Mojave Audio MA-37 Large Diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone

Retro. Futuristic. The Mojave Audio MA-37 Large Diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone is Technical Grammy Award Winner David Royer’s modern take on a legend – the Sony C-37A. Known for its high headroom and ability to tame brittle high end, it became a workhorse in the 60s, especially during the golden age of Hollywood recording – the "Wrecking Crew" era. Studios such as Capitol Records and Sunset Sound acquired multiples, many of which are still use to this day. From Leonard Bernstein and the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and VO legend Mel Blanc (the voice of over 400 characters, from Bugs Bunny to Barney Rubble) though producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Peter Gabriel) and current artists, such as Bon Iver, the C-37A remains a ‘secret weapon’ microphone for those in the know. David Royer, who has been a fan of the C-37a for thirty years, has long desired to offer his updated version to the Mojave family – and that time has come. He states, "Sony took a completely different approach than Neumann and AKG, which made the C-37a a completely different animal."

The Mojave MA-37 features an EF86 tube, Lundahl transformer and a special capsule built in California. It features a unique mechanical approach, developed by RCA in the 1930s and adapted by Sony, to achieving a choice between cardioid and omnidirectional polar pattens – an adjustable tuned acoustic chamber.

In keeping with David Royer’s “simple yet elegant” design philosophy, the circuit is based around a single-stage tube amplifier. The hi-pass filter controls are located on the power supply, offering three options: flat (M), 100 Hz (V1) and 200 Hz (V2).

HISTORY OF THE SONY C-37A

They say that "necessity is the mother of invention", and in the mid '50s the Japanese audio market was in need of an affordable, high quality condenser microphone to compete against the dominant mic of the era - the Neumann U47. The U47 was prohibitively expensive in Japan at the time, and so the Japanese broadcaster NHK began the task of researching and developing an alternative. After abandoning the project, research was then continued by the Sony corporation. The result was an outstanding microphone of high quality and unique sonic characteristics - the Sony C-37A.

The early Sony prototypes were used to record the NHK symphony rehearsing in the studio under visiting conductor Herbert von Karajan in 1954. The results were so encouraging that engineers pressed ahead with the designs, and the C-37A became commercially available in Japan the following year. The microphone finally made its American debut at the 1958 Hi-Fi Show in Los Angeles, and soon became a fixture in town at Capitol Studios, where it was used extensively by Frank Sinatra and Nat 'King' Cole. The sound of the mic was considered so good, it was proudly displayed on album jackets. The chief recording engineer for Capitol at the time said "Never before have I seen such a wide frequency band or such a smooth response in the upper range." He was right; the mic had a frequency response from 30 Hz to 16 kHz, slightly wider than its inspiration and competitor - the Neumann U47.

FEATURES:

• David Royer’s recreation of the world famous Sony C-37A tube condenser microphone
• Straightforward design based on single-stage tube amplifier
• Smooth, ribbon-like sound flatters every source, from vocals and acoustic instruments to guitar amps and drums
• Features include EF806 vacuum tube, a Lundahl transformer and custom capsule
• U-shaped shock-mount yoke secures the microphone to low-frequency rumble
• Dedicated power supply with 3 high-pass filter options: Flat (M), 100 Hz (V1), and 200 Hz (V2)
• Adjustable chamber for switching between cardioid and omni patterns