The New Twenties from Tierra Audio promises ‘a warm, deep and creamy sound, rich in harmonics and with the right balance of brightness in treble that will bring to your musical recordings and professional voiceovers a rounded sound body, both in studio and live, but always with the important dose of definition and presence that modern productions demand’.
New Twenties is a large-diaphragm cardioid FET condenser mic that sports a custom design with a US-made capsule and Lundahl transformer-coupled output. Its retro styling and accessories – including a magnetic pop shield and personalised ridges – are intended to set it apart from the mic crowd.
The line transformer used in the New Twenties provides the harmonic richness to achieve a unique texture in the voice. ‘We know it’s not common to use line transformers in microphones – electronics purists will be pulling their hair out right now – but at Tierra Audio we are electronics nuts and we love the exciting “black magic” they bring to the enveloping dynamics of the timbre, and the attractive psychoacoustic effect they produce. Sounding good is what matters,’ the company says.
The New Twenties also resurrects the use ‘ridges’, where record labels, recording studios, television and radio stations promoted their name or that of their sponsors. Each microphone comes with two interchangeable magnet ‘ridges’, one made of transparent recycled methacrylate and the other of bamboo. These can be laser engraved with custom text or a logo by Tierra Audio. Users can also silkscreen print them in a printing shop or put stickers on them using the digital templates provided.
The microphone’s pop filter is made of three thin layers of mesh and textile strategically interspersed that progressively slow down the impact of the wind produced by the most conflicting syllables.
‘Our anti-pop is automatically positioned in the right place thanks to its N52 neodymium magnets, the most powerful in the world, coated with an epoxy film that maximises its durability even in very humid environments, and prevents vibrations and unwanted marks on the surface of the microphone,’ the company says.
The outer case of the New Twenties is made of 304 stainless steel that reckons to protect the electronics inside from shocks and radio frequency electromagnetic pollution, as well as to resist the abrasion of aging.
The suspension system for the capsule uses precision micro-springs made from a stainless steel similar to the strings of a piano, tremendously resistant and with a memory effect.
The mics are hand-built in small batches, therefore stock is limited.
