"The Grand Pearl" microphone uses our large size dual diaphragm capsule, designed to provide character of sweet, warm tone known from the most famous vintage vocal microphones. Microphone has unidirectional cardioid polar pattern.
Above picture provides some technical information, but how the microphone reacts in concrete application depends on a number of factors - room volume, reflections, reverberation, microphone distance and angle from sound source and room walls, microphone external pre-amplifier input impedance and electronics type, microphone cable length and quality, etc. But the basis of sound comes from know-how of artist and engineer!
"The Grand Pearl" is based on special version of our top level large size dual diaphragm electrostatic capsule. Diaphragms are made of the highest quality 6-micron Mylar film, sputtered with our special formula of gold mixture, and tensioned on precisely made brass back-plate. All it provides faster impulse transient response, minimal sound coloration, prevents from low frequency loss, and handling of louder sound pressure levels. Each capsule is carefully checked and measured in an anechoic chamber for optimum of performance.
Unidirectional polar pattern effectively reduces ambient stage noise and acoustic feedback and provides optimally wide frontal incidence angle. The microphones head grille is made as multi-layer brass mesh acoustic filter that reduces plosive sounds, breath, pop and wind noise, minimizes internal resonance effects, but keeps sound transparency unaffected the same time. Additional polyurethane open cell foam windscreen is available as option.
The internal solid state pre-amplifier is based on class-A fully discrete transformer-less electronics circuit, built using only the best quality selected components. The circuit is designed under the highest audio standards and provides linear audio frequency range, high dynamics, low self noise, and very low audio distortion of all types.
"The Grand Pearl" requires quality and stable 48 V phantom power. It is available from external microphone preamplifier and mixing console inputs or from separate phantom power supply units. Some units, most case mixing consoles, though rated as 48 volt sources, may supply inadequate or unstable phantom power or have a problem to provide correct phantom power under multi microphone loads. It can result in distortion and degraded audio performance. Please check your phantom power sources under real microphone loads.
"The Grand Pearl" is ready for noise free handheld or microphone stand use. Flexible stand holder is supplied with microphone. Rugged microphone construction and internal shock-mounts effectively reduces stand rumble, outside infrasonic interference and mechanical shocks. External elastic shock-mount for studio or special stage needs is available as option.
We recommend using of our audiophile quality microphone cables with gold plated connector contacts to minimize all types of external noise, signal loss and to maximize contact quality. The cables are available as option.
Applications
"The Grand Pearl" microphones are designed for the stage vocalist needs, but are capable of capturing piano, guitars, drums, percussion, strings, wind and many other instruments. The microphones can be successfully used in professional sound reinforcement systems, in recording, broadcast and TV studios, in movie and video industry, project studios and home recording, and many other applications. "The Grand Pearl" is unidirectional cardioid microphone - please use it without closing rear side of microphone capsule by hand or other way ! It is destroying microphones frequency response and directivity pattern, and results in degraded audio quality and acoustic feedback.
- Vocals - "The Grand Pearl" is specially designed for stage vocalists. Use it 2 to 15 cm from capsule head to get best results. There is no need to worry about the microphone overload in case of close using. Using of additional pop filter in studio, or foam windscreen in live application can additionally help to reduce plosive sounds, breath, pop and wind noise. We recommend having spare mesh windscreen of microphone head, to change in case longer performance.
- Piano - "The Grand Pearl" gives excellent results on piano. Use one on upper side of piano and second one on bass side of piano for stereo recording. There are many methods with close miking, distanced miking and combined miking. But the result depends highly on piano player and instrument individuality and room's acoustics. The right microphone placement is the most important factor. The best method is to find it by your own ear - go and listen.
- Acoustic Guitars - "The Grand Pearl" is giving excellent results on both - metal string acoustic guitars, and classical nylon string acoustic guitars. Right placement is the most important factor again. We recommend beginning with facing the microphone to guitars' neck, where it joins body, in some 10 cm distance from it. Use a pair or more microphones for stereo recording.
- Electric Guitars - "The Grand Pearl" gives excellent results for all - dynamic and bright clean amp sound, lead guitar overdrive and distortion sounds, or warm jazzy tones recording. Place the microphone at 5 to 10 cm from the center of a loudspeaker to get more upper frequencies, or move the microphone toward the cone edge to get fuller tone with more mid and low frequencies. We recommend orienting a microphone diaphragm under some angle with a loudspeaker diaphragm to avoid low frequency peaks. Larger distance from the loudspeaker will add more air and room acoustics and soften high frequencies. There are endless methods of combining close miking, distance miking, miking from a backside of an open speaker box, experimenting with different room acoustics, etc.
- Drums - "The Grand Pearl" fast impulse transient response, crystal clear highs and loud SPL handling make it excellent for the drums recording, especially for snare drum, tom-toms, overhead and hi-hat. The advisable distance is 5 to 10 cm from a drum rim, but you can try different positions and angles. A bigger distance will add more air, environment and naturalness. A smaller distance will increase the low frequencies and separation from other sound sources. Use a pair as stereo overhead microphones. There are endless methods to record drums - from one pair of stereo microphones for right balanced drum kit in an optimal acoustics room until several microphones on each drum kit unit.
- Percussions - Like the drum recording "The Grand Pearl" microphone gives transparent, clean and real results in all kinds of percussions recording. The distance of 25 cm is the best to start. Closer distance will add more details, tone and separation. Larger distance will add room ambience, naturalness and blending with other instruments.
- Bowed Strings - "The Grand Pearl" is an excellent choice for recording all kinds of bowed string instruments. The distance of 25 to 40 cm above the instrument bridge is preferable for violin and viola. The distance of 10 to 20 cm in front of bridge is right for double bass or cello.
- Brass And Wind - The smooth, natural tone of "The Grand Pearl" microphone makes it the best choice to record saxophone and other brass and wind instruments. For the clarinet and the soprano saxophone use the microphone 10 to 30 cm above the horn and lowest pads. Place microphone 5 to 15 cm in front of the lip of the bell for the other saxophone instruments. For the flute place the microphone above the middle of the instrument. Use 10 to 50 cm distances for the trumpet, the trombone, the French horn, the tuba and other brass instruments.
Specifications:
- Transducer type electrostatic
- Operating principle pressure gradient
- Diaphragm's active diameter 26 mm (1")
- Frequency range 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Polar pattern unidirectional, cardioid
- Output impedance 50 ohms
- Rated load impedance 1000 ohms
- Suggested load impedance > 500 ohms
- Sensitivity at 1000 Hz into 1000 ohms load 20 mV/Pa
- S/N Ratio CCIR 468-3 weighted 75 dB
- S/N Ratio DIN/IEC 651 A-weighted 86 db-A
- Equivalent noise level DIN/IEC A-weighted 8 dB-A
- Maximum SPL for 0.5% THD at 1000 ohm load 136 dB
- Dynamic range of the microphone preamplifier 128 db
- Phantom powering voltage on pins 2 & 3 of XLR +48 V (+/-4 V)
- Current consumption < 2 mA
- Output connector 3-pin XLR male, gold plated contacts
- Signal polarity positive toward pressure on a diaphragm produces positive polarity voltage on XLR pin #2 relatively to pin #3
- Dimensions and weight 207 x 42.5 head diameter (24.5 shaft) mm, 350 grams
