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The "Vienna" and "Hamburg"
editions are re-engineered versions of the well regarded
ADK A51s or Model “S” – High SPL Transformer-Coupled
Class A Condenser Microphone that was developed in 1998.
Even though it was (and still is) a great
mic for the price, it soon became obvious to me that the
Model S could be improved quite a bit. The main improvement
is an increase of the signal to noise ratio. The "Vienna"
and "Hamburg" have greater sensitivity, resulting
in a lower noise floor. To achieve this, the gain of the
FET GAIN was increased and to offer what is considered a
healthy overload margin, the pad went from 10 dB to 18 dB.
The idea was that the user could have a very quiet mic for
vocals and acoustic guitars and at the flick of a switch,
a mic that could be used on guitar or bass cabs and drums.
The first updated version of the Model S was really nice
and that's when the two "flavors" idea sprang
up. I can't recall who had the idea first, and it doesn't
matter.
What matters is that the Model S is now
available in the Vienna Edition with a rather flat response
up to the mids, where a subtle coloration gives a really
smooth midrange, followed by a sparkling but not hyped top:
very natural, but slightly on the brighter side of things.
Perfect for acoustic instruments and Modern Pop or Rock
vocals when you don't want an exaggerated "sound"
but perhaps just a bit of "excitement". The "Vienna"
uses a unique edge connected 1.07" (27.2 mm inner diameter)
5µ capsule.
The second version of the re-worked Model
S is the Hamburg Edition: actually closer in tone to the
first "revision" because the capsule is the same
as the original Model S. The head amp circuit for the “Hamburg”
is very close to the "Vienna" with similar specs,
but the high end response is different. Coupled with the
1" (25.4 mm inner diameter) 6µ capsule, the tone
of this mic is mellower than the "Vienna" but
it also manages to have greater "presence". The
high frequencies are not as sparkly but the midrange is
more upfront. Ideal for Guitar amps, old school Blues/Jazz
vocals, etc. Both the Hamburg and Vienna are wonderful for
Drums, depending on whether you want fatter or crisper tone.
Both versions have many applications!
Compared to the original A51s or “Model
S”, the newer versions use much better components in
the audio path, have improved capsule shock-absorbing mounts
and both have significantly improved specifications. The
HPF curves were changed from -6dBs @ 100 to -3dBs @ 100Hz
for a more subtle low-cut, perfect to counter-balance proximity
effect. The tone of these mics have been fine tuned over
a period of many months and represent a breakthrough in
the quality to value ratio; likewise, the best of both worlds
in terms of "modern sound" and "classic tone".
They compliment themselves quite nicely
and will certainly compare favorably to some of the German
and Austrian classics.
- Jean-Pol Gerard, ADK Designer and Owner of No-Hype
Studios in Belgium
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