Microtech Gefell M960-BSTOCK

The Gefell M960 is a compact large diaphragm omnidirectional microphone that has been corrected for the diffuse field to record the acoustic ambience of a performance by hanging the mic above and ahead of the source. A carefully tailored 'presence rise' ads intelligibility while off axis response is smooth and natural. Ideally suited for orchestra and choir in natural settings, the M960 is also adept at overhead studio mic'ing for recording and broadcast. 

In recent years, there has been a movement towards recording more authentic renditions of classical performances in the natural settings as these were originally performed. This means not only picking up the instruments, but the natural ambience and reverberant diffuse field. For classical music, the typical venue may be a concert hall, an enormous cathedral or an intimate country church. For jazz, it may be a small club. In all instances, it is the combination of instruments and their interaction with the diffuse field that combines to give the performance a particular character. Capturing this symbiotic relationship is the key. The Gefell M960 is a specially tailored omnidirectional microphone that has been optimized to capture this type of performance. This is achieved by combining the warmth and detail of a large 25mm (1”), 24-karat gold evaporated diaphragm inside a compact and acoustically unobtrusive body. One should note that the Gefell M960 is not however limited to classical or jazz recording. In the studio, one may also use the M960 as a ‘far-field’ mic to pick up the thunderous effect of a drum kit or to create larger than life renderings of guitar stacks. Like all good mics, creativity is the only limiting factor to the hundreds of possible applications.

There are several factors critical to achieving at the M960s performance. To begin, the M960’s precise voicing and exceptional sensitivity is achieved through the use of a large 1”, hand-stretched gold evaporated membrane with a precision-machined back plate. This is specifically voiced with an obvious presence rise that begins at 4kHz and tapers back down at 12kHz. This has the effect of producing greater intelligibility and as such, allows the engineer to aim the mic ‘ahead’ of the instruments capturing the natural balance of both the direct and the diffuse field. Designed as a hanging mic, the ‘stubby’ body is machined from solid brass and electro-plated in a dark-bronze to reduce visibility. The ultra-compact, rounded shape has been purposely designed to minimize its effect on the acoustic field while diffracting unwanted body reflections away from the capsule. This of course reduces the vortex around the mic and results in less phase distortion at the capsule, for improved articulation. The net bi-product of this unique mechanical design is an exceptionally smooth off-axis response.  As most engineers know, reducing the body size of a microphone to minimize its acoustical interference typically comes with a caveat: As one brings the circuit closer to the ultra-sensitive capsule, circuit noise may be induced. To solve the problem, the M960’s circuit topology employs state-of-the-art transformerless semi-conductor technology combined with optical isolation to reduce ‘hash’ and ripple from the typically unfiltered 48V phantom supply. Large, over-sized storage capacitors ensure a constant plate voltage assuring exceptional transient response. This unique approach brings the noise floor down well below the residual equipment noise and results in a smooth yet explosive impulse response that makes the M960 a star performer no matter what the setting.