Soyuz: 011 FET SDC Mic

Ever since reading Thom Monahan's informative and gushing review of the Soyuz SU-017 tube mic [Tape Op #117], I've been curious about the company's products. JB and Robert Cheek's writeup of the transformer-coupled 013 FET [#139] only solidified my interest. Chris Koltay's take on the 023 Bomblet [#139] just sealed the deal – that makes four engineers that I respect the hell out of, and whose opinions I trust, tell me how fantastic these mics are! As of late, Soyuz has been focused on releasing finely-made affordable transformerless designs, such as the 1973 large diaphragm mic [#154] and the 011 FET we're talking about today.

As JB's obvious comparison to the 013 FET was the original transformer-coupled Neumann KM 84; I can easily draw similarities between the Neumann KM 184 and the 011 FET. Spoiler alert: The Soyuz sounds better all-around to my ears! Beyond the distinction between transformer-coupled and transformerless sound characteristics, there are physical differences between 013 and 011. The 013 has a 25 mm capsule, while the 011 is 19 mm. The midrange is similar, but the 013 has more extension in the lower registers, while the 011 specializes in articulation. Also, the 011 is considerably smaller in size, but still features a removeable capsule. Both FET models are assembled by hand, and a real person machines the capsules – each microphone accompanies three "trading cards" of the Soyuz employees that machine, assemble, and test your unit. Lately, I've found myself recording more acoustic-based works than amplified rock, so I was excited to sample a microphone that would offer a true-to-life capture of a player's performance.

The 011 FET is available as a single mic or matched stereo pair. Both options include a handsome custom-fit natural wood case, mic clip, and a -10 dB pad. The acoustic guitar is my yardstick for most condenser mics, so I spent a good amount of my review time evaluating the 011 on two dreadnoughts, a jumbo, and two parlor guitars – all steel string. Soyuz sent me a stereo, matched pair of mics with cardioid capsules (19 mm omni capsules should be available later this year). I began testing with an X-Y configuration – note: I don't typically mic acoustics in this way, but I aimed for the twelfth fret at about 16-inches away and went for it with no high-pass filter on the preamp. Instant reality hit my ears while monitoring. The 011s are dead quiet, which gives me the option to let the performance breathe with lots of headroom at the preamp. Their small, tight capsules really capture the articulation of finger movements on the fretboard, those oftentimes lost ghost notes from fingerpicking, or percussive transients from flatpicking. Tracks I've previously recorded with the Neumann KM 184 were sharper, or more stabby than what I was hearing from the Soyuz. If you have an acoustic guitar within a full band indie rock track, it can be a fight to get the instrument to sit in a featured position within the mix; over-EQ (or use a mic lesser than the Soyuz), and you'll just get pokey strums with no body. This was exactly the struggle I had prior to using the 011.

Many engineers grab small diaphragms to use as overheads on drums. Though I'm more apt to track with large diaphragms to capture the top of the kit, I thought it was important to test the 011 FETs in this scenario. On a punk rock track, knowing the drummer was going to lean in on the cymbals, I used the -10 dB pads. These screw in between the capsule and the mic body, which can be a bit of a delicate maneuver but was the right choice in this case. We tried both X-Y and ORTF stereo configurations. In both instances, the drummer and I were surprised at how well the 011s detailed the smashy, sidesticked open hi-hats, the intentionally varied timbres of the ride hits, and the overall focus of the performance. Drummers like to hear every drum they hit, and the 011 was satisfying in that regard. We also tried an 011 on the snare and hi-hat with pads in-line. This drummer's heavy hand was a bit too much for the 011 in my testing. However, I can definitely see this mic being a go-to snare option for jazz work, and because the 011 is so small it's super easy to fit in tight spaces. As a hi-hat spot mic, the Soyuz was perfect!

Back to the strings, I had the opportunity to test the 011 FETs as spot mics on fiddle (violin) and mandolin. Here's where I can really hear the difference between the 011s and the Neuman KM 184s. With no EQ, the 011s never sounded brittle or piercing to my ears, whereas the Neumanns made me wince a little at the violin bow's squeaks. Also, the tremolo picking of the mandolin sounded way more natural with the Soyuz. Though both the 011s and KM 184s could be described as bright and tight-sounding, I found the Soyuz to be more balanced and less brittle than the Neumann, and the 011 is about half the price of a KM 184. The 011s are the perfect spot mic and would shine in live performance scenarios. Back to the acoustic guitar, I experimented with a combination of one 011 at the 12th fret, and an Advanced Audio CM12se large diaphragm behind the player's hand, both pointed toward the sound hole. In this way, I could get the color of the larger tube mic at the body, and the 011 grabbed all the performance details. I happen to own the Soyuz 1973 large diaphragm FET, so I swapped out the big tube mic and paired the 011 with the 1973 (also transformerless). This was my favorite combination! So clear and intentional; the playback sounded like you were right there sitting in front of the guitarist. Though I didn't get a chance for this review, I'd love to hear the 011 as an articulation mic paired with a large diaphragm on upright bass.

Transformerless mics sometimes get a bad rap for sounding too clinical with no vibe, and the KM 184 may fall into that category. However, I can tell you that the FET 011 has a vibe. It may not be as overt as transformer-based tube design, but it's fun-sounding in the same way a good, clean, Class A preamp can make a transient sound groovy by not smearing the overtones – I used my Grace Designs M101 [Tape Op #58] with most of my testing. My only assumption here is that the awesomeness of this mic is due largely to the capsule design, which is what came through in my experience with the 011, and what I took away from our other writers' Soyuz mic reviews. Do yourself a favor and get one!