VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Gp]

Hi everyone, I have been lucky enough to be able to find myself doing equipment reviews. I will be doing one each month for the voice over insider. I will be looking at lot's of different equipment over the coming months. Next month I will review the Safe Sound P1, I have on tap one of Michael Joly's new mics and possibly one from Telefunken and a few other tricks up my sleeve.
If there is anything you would like to see reviewed let me know and I will see what I can do to get it done.
I am including not just a report of what I heard but also an audio file with both a male and female voice. The male being my voice and the female being VO-bb's own Diane Maggipinto..
Thanks so much.
Greg
Honey does this microphone make my bottom sound big?

If you are looking for a way to make your bottom bigger and your top end a little less bright, the new Cloud Microphones JRS-34 may be just what you are looking for. It’s going to surprise you.

I have always wanted to try out a ribbon microphone. Noting the JRS-34 came out as a brand new creation from Stephan Sank and company, I jumped on the opportunity.

Look out smooth and fat…here I come.

Ribbons are typically quite dark and that’s one of the reasons you really don’t see that many in the voice over world. Some of them actually just sound really great…as is the case with Cloud’s new JRS-34.

A little history direct from Cloud’s website:
We make ‘em like they used to.
The story begins in the 1930's at RCA* with Harry Olson developing the 44 and 77 series ribbon microphones. Mr. Olson was followed in his post by engineer Jon R. Sank, for whom the JRS-34 is named. He was charged by RCA with improving on Harry's best mics. He did just that with the BK-11, a direct descendant of the 44 series. It’s been an inside audio secret for many years among top engineers that the BK-11 is the most advanced ribbon microphone in the world. Jon Sank passed away in 1998, but before he died he passed more than 50 years of skill and technology to his son, Stephen Sank. Trained by his father beginning at age 10, Stephen’s studies continued to build upon lessons learned from the original RCA Laboratory Studies. Today, Stephen and his wife Cynthia continue the family tradition of developing quality hand crafted ribbon microphones in collaboration with Cloud Microphones. With modern appointments such as Cinemag transformers, neodymium magnets and an optional phantom powered JFET circuit, the Cloud JRS-34 takes the next evolutionary step in the immortal BK-11 / 44 series microphone design line. All Cloud products are completely built in the USA.

The JRS-34 is a true beauty. It is all chrome and surprisingly light weight for it’s size. It comes in both an active, requiring phantom power of 48volts, and a passive version.

The active version is very nice for us folks who don’t have a preamp that goes to 11. (yes it’s a Spinal Tap reference) Typically a ribbon requires quite a bit of gain but the active circuitry makes the Cloud ribbon usable on most any preamp.

The sound of this mic is like putting on a nice warm blanket and cuddling up to a fire on a cold day. In my opinion, too many of today’s microphones are cold and bright. Cloud has succeeded in building a microphone that is not too bright and not too dark. It’s also very smooth. The JRS-34 is also a very quiet microphone. All in all a very nice package.

I put the JRS-34 through about every kind of read you can think of. It’s not perfect for everything. You can clip it and it’s not one I would suggest for those screamer ads but it works great for long form and for commercial work but only if you want your work to sound fabulous.

The thing I found most interesting about this microphone is that adjusting it’s sound can be done by moving it closer or farther away. Once you dial it in….you get a very rich and creamy sound while still being able to hear the upper ranges very easily. This ribbon mic will give you everything you can ask for in a mic except that overly bright sound we have all heard and have begun to loathe. If you want proximity effect, the JRS-34 will give you all you could ever want. Pull it back some, and it will give you a nice big bottom and still offer you some wonderful clarity through the mid and upper bands. The JRS-34 is one for the mic locker without a doubt. I highly recommend trying one out…be warned however, you will want one.

Take a listen for yourself. Here is a little sample of what the JRS-34 sounds like with both a male,(Greg Phelps) and a female, (Diane Maggipinto)

www.theVoiceActor.com/JRS34diane.mp3

www.theVoiceActor.com/JRS34greg.mp3

A little info about these files

Here is the signal chain, EMU 1212, Mackie 1402 VLZ3, Summit Audio Everest. Settings on the Everest were the same for both male and female voices. Input at 5.6 Drive bus at 4 and output at 6. The JRS-34 active version was used in making these files. The male voice was recorded with the JRS-34 12 inches away and the female at 8 inches away. No processing was added.

[Gp]

I am glad to see many of you have read or at least looked at this thread. Any comments at all? Are you enjoying them? Want them to continue? Stop? whatever?

[Bruce]

I'll have to say I'm not bowled over by the audio quality. Kind of a muddy midrange to my ears. But it sure is a purty lil' thang.

It looks like the price is about $1,250.


B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[bobsouer]

Greg,

Don't take my lack of comment for a lack of interest. I'm enjoying reading your reviews a great deal. Just don't have anything to add.
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Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[Gp]

Bruce thanks for the comment. I think it's little mid muddy too at times.
I also think it has a nice rich sound especially when you compare it to the newer BRIGHT mics out there today.

Some people really like that rounder, smoother sound. Other's really like the clarity of the newer mics. They can be harsh on some folks...like me for example. It reminds a little bit of hearing DB on the 416...it sounded a little muddy but at the same time it had a nice round smooth sound that many on the board liked.

Bob that is what I am kind of thinking, Just people aren't sure what to say I suppose. I like doing the reviews...I was just in hopes that others are enjoying them and getting some useful info out of them. That and I get to have the company of the magic pinto once in awhile for the female recording part.

[Bill Campbell]

I finally got a chance to listen. It is smooth - but boxy. I like ribbon mics, but the figure of eight pattern just picks to much room sound.
They are pretty good for group voice acting, though.
Thanks for the review.
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www.asapaudio.com

[Rob Ellis]

Maybe if Greg and Diane got closer in than 12" and 8" it would clear up the muddiness and boxiness.

Although Greg to me sounded closer than 12".

[Gp]

Getting closer gives you more bass/proximity effect. It is possible that I could have been a little closer..or maybe even a little farther away. Those were estimates. However, I worked many years in the construction industry and have developed a pretty good eye for distance.


All the comments are interesting and appreciated. Thanks!

[Frank F]

Bill,

I really hate too be late to the show, but I am surprised at your comment about the Cloud Microphone JRS-34 sounding "boxy".

I recently used the Cloud in Greg's studio for a project, my client commented that it was warm, rich and solid sounding.

Greg has a good set of ears and his studio sound is delightful. I believe I would be checking your monitors if I were hearing a "boxy" sound.

As for being a group microphone - a ribbon microphone is designed to be used in close proximity, it is not like a C-12 where a vaclist/VO can be 24" from the mic and still sound nice, although the Cloud JRS-34 can be used at a resonable distance.

Cheap ribbon microphones are notorious for being boxy however a high quality microphone like the Cloud is smooth and clean. A boxy sound is not something which I would describe with Cloud Microphones products.

Frank F
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com