Prism Sound Orpheus - Audio Media

++AUDIX + + + + AUDIX+ + + + AUDIX+ + + + AUDIX+ + + + AUDIX+ + + + AAudix Microphones:Consistent InnovationAudix is an innovative microphone manufacturer that has consistently raised the bar with itssuccessful line of products, including the award winning SCX-1, SCX25-A and D series studiomicrophones, and the top performing OM-Series vocal mics, the Micros, the VX10, and i-5 forsound reinforcement and installations.The following is a “Snap-Shot” Interview withCliff Castle—co-founder of Audix.How did Audix get its start?Audix had its humblebeginnings back in1984 in Redwood City,California in a “suite”of offices totalingabout 300 square feet!Initially, we were setup as the distributionarm for Audix Japan, a microphone companywho was manufacturing strictly for thedomestic market. The microphones weregood, but not good enough to competewith the industry standards of the day.One thing led to another and we startedredesigning the microphones and improvingthe performance characteristics. The firsttwo years were pretty painful, but, by 1986,we introduced our first high-level vocalperformance mic, the OM 1, which receivedvery positive magazine reviews and made itsway into high profile users includingthe Beach Boys, one of my all timefavourite groups.The OM series vocal mics are strongertoday than ever. How has Audix maintainedthis success?We developed ourown capsule designthat featured “VLM”technology, whichstands for “VeryLow Mass”. Theselightweightdiaphragms areable to react morequickly to incomingsound waves,which resultin a more natural, accurate sound withbetter transient response. This diaphragmdesign, along with the hypercardioid designof the polar pattern, provided unprecedentedgain before feedback, still unparalleled tothis day.Artist and engineer support has alsohelped. We happened to be paying attentionto the “grunge” groups emerging out ofthe Northwest in the early 1990s. I demoedthe OM7 to Dave Rat (Rat Sound) who wasproviding sound for two unknown groupsat the time – Pearl Jam and Red Hot ChilliPeppers. He pretty much flipped out whenhe heard the gain before feedback of theOM7 in the monitors. He thought there wassome type of voodoo going on. Before weknew it, the OM7 became the microphoneof choice for just about all the groups in thegrunge scene – and fortunately for us, thegroups hit the mainstream. By 1995, anotherof our mics, the OM5, made its way into thehands of The Tonight Show, The Late Showand MTV Unplugged, as well as many artistssuch as Alanis Morissette, Bonnie Raitt,Bruce Springsteen, and Crosby, Stills, andNash – all of whom continue to use theirAudix mics to this day.Audix is now established as a leadingmanufacturer in drum and percussion mics –how did that come about?Being a musician helps. I realised thatdrummers and percussionists, the guyswho provide the heartbeat for any musicalcontent, were being neglected as far as micsspecifically designed for their applications.The Sennheiser 421, which we recognisedas a great mic, had become the standardpercussion mic for pros. The downside tothat mic is that it’s fairly big, cumbersome,and expensive. So we came up with theD series – application-specific mics fordrums. Machined at Audix out of high-gradealuminum bars, these mics are compact,accurate, able to handle high SPLs, andcost effective. After a few years, they gainedwidespread recognition, and with the mostrecent addition of the D6 and the i-5, thesemics have become really good, dependabletools for a wide variety of instrument needs.Audix also continues to develop interestingcondenser mics. Any tricks up your sleevethat we should be on the lookout for?You already know aboutthe SCX25-A, an improvedversion of our formidablelarge-diaphragm condensermic that is ideal for acousticinstruments, overheads, andvocals. The Micros are theworld’s smallest standalonecondenser microphones withan integrated mic preamp.The 50-inch carbon fibreMicroBoom incorporates theMicros in a way that makesit the ideal solution for choirmiking without having tohang mics from the ceiling.And our latest innovation isthe VX5 handheld condenservocal mic with pad and rolloff.Keep an eye out for that mic;it is bound for stardom!10 AUDIX