chuck all your Nuemanns and get these

[Charlieshafer]

Not that I've used one, but the look is too cool, and the price ain't bad. Hand made in the U.S.A.

Ear Trumpet Labs

[Rosemary Philips]

Very cool looking!

[Santiago]

I'd try 'em out, but I wouldn't be chucking my Neumanns too quickly.

[Mike Bunting]

I'd try 'em out, but I wouldn't be chucking my Neumanns too quickly.

I was thinking that too.

[John Flynn]

I'm not sure I get the bicycle-gear motif. Kind of like Rudy Vallee meets Marilyn Manson!

[herbsandspices]

I'm not sure I get the bicycle-gear motif.

Agreed... I'm a hard-core cyclist, and their bike-themed mics make absolutely zero sense to me, aesthetically speaking or otherwise.

That being said, I'm drooling over the Edwina (though not the song used as a sound sample) - so sexy!

[wildpikr]

I volunteer to be the Nuemann dumpster...

[Ben Milne]

Never used a Nuemann sounds like a cheap rip off brand.
Won't be turning down any offer of a free Neumann if it comes my way.

[Philphool]

The blog review quotes the Edwina price @ 350 compared to the now quoted 499. Big price increase in 3 months!

Would be interesting to hear review from those of you who know best.

[Charlieshafer]

I'm not sure I get the bicycle-gear motif. Kind of like Rudy Vallee meets Marilyn Manson!

As a cyclist like herbsandspices, I thought is was a really cool idea aesthetically at first, until I realized if you put one in front of a singer on stage, no one would ever see her face. Even then, there's something about the non-factory feel and look I love.

[hank]

This is obviously a company born from the steam punk movement. The bike parts, copper tubing, etc.(what ever will fit)are scrounged to support the Wild Wild West version of the steam age or what it may have morphed into.

[foldedpath]

The blog review quotes the Edwina price @ 350 compared to the now quoted 499. Big price increase in 3 months!

Would be interesting to hear review from those of you who know best.

I'd be surprised if anyone here would buy one of these things at the quoted prices, just to hear what they sound like. They look cool (well, some of them), but adding big metal surfaces like that near a mic capsule can affect the frequency response and polar pattern, and probably not in a good way. Not to mention the face-blocking for vocal applications, like Charlie mentioned. They look more like props for a music video, or a performance out at Burning Man.

The basic design here mimics the early Neumann bottle mic or "lollipop" design from the 1930's. If you like that look, you can get it in a more respected lineup of studio microphones from the "Blue" microphone company. Then add your own sprockets.

I've always thought their Dragonfly mic is an interesting design, but I don't need any more large diaphragm condenser mics right now, and the price is too steep to buy it for the looks alone.

[Charlieshafer]

For condensers right now, we have a mix of Neumanns and Blues (including one dragonfly) and the Blues stand up very well. I think if I was laying out a chunk of change right now, I would stick with the Blues (for the money) but it's hard to come up with something better for live work than the Neumanns. I'd take a chance on one of the Ear Trumpet Edwinas at $300, but beyond that, too many proven choices out there.

[Jim]

Another cyclist who doesn't get it. Hope they sound good but I get the feeling they are all about the packaging.

[Richard Moore]

I love the steampunk design but won't be getting one (or a Neumann either) soon at the price quoted!

[Charlieshafer]

Another cyclist who doesn't get it. Hope they sound good but I get the feeling they are all about the packaging.

Yeah, I believe they're aiming for the "bike messenger by day alt rocker by night" crowd.

[John Flynn]

I don't think the bicycle gear models would be good for metal music. You start some head-bangin' and you could do yourself some real damage!

[TonyP]

Thanks for that Charles. Very interesting. It will be interesting to see if they publish more of their designs in the spirit of DIY.

The main takeaway I get is the term "bricolage". I've always just described what I do as "engineer to stock". Leave it to the French to come up with THE term. On a manufacturing site a guy's handle is "metalmagpie". I can totally relate. Another great term is "repurposing" and it also fits.

I'm with the rest of you, pretty cool looking, but I don't get the functionality of the whole thing. Like FP mentioned, everything I've heard about modding a mic to perfect it takes structure away from the capsule and it's pickup field, but who knows. I don't know that all the bands I've seen going for the retro look by putting a 4033 in an old housing are doing anything for the actual sound of the mic either. But there is some balance between "rather look good than be good" I guess.

[Mike Romkey]

Interesting. Would be fun to try but hard to beat a Neumann of a Beta 57.

[doc holiday]

I offer to adopt all your orphan Neumans.

[Jim]

I wonder if there's any market in bicycles made out of old microphone parts.

[nobullmando74]

I wonder if there's any market in bicycles made out of old microphone parts.

especially not the seat!

[jim simpson]

...the police chief commented on the rash of bicycle thefts where only the sprockets were taken....

[Philip Graham]

Hi guys, I'm the builder of the mics in question. I admire your skepticism! But I assure you they are not gimmick mics - well, sure the bike gears themselves are kind of a gimmick. But those are just a variation on the Josephine and Louise designs for those who think they look cool. If you don't, that's fine. There are a lot of other form factors there too - the Edwina is actually the most popular.

I'm proud of the sound quality of my mics, especially as live mics. I've designed them to have some of the best feedback rejection you'll find from condensers - rivaling that from mainstream live dynamics. They are very popular with acoustic musicians who have actually tried them - including some mandolin players who always use their Edwinas. (Jesse Bates of Quiet Life and Bobby Bare jr's band is one, and Caleb Klauder of the Foghorn String Band is another.) That they look cool (if you think it's cool) is just another benefit.

The big ring designs like the Josephine and the bike gears are not meant to be used right in front of your face - they are most popular with string bands and bluegrass bands that use classic single micing, where they sound as good as an AT4033 with better feedback rejection - you can actually monitor some, depending on the room and how far away you have to work. They can also be used by vocalists with a moderately quiet stage, like jazz singers that want that 30s radio style, but you definitely want to be 6 inches or more back from the mic.

Ear Trumpet has provided all the mics for the Portland Old Time Music Gathering, Harry Smith Anniversary Festival, etc. often using a combination of the big ring mics as group mics with Edwinas and Ednas as spot instrument fill in.

I encourage you to take a listen to the videos on the web site at http://www.eartrumpetlabs.com/gallery/videos, at least the first one with Lisa Hannigan & Joe Henry. You can see the mic placement - the video was done live with those 2 Edwinas. Lisa plays a mandolin in the 3rd song. Let me know what you think.

I hope this doesn't come off as an advertising rant, but I feel like there were some misconceptions and speculation in the previous posts that i could clarify. I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has about my mics.

[herbsandspices]

Hey Philip, are you kidding? It's AWESOME you chimed in here!

The sound quality from the Lisa Hannigan & Joe Henry video is great... it's clear you've thought out your product. As I said above, the Edwina looks awesome, and doesn't sound too shabby either.