K-Pad
Lawence Devivo
New York
I recently installed very old fixed gain tube mic pre-amps on the drums in my studio. Even though I had strapped them for the lowest output I could (26dB), it became quite evident rather quickly that I might need to get some pads to help control the input level from the mic to the pre... and so my quest began. I looked at all the offerings on the market, yet the amount of control I needed warranted more than just a single -10 or -20dB pad... I needed something that would give me selectable options, which narrowed the field even more. I just did not want to spend between 40.00 to 80.00 for pads so I could have these options. So I looked into sourcing the materials and building the pads myself.
While on this search I ran across the Karma Pads on ebay, so I went to the companies website to check out the product and found exactly what I was looking for. In fact the cost of these pads were cheaper than what it was going to cost me to build a similar pad. Except the Karma has an added bonus feature of having a phase reverse switch on every connector along with not one, but two independently switchable -10dB pads. They are housed in a sleek black aluminum body along with white printing on them making them very easy to read in tight situations. This feature along with silver recessed switches against the black body give them a very classy expensive look. As the switches are set back no unexpected accidents should occur. That said, a "tweaker" will have to be kept close by to adjust these pads.
Only negative I can point out is that the female side of the connector can seem loose due to the little bit of play left when two cables are connected together. I can assure you that they snap together and lock just fine but there is a small gap between the cable head and the aluminum housing. *An O-ring from a mic cable itself could eliminate this problem if it was to really bother anybody.
As I see it, bang for the buck there is no better bargain than these Karma pads on the market today. For 20.00 each you get a very good looking easy to read pad, selectable for up to -20dB plus a phase reverse switch... every studio should at least have a couple Karma pads in their mic locker.
K-Micro Silver Bullet
Paul white
Sound On Sound
Karma are based in Cupertino, California, and their mics come directly from there via mail order. When I first heard that they were offering a matched pair of their K-Micro Silver Bullet omnidirectional capacitor mics at $29 for the pair, or $90 for seven mics, I thought somebody was having a laugh... but when good reports started to trickle through, I thought I’d better find out what all the fuss was about! The mics use back-electret technology and are built in China. As with the company’s K6 phantom-powered ribbon mic, the Silver Bullets were designed by a missile engineer, who has also had a hand in designing some better-known Chinese‑made microphones. It’s easy to see how the mics got their name: they’re very small and somewhat bullet-shaped. Indeed, the rear of the mic is the same diameter as the XLR it plugs into, tapering to around a half of that diameter along its short length. Plastic stand clips are included.
There’s only a limited technical spec available on the Karma web site, but there’s an informative frequency response plot, which shows a dip at around 2kHz and a presence hump at around 6.5kHz. The low end is pretty flat, all the way down to 20Hz and below. The highs roll off gradually above 15kHz, and are down to around -10dB by 20kHz. The maximum SPL is quoted as 135dB, and the sensitivity (quoted as -32dB ±2dB) held up well against other studio omnis in my tests.
The Silver Bullets presented no significant noise problems when recording acoustic guitar, vocals or hand percussion. As the frequency plot suggests, the overall character is slightly ‘forward’, but it doesn’t become aggressive. Acoustic guitar recorded well during tests, especially in pop productions, with a tight, detailed sound that carried plenty of ‘zing’. Vocals also came across with pretty much the right amount of presence for a pop mix before I’d even reached for the EQ. Being an omnidirectional mic, it has a good off-axis response, so it also worked well when recording a group of singers. I used the mics to record my daughter’s theatre group ensemble and got very respectable results.
While the sound may be considered a bit bright, a gentle 6kHz EQ dip pretty much takes care of it, and the good low-end extension means there’s plenty of bottom if you want to EQ for a warmer sound. Karma also recommend the Silver Bullets as drum overheads, and my tests confirmed that their response helps to bring out the transient details in the cymbals and snare drum.
I’d be curious to try miking a whole kit with a larger set of these little mics, as their small physical size could be a real bonus. In fact, I discussed this idea with Karma. They said that some engineers had reported occasional overloading if the mics were used very close to loud drums, and for that reason a new version with 5dB less sensitivity would be due for release shortly.
My final test was to mic my electric‑guitar amp from a distance of around 70cm, which produced a very workable sound. Given the omni pattern, the level of spill and room ambience is a little more than you get with a cardioid mic, but a folded duvet behind the mic easily takes care of that.
Despite their small size and laughably low cost, the Silver Bullets are more than capable of delivering solid results in the home studio. If the testimonials are to be believed, they’ve already found applications in a number of professional studios too. A pair of these mics may not be matched quite as well as more sophisticated models, but although some aspects of the spec could be better, the results are surprisingly good. It’s always useful to have a couple of omnis in the studio, and if you already have one decent large-diaphragm mic, adding a pair of these little omnis would extend your recording options considerably — without depleting your bank account!
Ivan SC, UK ( Sept, 2010 )
K-Micro Mini Condenser Mic
Since I am always running short of small diameter condensers and money at about the same rate, I was fascinated by some grapevine information that filtered through to me a while back. An American company called Karma Audio had produced a really small, really cheap sdc mic and was selling them for $26 a pair, $70 for a set of seven. I contacted them, only to find that the mics were on back order for a month, such was the popularity of the first issue. Oh and the price on the next batch of the pairs had gone up to £29. I pre-ordered and sat back to wait. Finally I received a shipping notification and TWO WORKING DAYS later the mics arrived in a tiny package the size of an old VHS tape box. The mics themselves are blister packed and ship with two decent enough mic clips packed loose in the box.
My first impression was that someone had shipped me a pair of female XLRs, which is of course what the mics are built into, by mistake. These things are seriously small. I opened the blister pack, removed the supplied 3/8 to 5/8 adapter from a mic clip and atached it to a small banquet stand I had handy. First thing I noticed was that both mic clips were too loose to safely support a mic, but it was the work of a second with a phillips head screwdriver to fix that
I hooked one of the mics up via my Focusrite Octopre and RME HDSP9652 and had a listen, using my AKG K240DF headphones. First impression on acoustic guitar is good, if not more than good. Pickup pattern seems a little wider than the cardioid pattern might suggest & it is a hair brighter than I am used to, but overall a good balanced sound wherever I point the mic. Very encouraging.
I then tried it on my acoustic upright bass, with similar good results, with a surprisingly honest representation of the bottom end. Oh, and the vocal I was incidentally picking up during all this (I have a habit of singing while playing) sounded surprisingly good, considering the size of these mics and how little they cost. Next step was to put up an MXL603s, which at $35 used is the closest thing I had available, price and performance wise, to get a feel for where the Silver Bullets stand. No contest. Even after carefully matching the output levels, the MXL sounded flat and uninteresting by comparison. It is hard to be objective with these things, but I honestly do not think this was due to the slightly brighter top end of the Silver Bullet. The low end was far better defined on the Silver Bullets and overall the mic just sounded more `real` on everything I had tried it on.
I have not had the opportunity to test the mics as an overhead pair but see no reason at this stage not to expect stellar performance from them, bearing in mind the set of seven mics also offered is specifically marketed to be used on a drum kit.
At the current introductory offer of $29 for a pair these mics represent incredible value for money. Even if you think you have all the SDCs you are ever likely to need, you owe it to yourselves to buy at least a pair of them. Two useable mics with clips for pocket change - the postage to the UK was as much as I paid for the mics! But for under $60, which at todays rates equates to around £40-45, how can you go wrong? Biggest problem is that Karma do several other interesting mics, including a ribbon mic which would handily fill another gap in my mic locker.
Tape Op ( June, 2010 )
by Garret Haines
K-Micro Silver Bullet Pack
The Karma K-Micro Silver Bullet is a small diaphragm condenser mic designed to fit tight spaces and tight budgets. At just under 2 inches long, the tapered address side does resemble a bullet (more of a 50-caliaber but this is Tape Op not Soldier of Fortune) – hence the silver bullet name.
Micro 7 pcs Silver Bullet Pack ($79) (52.93 EU)
www.karmamics.com
-GH (www.treelady.com)
Home Recording Connection (September 2007)
K-Micro (Xtreme Mini Condenser)
By Paul "noize2u" LaBarre
http://www.homerecordingconnection.com
You know the saying, "Good things come in small packages". Well that has never been so true, and Karma Audio has proven that with their K-Micro miniature condenser microphones.
A user here at HRC happened across these little gems and was amazed at the results he got from them. So being the budget minded soul I am I contacted Karma to see what the fuss was about.
I received a first pair of the original mics and was amazed. But that is only the beginning.
They were just releasing the newer higher SPL rated version of the same mic. So I was sent another pair of the newer ones. Now that hit me as a company that pays attention to the customers wants and needs, as many people wanted to use these mics on drums. And though the originals worked OK on the toms and as overheads, the newer version is killer anywhere on the kit for close miccing. One note I should toss in early here is these are sold as matched pairs. Now you would think that at this very low price point a matched pair would be kind of hit or miss. Well that is simply not the case at all, these little marvels were matched closer then a couple of my much higher priced matched pairs. Score another big one for Karma on that one.
OK, I will stop the rant for a moment to give up some details on the mic's. These are sold in the class of Mini condenser. The unit uses a 10mm diaphragm in a very small body. It is basically encapsulated in an XLR connector body. So this is a very small unit for use in almost any application you can think of. Frequency response is rated at 50 to 13,000 Hz. Although in my use it appears to have a bit wider range then that. The pattern is cardioid which works well in most of the situations I used it in. Sensitivity is approximately -34dB. Output impedance is 200Ohms, withan output noise level of <16dB with an A weighting. And the max spl is rated at 145dB. The mic is of course powered by typical 48v phantom power.
In the studio.
Ok, now into the part that really got my attention. Using these little mic's in the real world was a huge surprise for me. I set them up with one on the snare and one in between a standard set of shell toms. The sound was surprisingly crisp and full for such a small mic. Doing some simple single drum hits for samples they seemed to work out very well on all the drums, even the floor tom's. I do not though recommend placing them in front of the kick directly, although on the beater side it picked up the beater smack very well. Combine that with a front kick mic and you have a great full kick sound. As overheads on the kit they work splendidly. And can be easily directed to pick up more or less of the brass on the kit.
We also tried them out on a variety of small hand percussion instruments and a few other percussion instrument's and the results were great.
Next they were set up along side a mic I like using for horns. I won't use any names or models to compare with here, I'll simply state the mic used is about 20 times the price of the new higher SPL K-Micro. We recorded several simple horn lines and a few blasts as well to test the max the mic would handle. Again to my surprise these little didn't come up short on sound. I brought in an unbiased ear to see if he could hear the very subtle differences in the mic's. He stated bluntly he could not. Even having done the recordings and knowing where the subtle differences were I had a hard time after my friend mixed up the samples and played them back randomly. I really had to listen several times to hear the difference. I explain were those differences were in a minute.
Next up was an acoustic guitar. Now I am very picky when it comes to setting up and what mic's I use to be able to pick up a good combination of body and string sound. I prefer an LDC on the body just to be able to have more control over the proximity effect and controlling how much bottom end gets into the recording. But for kicks we used the pair without an LDC for the first trip around. Again, They captured a very full sound for such a small mic. And moving the body mic in and out came pretty close to controlling the amount of low end it picked up as using my favorite LDC. I'll be using at least one on almost all acoustic stuff from now on.
Not sure what made me think these would work out on a vocal as a single mic but it was worth a shot. We did a couple of quick male track and a female track of pretty run of the mill straight up pop type vocals. And again they caught me by surprise. They captured a very nice round vocal sound. I have to be honest here and state they might not be my first choice for a perfect vocal capture, but I am the type to experiment and use several mics on one vocalist at times if the style permits. And honestly these will be the mics I go to for room mic's and secondary position mics. Easy to set up anywhere and still get a good sound.
I also set them up in several situation's as room mic's and secondary mic's for various instruments. As well as popping them over a small grand piano. They captured the horrible sound of this un mantained piano to a T. Which was the high point of the morning. The owner of the studio I was using for this testing hopped online and ordered a couple pairs as he was as impressed as I was. And again, for the money you can't afford not to have a few of these in your mic locker.
Over all, I can't say enough about how impressed I was with such a small little mic getting such a good over all sound. I have been in the market for a couple of new mic's and from what I have heard from these little K-Micro's I will be jumping straight away for one or two of their K6 ribbon mic's as well as a matched pair of their K58 Tube condenser mic's which I was fortunate enough to hear from a user on and they loved them. And I'll be grabbing up a couple more matched pairs of the K-Micro's as well.
The bottom line.
There isn't really much bad I can say about these mic's. They do so much for a very small price that I don't think anyone could find a downside to using them. They do roll off fairly sharply once hitting that 50 Hz mark, but I'm not expecting to use these SDC's an anything that I'll need to hear anything below that anyway. Be warned though that they are a pretty bright mic. The curve on them is really pretty smooth with a very small bump up at around the 8k to 10k mark, and I do mean small. For the most part in using them on other sources other then I stated, they performed well over what I expected. And honestly, on some of the side by side tracks we did I had an absolute hard time telling them from the much more expensive mics we used.
To end I'll state that they do have a small quantity of the lower SPL mics (125dB) left which can be purchased in 4 packs for the paltry sum of $20.00 US. The newer Higher SPL version is available in matched pairs as well a 5 piece kit with clips for drums. You'll want to check the site for price and availability. The higher SPL version is a bit higher priced at $20.00 each, but I still consider that one great bargain for what you get. Karma Audio has some great stuff and I for one am glad to have been introduced to them and will be stocking up my mic locker and recommending their gear with confidence.
Trinity & Unity Condenser Microphone
Milher Demesmin, Lake Wort. FL
Producer and Engineer
Karma's New Trinity & Unity Condenser Microphone – Affordable Quality Vocal Mic! Karma's Trinity & Unity condenser microphones will becoming more and more popular with people searching out a good quality microphone that can handle vocals, production, broadcast and other similar jobs without having to pay the higher price. If you are looking for that all around microphone for recording quality vocals at an affordable price, then Karma's Trinity or Unity could be the perfect mic for you. The Trinity & Unity are mics that can step the recording quality of your work up a notch, and if the next requirement out of a new microphone is to enhance what you are already creating, then this could be a perfect choice. Karma's Trinity & Unity condenser microphones both have a large diaphragm and with Karma upping the capsule voltage of all of their large diaphragm microphones, you will find that the whole sound of the mic has improved and enhanced for the better and thus creating even better recording quality. The Trinity & Unity creates very low noise, and also has 2 switches which create options to switch between levels of pad and also high pass filters, allowing the mic to be very versatile and flexible, which is crucial in today’s recording demands. The Trinity Offer a 3 polar pattern for more flexibility. So, how’s The SOUND? Aside from the technical specification, the most important part of any microphone, is the sound it records right? And this is the most important thing to know when looking to buy a new microphone like the Trinity or Unity. The Trinity & Unity will be known for their great sound, without the high price and both seems to deliver this on all levels. With the increased capsule voltage as mentioned above and the added features brought into the Trinity & Unity, the “rounded” sound it creates is high quality for recording vocals of all types. The bottom line is, if you are looking to enhance your vocals and create something of higher quality, but are hesitant about shelling out to much money, the Trinity Or Unity could quite possibly be the perfect choice!
K-35 Muti-Pattern Condenser Microphone
Drew Allsbrook, Long Beach, CA
Producer/mixer/engineer/bassist
K-35 Muti-Pattern Condenser Microphone
"I really wanted a pair of Large Diaphragm FET Condensers (with multiple polar patterns, pad switch and HPF) to record in stereo. I especially love recording with a Mid/Side technique and my only microphones with a figure-8 pattern were ribbons. I loved my ribbons but sometimes I wanted a brighter sound with a louder output. When I found the K-35s, saw how sexy they looked and how affordable they were I bought them immediately". I've successfully used them for:
Room Mics (spaced pair, cardioid & omni)
Room mics (blumlein, figure 8)
Drum Overheads (spaced pair, cardiod)
Toms, Ride & High hats (cardioid)
Piano (spaced pair, cardioid)
Acoustic Guitar (cardioid)
Acoustic Guitar (M-S, both mid and side)
Electric Guitar cab (cardioid omni)
Percussion (cardioid)
Vocals (cardioid)
My clients always comment on how great they look and I love how great they sound! I can't wait to try the other Karma microphones.
The Second Story Studio- NC ( May 22, 2010 )
by Wade Baynham
K-35, Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone
These days, I run a project studio in Durham, NC. I lived, toured and recorded out of Redwood City, CA for a number of years out of college, before moving here to Durham, and have worked here in music for 12 years. I have mainly been a producer, but I have done live sound consulting and training, recording classes, private lessons and music direction for local churches, as well as continue to release original material.
I got the Karma K-35 after reading about it in Tape Op, and had some experience with Chinese-made mics like the studio projects mics and an avantone tube mic. Generally my experiences were positive with the other mics, and wanted to give this one a try. I have a gig recording some local a capella groups, and had been using an AKG 414 in omni as one of the mics on the session, and was looking for something that might sound different. I also track a lot of different vocalists, and knew that the Karma mic had some good reviews on vocals, particularly.
After several months, and using it on several projects, including the a capella project, bluegrass, rock and folks stuff, I am thrilled with the mic. I have used it on piano, timpani, guitars, cello, upright bass, drums and with many different vocalists, and have found it to be an excellent addition to my setup. Whether I have used it with really clean tube-less mic preamps or with tube preamps, the sound is extremely useful, clear and pleasing. The top is clear without sounding hyped, and the small presence bump in the upper mids is just enough to keep things at a good place in the mix, without having to brighten with much EQ to have a lead vocal cut through a dense mix well. But in a bluegrass mix where the vocal needed to stay warm and natural, it did a very good job with that as well.
With so many people jumping into recording, whether it be because of a copy of garage band on their laptop, or a free copy of abelton live with some other product, we all need good mics around to capture our music. The Karma K-35 is a great mic to have around for versatility, at a really great price.
BlooRoom Studios - South Africa (February 2009)
K-10 (Pencil Condensor)
By Jo Ellis
TAPE OP Magazine (September 2006)
K35 FET Condenser Microphone
by Garret Haines
Karma is a new microphone brand based out of Cupertino California. The units are produced in China according to Karma¹s specifications. But let's make something clear right away: this is not another string of vintage mic clones. Both in sound and appearance Karma microphones are clearly setting out on their own path.
I happened to stumble across them on eBay several months back. I won the auction for a K35 FET and decided to try it out. After just a few sessions I thought this could be a great mic for Tape Op readers: a unique sound, low noise level, and very affordable.
The mic comes packed in a hard shell case that was clearly made to match the mic. A large, but very usable shock mount is also included. Considering that some companies charge upwards of $150 for a decent shock mount (let alone a case) this was a nice touch.
But it's the mic¹s appearance that will grab your attention. I've been trying to come up with descriptions for this mic since I saw it. The grill looks like a matte-silver Royer 121 on steroids. The body is wrapped in a black-simulated-velvet-snake-skin material that everyone feels compelled to pet when they see it. It's like the love child of Morticia Adams and Ritchie Sambora. There. I said it.
As far as the insides, the K35 uses a 1.07" gold sputtered 3-micron diaphragm. The unit provides choice of cardioid, figure-8, and omni-directional patterns. A 10 dB pad and low cut filter are also installed. Karma's website provides additional details including some refreshingly truthful frequency response plots. In a time where many companies fudge the plot scale to produce a smooth 20 Hz to 20k response, Karma tells it like it is. Their plot looks like a 12-week stock report. But we all know specifications are one thing, and real-world sound is another.
We tried the K35 on a variety of sources. The multiple patterns came in handy on acoustic guitar, where omni tended to downplay any low-mid mud from our dreadnought. It can be a good drum room mic, and it¹s especially useful if you end up compressing the snot out if it. We liked putting it at the drummer¹s chest level about 12 feet away from the kick off center. In short, the K35 has a unique sound that is a blend of hyped and true at the same time. The best way to explain is that tracks using the K35 tended to sit well in a mix. We rarely had to use EQ, especially on vocals. Speaking of vocals, that is where the Karma earned it's keep. R&B producer Norman Connors was tracking a new project for a female vocalist. Mr. Connors is in love with our 1968 Neumann U87. Plus, he's old school on stuff like vocal mics. We begged him to let us blind test the K35 vs. the U87. (We told him he was doing it for the kids. Exactly what kids and why they needed it, I don't know, but he argument worked). Everyone chose the K35 for this project. Mr. Connors is even thinking of getting a K35 for his traveling kit. Meanwhile, Andrew, our tracking guru, started trying the K35 when other female vocalists were in session. In every case he chose the Karma over some really good mics. For male vocals it always depended on the voice type. But when it fit, the K35 was solid. One key note: we did our blind-fold comparisons while playing the accompanying music tracks. Some people test vocal mics naked. But we wanted to see how everything fit in the mix. After all, that's where the vocal ends up.
In use we only had one issue and that dealt with the polar pattern switch. Selecting figure-8 or omni gave a distinct click verifying your setting, but the switch was loose and jiggled in the cardioid position. (The manufacturer assures me that this was an issue with the early K35s and the matter has been resolved in subsequent releases).
Karma has come out of nowhere to offer a fresh look, and unique sounds in a market flooded with disposable mics. A list price of $549 would be fair for the K35. So only a fool would pass up getting one (or a pair) at the current sale price. The company offers a free trial, too. Call or write for details. (sales@karmamics.com ), (408) 446-2921.
Prophecy AFET Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
Don Casale, New York ( July, 2010 )
A Legendary Engineer
Condenser Microphone Prophecy
When I first received Karma Audio's new Prophecy mic, I had to look twice because it looked like a Neumann U87. Well, somewhat. It was a little smaller; not quite as long and not quite as round, but it had that unmistakable shape. So, it was with this in mind that when, during a vocal session, I needed to replace a few words and in a previously recorded vocal, I reached for the Prophecy. The vocal had been recorded a few weeks before using an 87, and normally I would use it again so the vocal sound would be the same or as close to it as possible. I put the singer in the exact same spot as before, keeping the acoustics the same. I used the same mic pre, light compression, and positioning as before. I wanted everything the same for a seamless punch-in track. Everything but the mic, that is! Huh?! Am I crazy? Use a different mic to replace single words in an existing track?
Now, normally I would never do this, but I was curious to hear the Prophecy, so I wanted to try it, and I wanted to see if anyone would notice anything different. When the singer pulled up to the mic stand, the Prophecy was already set behind the black windscreen. The general shape of the mic was still visible through the screen, and the mic is all silver, just like a Neumann U87. I wasn't trying to trick anyone, but I wanted as close to a blind test as possible, so I kept my mouth shut and let normal expectations take hold.
The first punch-in was right in the middle of an existing line; just one word. I punched-in, wondering if all heads would turn, but to my surprise no one said a thing. No one noticed a difference in the vocal sound, and I must admit that I was hard pressed to hear any difference, either. It was very close, if not identical! I did the whole session and didn't say a word until the end. I'm not sure anyone believed me.
When they all left, I did one more test on the Prophecy. This is my acid for a good mic: I listen to nothing. That's right, nothing. A real good, expensive mic handles nothing like nothing else. You hear nothing but air. Sweet, almost silent air. And this is what I heard from the Prophecy. The mic added no sound, no noise, no anything to the sound of nothing I was listening for.
I think Karma has a winner in the Prophecy. Listen to it. It's a breath of fresh air.
Don Casale, July 2010
Icon Handheld Dynamic Microphone
Don Casale, New York ( July, 2010 )
A Legendary Engineer
Dynamic Microphone Icon
Recently I was asked by Karma Audio to try out their new dynamic "ICON" microphone at a session. "Just what we need", I thought. "Another dynamic mic in a seemingly endless sea of dynamic mics!" I mean, how different can it be? How much better can it be than what's already out there? Will it even compare with the Shure 57, often considered pound-for-pound the world's best and most useful dynamic mic? With all this spinning in my head, I proceeded to use the ICON. When I stuck the ICON close in front of a very loud Fender tube amp with a Strat going through it I heard a very rich and full-sounding guitar sound, with everything you could ever want to hear from a guitar amp setup and without adding any overload distortion from the mic, itself. Using just the mic preamp in my console, it took the insanely loud level emanating from that amp and gave me the purest, richest, and most pleasing sound I could ever want. I was sold immediately. It had all the highs, mids, and lows in just the right proportion, it seemed, without adding any unwanted, non-usable tones. If it added anything, it added vintage analog sound, if that's possible. It sounded great!
As an added bonus, the ICON served above and beyond the call of duty when on another session I used it as a vocal mic in a live situation. Against my better judgment, I was forced to mic the lead vocal of a guitarist playing in front of his amp. I had the guitar amp behind some gobos, but it was loud enough that you could easily hear it in the room. This was all part of the live sound the client wanted, where room leakage was an asset in the client's mind. Ok, but I wanted at least some control over the lead vocal in the mix. I didn't want the guitar coming up, too, if and when I raised the vocal in the mix. So, since the guitar player wouldn't move away from his amp (as I begged him), I positioned the ICON with a pop filter in front of his mouth with the backside of the mic facing the amp. I told him to sing as close to the mic as possible and sing loud, which he did in no uncertain terms. Boy, was he loud! Worked like a charm. The backside rejection was amazing, yielding a very useful vocal track that I could ride in the mix without worrying that a lot of leakage would also be coming along for the ride. But the bonus was that the vocal sounded like I was using a big, expensive condenser mic on a vocal overdub session! Really. Everyone commented on it, and I took it as a personal compliment, silently thanking my new ICON mic for going where no dynamic mic has gone before.
These two session experiences have prompted me to write this review for my fellow studio engineers. I encourage you to try this mic. It's a full frequency, extremely quiet mic that can take all the level you can give it, while producing the sound you're looking for.
While I'm at it, let me say that I want to try out two other new mics from Karma Audio, the TRINITY and the PROPHECY, on my next few sessions. These condenser mics look interesting, and if they're anything like the ICON in quality, look out!
I'm told the ICON price will not be expensive at all, rivaling and easily beating the popular dynamic mics you're used to. Whatever price Karma is asking for their ICON, pay it! You won't be sorry.
K-6 Phantom Powered Ribbon Microphone
Tape - Op (September 2007)
K-6 (Phantom Powered Ribbon)
By Garrett Haines (with Chris Moore)
We have been working with Karma on the beta versions of the K6 phantom powered ribbon mic for over a year. After a few revisions, Karma is ready to present the K6 for sale.
When we received the very first K6, we went over to Tuff Sound Recording to compare it against some top-shelf ribbon mics. Soy Sos, the owner at Tuff Sound has a wonderful Coles 4038, and we brought our Royer 121. Given the Karma costs one-sixth the price of the other ribbons, we didn't know what to expect. In our initial tests, the Karma did not fare well on loud guitar, percussion, or voice narration tests. We reported our findings to the company, and they used our feedback (along with that from other testers) for the next set of revisions. A few months back, we received the final K6 version, and we are happy with the results.
Wanting to solicit additional ears, Chris Moore of East Hall Recording adopted the K6 for several weeks. As it turns out, the K6 is a very
different beast than the stalwarts Coles, Royer, or RCA. Instead of trying to make the Karma a replacement for these world-class ribbon designs, Chris looked for new ways to use the K6. It turns out this is a cool little mic when used in certain situations.
The following are Chris Comments:
My first impression was that it's a VERY attractive mic. More than one client commented about how inxpensive and it looked. It feels heavy and very solid ,A- almost like you could drop this thing off of a building and then go record a guitar track with it. (Don,A9t try that, though. It,A9s not good for any mic). The shock mount is sturdy and holds the K6 securely. Initially I was disappointed that it didn,A9t come with a close-mount holder ,A- something that would allow point-blank placement on something like a speaker grille. Ultimately, this ended up not really being a problem.
I had a drum session right after the K6 arrived. I thought I'd try it on the hats. I was curious to see how the darker ribbon sound would work, and I thought the figure 8 pattern would help in isolating the rest of the kit. Even with most of the kit in the null point, the sound pressure was too much for the mic to handle. So I moved it out about 10 feet in front of the kit, setting it up as a room mic. (The kit was still in the null point. Sort of a mid/side without the mid). This gave me a favorable room sound that I could mix in just a little to give the drums some extra balls.
Next was electric guitar. While recording a blues track with a Fender Bassman running into a Fender 4x12 cab, I put the K6 as close to the grill cloth as the shock mount would let me, a little off-axis, in combination with a 57 straight in on another speaker. This was what I was really
waiting to hear. The amp wasn't cranked, but it was loud enough to sound good. For the second time, it was also too loud for the mic to handle, and I had a crackly mess on my hands. So I went with the old standby and moved it about 5 feet from the speaker and, once I did some ex post facto alignment of the tracks, it gave me a some added warmth I could blend in with the tracks.
Bummed that I hadn't found a good primary use for the mic, I moved on to a quiet acoustic session. This was where I started to like the mic. On a singer/songwriter, playing acoustic guitar and singing, I set it up as a vocal mic about eight inches away with another LDC set to figure-8 on the guitar. Both mics had their null points directed toward the other source. Not bad. It gave good isolation from the guitar. It was a little boomy, but with a little bit of a shelf cutting below 100hz and a small but wide boost centered around 3khz, it gave the vocal a nice, warm, old world kind of sound. This was a singer that had a history of being a little sibilant, and the K6 tamed it down just right. In a similar situation the next day, I got the same results, except this singer is generally a little louder and I had to back the mic off about six inches to keep it from distorting.
On acoustic guitar overdubs, I started to become more attached to the mic. I put it about 6-8 inches out from 12th fret, aimed roughly back at the body. On heavy strumming, it was too boomy, but on finger picking, it worked really well. On acoustic solo work, it was perfect. The extra body it added allowed the guitar to really cut through the mix without being too harsh sounding. When I tried the mic on a 1929 National resonator slide guitar, I fell in love. That particular guitar is naturally real midrangey, and the K6 fit it perfectly.
I was hesitant, but I decided to try in on upright bass. Plucked, it was too boomy and without enough definition. But bowed, it was this nice, low, droney sound that just sat underneath the track and provided a foundation for all the other instruments.
On hand percussion, it was perfect. We did egg shaker and cabasa, and it performed beautifully on both. It rolled the biting top end off both and just left this mellow midrange that sat perfectly in the mix. This is a MEAN shaker mic! [End Chris,A9 Comments]
My experiences with the K6 were similar to those Chris had. With a $200 street price, it,A9s unrealistic to think you can buy a Coles or Royer. Nor is it fair to dismiss the K6 because it does not handle the same SPL,A9s of the over one thousand dollar ribbon club. (Although if future revisions have higher handling capabilities, that would be great). Ribbons, just like dynamics and condensers, come in a variety of designs. I,A9m very glad we took the time to try the K6 in a variety of applications, because as a utility, effect, or primary mic the K6 is a great addition for nyone,A9s mic locker. It can go head to head with almost anyone on quiet sources where you extra body is desirable. Instead of reaching for the EQ on harsh sources, the K6 imparted a soft color in these situations. It's dark, giving a recorded in a wooden room or tubey-haze-like sound.
With so many mics having a hyped and harsh top end, many people end up with ice-pick mixes. Having a softer mic like the K6 can help instruments sit better in the overall mix, and lend some character to otherwise shrill tracks. And don,A9t forget, it,A9s hefty to handle, and very sexy looking. At the introductory price I hope a bunch of people try this distinctive addition to the Karma line.
K-58 Multi-Pattern Tube Condenser Microphone
Future Music Magazine UK (December 2006)
K58 Tube Condenser Multi-Pattern
by John Musgrave
Karma Microphones is a company that certainly goes its own way when it comes to mic design. Jon Musgrave checks out its new baby, the K58
A few months ago, microphones company Karma launched their K-Micro mini condenser with an equally tiny introductory price - just 99 cents. Needless to say, the initial 1,000 units sold out in days, and the next batch (now selling in matched pairs) are listed at $20. Cute though the K-Micros is, it bears little resemblance to the other mics in the Karma range. The one we have on review is the top-of-the-range K58 (a multi-pattern tube condenser) with a list price of $660. But with so many tube mics around at this sort of price, can the K59 really cut it?
Like many of its competitors, Californian-based Karma manufactures in China. But on first inspection these mics seem more Soviet in design. Whether it's the logo or the cloth finish I'm not sure. But finishing aside, from the Royer-like grille design to the ABS flight case there is definitely something a little different about this mic.
As you'd expect, the K58 comes with PSU (with a nine polar switching knob), multi-core cable, shock mount (though no regular clip) and flight case. The construction seems okay, although it's no the best I've seen at this price. But the one thing that's missing from the usual equation is distribution. What's more, a look at their website reveals some serious offers on the go: the K58 is $396 (payment is through Paypal only).
The website lists an A-weighted noise figure of 16dB, which is typical for this class, and a -37dBV (14mV/Pa) sensitivity. The tube inside is a Chinese-made 12AX7 (or ECC83) and the capsule is a 1.07 inch dual diaphragm design. As far as frequency response is concerned, the K58 does include a chart, which we'll assume is for cardioid on-axis (it's not actually labeled). It certainly has a few bumps, which should make for an interesting sound.
The K58 has plenty of presence, and the sound is pretty fine. It feels slightly hollow in the low mids (which isn't obvious from the chart), but the higher frequencies sound good. The overall sound is rounded and there's a warmth to the low end. Switching through the polar patterns produces an excellent figure-of-eight and a less successful omni. My favorite setting is a slightly wider cardioid setting, which has a less nasal quality than the tighter cardioid pattern. The suspension cradle helps make up for the lack of low-end roll off.
The K58 is an interesting and solidly built mic. The finishing isn't amazing, but the sound is excellent. Most significantly, the 'direct from Karma' pricing is astonishing (and continues down through other mics in the range). The only downside would be if you ever needed to return it, as the two-year warranty doesn't include shipping back to Karma in the US.
EQ Magazine (March 2007)
K6 Phantom Powered Ribbon
by Jay Matheson
When the first wave of inexpensive ribbon mics hit the market, I immediately dropped a cool $150.00 and took one home for the express purpose of thickening up certain sources—especially thin-sounding guitars (and amp combinations), violins and, in certain cases, horns. Afterall, the low price made it easy to justify the expenditure, and the level of commitment was low. I had even heard that using a ribbon on certain voices could add a retro flare to their takes. Perhaps I had aimed a little low with my checkbook, because the mic that I had just didn’t cut it. The “ribbon novelty” wore off really quickly: the retro rumor turned out to be little more than a myth, the mic was too dark to be applicable in any sessions I had been running, and (though it was to be expected) the damn thing needed tons of gain to even work properly.
So I scrapped the idea of using this breed of mic…until the Karma K6 showed up on my doorstep.
Overview
First and foremost, the K6 is phantom-powered—a historically anomalous feature for ribbons, but a design that has grown in popularity in recent years (such as with the Royer 122.) Sturdily designed, the K6 is a handsome side address that boasts a frequency response of 40Hz-15kHz and contains a 2-micron aluminum ribbon. Housed in a modest, plastic foam lined case, the K6 is packaged along with a surprisingly sturdy shockmount that seems to be of better quality than what is generally packaged with many mics in this price range (i.e. it didn’t slip when adjusted, and it featured a full 180 degree swivel.) In my experience, most of the cheaper ribbons that I’ve encountered had such flimsy mounting hardware that it practically rendered the mic un-useable, so the K6’s shockmount was definitely a point of relief.
All in all, the K6 looks sharp enough, allowing it to stand out aesthetically in the rather swollen mic market, but how it sounds is what’s really important, so we plugged it in and tested it on a few sources that we thought would benefit from the treatment a ribbon can provide, and this is what we found.
Applying the K6During an audio workshop I was conducting, I decided to pull the K6 out for a singer/songwriter that was in the studio to see if the K6 would help his vocals. As the style of the artist was more rock-based, the dark quality of the K6 didn’t seem to be appropriate, so we set the K6 up on the artist’s acoustic guitar, to much better results. Having no real 50s style crooners at hand to match the K6 with, we again tested the mic on a more rock-oriented source, and concluded that, while a bit too dark for a vocalist that wants more bright, cutting presence in their vocal tracks—the smooth, round and thick quality given by the K6 would definitely make the mic at home in a session requiring a more retro reminiscence.
Later down the line, my assumption that the K6 is best applied in a more “retro” domain was proven correct when a band came in to record what is probably best described as the stereotypical 70s big rock record. We had already achieved our tone for the main guitar tracks, but hadn’t quite decided on how we were going to approach a slide guitar track that needed to sound very smooth. Throwing the K6 up on the guitarists cabinet, we were immediately astonished at how well the old school slide sound was established. We had just the right amount of edge and bite while still maintaining huge, yet silky sound.
With electric guitar being the most complimentary source for the K6, I did, however, encounter a bit of troubles in that the shockmount (which is the K6’s only mounting option) made it impossible to place the mic closer than two inches from the cabinet. Even with ribbons, I prefer the sound of the mic placed right up to the grill cloth, and this just wasn’t an option given the shockmount’s design. So when working with this mic, I suggest that if the user desires to employ any additional, simultaneous miking techniques that they be sure to place the other mics equidistant from he K6 so as to not encounter any phasing issues.
Conclusion
The K6 is both well built and of substantial use in very specific applications--in fact it’s a clear winner if you’re searching for that “retro” 50s vocal, or that smooth 70s rock guitar sound. At a street price of $379.00, the K6 is a fair bargain, and I would recommend spending the extra dollar on this mid-priced ribbon instead of opting for one of the numerous $100-200 low-end ribbons that are flooding the market. While the dark quality of the K6 (and ribbons in general) keeps it from being an all-purpose piece, if you are looking to thicken the sound of certain sources and get that flare of old, this mic is worth a serious listen.
Product Type: Phantom powered ribbon microphone
Target Market: Studios that are looking for a relatively inexpensive ribbon mic that offers unique sonic character over general purpose.
Strengths: Adds lots of smooth thickness to sounds, especially electric guitars; requires less gain than many ribbons; reasonable price point.
Limitations: Shock mount can be cumbersome in cabinet miking applications.
Price: $379 (street)
Contact: www.karmamics.com
www.SonicValentine.com (February 2007)
K58 Multi-Pattern Tube Condenser
by Ben Strano (ZZ Top, 38 Special, Peter Cetera, Robert Fortune)
So I am not proud? I will admit I don't have a lot of money. Hell if you are reading this right now I am willing to bet that you don't have a lot of money. But I will also admit I really do like the sound of gear that tends to be expensive. Over the course of the last few years I have spent big bucks on pre-amps, compressors and monitors. I have spent an insane amount of money on computers and software (isn't that a sign of the times?). One area of my gear list that has always been lacking is microphones. I have your requisite twelve SM57s, and a few 421s and all sorts of small diaphragm condensers. Many of you know that whenever I am working you will find a pair of Sanken CU-31s on a stand somewhere. I love my Sankens... no let me rephrase that, I am IN LOVE with my Sankens (according to an old girlfriend there is a difference). Until recently I have yet to find another microphone that I was so totally in awe of and honestly confident using it in any setting.
Believe it or not I first heard of Karma microphones via myspace.com. I was doing the weekly accepting of friends on Sonic Valentine's myspace page and saw a friend request from Karma Mics. I click on the link and am immediately blown away by the look of their mics! Joe Hardy an I have a theory that half of what makes a great vocal mic is how expensive it looks. When a singer thinks they are singing into a really great, expensive microphone... well they sing like they are singing into a really great, expensive microphone. What I saw on Karma's page was a thing of beauty. Picture an oversized Royer 121 wrapped in leather. Yup, I was in love with this microphone. Albeit on a purely superficial basis, I think of Scarlett Johansson. I clicked on the link to karmamics.com and saw the prices, and my automatic reaction was with immediate disappointment. They were only six hundred dollars. I had been gearing up for awhile now to spend around fifteen hundred dollars on a really decent vocal mic. Obviously this mic was not going to sound as good as I wanted it to. I contacted Darren at Karma and we talked for about a half an hour about lots of stuff. We talked about Sonic Valentine and we talked about guitars and gear, but mostly we talked about microphones. I was really blown away by how confident Darren was that I was going to like the sound of their Karma K58. Karma offers a seven day trial so I agreed to try out the K58 and see if he was right.
When I received the K58, I was blown away by the case it came in. Most microphones in the under one grand range rarely include a decent shock mount and Karma thought enough of their mics to package them in style. The case holds the K58 and power supply, shock mount, 7 pin cable and the included IEC power cable. On a side note I am pretty sure that the IEC cable that they gave me is the current world record holder for "longest power cable in the history of the world." The power cable is almost too long, so I just put it in the pile and grabbed one of the other seven million power cables I have to put in the case. Ok, back to the important stuff, this mic just looks impressive! The included shock mount is sturdy and easy to use. One complaint is that it is too solid and covers up too much of the microphone. I know it is a stupid complaint but that is all I got. This mic is so good looking that I think the shock mount should cover as little as necessary. But all in all from a purely aesthetic standpoint, the K58 is everything I could want out of a microphone. You won't understand exactly what I mean until you hold one in your hands.
Now comes the part that you all really care about, the sound of the K58. Well, the best vocal mic that I owned was an Audio Technica 4033. I think that the 4033 is one of the most versatile microphones out there today. I challenge you to find me something that the 4033 doesn’t sound bad on. One night I had a singer in that I have been working with who had actually done shootouts between lots of microphones and he always said he sounded best singing through a 4033. When a singer knows what they like, I rarely argue but I had just gotten the K58 and wanted to try it on him as well. I had the him sing one verse through the 4033 and we all agreed we liked the way that it sounded. Then I set up the K58, and before I could even hit record he sang a bit into the K58, and immediately screamed "I LOVE THIS MIC!!!" Well after doing a verse he came into the control room and we compared the two takes. No doubt, the K58 blew away the 4033! The K58 just seems to have an amazingly high end that I have never found on any other microphone, be it expensive or inexpensive. But normally I find that when a mic has a great top end, the bottom end suffers. Not true with the K58. The K58 is solid throughout the frequency range but has a special kind of bite to the high end that makes any vocal sit in the track perfectly with minimal equalization. I immediately said to myself, "this mic needs a worthy adversary." One phone call later and I had my friends nine thousand dollar freshly tweaked out Neumann U47 in my hands. This was about to get interesting…
The singer went back in and sang a verse on the U47. All throughout my studio mouths dropped to the floor. Surprisingly people were not blown away by how good the U47 sounded, instead they were amazed that it just didn't sound as good as the K58. We threw the Karma back up and continued on with the session. In the back of my mind I didn't understand what just happened but figured that the results would only hold true on this particular singer’s voice.
The next day I had another singer coming in to my place. The difference is that we had shot out vocal mics for him before. Months ago we rented and borrowed everything that we thought would be worth a shot, and not surprisingly settled on my friend's U47. Not only did we love the U47 on his vocal, but this guy is a well known fiddler too and we loved the U47 on his fiddle in combination with a Sanken CU-31. Well when he came in the first thing he asked me was whether I had the U47 or not. I said, "I do, but just for grins, I want to try this new mic I just got." He agreed and we did the same old one verse with one, one verse with another. This time the differences were not as apparent, but honestly we both picked the Karma. We couldn't figure out what was going on. Later that day we went to track a fiddle. Again I said, "Just for giggles, let's try the Karma." Same freaking thing! We both picked the Karma over the U47. Now I am not going to be so bold as to say "The Karma K58 is a better mic than a Neumann U47", but I know that the 47 has just sat in its’ case ever since I got the Karma. Did I mention it is less than one tenth the price?
I have sent an email to Darren and told him that he isn't getting the K58 back. I won't be spending $1,500 on a vocal mic. I am elated with my new Karma K58! For the money you would be stupid not to add the K58 to your next mic shoot out. Actually, for the money you would be stupid not to just add the K58 to your mic locker. One problem that I have found with Karma is they seem to be out of stock a lot of the time. I wanted to try out a pair of their K6 phantom powered ribbon mics, but they won't have any in until March. I can't wait to try them out though. Now that I think about it I can't wait to try out all of their mics. Karma is definitely a place to go if you are like me, and don't have a lot of money but demand that your tracks sound like you do.
