Samar Cadioid LD Capsule Guitar Samples

[Recording Engineer]

This is a spinoff from this thread:
https://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=67773.0

I finally got to really play with Samar’s new cardioid capsule at the new studio I’ve been helping build for the last 3-years.

I was really hoping to have samples of some vocals but they ended up not being about to make it at the last minute. I was also hoping for samples as a drum room and overhead mic, but unfortunately that didn’t work out, as the main studio is still full of construction stuff even though it the room itself is ready to go. Also the studio doesn’t have the C7 piano moved in yet, so no piano samples either. Ah!

Still, we got some acoustic and electric guitar samples I thought I’d share. I decided to just do it in a pretty-dead Iso, but not stuffy at all, so you can really hear without too much room influence.

Also, I decided to simply use the onboard SSL Duality console preamp as it’s closest to “utility preamp” we have; where I don’t think anyone would ever think twice about using them, nor do I believe anyone would ever rave about them or pick them first in a room full of outboard pres.

The samples labeled 37 are with a Sony C37a type circuit as an example with cathode-follower design. The capsule had 60V polarization. The samples labeled 49 are with Neumann M49c type circuit, with no local feedback, as an example with a plate-out design. The capsule had 40V polarization. Also, a simple circuit board swap was all that was done.

Nothing about these samples are scientific. Also, no time was even spent making sure anything was “correct” to actually be used for anything other than this, so levels may not be ideal and their may even be some converter-clip in some spots. By the way, converter is a new AVID and clocked to Antelope’s new Atomic Clock.

Samples are 24-Bit, 44.1k:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CvfXjNC6EjSOS3r-lTMSDrIy6esbzMhb

 

[Recording Engineer]

Pic

 

[Recording Engineer]

Pic

 

[kingkorg]

Samples sound great! Why no picture of the capsule?

 

[Recording Engineer]

See the linked post above where I had already posted pics with the capsule in them.

 

[Marik]

Why no picture of the capsule?

Here is a couple pics--capsule with a holder as used in our TF08 microphone and backplate.
The capsule is our own proprietary design, which took 2 years of R&D. It is vented, three chambered, and also uses internal frequency dependent screen to ensure good and uniform cardioid pattern throughout entire frequency range and makes it much less dependent on the distance to the source.

If there is enough interest we could consider making this capsule available for DIYer's , so speak up your mind, folks.

Best, M

 

[Marik]

TF08 Backplate sitting on a rotary installation table

 

[Tim Campbell]

Beautiful.

 

[Murdock]

Looking great!

If there is enough interest we could consider making this capsule available for DIYer's , so speak up your mind, folks.

There can't be enough choices for DIY! Especially high quality capsules  :

 

[Recording Engineer]

I have an actual session at a studio on the 29th and can use it for that too. What configuration would you like me to try it in? The cathode-follower or plate-out? I’ll try it on vocal and percussion this time.

By the way, the plate-out circuit used has no low-end control in it and shows just how much low-end capture-capable and sensitive the capsule is. No joke, I was getting low-end feedback whenever I had the pair of Subwoofer Pro 18s on (crossed-over at 60HZ) with the ATC150s in the control room and not at all with the PMC TwoTwo8s.

Obviously, low-end control in a circuit can and should be played with, but I also have a feeling the rest of the range will act differently without all that the sub content.  As is with that plate-out circuit, I’m definitely curious with it as a room mic on any source.

 

[Recording Engineer]

Also, my conclusion to the samples is not only do they sound great regardless , but that on both acoustic and electric guitar, I’d probably prefer  the 49 for sparser mixes and the 37 for denser mixes.

 

[kingkorg]

If there is enough interest we could consider making this capsule available for DIYer's , so speak up your mind, folks.

Best, M

Absolutelly interrested.

 

[lampas]

Absolutelly interrested.

Me too, me too 

 

[snigglepit]

Am I right in thinking this capsule does not have a rear diaphragm? How does that affect its behaviour compared with a standard cardioid LD capsule?

 

[kingkorg]

Rear diaphragm is needed for other polar patterns like f8 and omni. Most cardioid only capsules don't have rear diaphragm. Røde NT1, every SDC capsule ever made, Neumann TLM103, TLM107...

 

[RPC360]

Shure uses a passive rear diaphragm to tailor the proximity effect on several of their cardioid microphones (KSM8, KSM9, KSM42). They have a paper about it at  http://www.shure.com/publications/us_pro_dual_diaphragm_paper_ea.pdf. Dr. Fouxman seems to have accomplished something similar with his "frequency dependent screen." (I don't care how many equations you use, transducer design is still black magic in my book!)

 

[jarvis]

If there is enough interest we could consider making this capsule available for DIYer's , so speak up your mind, folks.

That would be phenomenal, I would love to get my hands on one of these in the future.
Congrats on that awesome original development!

Best
Jannis

 

[Marik]

Hey folks,

Thank you for your nice words and your interest!

Shure uses a passive rear diaphragm to tailor the proximity effect on several of their cardioid microphones (KSM8, KSM9, KSM42). They have a paper about it at  http://www.shure.com/publications/us_pro_dual_diaphragm_paper_ea.pdf. Dr. Fouxman seems to have accomplished something similar with his "frequency dependent screen." (I don't care how many equations you use, transducer design is still black magic in my book!)

RPC360,

Thank you for posting this excellent article, which is a must to read for anybody interested in better understanding of capsule design and physics behind it!
Indeed, the screen we use is essential for controlling proximity effect--something usual single diaphragm capsules have a problem with, which is with close distances the polar response of the usual single diaphragm capsules on low frequencies turns into figure 8, with its huge proximity effect, as the article shows.

Two reasons we went for a vented cardioid only single diaphragm design are:
1) to avoid turning the polar pattern into omni on lower frequencies at far field/longer distances.
2) it is easier to control and optimize cardioid pattern without affecting, or sucrificing frequency response. With addition of the screens we are able to avoid usual problems of either single, or dual diaphragm designs.

Røde NT1, every SDC capsule ever made, Neumann TLM103, TLM107...

Kingkorg,

You are correct, one of the NT1 capsule versions was with Aluminum vented backplate. To my knowledge they had 2 other versions: K67 type, K67 with high end booster resonator--both with dummy second diaphragm.

As for SDC, I actually have quite a unique Russian SD capsule which uses dummy second diaphragm--that's the only dual diaphragm SD I ever saw. Once I am back in office I will take a picture of that very interesting capsule and post it.

The difference of our capsule with TLM103 and TLM107 is the Neumann uses aperiodic/two chambered design, while we chose three chambered resonator system with additional screen for polar and frequency response control. While it is more complicated and takes more machining and labor to make we go into those complications to achieve a wide, but very smooth response, without usual for LDC's bump in 8-12kHz region--with excellent top end extension, but still without usual sibilance problems.

Best, M

 

[kingkorg]

I have this russian sdc. Could it be the same?

 

[AusTex64]

Aluminum diaphragm, correct?