New E250 Cardiod Tube Vocal Mic from Soundelux
 May 4, 2004
Conceived and designed purely as a vocal microphone,
the Soundelux E250 cardioid tube condenser is a rethinking of classic tube
microphone design to address the inherent problems with the modern practice
of close-miking loud vocals. Classic tube condenser microphones were never
meant to be placed within six-inches of loud vocalists, yet producers and
engineers love the presence, size and low-frequency boost this adds to their
artist's sound. However the proximity effect's low-frequency build up and
the upper mid-range/treble tilt of many popular old classic cardioid
microphones can also work counter-productively, causing problems requiring
extensive outboard signal processing.
Designer David Bock remarks: "I started out designing a more affordable and
mellow version of the ELUX 251 while still retaining all the 251's meat and
sound. Something you can't get from a 47 or any of the other vintage mics.
The E250 is not as bright as the 251 with its pronounced high-frequency
peak. The 250 is mellowed down a bit and I sculpted the proximity effect
more towards the middle of the vocal range than down below it where it
usually lives. Basically the 250 is a condenser version of the 251 optimized
for close vocals and includes all our modern enhancements with lower noise
and distortion specs."
Another problem with close miking vocals is high-frequency directionality or
the "beaming effect." This is where any slight head movement by the singer
can produce a big change in the high-frequency content. Bock continues with:
"The new E250 has a broader cardioid polar pattern than our standard 251,
which is fairly directional up close, and that makes it much more forgiving
in these cases."
The E250 is similar looking to the ELUX 251 with the same classic color
scheme but with a one-piece body and without a chromed windscreen. The E250
is delivered in a wood box, comes with a custom shock mount and the
P251 power supply (same as ELUX 251).
Similarity to the ELUX 251 ends with a whole new capsule design. Derived
from the 251, the capsules are hand-picked and individually tested. They
have a one-inch in diameter with a six-micron thick gold-vapor deposited
diaphragm. Again like the 251, the entire capsule is mounted in a brass
holder. Bock also chose a different tube and output transformer than the
ELUX 251 and kept Soundelux' Stable Bias circuitry design to prevent the
sound of the mic changing with dynamics. The mic's frequency response stays
constant whether singing loud or soft.
Specifications:
- Patterns: Cardioid only
- Freq. Range: 20Hz-18kHz +/-2dB
- Sensitivity: 27mV/Pa
- Equiv. Noise: 9dB "A" weighted
- Dynamic Range: 110dB
- Max SPL: 109dB for 0.5% THD @ 1kHz
- S/N: 85dB
- Impedance: 200 Ohms
For more information, visit their web site at www.soundeluxmics.com. | 
