A hero for the entry-levelmarket? SIMON TILLBROOKtakes the Black Knight to thetiltyard to find out.What visually separates Latvian microphonemanufacturer Violet from virtually all othermicrophone producers is its quirky designs, andthe latest one to come my way keeps with this trend.As for the Black Knight’s swivel head, I must admitthat I thought this to be somewhat of a gimmick onfirst inspection, but it is more useful than expected.I do wonder how this would stand up with continuoususe in terms of tightness, but the build quality of the BlackVIOLET BLACK KNIGHTCondenser MicrophoneTHE REVIEWERSIMON TILLBROOK is the PrincipalMusic Tutor at Islington MusicWorkshop in London. The rest ofhis time is spent as a freelanceengineer, mainly in the USA.OverviewThe Black Knight is a side address condenser microphonewith a cardioid pattern, just over eight inches long and1.7 inches in diameter. Finished in a matt black, the 1.1-inch capsule is housed in what makes the Black Knightdistinctive: a swivel mounted head section. You can tiltthe head section by about 15-20 degrees. Three small pegtype stoppers on the Black Knight’s body limit the balljoint mounted head’s movement.This mic has very low inherent noise at just 6.5dB(A-weighted) and can withstand a maximum SPL of 134dB.The frequency graph indicates a good response downto about 40Hz with a small lift from about 2.5 to4kHz of about 1 or 2dB.The microphones has no other switches orbuilt-in facilities, and is supplied in the usualpurple wood box with a microphone stand mountthat screws onto the base. Optional full suspensioncradle and pop shield is available, and I had theseavailable during the review period.UseThe Black Knight is presented as a general purposestudio microphone and sonically, it had more depththan I thought it would. That small lift focusedat around 3kHz is more prominent than thefrequency graph seems to suggest, but not harshor unpleasant as can be the case with low costcondenser microphones.I did think it was a little dull in the high-end,but this was only slight and easily corrected withminimal equalisation, and you do need to keepin mind the price point this microphone sits in.The more subtle proximity effect gives good scope tothe positional options, and I found this easily controlledwith a nice depth without corrective requirementsin most cases.Knight feels far better than its price suggests.The pattern is stated as cardioid, but I found thatthere was a fair amount of rear pickup, more bi-directionalthan cardioid.The capsule has a single layer mesh and can besusceptible to popping, so the optional pop screen is amust, especially for vocal applications. Apparently, thereare more holes than usual in the mesh to giv a more openand ‘airy’ quality, which probably explains the popping.Therefore, the Black Knight does need the additionalisolation offered by the cradle.ConclusionThe Black Knight is a good general purpose entry-levelmicrophone with a nice response and build quality.It certainly represents value for money and is well worthyour consideration. ...................................INFORMATION Black Knight – GB£295.45 (exc.VAT) Violet Design Ltd., PO Box 3393, Tallinn, 10506, Estonia +372 645 5007 www.violet-design.com info@violet-design.com Zen <strong>Audio</strong> Limited , Unit 9/10 Batley Business Park,Technology Drive, Batley, West Yorkshire, WF17 6ER +44 (0) 1924 476533 www.zenaudiolimited.co.uk info@zenaudiolimited.co.ukRA-A7Hall 8.0 G54Location, location, collationNEWIf flexible sound on location is important to you, the new S-0808Digital Snake allows you to connect 8in/8out over REAC whereveryou want, using Embedded Power, PoE or an optional battery pack.Up to four Digital Snake heads can now be merged into one REACstream via the S-4000M REAC merge unit, bringing unprecedentedversatility and ease of use to live and installed digital soundapplications. Compatible with all RSS REAC-based Snakes, personalmonitors, and V-Mixers.NEWS-4000MREAC Merge UnitS-0808REAC Portable SnakeLocation is no longer a barrier to getting great audio, isn’t ittime you made the move?www.rolandsg.co.uk or call 01792 70270124AUDIO MEDIA APRIL 2010
ONE WORDABOVEALL OTHERKMR believe that quality comes first. We only supply the most reliable and best sounding products – from triedand tested studio classics to the latest technology for today’s digital studio.Our experienced staff can provide informed advice to help you make the best decision when purchasing newequipment, and KMR’s lifetime technical support helps to ensure our customers keep working when it mattersmost. We stock a huge range of professional audio equipment - available to try in either our dedicated listeningroom or in your own studio. Whether you are a home enthusiast or run a commercial facility, if you wantquality studio equipment and personal service from your supplier, we look forward to discussing your needs.KMRAUDIO
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