about a month ago but still keep getting for free..

and on the cover, is a gian picture of this new mic.

it give a bit of tech info and says it gives vintage sound..

has anyone used this mic?..

what is a vintage sound?

hmmm...

 

[ds21]

I don't know, but they say Quality control will be very very good and that all mics will be with-in 1db of each other! retail is $249.95 wonder what street will be!

 

[Flatpicker]

I tried one on my own voice at Summer NAMM last week. They didn’t have anything there to reference it to, but I thought it sounded pretty good – I remember it being on the warm side, but not muddy. It was clear and detailed without the hyped high end. Definitely a no-brainer at the street price, whatever it is.

 

[Sklathill]

Street price, they'll either pull an Oktava and make that street price 100, or they'll be reasonable and hit the 150-200 mark that makes it compete with the C1, the NT1a, 3035, M177, c3000, and other LDC cardiod mics. They can't put it too low, unless they really do want to undercut their own Groove Tubes mics...

My first thought when I saw this mic a while back was a giant version of the Audix SCX25? (Which I think KICKS ARSE, BTW. Just too expensive for me right now, but I continue to remember it...)

 

[cominginsecond]

Any rumors about who is OEM'ing this mic? Clearly, M-Audio did not build a mic factory just for the Luna. Is it Groove Tubes, maybe?

 

[Sklathill]

Speaking of OEMing... Groove Tubes mics are made in China as well, right? I remember the Alesis GT mics being Chinese...has that model changed? (I haven't kept up with GT, I'm sorry to say...)

 

[Flatpicker]

Street price, they'll either pull an Oktava and make that street price 100, or they'll be reasonable and hit the 150-200 mark that makes it compete with the C1, the NT1a, 3035, M177, c3000, and other LDC cardiod mics. They can't put it too low, unless they really do want to undercut their own Groove Tubes mics...

I'm betting street will be the latter. They said the GTs are higher priced and didn't mind them doing a lower-end mic.

 

[Flatpicker]

Speaking of OEMing... Groove Tubes mics are made in China as well, right? I remember the Alesis GT mics being Chinese...has that model changed? (I haven't kept up with GT, I'm sorry to say...)

They didn't say, but I'm 99.9% sure its Chinese.

GT makes their diaphragms, transformers, tubes, and various case parts in the US. The capsules, boards and final assemblies are done in their Chinese factory. The electronics are very high grade - WIMA caps, etc...(WIMA's the best...) This is all from Aspen Pitman who did a short microphone seminar at NAMM.

It’s interesting that GT seems to put tons of effort into making super mics for the money, but no one here or other forums for that matter, ever says much about them. Maybe that will change in the near future with these re-designed models. I know I’ll for sure be checking them out.

BTW, Aspen Pittman claims the GTs have closer specs from mic to mic than Neumann.

 

[PinkStrat]

Aspen Pittman also said that his Chinese "6V6" tubes sounded the same as the original USA Phillips small bottle version. Funny, but those big bottle Chinese 6V6s went up in smoke every time as they couldn't handle any decent plate voltage. Actually, his Chinese 6V6s were closer to a 6L6, but if they blew up it didn't matter.

 

[Flatpicker]

Aspen Pittman also said that his Chinese "6V6" tubes sounded the same as the original USA Phillips small bottle version. Funny, but those big bottle Chinese 6V6s went up in smoke every time as they couldn't handle any decent plate voltage. Actually, his Chinese 6V6s were closer to a 6L6, but if they blew up it didn't matter.

Yeah, now that you mention it, I saw a little smoke coming out his rear when he was giving his spill.

Sigh... I hate when sales people do that.

 

[Sklathill]

I'm very interested in GT...it's just about 200 out of my price range, unfortunately... The joys of being a senior in college...

 

[darrin_h2000]

Hate to disappoint you but there arent any tube factories and capsule manufaturers in the US, the GT line has been made in china ( although a cut above the usual quality) from the start

 

[Flatpicker]

Hate to disappoint you but there arent any tube factories and capsule manufaturers in the US, the GT line has been made in china ( although a cut above the usual quality) from the start

I thought so too, but I could have sworn he said they made their own mic tubes. I could be wrong, though. The mic tubes are very small - about an inch long, including the pins and about 1/4" in diameter. Doesn't look anything like an ordinary tube from China or Russia.

 

[darrin_h2000]

The GT tubes themselves are handpicked Sovtecs. Id replace them with Mullard NOS.

 

[ds21]

It's put togather overseas. Can't remember if they said it was manufactured or just assembled.

 

[Flatpicker]

The GT tubes themselves are handpicked Sovtecs. Id replace them with Mullard NOS.

Are we talking about the same thing here? Because the tubes in the GT microphones are reeeaaalllly small! I can post a picture if you like. I didn't know Mullard made anything like that

 

[Flatpicker]

Here we go. A quote from Aspen Pittman on manufacturing their mics. This is from an article he wrote called "Choosing And Using Microphones" which is available in pdf format at the GT web site.

"At Groove Tubes, manufacturing is a hybrid operation. The designs all start in the USA, as do the manufacturing of all critical path elements like transformers, capacitors, resistors, our renowned tubes and custom diaphragm material. We then complete the machining and assembly in our own facility in Beijing. In this way we attain the best of both worlds—quality and affordable pricing.”

I thought I remembered him saying that, but having never heard of anyone making tubes in the US, I was beginning to wonder if I was going crazier than I already am.