Mojave Audio was founded by Technical Grammy Award winning David Royer, known for his ribbon microphone designs with Royer Labs, focused on high-quality condenser microphones for recording applications. David Royer started Mojave Audio in 1985 in the garage of his house in Fullerton, California, as a one-man, custom pro audio gear shop. David is best known for his ribbon microphone designs with Royer Labs, but he originally started out designing and building vacuum tube microphones, mic preamps and compressors for engineers in the Los Angeles area. Since the mid 1990s, David’s custom Mojave products have been used on a number of well-known recordings, and Mojave Audio Incorporated was launched in 2005 to bring David’s designs to the market.
Now assembled in Burbank, CA, with parts manufactured overseas, Mojave's microphones use US made Jensen transformers and NOS (new old stock) tubes mated to capsules and bodies. Prior to packaging, every microphone is burned in for 24 hours and tested in listening sessions. All components, such as FET’s are top quality, the resistors are custom made, and no sacrifices are made in the critical signal path electronics.
The Mojave MA-37 is a modern take on the classic Sony C-37a, favored by The Wrecking Crew, Leonard Bernstein, and Mel Blanc, among countless other recording artists. The new high headroom large-diaphragm tube condenser updates the original design with modern components and workmanship for a rich, natural sound that imparts a smooth musicality on any instrument or voice.
“The MA-37 is an updated take on a classic sound that is the perfect addition to any recording studio,” says Mojave Audio President Dusty Wakeman. “It excels with loud sound sources and smoothing out brittle high-end frequencies, bringing the natural sound of any instrument or voice forward and minimizing the need for excessive EQ-ing or post-processing.”
The heart of the MA-37 is based around a special capsule design that sets it apart from other vintage-inspired microphones. Like the original C-37a, the MA-37 takes a unique mechanical approach to the choice between cardioid and omnidirectional polar pattens with an adjustable tuned acoustic chamber. The circuit is based around a single-stage tube amplifier powered by an EF806 tube and utilizing a Lundahl transformer. The MA-37 has hi-pass filter controls located on the power supply and offering three options: flat (M), 100Hz (V1) and 200Hz (V2) for complete control of its smooth, signature sound.
“I’ve admired the original for decades, it is incredibly unique and has been a ‘secret weapon’ for those in the know for a long time,” David Royer says. “We’re thrilled to offer an updated take on a classic with the build quality and performance that we bring to all Mojave microphones.”
The Mojave MA-37 is available now for $3499 MAP.
www.mojaveaudio.com
