I had read the copious pages on the Little Blondie mics here on the GS Forum (over 800 posts!) and the testimonials were compelling.
Having most of my decades of experience with vintage Neumann and Schoeps mics, I had a strong sense of good sound (or, sound that appealed to me, and others). Given the enthusiasm from a host of sources about these new-to-me electret microphones, I was enthusiastic to try them.
In my attempts to learn of their origins (the fellow selling them was not the maker) I located the maker - Wildwood Microphones - and learned that they had been continually refined, were handmade one-at-a-time by hand in the U.S. by one person, the bodies fashioned from select hardwoods (mine are mahogany, and zebrawood!), and, like the Little Blondies, very modestly priced.
They were (and currently are) available through Odyssey Pro Sound (Music Recording Studio Equipment - New, Used, Vintage Pro Audio Recording Equipment) - reputable dealer Paul Savasta's high-end pro audio company of many years. As the description on the Odyssey website wisely notes (' ... don't take our word for it, try them'), I decided I wouldn't know anything until I experienced them. I ordered one of the Dreamland mics and was simply SHOCKED at my experience. The sound quality was wildly inconsistent with the price, not to mention the visual aesthetics - sensitively-designed and attentively well-made. Very beautiful on all accounts!
I tried it on voice, acoustic guitar, acoustic drums, acoustic piano, electric bass, (have yet to try it on electric guitar), and each source was vivid and engaging. I thought perhaps it was just the day, or that I wasn't hearing it properly - surely it couldn't sound this good (and for so cheap!). But the next day, my experience was replicated. I went back and found some recordings I had made with my classic mics, and was, again SHOCKED. They have a detail and texture that is really musical - quite beautiful.
I then learned that these mics (earlier incarnations) are in many professional studios -especially in Nashville. Steven Spielberg uses them (and personally owns several). One studio guitarist brought his own while recording at Blackbird (!!!).
So, just a heads-up on these new Wildwood mics. I'll try and put some photos up of them in use in my teaching studio in the coming days. There are photos at the Odyssey website.
I'll be ordering more.
Having most of my decades of experience with vintage Neumann and Schoeps mics, I had a strong sense of good sound (or, sound that appealed to me, and others). Given the enthusiasm from a host of sources about these new-to-me electret microphones, I was enthusiastic to try them.
In my attempts to learn of their origins (the fellow selling them was not the maker) I located the maker - Wildwood Microphones - and learned that they had been continually refined, were handmade one-at-a-time by hand in the U.S. by one person, the bodies fashioned from select hardwoods (mine are mahogany, and zebrawood!), and, like the Little Blondies, very modestly priced.
They were (and currently are) available through Odyssey Pro Sound (Music Recording Studio Equipment - New, Used, Vintage Pro Audio Recording Equipment) - reputable dealer Paul Savasta's high-end pro audio company of many years. As the description on the Odyssey website wisely notes (' ... don't take our word for it, try them'), I decided I wouldn't know anything until I experienced them. I ordered one of the Dreamland mics and was simply SHOCKED at my experience. The sound quality was wildly inconsistent with the price, not to mention the visual aesthetics - sensitively-designed and attentively well-made. Very beautiful on all accounts!
I tried it on voice, acoustic guitar, acoustic drums, acoustic piano, electric bass, (have yet to try it on electric guitar), and each source was vivid and engaging. I thought perhaps it was just the day, or that I wasn't hearing it properly - surely it couldn't sound this good (and for so cheap!). But the next day, my experience was replicated. I went back and found some recordings I had made with my classic mics, and was, again SHOCKED. They have a detail and texture that is really musical - quite beautiful.
I then learned that these mics (earlier incarnations) are in many professional studios -especially in Nashville. Steven Spielberg uses them (and personally owns several). One studio guitarist brought his own while recording at Blackbird (!!!).
So, just a heads-up on these new Wildwood mics. I'll try and put some photos up of them in use in my teaching studio in the coming days. There are photos at the Odyssey website.
I'll be ordering more.