Ear Trumpet Labs design another retro mic, ‘Josephine’
5,0 / 5,0 | 
If you’re after a retro-styled microphone, then Ear Trumpet Labs in聽Portland, OR, are a company to check out. Handcrafting their mics from design through to production, a small specialist team build these mics under the watchful eye of founder聽Philip Graham. ‘Josephine’ is his latest design, which is aimed at solo or ensemble vocal performances. I want one just to look at in the studio!
Josephine sports a medium-large diaphragm, suspended in a copper ring and held in place with a basket and some springs. With a cardioid polar pattern, this condenser microphone can be used on the stage and in the studio for that rustic feel.
The design concept here is very much ‘for’ the retro vibe, rather than ‘from’ way back. Behind the stylish exterior, ‘Josephine’ is equipped with her own transformerless FET electronics for a modern sound. Used for聽live sound as well as studio recording, it聽apparently offers a decent level of gain before feedback. I understand the聽sound is designed聽to be modern and clear, with an internal hyped EQ for vocal clarity, and low-end control. Working with the proximity effect, the mic聽lends itself聽to perform聽well at distances up to 48″ whilst retaining warmth. All this shows聽some careful considerations were implemented聽for the modern application of a microphone with this style. I expect this mic will deliver the goods and prove popular amongst artists who are looking for that classic period image.
Pricing isn’t clear yet and hasn’t been made official from Ear Trumpet Labs themselves. According to some distributors and judging by the rest of the range, I think we can safely expect a figure around 500 USD. This is very good for something so specialist and hand-built, but also reasonable for a mic you’re not likely to use everyday. Shipping is expected sometime next month.
More Information:聽http://www.eartrumpetlabs.com
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