Quantum Electric Q24

This Swedish‑made valve mic offers all the character of vintage designs, but without the noise!

Quantum Electric are a new Swedish microphone manufacturer. I was incredibly impressed with their first product, the Q47, but its price tag could be a bit of a deterrent for anything but truly professional recording or broadcast contexts. A colleague who also tested this mic argued that the Q47 was not expensive per se, but agreed that it would be out of reach of anyone with a modest wallet. Now, Quantum Electric have catered for this market too, with the new Q24.

Quantum Mechanics

The Quantum Electric company were founded by Vladimir Carrasco Castillo, who is a Grammy‑nominated music producer, songwriter and screenwriter among other things. His first creation, the Q47, was released in 2023, and was a tribute to a vintage predecessor with the number 47 in its model designation. For its successor, Vladimir chose a number based on the year in which development started, and aimed to hit a more manageable price without compromising quality. Thus the Quantum Q24 was born.

The Q24 is assembled by hand in Sweden. Components have been chosen with great care, and the entire microphone exudes quality. The mic offers just one polar pattern, cardioid, and lacks bells and whistles such as a switchable attenuator or high‑pass filter. For key components, Vladimir has tried to track down NOS parts such as the RFT‑manufactured capacitors. Other parts, like the specially designed M7‑style capsule and transformer, are custom‑made. The amplifier section uses very few components, and signal paths are made as short as possible in order to keep self‑noise down. The brass microphone body has been treated with a technology called Cera Coating, which is also used for handguns and watches, giving a durable finish. The result is a high‑quality matte black finish.

Attention to detail is also evident in the basket surrounding the capsule, which is made from two layers of stainless steel wire mesh. Among other qualities, this gives the microphone a better chance of surviving a fall to the studio floor — something I’m told a couple of users have already expressed their deepest gratitude for. Some might argue that stainless steel is less good from the point of view of electromagnetic shielding than brass or copper, but other manufacturers have also used steel for its strength and impact resistance, such as AKG with the C12, C28 and D12.

A swivel mount is available as an optional alternative to the standard shockmount.The Q24 comes in an unassuming but rugged and impact‑resistant plastic case. Included is a very substantial shockmount, plus a rugged PSU and a 5m‑long cable, with Sommer connectors. A swivel...