Topic: NEW ADK mics

[kirk97132]

After talking with Larry the founder of ADK mics the other day.  I got this in my E-mail today.  Larry says it should fit most of the 22mm mic bodies out there.  If this sounds as good as the rest of there stuff it should be an awesome addition to their line up.  And while we are on the subject of ADK I have to tell all y'all that the customer service I've gotten from them has been the best I have ever gotten anywhere.  I called to get parts to fix a stripped thumbscrew on my LD shockmount.  There was no way that they were going to sell me the parts.....they sent me a new shockmount for a two year old mic for FREE!  Here is the link to the new mic heads....Looks pretty damn good, Kirk

http://hybridmic.adkmic.com/

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

That's awfully spendy for what are essentially Chinese mics.

[kirk97132]

With the number of people here who already run ADK's and like the way that they sound I am not sure I see your argument.  I'd say it's more a matter of how they sound not where the parts come from.  Even you have said to me "ADK's are good mics man", Kirk

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Never said ADK's weren't good mics Kirk.  But 3k good?  No they are not.  Sorry.

[Brian Skalinder]

Never said ADK's weren't good mics Kirk.  But 3k good?  No they are not.  Sorry.

$3k?  ADK prices are ~$1,600 / pr.  Street prices will probably be a bit lower.  Have you heard them yet?

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

These are way out of my price range, but I'm excited about the prospect of HQ SD ADKs...  I'm curious as to how they sound compared to older ADK models and/or current other brands being used by other tapers...

They do look pretty kewl though!  Props to ADK!

Terry
(Biased ADK owner)

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

4k.  my mistake    2 bodies and 3 sets of caps.

http://hybridmic.adkmic.com/toolkits/

No I have not heard them Brian but come on.  4k?  I have nothing against Chinese made mics.  Heck I own a pair but I wouldn't pay that much for the tubes..

Never said ADK's weren't good mics Kirk.  But 3k good?  No they are not.  Sorry.

$3k?  ADK prices are ~$1,600 / pr.  Street prices will probably be a bit lower.  Have you heard them yet?

[Brian Skalinder]

Yeah, the "tool kits" are interesting.  Not necessarily applicable for what we do, however:  the $3,995 "took kit" (the one I assume you're referencing) includes (2) mic amplifiers (bodies) + (1) C-LOL-12 lollipop cap, (1) C-LOL-67 lollipop cap, (2) SD-C cardioid caps, (1) SD-O-D diffuse omni cap, (1) SD-H hypercardioid cap.

I think it's more likely tapers would go for (2) mic amplifiers (bodies) + (2) SD-C cardioid caps, (2) SD-C-O omni (diffuse or free-field), (2) SD-C-H hypercardioid for $3,570.  So a few hundred less, anyway.  FWIW, this Gear Slutz thread seems to suggest street pricing will be ~$100 less per component than ADK MSRP pricing.  If that's reasonably accurate, we're looking at closer to $3k for a full stereo compliment of bodies + SDC caps.

What other mics offer that range of modular caps at a similar or lower price point?  AKG 48x, AKG 39x, MBHOs, Pelusos, and...not sure what else.  Personally, I'm not at all a fan of the AKG 48x or 39x.  MBHOs...I've used and liked okay, but just okay in my book.  I haven't heard enough of the Peluso's to express an opinion one way or the other.  The ADK modular set...who knows?

At any rate, all I'm getting at is that it seems premature to dismiss them out of hand before we know <1> the street price, and (more importantly) <2> how they sound.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

.

[balou2]

Well, price doesn't normally scare me, but I was looking at the capsule sets for the SD mics.  A matched pair of cards is (MSRP) $2k.  That is crazy, IMHO.  I like ADK fine, but $2k for a pair of card caps...yikes.  Even if they're going for $1500, that's still huge for caps.

[Larry J. Villella]

What if it were the best Small Diameter Microphone you'd ever heard?


During the Introductory phase of 3 Zigma Audio, you can have a Matched
Quad of these remarkable condensers, for the price of One B&K 2000 Ser.

And the Hybrid has 7 to 10dB Lower self-noise than the typical B&K.

How is that not a bargain?  (Forget Name Calling and Audition One!)

As a mic end-user for almost 50 years, and a mic builder for over 11,
I can look you in the eye and solemnly swear this new capsule technology
changes EVERYTHING.  The Lens is suddenly polished to the Nth Degree !!!

If the Capsule is the soundboard, we can offer you several different spruce and cedar tops.

Grown in the coldest climates.  On the Northern Slope !!!

PLEASE - Don't Nay-Say the 3 Zigma or ADK Custom Gear until you've put your Ears Around it!

The Curve is Carved into the Capsule.  Delicately Scultpted.  Deliberately "Variation on Historical Curve'.

VINTAGE with A MODERN TWIST !


The Performance Metric and Euphonic Fine-Tuning are not without Cost, for sure!

This product is not for everyone.  It's a Nuance Thing.


YET - JP Likes the SD Better than his Vaunted Shoeps !

I like it better than my personal KM-84 (never thought I'd say that !)


AND BEST OF ALL - It's OPEN-ENDED ARCHITECTURE.


DID WE MENTION IT WAS MODULAR ?


Cheers!


Larry Villella, Founder, ADK)))  3 ZIGMA AUDIO

www.adkmic.com
www.hybridmic.com
www.myspace.com/adkmic

[Chuck]

Hopefully someone will buy a pair, then make and share some recordings. I have always been impressed with the ADK mics.

[Javier Cinakowski]

Totally in love with this, but Oktava offers a better value...

the MC-012 has SDC caps, LDC caps and a figure of 8.

These ADK might sound amazing, but for 3 grand I can buy everything in the Oktava line and still have money left over for a recorder....

[illconditioned]

What if it were the best Small Diameter Microphone you'd ever heard?


During the Introductory phase of 3 Zigma Audio, you can have a Matched
Quad of these remarkable condensers, for the price of One B&K 2000 Ser.

And the Hybrid has 7 to 10dB Lower self-noise than the typical B&K.

How is that not a bargain?  (Forget Name Calling and Audition One!)

As a mic end-user for almost 50 years, and a mic builder for over 11,
I can look you in the eye and solemnly swear this new capsule technology
changes EVERYTHING.  The Lens is suddenly polished to the Nth Degree !!!

If the Capsule is the soundboard, we can offer you several different spruce and cedar tops.

Grown in the coldest climates.  On the Northern Slope !!!

PLEASE - Don't Nay-Say the 3 Zigma or ADK Custom Gear until you've put your Ears Around it!

The Curve is Carved into the Capsule.  Delicately Scultpted.  Deliberately "Variation on Historical Curve'.

VINTAGE with A MODERN TWIST !


The Performance Metric and Euphonic Fine-Tuning are not without Cost, for sure!

This product is not for everyone.  It's a Nuance Thing.


YET - JP Likes the SD Better than his Vaunted Shoeps !

I like it better than my personal KM-84 (never thought I'd say that !)


AND BEST OF ALL - It's OPEN-ENDED ARCHITECTURE.


DID WE MENTION IT WAS MODULAR ?


Cheers!


Larry Villella, Founder, ADK)))  3 ZIGMA AUDIO

www.adkmic.com
www.hybridmic.com
www.myspace.com/adkmic

Best bet is offer a single matched pair of cardioids for sale.  That is the studio benchmark.

But at these prices I would bet on the Geffel M200 series.  These are the best sounding cardioids I've heard so far.
Maybe the Nevaton 49's, too, but I haven't listened to these closely yet.

  Richard

[Larry J. Villella]

Totally in love with this, but Oktava offers a better value...

the MC-012 has SDC caps, LDC caps and a figure of 8.

These ADK might sound amazing, but for 3 grand I can buy everything in the Oktava line and still have money left over for a recorder....

I think this is a fair decision if you Love the sound of the Octava.  My experience is limited to Shoeps, B&K and Neumann, so I don't have a reference.

If you compare specs the 3 Zigma have lower self-noise, between 15 and 27dB more headroom (depending on the head-amp) than the Octava.

Also, we have a figure of 8 lollipop in R&D right now, as well as a Full-Size Tube Head-Amp that will integrate with our capsule-modules. 

Just to keep you updated. . . . 

We are about to start year four of touring with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center using the 3 Zigma.

We even developed a C-Lol-49 especially for Wynton that should go into production early in 2004.