The world’s largest producer of downloadable audiobooks, Audible places audio intelligibility at the top of its list of technical priorities. Pursuing the best available audio capture, Audible Studios is currently using Mojave Audio’s MA-201fet condenser microphone.
Associate Manager and Post Production Engineer Darren Vermaas has recorded and directed some of the industry’s best voiceover talent. He has also engineered and directed numerous celebrity narrations and is involved in numerous aspects of the production process – including directing, recording, editing, mixing, mastering and sound design of the company’s audiobooks, audio dramas, and promotions.
‘A colleague introduced me to Mojave Audio’s microphones back in 2008,’ he recalls. ‘I use the MA-201fet due to its incredible clarity and ability to capture a true representation of the voice without needing additional EQ processing. This mic is a first choice for any voiceover recording, and for music production, I also love it on kick drum, upright bass and, of course, vocals. This is a remarkably capable microphone. Presently, I have one MA-201fet, with another three on order.
‘The MA-201fet is a no frills mic that is built like a tank and sounds great on just about every performer you put in front of it,’ he continues. ‘Because of this, the microphone saves me time on productions, and any time saved is a big plus when you’re working with long-form audio. The sound quality meets and exceeds that of other industry standard microphones that are often three-times the price or more.’
He also regards customer and technical support services important: ‘I was compelled to reach out to Mojave Audio’s customer service to find out how I could help spread the word about their mics, but honestly did not expect a response’ he says. ‘I was really impressed when Dusty Wakeman – the company’s president – wrote back personally to thank me and then made the time to speak with me by phone. It’s a great indicator of the quality of people at Mojave, which reflects upon the quality of their products.
‘From the very first time I put the Mojave microphone on an upright bass back in 2008, I’ve been hooked and have been singing the company’s praises ever since,’ he reflects. ‘I’m also really impressed by the company’s MA-301fet condenser mics, and while I don’t use it on a regular basis simply because I don’t often need the variable polar patterns, it too is a terrific microphone. If any colleagues ask for my recommendation on a multi-pattern mic, I recommend the MA-301fet. At the end of the day, the bottom line is that both microphones are exceptional. They have never disappointed me.’
