Excerpt from
Tube Mic Tete-a-Tete
by Brian Knave with Myles Boisen, Electronic Musician, February 1998

The resurgence of vacuum tubes in recording technology is not just some retro-smitten fashion craze like platform shoes and double-knit polyester. Tubes have come back onto the scene because they have a sound that transistors can't quite match. Account for it how you will--even-order harmonics, better linearity, smoother handling of transients--the fact remains that tube gear tends to sound sweeter, fatter, and more musical than its solid-state counterpart.

The ascendance of digital recording has largely been responsible for this renewed interest in tube gear. Almost everyone, it seems, is looking for ways to warm up "cold" digital tracks. In fact, even a number of digital processors (with so-called tube-emulation circuits) have come to market for this purpose.

But the best way to inject some tube attitude into your tracks is with real tube gear. And what better place to start than at the beginning of the signal chain? That's why the recent proliferation of affordable tube microphones is such great news. After all, it was only a few years back that a new tube mic cost upward of three grand--and a refurbished vintage model could go for twice that! Also, whether you bought a new or used, the pickings were slim. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Several tube condenser mics are currently available, and prices have dropped enough to position this once-extravagant piece of gear within reach of the personal studio.

"We did a recent head count and turned up five tube condenser microphones priced below $2,000 each: the AKG Solidtube ($1,500), the Groove Tubes System 6TM ($1,395), the Lawson L47MP ($1,995), the Peavey PVM T9000 ($1,299.99), and the Rode Classic ($1,995.00). To get an idea of how these five tube mics perform--and to help you determine which is most suitable for your recording needs--we compared them head to head on a variety of source sounds.

SWIMSUIT COMPETITION
Lawson L47MP. Depending on your tastes, the Lawson L47MP mic is either gorgeous or garish. Nearly ten inches long and 2.5 inches in diameter, this brass-bodied behemoth is 24-karat gold plated from top to bottom and weighs over two pounds. Excepting the shiny finish, the L47MP looks like a Neumann U47. The capsule, however, is a reproduction of the Neumann M7 (the earlier one of two used in the U47 and M49 mics) but with a thinner diaphragm. The mic employs a 6072 medium mu triode tube.

The L47MP is internally shock mounted, so no external suspension mount is provided. . . .

Of the mics tested, three of which provide multiple polar patterns, the L47MP is distinctive in offering a continuously variable control (located on the power supply). This feature sidesteps the limitations of preset switch positions and proved extremely useful for tailoring the mic's frequency response to specific sound sources.

Along with the polar-pattern control, the compact power supply provides a switchable 12 dB pad, on/off switch, and mic, audio, and IEC cable connectors. A shielded, 30-foot Mogami power cable with Neutrik gold-plated 6-pin connectors is included. The whole package comes in an airtight/watertight Pelican-brand protective case complete with an O-ring seal and a Pressure Purge knob for equalizing air pressure after air or mountain travel.

Lawson mics are available directly from the factory only. . . .

TALENT SHOW
Before getting into particulars, it's only right to explain that the Lawson L47MP had us fooled at first. That's because we did all the initial tests with the mic set to its cardioid pattern--and the cardioid was perhaps the L47's least flattering polar pattern. Only when we began to experiment with the continually variable polar patterns did we learn just how versatile and divine-sounding this mic can be.

Even a small turn of the knob yielded a big tonal shift. For example, turning the knob from twelve o-clock (cardioid) to two o-clock (hypercardioid) caused the L47 to become considerably brighter. This gives the mic a big advantage in terms of versatility but makes it a bit trickier to use to full advantage, as finding the best setting for a particular source sound requires experimentation. It also seemed that positioning of the L47 figured more prominently into the quality of the final sound than it did with the other mics.

Of the lot, the L47 sounds by far the most like a vintage tube mic. That's no great surprise, of course, considering that its design is based on the Neumann U47. Regardless of polar pattern, the L47 sounds consistently fat, warm, and "tube colored," with noticeable compression characteristics. Given its general tonality, the L47 can cover a range of sounds from dark and covered to bright and articulate. Yet, the tone remains warm, tubey, and compressed.

We loved the L47 on tenor sax, where it produced a smooth, fat vintage tone, and on soprano sax, where it sounded warm and lush yet maintained sufficient high-end content. The L47 is never harsh sounding. That was readily apparent on harmonica, from which it captured a beautiful tone with smooth, warm, non-raspy highs. As you might guess, the L47 also sounded delicious on male vocals, particularly the ballads, where it imparted a smooth, vintage quality to the voice. . . .

Perhaps the coolest results we got were on electric guitar tracks, both jazz and rock styles. At this point we were recording to ADAT--but the tones coming back from the digital tape were decidedly not digital sounding! Boisen, who is generally unwavering in his regard for MDMs, said he could have been fooled into thinking he was listening to analog tape. The distorted rock guitar tracks were wonderfully fat, full, and "analog" sounding. And any traditional jazz guitarist would love the solid low end and warm tone that the L47 laid down to digital tape. . . .

As for self-noise, the L47 is an exceptionally quiet mic--the quiest of the bunch.

THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE
For sheer tube magic, a realistic vintage vibe, and superb craftsmanship, the Lawson L47MP takes top honors. This mic has gobs of tube attitude, and in many cases can single-handedly impart a classic, fat, ultrawarm analog sound to your digital tracks. Its continuously variable polar-pattern control offers a virtual grab bag of tonal options, and it was the quietest mic of the lot. . . .

PARTING ADVICE
So, what's my recommendation? . . . if you already own a clean-sounding, large-diaphragm condenser mic, and warming up digital tracks is your primary concern, the Lawson L47MP would be the way to go.