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The UT Twin48 studio microphone delivers two venerable classic tube microphone designs of the late 1940s and 1950s in a single enclosure
The UT Twin48 preserves their iconic sound while delivering new levels of adaptability and performance. This microphone promises to be an indispensable tool for audio engineers and producers seeking massive tube sound and multiple tonal / pickup-pattern options in a single package.
Twin Mode Operation and Multiple Pickup Patterns
The UT Twin48’s two operating modes go beyond just polar pattern selection.
Classic 47 and 48-style mics each derived their cardioid operation in very different ways — producing subtle tone differences as well as a slightly different polar pattern. For the first time ever, the UT Twin48 delivers both options in a single microphone.
47 Mode offers both 47 Cardioid and Omni patterns, while 48 Mode offers 48 Cardioid and Figure-of-8. Each cardioid mode delivers a different tonal flavor and performance:
● 47 Cardioid: de-couples the rear diaphragm in a process known as True Cardioid, for a louder sound with improved sensitivity with more background and top-end detail.
● 48 Cardioid: polarizes the rear diaphragm with the same voltage as the backplate — AKA Active Cardioid — for a more tightly closed-in, warmer, intimate tone that is a bit lower in sensitivity.
Whether you prefer the open, detailed tones of the 47 Cardioid mode or the intimate warmth of the 48 Cardioid mode, you’ll capture every nuance with exceptional clarity. The UT Twin48 also includes Omni and Figure-of-8 polar patterns, further expanding its creative potential.
Massive Tube Sound
At the heart of the UT Twin48 lies a select NOS EF86 pentode glass vacuum tube, the last living descendent of the originals’ tube. It delivers a bold, rich sound, due to the pentode’s harmonic profile being much different than modern dual-triode tubes.
No Cut Corners
The UT Twin48 features the custom United UT K48 capsule, meticulously crafted to match the single backplate/dual diaphragm design with historical accuracy. Skinned in a laboratory clean-room environment and 24k gold-sputtered on 6-micron Mylar, this capsule ensures a smooth, resonance-free sound that’s free of excessive brightness or sibilance. Complementing the capsule is the UT-BV8 transformer, a US-made marvel wound to original Braunbuch specifications with high-nickel alloy laminations and a copper Faraday shield, ensuring optimal signal integrity and noise rejection.
Uncompromising Power Supply Design
Understanding that a tube microphone is only as good as its power supply, United spared no expense in crafting the UT Twin48’s discrete power unit. Featuring US-made components, discrete Zener diode regulation, and robust EMI/RFI filters, this power supply ensures clean, maintenance-free operation. The inclusion of the Sommer Octave 7 conductor cable, optimized for the Twin48, further underscores United’s commitment to delivering a superior audio experience.
It’s not just another mic — it’s a United.
United has gone to great lengths to make the UT Twin48 an exceptional microphone fit to be the showpiece of any studio, sparing no expense on premium and custom-made components: audiophile grade polystyrene, tantalum, and film capacitors; and audiophile grade, US-made PRP thin-film resistors. United also went the extra mile to reduce noise and RFI, and to ensure that the UT Twin48 provides boutique quality sound that’s built to last.
Also included is a vintage-inspired briefcase — custom-fit to house the UT Twin48 and all included accessories.
Key Features:
- Faithful reproduction of both the venerable 47-style and 48-style German tube microphones
- Mode selections reconfigure entire circuit to the original specifications, and energizes the capsule to the same specifications
- 2 Cardioid modes with subtle differences for the most demanding of engineers, along with 47 Omni and 48 Figure-of-8.
- Custom United 24k gold sputtered dual diaphragm/dual backplate K48 style capsule
- The only “47/48-style” microphone that has options to engage/disengage an RF filter —a modular approach that captures both versions of the classic, as well as combinations in between!
- Custom wound, American-made United transformer
- Absolute workhorse, a desert-island microphone for professional studios and voiceover work
- Clean, clear, articulate, open sound with low noise, high headroom, and dynamic range
- Includes high-performance power supply, shockmount, and vintage-inspired briefcase
Availability
The United Studio Technologies UT Twin48 will be available for pre-order beginning January 16, 2025, and is expected to ship in Q1 2025.
UT Twin48 should start shipping through United Studio Technologies’ growing global network of dealers/distributors (https://unitedstudiotech.com/en/where-to-buy) with a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) of $1,499.00 USD and an SSP (Suggested Selling Price) of €1,999 EUR (including 19% VAT) Q1 2025/
For more in-depth info, please visit the UT Twin48 dedicated webpage here: https://unitedstudiotech.com/en/products/ut-twin48
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