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April 20, 2009
sE Electronics RNR1 Active Ribbon Microphone designed by Mr. Rupert Neve makes North American Recording Debut
The RNR1 Active Ribbon was pressed into service to record renowned jazz pianist Paul English at Blue Rock Recordings 3rd Anniversary Party. A pair of sE RNR1s were placed on the piano, and recorded directly without any eq, dynamics or artificial reverb. Mr. English played 2 sets, allowing the engineers and audience to both audition the recording in the control room, as well as listen to the performance live in the studio.
The realization of the final production RNR1 has surpassed even his highest expectations, “My own feeling is that subjectively, the microphone has disappeared and we are looking through a clear window into a sound picture that is only limited by the skill and imagination of the sound engineer. An audio design engineer must understand the principles and limitations of microphones, loudspeakers, recording devices and the like - these will always constitute a challenge and when one has the privilege of working with people like sE’s Master Designer Siwei Zou, the challenge becomes an exciting adventure - one begins to see how one’s own expertise can be invoked to produce a truly seamless acoustic-electro transducer.”
Despite owning numerous high-end stereo pairs, the RNR1’s were an instant hit at Blue Rock. The combination of detail, and rich, natural sound distance the RNR1 from anything else available, regardless of price.
For Blue Rock’s Chief Engineer Keith Gary(Antony and the Johnsons, Rufus Wainwright, Coldplay, Simon & Garfunkel), the RNR1 is destined to become a mainstay of the recording business: “The sE RNR1 is proof that active ribbon technology is here to stay. The mic can handle an extreme amount of dynamic range, without the need for compression, providing a deep, smooth, and natural reproduction of the acoustic source. Ideal for piano, brush drum overheads, strings, and great for a meaty guitar amp. A convenient high pass filter offers an option lacking in active ribbon competitors. sE + Rupert Neve = a microphone destined to become a classic.”