Our friends across the pond have put out some very impressive new pieces of gear. Sontronics have made a 2 channel version of its vintage inspired pre-amp, the Sonora II. It features all of the bells and whistles you would need to get quick transient responsive vintage goodness. The 75hz roll off switch is a great addition to get the rumble out of those acoustic guitars and vocals. I’m very intrigued by this unit but I love the British sound. We’ve also got some new mic packs to look at which come with the INGENIOUS shockmount WITH pop filter built onto it. That right there should win invention of the century. I’m tired of trying to bend those pop filters around to line up nicely with the capsule.
At this weekend’s AES Show, British microphone brand Sontronics announced the launch and immediate availability of SONORA 2, a dual-channel solid-state preamp/DI that has been designed, developed and manufactured in the UK. At the same time, Sontronics has also released two new all-in-one recording packages – the STC-20 PACK and STC-3X PACK – each including a condenser mic and free accessories to get the home or studio musician achieving professional studio-quality recordings in minutes.
SONORA 2
The SONORA 2 preamp features Sontronics’ proprietary Class A vintage circuit design and is capable of delivering an exceptional standard of audio reproduction with a classy, silky finish for an outstanding price. For ultimate recording and monitoring flexibility, SONORA 2 has two combined XLR & 1/4” jack inputs plus four individual outputs (two XLR, two TRS jack) as well as a –20dB pad, 75Hz high-pass filter, 180° phase reverse switch and 48V phantom power on each channel. Its lightning-quick dynamic ability combined with a linear frequency response and a powerful 66dB of crystal-clear gain and a huge +23dBu of headroom means SONORA 2 is an ideal choice for any professional studio, home or live environment.
Sontronics’ founder, designer and MD Trevor Coley says: “SONORA 2 represents two years of sheer hard work and dedication and I’m so proud of the fact that we’ve done it all, from the circuitry right up to the packaging, right here in the UK. SONORA 2 has all the build quality and attention to detail you’d expect from Sontronics as well as its own signature smooth sound. It really will let you hear more of what actually matters.”
STC-20 PACK & STC-3X PACK
The new Sontronics all-in-one mic packs are intended for anyone wanting to start recording straight away. The STC-20 PACK (£209 RRP) includes Sontronics’ best-selling affordable STC-20 large-diaphragm cardioid condenser mic with gold-sputtered one-inch capsule. The STC-3X PACK (£305 RRP) includes Sontronics’ brand new STC-3X condenser mic with three polar patterns – cardioid, omni and figure-of-eight – plus a pad (0, -10, -20dB) and high-pass filter (linear, 75Hz, 150Hz). Available in black or silver, the STC-3X is the ultimate in versatility and flexibility for any studio.
Both packs include the following accessories:
• spider-style shockmount with two spare elastics
• nylon-mesh pro-quality popshield
• 5-metre XLR cable
• zip-up microphone pouch
SONORA 2: RRP £699 $1127.00 (inc. VAT) – available immediately
STC-20 PACK: RRP £209 $338.00 (inc. VAT) – available 5th November
STC-3X PACK: RRP £305 $491.00 (inc. VAT) – available 5th November
For more info, click HERE.
