Soyuz SU-019 LDC FET Microphone, from Soyuz

The first thing I noticed after hearing the SU-019 on vocals was how it was both super smooth and very detailed and clear at the same time. In my opinion, this is a trait of some of the best microphones, as it proves clarity and focus does not always have to come along with razor sharp transients or excessive brightness. The vocals recorded with the SU-019 immediately sat within the mix as if I had already carved out the frequencies in the other instruments, and only a splash of stereo delay was needed to create just enough space for the vocal to live in while still gelling beautifully with the instrumentation.

Who doesn't love when a mic is this easy to work with? In all honesty, the experience and general mic tonality reminded me of working with the vintage U87 we had in the studio a few months back for a series of mic shootouts. Considering the difference in price points between those two mics is in the couple of thousands, that says a lot about the performance of this SU-019 FET from Soyuz.

Don't get the idea that this is only a vocal microphone - we achieved excellent results with the SU-019 on electric and acoustic guitars, drum overheads, and even as a condenser on kick drum (as seen and heard in our LDC Kick Drum Mic Shootout). 

And finally, while sound always comes first, the SU-019 is a pretty sexy looking microphone and feels fantastic in hand. It’s robust construction, attractive visuals, and rich, mid-focused sound ensure the SU-019 will be just as impressive to your clients today as it will be 50+ years from now.

The Soyuz SU-019 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone delivers sound as rich, warm, and beautiful as its handcrafted, polished design suggests. Swappable capsules make this high-performance microphone at home in a wide range of critical recording applications, from vocals to orchestral instruments.

The SU-019 shares the SU-017’s cardioid capsule, featuring a gold-sputtered, hand-tuned one-inch diaphragm. An omnidirectional capsule is currently available, with additional patterns in development. As with all Soyuz microphones, the SU-019 is completely handmade: bodies and capsules are manually machined, transformers are wound in-house, and all wiring is true point-to-point. The SU-019 features a carefully designed, low-noise Field Effect Transistor topography and the rich sound of custom in-house created and crafted toroidal transformers.

 In addition to excelling at recording vocals and orchestral instruments, the SU-019 has proven to be – with the available 10, 15, or 20db pads – ideal for recording such difficult to capture high-decibel sources as kick drums and guitar and bass amplifiers.

Sound: 

The SU-019 employs the same handmade capsule as the SU-017, a proprietary toroidal transformer, and a completely original circuit design. These elements work together to deliver a tonal character that is as rich and detailed as it's tube brother's, but with the slightly faster transient response characteristic of a FET microphone.

Features:

• 100% handmade in Russia;
• Proprietary toroidal transformer;
• 34mm gold sputtered diaphragm capsule;
• Optional capsule: omni;
• Optional pads: -10 dB, -15 dB, -20 dB.
• Heavy duty shock mount; 
• Comes in a velvet-lined, hand-crafted Russian hardwood box.

Type: Condenser microphone
Capsules: Two 34mm membranes (one gold sputtered)
Frequency Range: 20Hz/20kHz
Polar Pattern: Cardioid (swappable) with optional omnidirectional and figure 8
Sensitivity: 15mV/Pa
Impedance: 200 Ohms
SPL: 140 dB
Equivalent Noise: 18 dB (a-weighted)
Tube Type: 48 V Phantom
Power: Dedicated power supply- BP - 017
Size: 226mm length x 55mm diameter
Weight: 930g
Extras: wooden microphone box