I’ve reviewed a ton of JZ microphones, and I have yet to come across one that was not a well-built and useful tool in the recording studio. Amethyst was first released in 2006 by the Violet brand (a venture of JZ founder Juris Zarins after his time as an original team member at Blue Microphones). Amethyst is now part of the JZ Microphones lineup, and, like all their products, it is attractively priced and performs well in multiple applications. Amethyst’s design is striking and different, with a hefty rectangular body and a smaller square basket on top housing the microphone's diaphragm. It is vaguely reminiscent of classic “lollipop” designs like the Neumann M1-1a or the Blue Baby Bottle, but its square shape is uniquely its own. The mic's body is heavy, well-machined, and has a snug XLR connection. The basket on top has a woven metal windscreen with no rough edges. The included shock mount is also a clever and unique design.
Like all the mics in the JZ catalog, Amethyst’s large diaphragm capsule is built with JZ’s trademarked Golden Drop sputtering technology. The solid-state, fixed-cardioid pattern microphone has a claimed frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, a max SPL rating of 134 dB (2.5 kΩ, 0.5% THD), and requires +48V phantom power. The published frequency chart shows a slight rise starting around 1.5 kHz and a 1.5 dB peak around 5 kHz, gradually returning to flat around 10 kHz and gently rolling off from 12 kHz to around -1.5 dB at 20 kHz. There is also a slight boost (around +1 dB) from 40 Hz to 200 Hz and a gentle roll off from 30 Hz to about -3.5 dB at 20 Hz.
I first used Amethyst for recording background vocals. I paired it with a BURL B1D preamp [Tape Op #111] and placed a standard fabric pop filter in front of the mic. The result was a finished sound that had a gentle air and presence without being hyped or fizzy in the top end. With some gentle compression and a little low-end reduction to get them out of the way of the lead vocal, the vocals sat nicely in the track.