In this article:
Prodipe A1 £83$59
pros
Inexpensive.
Very versatile.
Well-balanced tonality.
cons
Unremarkable noise performance means it is best suited to close-miking jobs.
summary
A cost-effective mic that can cover just about any project studio application in a capable manner.
information
£82.54 including VAT.
Etcetera Distribution +44 (0)1706 285 650.
$59.
Music Factory Direct +1 574 255 7380.
Photos too small? Click on photos, screenshots and diagrams in articles to open a Larger View gallery.

SOS Readers Ads
GRAB A BARGAIN

£818,737

of Second-User Gear for sale now — don't miss out!
December 2009
On sale now at main newsagents and bookstores (or buy direct from the PM Shop)
Latest Print magazine: click here for Performing Musician contents list

Prodipe A1

Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone

Published in SOS July 2009
Printer-friendly version Printer-friendly version

Reviews : Microphone
 
When you’re on a budget, you’ll need one mic to perform a range of duties — and this one seems to punch above its weight.
Paul White
French manufacturers Prodipe have designed their A1 mic for use on a range of sources, but particularly recommend it for use with plucked or bowed string instruments, including acoustic guitars. It’s an inexpensive, small-diaphragm, back-electret condenser mic, with a fixed cardioid pattern and a switchable low-cut filter at 100Hz, accessed via a recessed switch on the side of the body.
Overview
The A1 is conventionally constructed, having a cylindrical metal body with slots in the end to allow sound into the capsule, and slots in the side for the rear porting, to create the cardioid pattern. The finish is an attractive brownish-grey satin coating.
Perhaps the most revealing thing about the information provided with the mic is the shape of the frequency-response curve, which kicks up by a couple of dB at very low frequencies, but is otherwise extremely flat from 50Hz to 2kHz. Above this, there’s some deliberate contouring: the main presence peak is a broad hump centred at around 7kHz, where it rises to about 4dB, giving the high end a helping hand without being excessive. This characteristic usually translates into ‘airiness’ or ‘breathiness’. Another, much smaller, hump of around 2dB occurs at around 3kHz, which is in the vocal presence region but can also help bring out the sound of plucked strings, such as acoustic guitar.
With the filter switched out, the A1 has a well-extended bass response, which should make it suitable for use with a wider range of instruments than the recommend application of bowed- and plucked-string instrument recording. The frequency response is quoted as 30Hz to 18kHz, with a sensitivity of -38dB ±2dB (0dB=1V/Pa at 1kHz). While not particularly low by modern standards, the EIN noise figure of 20dB A-weighted is adequate for most studio close-miking applications, and equates to a signal-to-noise ratio of 74dB. The A1 operates from standard phantom power and is supplied with a simple stand clip and a foam wind-shield.
Studio Tests
I thought that acoustic guitar would be a good place to start my tests, and I was generally impressed by the results. The low end was confidently solid and nicely balanced by the detailed but non-aggressive high end. The acoustic guitar came across with just the right amount of articulation: detailed without being gritty or glassy, and with a nice humming drone underpinning strummed chords. Next to a seriously high-end mic, the sense of focus and clarity may not compare quite so favourably, and the high end may not be quite as smooth, but in the sub-£100$100 sector this mic should make getting a good acoustic guitar sound very straightforward. I also appreciated the way it dealt with hand percussion, especially the Turkish Darbuka, which has a lot of metallic overtones. The percussion results were really detailed and lively, again with a strong low end, but without anything being obviously over-emphasised.
My next test was to record a guitar amp, and this was a task the A1 managed better than I expected, with all the detail and warmth you could wish for, and with no gritty top end. Finally, I stuck a pop shield in front of it to record vocals. Although physically small, with a capsule around half an inch in diameter, there was nothing small about the vocal sound: it captured a really good balance of chesty depth and airy detail. Indeed, it produced just as good a result in this respect as some far more costly large-diaphragm studio mics I’ve tried, so don’t let anyone say that you can’t use small-diaphragm mics for serious vocal work.
The noise performance of the A1 means that it can only really be recommended for close-miking applications, or where the sound source is quite loud, but it manages most routine studio tasks in a capable and musical fashion. While you could better its performance in all respects by spending more money, the reality is that in most home studios a mic of this quality will not be the weakest link in the recording chain, and used with care it really is capable of excellent results. The A1 is a real jack of all trades at a bargain price — although not without some stiff competition in the same price range.  0

Published in SOS July 2009

Bookmark and Share
Saturday 21st November 2009
Login or Register here
Sub PIN or Email
Password
Remember me
Stay logged in
Lost password?
Request a reminder
Not registered?
Register Now for FREE
No https access?
Login here
Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Audix CX212
Audix’s acclaimed range of microphones is designed and built entirely at home in the USA — and it’s an approach that seems to be paying off...
Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Prodipe A1
When you’re on a budget, you’ll need one mic to perform a range of duties — and this one seems to punch above its weight.
Active Ribbon Microphone
Thumbnail for article: AEA A440
Some microphones ooze quality to the extent that price almost becomes unimportant. Is AEA’s new active version of the venerable RCA 44 design one of them?
Cardioid Dynamic Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Heil Sound PR40
Listening to the sound from this extraordinary dynamic mic, you might be forgiven for thinking it was a ribbon or a condenser.
Active Ribbon Microphone
Thumbnail for article: SE Electronics RNR1
If you put together a classical musician turned mic manufacturer, and analogue audio legend Mr Rupert Neve, you’d expect the outcome to be something rather special — and it is.
Condenser Microphones
Thumbnail for article: Audio-Technica AT2035 & 2050
Industry stalwarts Audio-Technica introduce two new microphones that offer a similar character to their popular AT2020, but with better performance and additional features.
Multi-pattern Condenser Microphone
Small size and a choice of polar patterns make this mid-priced, large-diaphragm mic a very versatile performer.
Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone
Thumbnail for article: SE Electronics SE4
The SE3 was a popular mic, but it only came in cardioid flavour. The new SE4 gives you more options...
Condenser Microphones
Can condenser mics at this price really be worthy of a name like AKG? Actually, it seems they can...
Piano Microphone System
If recording piano is your forté, this system could make your life a whole lot easier...
Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone
It's easy to see where the Black Hole gets its name, but this novel microphone isn't all about appearances...
Multi-pattern Valve Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Harper-Diabaté HDV1
This substantial tube mic comes with a generous array of accessories at a good price — but does it sound as impressive as it looks?
Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone
A decent mic collection should include small-diaphragm condensers for their transparent, uncoloured sound. Does the updated Pulsar deserve a place in yours?
Compact Modular RF Condenser Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Sennheiser MKH 8040
Sennheiser have taken advantage of new technology to produce a smaller, lower-cost modular version of their modern classic MKH range of microphones.
Ribbon Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Crowley & Tripp El Diablo
A ribbon mic that can be used on a kick drum? Prepare to believe, as the new 'Roswellite' ribbon shows off its hardiness.
Drum Microphone Set
Thumbnail for article: Equation Audio Alpha Series
If you've not yet built up much of a microphone collection, a dedicated drum-mic kit can be a sensible investment — and the price of this one puts it within reach of even entry-level users.
Studio Condenser Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Violet Black Knight
Making your mic stand out from the crowd these days is difficult — so Latvian company Violet have used their head...
Multi-pattern Valve Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Newmann Retro
Newmann (no, that's not a typo...) are a small British company aiming to make affordable high-quality mics with a vintage flavour. It's a laudable aim, but have they achieved it?
Multi-pattern Capacitor Microphone
At nearly twice the price of a Neumann U87, you've every right to expect this to be a very, very nice microphone...
Multi-pattern FET Microphone
Thumbnail for article: Charter Oak E700
Building in China, then disassembling in the US and replacing parts seems a long-winded way to go about building a mic... but there might just be some sense in the approach.
December 2009
On sale now at main newsagents and bookstores (or buy direct from the SOS Web Shop)
SOS current Print Magazine: click here for FULL Contents list
Click image for Contents

WIN Great Prizes in SOS Competitions!