Turtlerock Forum

I was thinking this evening, I wonder if there were any Australian tube mic manufacturers back around the time desks and tape decks were being manufactured locally under the AWA / Rola / Optro / etc brands?

I know Zephyr made some well regarded ribbons but I don't recall ever hearing tell of locally produced condensers / tube mics – I guess because the costs of manufacturing may have been prohibitive with too small a client base?

Anyway, just a thought...

There was a company called ACE Electronics in Marrickville that made valve amplifiers (I had one in the early 70s that looked and sounded much like a marshall head / quad box). I think they made mics also but I don't have any further leads.......

http://www.jedistar.com/jedistar_amp_dating_s2.htm

AWA used to make RCA 44's under licence and badge them AWA, but I don't recall them ever making a valve mic. Back in those days ribbon mics were the preferred way to go fo broadcasting, so there probably wasn't a huge demand.

Text_Edifice wrote:I was thinking this evening, I wonder if there were any Australian tube mic manufacturers back around the time desks and tape decks were being manufactured locally under the AWA / Rola / Optro / etc brands?

I know Zephyr made some well regarded ribbons but I don't recall ever hearing tell of locally produced condensers / tube mics – I guess because the costs of manufacturing may have been prohibitive with too small a client base?

Anyway, just a thought...

You got me thinking about Optronics (Aust manufactured 2" tape machine) which led to this pretty cool website.

http://www.oneillassociates.com.au/~pon ... udio.shtml

Zephyr is in there also Byer

http://www.oneillassociates.com.au/~pon ... 46-D.shtml

cheers

I'm using one of those Byer green valve mic pre's - 110 DB of gain !! - it is such a great valve mic pre.
Restored by Rob with 48volts and pad - cause 110 db is a bit too much gain... Neve eat your heart out!
They were solely used in the 1956 Olympics by all journalists - back in the old protectionist days.
So every journalist from every country in the world were forced to use them. I was given a great old photograph of a stadium stand with hundreds of journalists sitting in front of these green tape machines.
Also have a pair of Rola 77 Mk III's - again amazing pre's (and amazing guitar amps too)
Dont know of any mic's but the Zephyr's

If anyone's interested in the Byer pre's from the 1956 Olympics - here is a pic online
http://www.oneillassociates.com.au/~pon ... pics.shtml

So what's the difference between the Olympic Pres and the 77 mk III?

Rob would best tell the design difference (as he restored all 3 of my pre's) - but I know the Rola 77 and 66 don't have anywhere near 110db of gain.
They are all amazing pre's - I sometimes use my matched pair of 77 Mk III's as makeup gain on my passive mix bus - It sounds astonishingly huge to mix through this pair of beasts.