Beltrom said:
Shit, I really don't want to stand in front of a train. And I don't have any opinion whatsoever about Stephen Paul or his accomplishment because frankly I don't know enough about him (this may very well tell more of me than him). But I have to ask, not because I want to question your statement or Stephen Paul but because I don't understand (I might have missed something in the thread, much to read here).
I can certainly respect ALL that!!!
My impression was that most of the cheap microphones came out of Chinese factories, either as a whole or by parts? My other impression was that these factories where set up by german manufacturers (according to rumours AKG and Neumann) and their technology? Where does Stephen Paul come into this?
Your impressions are right... And it was Germany (At the time, the company was known as Georg Neumann & Co./ Gefell while the German Democratic Republic took all control of both the Berlin factory where Georg Neumann was and the Gefell factory where Joachim Keuhnast was.) who helped China start 797 Audio.
Now how does Stephen Paul fit into the cheap microphones coming out of the Chinese factories? Well THAT is EXACTLY what I've been TRYING to point-out, though I know unsuccessfully, this ENTIRE thread!
Ok, I'll try it again:
Stephen Paul started opening up the "sacred" Neumann and AKG in the 70's and the entire industry was all over him for "destroying" such the preciously-coveted jewels!
Over 20 years ago, Stephen Paul developed the 3 micron thick Mylar large diaphragm technology which is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, (did I mention MUCH?) MORE involved than it sounds and how a couple people here make it out to be! Even Neumann could not and STILL cannot do it wth durability! To this day, they'll openly tell you that a 6 micron thick Mylar large diaphragm is the thinnest possible to have any type of durability and is as thin as you should ever want! THIS debate between Neumann and Stephen Paul goes-on to date!!!
In the early to mid 90's, Groove Tubes released the MD-3... Their first large diaphragm condenser. If I remember correctly, it was made by Stephen Paul Audio, but don't quote me on that because I don't remember "for sure". It was one of the FIRST "real" large diaphragm condenser microphones NOT by Neumann or AKG.
Around the same time, the result of companies trying but failing of Stephen Paul's 3 micron technology was indeed the BPM microphones. They were also apart of the FIRST "real" large diaphragm condenser microphones NOT by Neumann or AKG, supposedly hand-made in Germany. In 2000, we FINALLY found-out it has really been 797 Audio in China all along!!!
It in fact, literally almost took nearly 20 years before ANYONE ELSE could get the technology to be as durable as Stephen Paul (we're talking this happened in the past 2-3, maybe 4 years?)! Who was it exactly? I don't truly know! But with the above paragraph in mind, I'd bet on 797 Audio!
797 Audio and now a few other factories in China have been producing parts (usually at least finished capsules and diaphragms) and fully-finished microphones for damn near ALL the new companies coming-out of the woodwork for several year now!
A few people here criticize Stephen Paul for his claims in connection with China (and Neumann by the way). They insist they are fabricated, for reasoning that has STILL yet to be reveled. I STILL hold MY ground that they are NOT and the "proof" is sitting in the microphones themselves! Hell, my 797 Audio CR998 alone says enough!!! On the outside, most probably think it's an old AKG C12 ripoff... Little do they know, on the inside, 797 Audio was VERY, VERY, VERY, (did I mention VERY?) meticulously TRYING to recreate (by reverse engineering) a VERY modern and pretty damn rare microphone by you know who... I'll just say it relates to Harvey's idea of the "best" microphone in the world... And leave it at that...
And THAT'S how Stephen Paul relates to the Chinese factories!!!
Even as a broad statement! Talk about the other end of the spectrum...
