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sE Electronics RN17 Small Diaphragm Condenser - Used  From sE

Small diaphragm condenser mic designed and built by sE Electronics and Mr. Rupert Neve himself.

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sE Electronics

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Manufacturer's Description from sE

The sE RN17 is the world's first pencil microphone with a large scale, hand wound, ultra high performance transformer.

The definition and detail from the capsule is incredible, made more so by the headroom afforded by the Rupert Neve transformer. Combined with a newly developed 17mm capsule from sE, the world's smallest production gold sputtered Mylar capsule, the result is truly magnificent. The combined effect is one of exceptional clarity, with a wonderfully silky finish.

The sE RN17 ships with a cardioid capsule, in a beautiful wooden presentation case, and with 5 canisters to hold the cardioid capsule shipped with the mic, and further supercardioid, omni, hypercardioid and figure of 8 capsules which are available to purchase separately. The whole system is packaged in a signature series flight-case with a custom shock mount, and is also avalable as a stereo pair.

 

THE SMALL DIAPHRAGM

  • With a 15mm diaphragm (the world's smallest production gold-sputtered diaphragm), the transient response of the RN17 is unparalleled.

  • Such a small capsule reacts extremely quickly, and is therefore adept at picking up the most delicate of high-frequency content.

  • However, a tiny diaphragm usually results in a lack of low-frequency response. How to counter this?

 

THE MASSIVE TRANSFORMER

Made obvious by the unusual chassis shape, the RN17's transformer is substantially larger than the norm. This full-scale transformer was custom-designed by Rupert Neve specifically for this microphone - and nobody has been designing audio transformers longer (or better) than Rupert Neve.

With an audio transformer of this magnitude, the RN17 is able to put out astonishing clarity across ALL frequencies - not just the highs. The midrange is detailed and forward, the lows are full and accurate, and the whole microphone has a balance and headroom never before achieved with a small-capsule microphone.

 

MATTE BLACK FINISH

The matte black finish minimizes the level of visual attention drawn to the microphone when used on stage or in the studio, allowing it to blend into the background.

 

ADDITIONAL CAPSULES

The RN17 ships standard with a cardioid capsule, but an omnidirectional capsule is also available for purchase separately.

 

CUSTOM SHOCK MOUNT

Every RN17 includes a custom-designed, sturdy, protective, and easy-to-use shock mount, which is essential to reducing the unwanted effects of vibration or knocks to the supporting microphone stand.

sE Electronics

About Manufacturer

The sE Electronics story begins withMr Siwei Zou, a hugely talented classical musician from Shanghai who won a top place at the Shanghai Conservatory and went on to become a highly successful player, conductor and composer. He worked closely with the Shanghai Opera and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra as both conductor and recording artist,with several hugely successful classical hit recordings to his name. In 1987 he was invited by California Sonoma State University as a visiting Scholar to serve on the faculty. He continued to teach counterpoint and orchestration as a faculty member in the Music Department at the University. He also studied recording technology under Grammy Awards nominee Professor Warren Dennis Kahn. The sE commitment to exceptional quality can be directly attributed to the company founder Mr. Zou, who in his distinguished career has developed an ingrained instinct and desire for perfection. Wishing to bring this drive for artistic and creative perfection to bear in a tangible way, Siwei started his own microphone manufacturing company. Working with a team of his own top engineers, and experts in the field of electrical engineering at Shanghai University, Siwei designed, built and tested a whole range of new and innovative products. Shunning the common practise of western manufacturers re-branding cheap Chinese microphones, Siwei designed and built his own range of microphones which are now manufactured in his state-of-the-art facility in Shanghai., the ultra-modern face of new China. sE Electronics make only their own products, which means dedication to detail in every aspect of performance and styling without compromise. All sE mic capsules are entirely built by hand. Even the chassis and flight cases are built in-house. In fact when you own an sE microphone you can be confident that every aspect of both the mic and its accessories has had the same unrivalled level of care and passion right throughout its design and manufacture. Even to the level that every single microphone that leaves the facility has undergone a personal listening test rather than simply being put through a machine - and it shows. Launched in Europe in 2003, sE Electronics condenser mics are now the number one brand in the UK and the fastest growing microphone brand in Europe. The brand, in its short history, has already won almost every major European award possible for excellence including the Future Publishing Readers Poll ýMic of the Yearý Award. Although sE is a new line to the USA in 2004, both the sE Gemini and Icis have already won the coveted ýMix Certified Hitý Award and the range is fast finding the same unanimous acclaim and passionate following that it has in Europe. sE is so confident youýll be able to really hear the difference, that they offer a completely free loan service for all of their products! The range includes three superbly tailored ýpencilý instrument mics, two large diaphragm solid-state condensers, two incredible performance tube mics, and the worldýs first dual tube, transformerless, studio mic in the form of the award-winning Gemini.

Specifications

  • Acoustical operating principle: Pressure condenser

  • Directional pattern: Cardioid

  • Frequency range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz

  • Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm: -44.5±0.5dBV/ Pa(6mV/Pa)

  • Rated impedance: 200 ohms

  • Rated load impedance: 1 kohms

  • Equivalent noise level, CCIR (1): 23 dB

  • Equivalent noise level, A-weighted (1): 18 dB

  • Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR (1) (rel. 94 dB SPL): 69 dB

  • Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted (1) (rel. 94 dB SPL): 74 dB

  • Maximum SPL for THD 0.5% (2): 150 dB

  • Maximum output voltage: 4V

  • Dynamic range of the microphone amplifier (A-weighted): 131 dB

  • Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938): 48 V ± 4 V

  • Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938): 3mA

  • Matching connectors: XLR3F

  • Weight: 248 g

  • Diameter: 44 mm

  • Length: 200 mm