TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
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Mojave Audio MA-301fet MULTI-PATTERN LARGE DIAPHRAGM CONDENSER MICROPHONE
The MA-301fet is an extremely versatile microphone that provides impeccable sound quality at an affordable price, writes Russ Long.
ROYER RIBBON mic designer (and 2013 Technical Grammy winner) Dave Royer founded Mojave Audio in his Fullerton, California garage back in 1985. The latest mic in the Mojave lineup – the MA-301fet – is a multi- pattern version of the large- diaphragm, solid-state MA- 201fet condenser microphone.
FEATURES
The MA-301fet weighs 1 pound and measures 7 5/8in long by 2in in diameter. As with most of the other mics in the Mojave family, the MA-301fet has a sexy black finish with a head basket shape reminiscent of a classic Neumann U-87. The large-diaphragm FET (Field Effect Transistor) condenser microphone features a 20Hz-20kHz, ±3dB frequency response and employs a hand-selected double diaphragm gold sputtered three-micron one- inch diameter capsule, Jensen audio transformer, military- grade FET, and custom- designed, low-noise resistors. The MA-301fet’s polar patterns are omni, cardioid, and figure-eight. The bass roll-off provides 6dB per octave attenuation with a 100Hz corner frequency. The mic has a 550-ohm output impedance, an 80dB (A-weighted) signal-to-noise ratio, 14dB self noise, and can handle SPL levels up to 124dB. With the MA-301fet and its included shock-mount packed into a foam lined, 10 x 9 x 4.5in carry case, it weighs four pounds and will easily hold up to the rigours of every day use.
IN USE Having already spent significant time with the other mics in the Mojave line, I was not at all surprised by
54 September 2013
the immaculate performance of the MA-301fet. I’ve been fortunate to live with a pair of the mics for the past year and they have become a staple mic in my day-to-day recording routine. The MA-301fet is easily adaptable to virtually any recording application and the selectable polar pattern, low-cut filter, and 15dB pad make it more flexible than the fixed pattern MA-201fet.
The mic does a wonderful
job of capturing vocals. In most instances of recording vocals with a solid-state mic, I prefer the sound of a tube mic preamplifier and the MA-301fet is no exception to this rule. I used the mic in conjunction with a LaChapell Model 583s mic pre to record an aggressive male vocal and the result was a punchy, full sound that was beefy yet detailed. On a male ballad vocal, I found the omni pattern worked well, as it sounded slightly more natural. The mic works equally well on female vocals too; its beautiful extended top-end flatters. However, I did find that the mic tends to accentuate problem frequencies of female (and occasionally male) singers: those with unusually crisp, edgy vocal texture. I found the mic’s bass roll-off to work well with vocals, sucking out the low-frequency muddiness without eating into the body of the vocal sound. Much unlike some high-pass filters, I’d describe the filter on the MA-301fet as being both musical and usable. Acoustic guitars record
brilliantly with the MA-301fet. I used a single MA-301fet on the guitar’s neck and it wonderfully captured the sound of a Taylor 514-CE. The top end was pure and smooth and the
body of the sound was well defined and punchy. I used the MA-301fet pair on the same guitar, one on the neck and one on the body, and I again obtained killer sounds. While I found the mic’s
forte to be vocals and acoustic guitars, it works well in virtually any situation. I tracked drums using one on the snare and one on the kick (with the pad engaged on both mics). The snare sounded fantastic: a big warm body and just the right amount of crack without the need for any additional EQ. The only downside is the mic’s size, making snare placement a bit tricky. Depending on the drummer’s hi-hat position, the mic has a tendency to capture more than a desirable amount of hi-hat – certainly a consideration.
I used the MA-301fet as a
kick-out mic, placed about 6in in front of the centre of the kick drum (along with an AKG D112 positioned just inside the hole in the front of the drum) and the sound was massive. Traditionally I’ve used a Neumann fet47 for this, though I found that I prefer the MA-301fet; it has the same midrange punch as the fet47 plus an extended bottom end and more pristine high frequencies. I’m a long-time user of
Mojave MA-300s on toms and I found the MA-301fet to perform equally well. Toms recorded with the MA-301fet sound full and natural and – with the exception of a slight cut around 375Hz – required no equalisation at all. In several tracking instances, I used the mics through the Manley Langevin Dual Vocal Combo to capture drum overheads and had wonderful results. The resulting sound was so natural and smooth
“The MA-301fet is easily adaptable to virtually any recording application.” Russ Long
that I could easily use a pair of the MA-301fets and a single kick drum mic to capture the entire drum kit. I set one mic on figure-eight and the other on cardioid to record drum rooms in MS. I liked the MS sound so much that I’ve used the same configuration on ambient room for a three-piece string session and piano, both with great success. The mics are equally adept at recording percussion, too. I used them to record congas, bongos, shaker, and tambourine with excellent recordings in every instance. Piano records wonderfully
through the MA-301fet, sounding full, rich, smooth, and present. I liked it for capturing piano with both cardioid and omni polar patterns. It also worked well for recording violin, viola, and cello.
SUMMARY I loved the Mojave MA- 201fet – the cardioid-only FET from Mojave – from the first time I plugged it in; my only complaint was its lack of selectable pickup patterns (and the occasional need for a pad). This all has been resolved with the Mojave
INFORMATION
• Price: £580/$895
www.mojaveaudio.com
www.audiomedia.com
MA-301fet. If there’s a perfect new LDC, this is it, as it can easily replace a Neumann U-47fet or U-87, and its price tag is staggeringly low. Whether you are looking at adding more options to an existing mic collection or buying your first high-quality microphone, the MA-301fet should be a top consideration.
THE REVIEWER RUSS LONG, a Nashville- based producer, engineer and mixer, is a Senior Contributor to sister title Pro Audio Review.
www.russlong.ws
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