AL-2 Stereo Microphone System
The Curtis Design Technologies AL-2 Stereo Microphone System consists of a matched pair of tube mics, an associated rackmount power supply, Canare cables, shock-mounts, and a travel case. The AL-2 system is designed with top producers in mind who seek a sense of unrestricted ambience and dimension in their recordings.
The AL-2 is a remarkably flexible system useful in recording a variety of instruments. On instruments such as drums, acoustic pianos, acoustic guitars, saxophones, and cellos, the microphone's performance is "world class." The AL-2 system is unprecedented in its ability to sort out and translate the complex harmonic interactions that occur during symphonic events.
The microphones feature an elongated cardioid pattern designed to allow the engineer to employ a pair of microphones in a unidirectional approach. The result is a combination of the spaciousness of an omnidirectional mic, with the focus of a unidirectional mic. Hard panned stereo configurations provide a limitless number of composite acoustical patterns.
The diaphragms in the AL-2 microphones are gold free and measure 22mm exposed, with an overall assembly size of 32mm. Employing hand picked audiophile grade matched 6189 tubes, the AL-2 microphones prove to be substantially immediate and neutral in terms of their reproductive characteristics. The AL-2 microphones use close-tolerance metal film matched resistors and custom designed capacitors.
The AL-2 power supply has microphone inputs positioned on the front panel to address the growing trend of rackmount equipment in the performance room and to better accommodate project and commercial facilities.
Like all Curtis Design Technologies products, emphasis is on unquestionably superior components, exactingly detailed engineering, and rugged, thoughtful construction.
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AL-2 Stereo Microphone System
The AL-2 is sold as a matched pair of tube condenser mics with an external rackmountable power supply and cables. The mics are smallish, with 2.2 cm exposed of the diaphragm, arid have light aluminum shells containing a 12AU7 tube and other high-end components. The mics kick ass. Curtis claims an "elongated cardioid" pattern- and that makes sense in the way the mics pull sounds in closer and clearer-but the real treat is in how great they sound. On acoustic guitar or piano. I needed no EQ or even compression to get well-balanced natural sounding images of the instruments. As drum overheads the mics can be either fantastic or not quite right. Sometimes the mics picked up the muddy ambience in my room and highlighted unflattering aspects of the kit.
Sometimes the drums sounded beautiful and open. They would kill on a jazz session. One real practical bonus is that
the small size and lightness of the mics makes placement a breeze, something I can't claim for many tube mies out there.
These mics are of a very high quality (apparently they are popular with symphonic recordists!), and they provide some of the truest, most natural sounds-in stereo!
-Larry Crane (January, 2004)