The Big E Debut
Longtime readers should
recognize Rick
Earl as a contributor to this column. What
you might not be aware of is that in addition to
being a self described audio-junky and Technical
Director for Cultural and Special Programs at
Elon University in Burlington, Rick is also an
experimenter and audio craftsman. Several weeks
ago Rick brought in his newest creation, The Big
E rare-earth velocity (ribbon) microphone, for
us to audition.
Putting the Big E trough its paces at
CareySound headquarters.
Ribbon microphones are
known for their extended smooth linear frequency
response and the Big E is no exception. Invented in
the early 1920s by Drs. Walter H. Schottky and
Erwin Gerlach and later refined and brought to
market in 1931 by Dr. Harry F. Olson of RCA, the
ribbon microphone broke new ground sound
reproduction with a realism and clarity not found
in the condenser microphones of the day. The figure
eight bidirectional pickup pattern of the mic found
an enthusiastic home in the motion picture
industry. It enabling clear vocal dialogue without
picking up the noisy motion picture cameras in use
at the time by placing the camera in the null side
of the pickup pattern. The Big E exhibits this
Figure Eight pattern.
Saxophonist Skip Gailes performs live with the
Big E at Elon Universities Jazz Concert
So how does it sound? Great! Hear for yourself.
Click the play button above for an audio sample
recorded this last weekend with The Big E.