XIX Pure 1 & Pure Valve

Paul White tests two new models which make large-diaphragm capacitor and valve microphone sounds more affordable than ever.

Both mics are based around the same large-diaphragm cardioid capsule, which has a nominally flat response between 20Hz and 18kHz, with a moderate 3dB presence peak centred at around 8kHz. The roll-off at the high end is gentle rather than sudden, and the bass response rises below 30Hz until the graph finishes at 20Hz. Empirical tests show the cardioid pattern to be reasonably tight with a healthy degree of rear rejection. However, off-axis the presence peak moves down to 5kHz and increases by almost 10dB.

The shockmounts secure to the bodies of both mics using a circular lock nut, and the ad

XIX PURE 1 & PURE VALVE pros Inexpensive. Good range of included accessories. Both mics sound a lot more expensive than they really are. cons No external pad and filter switches. summary A pair of studio capacitor mics at a very low price point, which are capable of producing a professional sound.

Housed in a chunky cylindrical body of machined brass, the Pure Valve is based around a modern dual triode, soldered directly to the circuit board. The tube feeds a balanced transformer output stage, with workmanlike engineering that gives no cause for concern.

The capsule sits in its own shielded compartment, topped with a tough basket arrangement comprising a perforated metal outer layer and a fine mesh inner layer. A small cardioid logo denotes the 'hot' side of the capsule. There are no filters or pads, and a seven-pin XLR cable links the mic directly to the power supply. The PSU has only mains inlet and power switch, a seven-pin socket for the feed from the mic, and a balanced XLR audio output socket. The absence of a low-cut filter isn't unusual at his price, though the lack of a pad may not make the Pure Valve suitable for close miking very loud instruments, given that the maximum SPL which the mic can handle is 128dB. However, many potential users want a valve mic such as this primarily for vocals, which easily fall within its SPL capability.

With a sensitivity of 32mV/Pa, the mic compares well with its peers, while the equivalent noise figure of 18dBA is also typical for such an affordable tube microphone. What these figures mean in practice is that there's plenty of level for recording vocals and close-miked acoustic instruments without noise ever becoming a problem, though it might be a different matter if you're recording tree frogs at 500 metres...

The design of the Pure 1 also has the benefit of an output transformer, which

This model is slightly less sensitive than the tube model at just 14mV/Pa, but it still compares well with other large-diaphragm cardioid mics. The equivalent noise level is some 4dB higher than for the tube model, at 22dBA, though noise still won't be an issue in normal usage.

If anything, the flattish frequency response of these mics gives the impression of a lack of specific character, but that means they generate more consistently useful results with different sources. Because the presence peak is gentle, the high end is smooth and natural rather than being artificially airy.

The Pure Valve acquitted itself particularly well. It exhibits the warmth and solidarity of image characteristic of tube mics, but doesn't take the art of flattery as far as some. The Pure 1, on the other hand, while tonally similar, is somehow less solid sounding. One thing I did discover was that both mics are prone to popping quite badly unless used with a pop shield, though this is common to many capacitor microphones.

In all, these mics are capable of extremely good results and they provide a way for the recording enthusiast on a budget to experience the quality of capacitor mics. In fact, the UK pricing is lower than I've seen even for directly equivalent models, and you still get a shockmount and a case thrown in, which looks like great value for money.

Home | Search | News | Current Issue | Digital Editions | Articles | Forum | Subscribe | Shop | Readers Ads

Advertise | Information | Links | Privacy Policy | Support