Something that I look for when I select microphones is the translation from what I’m hearing in the room to what I am hoping to hear come out of the speakers when playback begins. It’s the challenge of being a recordist. It’s chasing a sound that my ears call “done” or “right.” I am constantly experimenting with what I’m capturing to allow artists to perform with more courage and conviction – to deliver better takes – because what they are hearing sounds inspiring. I'll also have less to do when mixing. Recently, I had the opportunity to review the P-280 nine-polar-pattern tube mic from Peluso, and they’ve got something special here.
I entered the studio with Emma Ruth Rundle for a three-week session. We were able to put this mic through its paces and see how it operates in a variety of rooms and sources. What makes this mic stand out is its finished capture and ability to “grab” extremely complex sounds with ease. The mic is opened up in the top end a bit, and that came into play while tracking drums. I used the P-280 as a mono overhead/shoulder position mic and took some time to find what preamp sounded best with it. This is one of the first areas where it shined. It played well with all the preamps: API, Grace, and a Wolff Audio Sunset Sound Tutti all sounded open and unrestricted on the top end without feeling strident or “shredded.” The preamp I landed on was an original Universal Audio 610, and I found myself having to EQ less (or not at all) due to the way the harmonic content was captured and fed into the compressor before recording to Avid Pro Tools.
Using it as my drum mono mic was a treat. Due to the openness and accented top end, it was a perfect addition to the kit on the crash/ride area of Jess Gowerie’s drums, as they are so powerful and washy. To start, I auditioned mics until everything worked harmoniously in the drum recording – we wanted to hear that crack you'll get from a mono drum mic but without the brutality of the cymbals. A vintage Neumann U 67 and Telefunken ELA M 251 were auditioned, but the 67 felt a bit too mid-forward for the style of playing we were recording, and the 251 was a bit too ringy up top, feeling tight and almost vacuum-sealed to my ears. Using the P-280 worked brilliantly for the heavy crashing and washing that Jess does with her playing, and, again, followed by the original 610 into a Gates Sta-Level compressor, the mic was a winner in a variety of positions: out in front of the kit, above the kit, and even on snare drum for more delicate tracks. I was a bit nervous popping it that close to the snare, but the right mic on the right source equals less EQ and processing in the mix, and I found that it handled drums with grace. Also, the matte black coating makes it look less fancy and obtrusive to a musician. That helped elicit a wonderful performance from an already talented drummer.
I put the mic up against my trusted Neumann CMV 563 with M7 capsule for vocals. This was another area I found myself trying a few different mic preamps and then jumping into recording to get performances. Obviously, the CMV sounds classic, but its top end wasn’t as focused as the P-280 – the P-280 vocals felt closer and more direct, as if the singer was about to touch my face during playback. The open, accented top end helped the air of Emma’s vocal stand out in the mix with that extra 10 percent we are always looking for in the studio. The CMV sounded proper and vintage, but the Peluso sounded “right” or “done” when I pulled up the faders.