Violet – the wedge
What’s in there
Specifications:
- Transducer type: True electrostatic
- Operating principle: Pressure gradient
- The diaphragm’s active diameter: 21 mm (0.8″)
- Frequency range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Polar pattern: Unidirectional – cardioid
- Electronics type: Discrete, solid state
- Output impedance: 50 ohm
- Rated load impedance: 1000 ohm
- Suggested load impedance: >250 ohm
- Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm load: 25 mV/Pa
- S/N Ratio CCIR 468-3 weighted: 77 dB
- S/N Ratio DIN/IEC 651 A-weighted: 88 dB-A
- Equivalent noise level DIN/IECA-weighted: 6 dB-A
- Maximum SPL for 0.5% THD at 1 kohm load: 136 dB
- Dynamic range of the microphone preamplifier: 130 dB
- P48 Phantom powering IEC 268-15A: +40 to +52 V on XLR pins #2 & #3 relatively pin #1
- Phantom current consumption: <1.5 mA
- Output connector: 3-pin XLR male, gold plated contacts
- Signal polarity: Positive toward pressureon a diaphragm produces positive polarity voltage on XLR’s pin#2 relatively to pin #3
- Dimensions, weight: 210 mm x 42 mm / shaft D24 mm, 350 g
In use
So I put it up on
guitars: no, that wasn’t for me. The lowermids were killing. Espacially with overdriven guitars it was just too much
voice: if you use the pop filter, there is the possibilty that you get a nice sound, espacially with female vocalist. No chance with midforward sounding males.
bass: wow. I was impressed, really full and round tone. Can get harsh when abused and slapping sounds are not so cool recording with this mic.
drums: I think the wedge shines on drums. With the added highend and the lower mids, it’s very nice sounding as mono drum overhead.
bongos: incredible bongo sound. I accidently had to record a bongo player and liked the result a lot.
The overall sound is “very much highend, a lot of lower mids, scooped out midrange”. Therefor speaking it sounds very colored. It’s sensitive to pops and it reacts to different preamps a lot.
Specialform-factor doesn’t make it easy to use on everything espacially with the delivered spider/shockmount. That was kind of tricky from time to time.
Conclusion
very sensitive to pops and can get easily harsh in the top end. Percussive stuff is really the way to go with this mic, so make sure you want record percussive stuff with the Violet – the wedge. If you are looking for an allrounder microphone, that one is not for you. It adds weight to everything, which can be too much sometimes. Well, my assistant likes it for percussive stuff so do I.
Good mic, very interesting look but choose your destiny wise.
I have used tried the Wedge on snare, and it sounds VERY good to me and I believe that it will sound good on other drums as well, and that´s what you say here…..so now I will try it on other drums and bass.