R
Recording Engineer
Moderator
Sorry guys. I saw this posted by Taylor Johnson on the rec.audio.pro newsgroup and had to post it here as I am the slut-puppy lover of The Sound Room like you all know I am:
"Steve:
Pardon my not picking this thread up before and responding. I just spoke to Harvey Gerst and he recommended that I reply to your post(s)
RTT (Russian Transducer Technology) is the company that I am affiliated with. For a long time, we just acquired used European Microphones and repaired, reconditioned and re-sold them. Then we started manufacturing our own brand of mics.
We took over the VM100 tube mic production from Oktava, make the M1(LOMO) head for the MC012 and soon the Elation KM201, we worked on the ML25 ribbon project for Oktava, but I (personally) couldn't pass these (ML25) mics due to too much self noise and too much sensitivity to RF, and we have a number of
other projects (see our "BOTTLE" mic the MKL101 - at our web site www.sound-room.com)
We work at many different labs that produce microphones, diaphragms, electronics and hardware just to make OUR mics. In doing this, we have sold microphones (and we still try to sell microphones) from manufacturers such as OKTAVA, BYETONE, NEVATON, ELATION, etc. If we can have access to units that we can freely select and test ourselves, whether on-site at the labs or chambers of the manufacturer, our labs in St.Petersburg or other labs in Moscow, then we are glad to work to develop mics that can be sold in the US (and greater market). We often refuse mics for poor cosmetics and finishing, improper pre-amp assembly or mounting, bad electronics, poor diaphragm mounting etc. It is unfortunate that the term "Russian Quality Control" has been turned into an oxymoron in the past 10 years. However, I can assure you that all Russian microphone manufacturers are making great and successful steps to overcome this.
> >>Have we ever had the real poop on just what processes are used to weed
> >>out the ones that don't get to The Sound Room, just how far they get
> >>(who sends them back, and to where?), and what sort of reject rate
> >>there is? And what tolerances are acceptable to The Sound Room, and
> >>what tolerances are acceptable to Guitar Center (if they even know)?
The Sound Room is NOT an authorized, licensed distributor of OKTAVA mics. The only world-wide distributuion of these muics is handled by A&F McKay and their distribution points (in the US that would be Guitar Center). If you must consider us a distributor, then we are an "aftermarket" distributor or a distributor of RTT products because we reserve the rights to have our own engineers test and make any necessary changes to mics we (RTT) package, warranty and sell.
In truth, because we choose to do such stringent testing in Russia (we also beta test new lines, work on designs, finishes, hardware, etc.) we have a relatively LOW return rate from units received here for my
testing. It varies monthly from 5-7%. But that is only because, as we work longer and harder with the Russian engineers and manufacturing points, we can eliminate bad units faster, and make everyone more
cognizant of producting a better end product. This has already started to affect the "general market" product of every manufacturer that we deal with - after 18 months.
We do not sell thousands of mics per month. Some of our units we only sell about 5-10 -15-20 per month, because that is all we build right now or that is all we can get or that is all that our sales warrant us carrying. Other units that may be made by other manufacturers we may test as many as about 200 units per month. Please remember that before they get to our testing stage, they have gone through selections for
cosmetics, finishing and hardware.
I will not tell you how many of any unit we "reject" or choose to modify or re-manufacture. What happens to
units that we "reject" and return to an original manufacturer, I do not know, nor am I responsible for.
We service engineers who, in knowing that it is difficult -at best - to purchase Russian products and be assured of warranties, repairs, accessories, shipping, ease of purchase and good support - choose to deal with a US-based company that specializes in Russian Audio Products. We are proud of our affiliation with all of the engineers we know and want to thank the many US and foreign engineers who have purchased from us in the past. Please read the comments section called FEEDBACK at our home page if you would like more client-based comments.
Thank you for your interest.
Taylor Johnson
Owner, Chief engineer
--The Sound Room http://www.sound-room.com http://www.oktava.com
Specialists in:
Russian Microphones
(RTT,ELATION,OKTAVA,BYETONE,NEVATON,)
SABRASOM accessories
Pro Audio"
"Steve:
Pardon my not picking this thread up before and responding. I just spoke to Harvey Gerst and he recommended that I reply to your post(s)
RTT (Russian Transducer Technology) is the company that I am affiliated with. For a long time, we just acquired used European Microphones and repaired, reconditioned and re-sold them. Then we started manufacturing our own brand of mics.
We took over the VM100 tube mic production from Oktava, make the M1(LOMO) head for the MC012 and soon the Elation KM201, we worked on the ML25 ribbon project for Oktava, but I (personally) couldn't pass these (ML25) mics due to too much self noise and too much sensitivity to RF, and we have a number of
other projects (see our "BOTTLE" mic the MKL101 - at our web site www.sound-room.com)
We work at many different labs that produce microphones, diaphragms, electronics and hardware just to make OUR mics. In doing this, we have sold microphones (and we still try to sell microphones) from manufacturers such as OKTAVA, BYETONE, NEVATON, ELATION, etc. If we can have access to units that we can freely select and test ourselves, whether on-site at the labs or chambers of the manufacturer, our labs in St.Petersburg or other labs in Moscow, then we are glad to work to develop mics that can be sold in the US (and greater market). We often refuse mics for poor cosmetics and finishing, improper pre-amp assembly or mounting, bad electronics, poor diaphragm mounting etc. It is unfortunate that the term "Russian Quality Control" has been turned into an oxymoron in the past 10 years. However, I can assure you that all Russian microphone manufacturers are making great and successful steps to overcome this.
> >>Have we ever had the real poop on just what processes are used to weed
> >>out the ones that don't get to The Sound Room, just how far they get
> >>(who sends them back, and to where?), and what sort of reject rate
> >>there is? And what tolerances are acceptable to The Sound Room, and
> >>what tolerances are acceptable to Guitar Center (if they even know)?
The Sound Room is NOT an authorized, licensed distributor of OKTAVA mics. The only world-wide distributuion of these muics is handled by A&F McKay and their distribution points (in the US that would be Guitar Center). If you must consider us a distributor, then we are an "aftermarket" distributor or a distributor of RTT products because we reserve the rights to have our own engineers test and make any necessary changes to mics we (RTT) package, warranty and sell.
In truth, because we choose to do such stringent testing in Russia (we also beta test new lines, work on designs, finishes, hardware, etc.) we have a relatively LOW return rate from units received here for my
testing. It varies monthly from 5-7%. But that is only because, as we work longer and harder with the Russian engineers and manufacturing points, we can eliminate bad units faster, and make everyone more
cognizant of producting a better end product. This has already started to affect the "general market" product of every manufacturer that we deal with - after 18 months.
We do not sell thousands of mics per month. Some of our units we only sell about 5-10 -15-20 per month, because that is all we build right now or that is all we can get or that is all that our sales warrant us carrying. Other units that may be made by other manufacturers we may test as many as about 200 units per month. Please remember that before they get to our testing stage, they have gone through selections for
cosmetics, finishing and hardware.
I will not tell you how many of any unit we "reject" or choose to modify or re-manufacture. What happens to
units that we "reject" and return to an original manufacturer, I do not know, nor am I responsible for.
We service engineers who, in knowing that it is difficult -at best - to purchase Russian products and be assured of warranties, repairs, accessories, shipping, ease of purchase and good support - choose to deal with a US-based company that specializes in Russian Audio Products. We are proud of our affiliation with all of the engineers we know and want to thank the many US and foreign engineers who have purchased from us in the past. Please read the comments section called FEEDBACK at our home page if you would like more client-based comments.
Thank you for your interest.
Taylor Johnson
Owner, Chief engineer
--The Sound Room http://www.sound-room.com http://www.oktava.com
Specialists in:
Russian Microphones
(RTT,ELATION,OKTAVA,BYETONE,NEVATON,)
SABRASOM accessories
Pro Audio"