Blackspade Acoustics UM17 Tube Mic

Designed & Modded by Oliver Archut / AMI!!!

Up for consideration is a brand new Blackspade Acoustics UM17 multi-pattern tube mic by AMI. This is a new incarnation of a classic tube mic design, with the addition of an improved circuit, and a new AMI transformer with better bass. Older versions of this design have successfully sold for years for up to $1999, and here is your chance to pick up the newly redesigned, improved mic (with a 5-Year Warranty), and save $1,000!!!

HI -RES PHOTOS:
Click Here for 1270 DPI Hi Res photos of this mic.

"The Blackspade Acoustics UM17 microphone captures an image that is both accurate, and musical. It places the subject on a broad sonic stage that sits boldly atop a mix with no additional processing necessary. It is capable of capturing both demanding instruments like a violin -- especially the upper range, which can easily become brittle with lesser equipment -- and also thick lower range instruments like bari sax!

Being true to the nature of the sounds it records, it also seems to put a soft focus on the edges, which is a very special thing. It should go without saying that it is a no brainer for vocals. I highly recommend this microphone for any recording operation, and I immediately ordered a matched pair for my studio."
-- Thomas van der Brook Tonehaus
Austin, TX (MP3s 1 | 2 | 3)

HISTORY
Oliver Archut has been modding Chinese mics in this basic design for about 30 years. He takes a stock Chinese mic and replaces the circuit with his own classic German high-end tube circuit, ads a custom transformer which he designs and builds himself, and powers it using a NOS EF732 tube (from his collection of over 100,000 NOS tubes). The result is the wonderful-sounding Blackspade Acoustics UM17 mic that now totally rules in the $999 and under price range, and competes and compares favorably with other mics costing up to $5,000 (think C12VR). Click here for a history of this mic design along with the full specs, and click here for additional info.

UM17 FEATURES
* 9 Polar Patterns
* NOS EF732 Tube
* Power Supply
* Shock Mount
* Windscreen
* Flight Case
* Power Cable
* Connector Cable
* Modded in USA

SOUNDFILES
Here are some quick, 1-take MP3s of a Classical Harp Guitar tracked with the UM17, using a Presonus ADL 600 mic pre and Apogee Rosetta 200 converters. This is straight signal with no additional EQ or effects. Check the file name in the URL to see the polar pattern used.

1 | Intonation Test (Harmonic /
fretted note @ the 12th fret)

2 | Resonance Test (Stopped scales / chords showing sympathetic resonance)

3 | Packington's Pound (English
Renaissance, before 1596)

4 | Kelly's Song
(original composition)

5 | Joy To the Person (Anon.
English Renaissance)

6 | Corn Yards (Scottish
Renaissance, 1596-1657)

7 | From the Beginning
(Emerson, Lake and Palmer)

8 | The Third Tune
(Thomas Tallis w/flamenco improv)

9 | Wachsa Mesa
(Hans Neusidler, German Renaissance)

10 | The Canaries (Scottish
Renaissance, 1596-1657)

11 | Brian Boru's March (Anon.,
Irish, Ca. 1200)

12 | Pavan #1 (Luis Milan,
Spanish Renaissance)

Click HERE to compare the UM17 with a Wunder CM7GT and a Schoeps CMC56. I sold my CMC56 to buy a UM17 after making this 21 MP3 file comparison!!! Click HERE for more UM17 files on a 7-string guitar, and HERE for even more UM17 comparison files. Check the file name in the URL of the MP3 to see the mic and pattern used.

SHIPPING & TERMS
USA shipping is $20.00 via FedEx Ground, with tracking, Insurance and Signature Confirmation. Satisfaction Guaranteed, with a 3-day return, buyer pays shipping, so please ask questions first. I do accept PayPal, as well as Visa, M/C, AmEx, etc. Thanks for looking. This auction is for a new Blackspade Acoustics UM17 mic, for which I am an authorized dealer for USA, and Canada. Worldwide shipping is available through Blackspade Acoustics.

OLIVER ARCHUT
In addition to designing and modding the UM17, Oliver has also builds a series of the classic Telefunken V-series mic pres (see the new V78M for sale in my other auctions, with over 120 MP3 sound files!!!). Oliver has also designed the Lucas CS-1 and CS-4, along with several other award-winning mics for quite a few well-known mic companies, and some of which are listed here. Also, his company AMI / TAB-Funkenwerk builds microphone and micpre transformers, DIs, tube mic PSUs, and tube guitar amps. Because of his enclyclopedic knowledge of classic German vacuum tube audio design, Oliver is highly sought after as a designer or design consultant for a wide range of professional audio products.

PLEASE CHECK OUT my other audio gear and Classical Harp Guitars for sale in Current eBay Auctions, and check out some of my vintage Neumann and Schoeps and Archut mics that have Recently Sold on eBay.

AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR