I was noticing a new XXXXX microphone introduced at NAMM (which looks cool). I didn't remember too much about the company, so I went searching. Where are their mics manufacured? What is the process? Well, maybe I'm not doing a good search, but I didn't find out right away - long enough that I got bored and decided to write this post.
To me that's really stupid. Especially for a company trying to compete with established products. Now I don't care how you conduct your business. If you think you can make more money hiding where your mics are made go ahead. But please forgive me if I assume that your mics are built by slaves that were sold to you by brothels because they were too debilitated by syphilis.
Now I say this as someone who doesn't like to pay extra to a European company who is required by the government to have a 15 hour work week and give employees a year off for a hangnail (even if they make great mics). (joke, joke) I love Fender's Ensenada plant. The QC is at least as good as California. I buy a lot of products from companies that have all or parts of it done in China. If you are doing good work in China, I'll buy - just show me. Brag about it, damn it. Yeah, I'll assume a degree of hype. But if you try to hide where you are making your equipment, I'll assume the worst.
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I was looking at [="http://www.lautenaudio.com/index.htm"]Lauten
I was looking at [="http://www.lautenaudio.com/index.htm"]Lauten Audio[/]="http://www.lautenau…"]Lauten Audio[/] who were introducing a new mic (the Atlantis) that [[url=http://="http://www.youtube…"]Fab Dupont[/]="http://www.youtube…"]Fab Dupont[/] had a hand in designing. I didn't want to dump on them too much in the first post, because they are certainly not the only ones doing it (and I wasn't completely sure I had not just overlooked something.) But they and a lot of others talk a lot about quality control, but aren't very transparent about where they get their parts and what work is done where. I have a much more favorable view of manufacturers who are more up front about this. Someone like Mojave goes at least halfway with...
A Mojave microphone's journey begins and ends in Burbank, CA. US made Jensen transformers and NOS (new old stock) tubes are shipped offshore and mated to capsules and bodies, according to [[url=http://[/URL]="david">http://www.mojaveau…"]David Royer[/]="david">http://www.mojaveau…"]David Royer[/]'s design specifications, at a highly respected factory that David has worked with for over 15 years. All Mojave microphones are constructed with respect to David's unprecedented research and attention to electronic design and quality. After assembly, they are shipped back to Burbank for extensive QC inspections. Prior to packaging, every mic is burned in for 24 hours and personally listened to by David.
Now I can fill in the blanks with "shipped offshore," and it's more candor than I've observed elsewhere.
I've actually had to call highly reputable companies such as Cro
I've actually had to call highly reputable companies such as Crown, to find out where their microphone capsules emanated from. And they are all from China. They come from the same factory that manufactures Radio Shaft condenser microphones for Radio Shaft. So is it a Crown? Is it a Radio Shaft? Hell no. It's a Chinese company I don't even know the name of. Really no matter if a product sounds good, works good, lasts. My 20+ year old Crown & Radio Shaft Pressure Zone Microphones are still working. So I wouldn't mind knowing what Chinese company that is? They probably make some of their own product as well for a lot less money? And it probably wouldn't be difficult, nor expensive for me to have them make a microphone to my specifications? They probably come from the same factory that has made all of those counterfeit bootleg SHURE SM57/58's? It doesn't matter that the FBI busted them. It only matters if you put somebody else's product name on it, that isn't yours.
I'm going to introduce a microphone patterned after the Neumann U 87 and sell it for $25. No I'm not.
Mx. Remy Ann David
if you are into looking into companies I kind of go to manufactu
if you are into looking into companies I kind of go to manufactures for a living, check it out
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://russomusic.c…"]Russo Music Music Resources Articles Videos Tutorials[/]="http://russomusic.c…"]Russo Music Music Resources Articles Videos Tutorials[/]
Another thing that is really irritating and risky. Manufacturers
Another thing that is really irritating and risky. Manufacturers are letting their website slide but updating Facebook. If you try and google the company, FB isn't hot of their indexing list. I think FB is being shunned by search engines and I don't blame them. I detest FB. I don't see what the buzz is all about. What if FB died tomorrow? What if their links get whacked. Too many eggs in one basket is what I call that.
Back to you...
Should we ask what the Mic is?