Platinum Audio Rentals, L.A., adds a pair of Brauner KHEs to its mic arsenal. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Platinum Audio Rentals - a premier supplier of high-end pro audio gear to Southern California producers, engineers, and recording studios - recently acquired two Brauner VM1 Klaus Heyne Edition microphones to supplement their extensive rental pool. Prompted by an enthusiastic recommendation from a key recording client, Platinum president and co-owner, Jeff Sherman, purchased a VM1 KHE large-diaphragm tube mic without even hearing or seeing it beforehand directly from TransAudio Group, Las Vegas, Nevada. Judging from the subsequent business generated by Sherman's VM1 KHE purchase - and his quick decision to buy a second - many Los Angeles recording professionals have clearly found a new favorite microphone for recording the most crucial of audio sources. "I had never heard it, never tried it," remembers Sherman about his introduction to the VM1 KHE. "A producer that rents a lot of gear from us wanted us to get it. So, just for him, I bought one. After that, we would offer it to other producers and engineers or bring it to a studio for a shootout and amazingly most would often prefer the Brauner over their old favorites." "These guys have their comfort zone and reputation on the line," Sherman deduces. "They rely on specific pieces of gear to get the job done. In this industry we are compelled to use the tried and true, but along comes the KHE and bam!" Soon after purchasing his first VM1 KHE, Sherman noticed interest in the microphone growing considerably. After a conversation with another engineer friend, he was prompted to add yet another KHE to his arsenal. Tells Sherman, "At the time, I was on the fence about buying a second KHE, but my friend kept on raving about it, saying, 'it's got to be the best mic I've heard in a long time,' and so on. After that, I just decided that I was going to buy another one." The explosive excitement surrounding the VM1 KHE is clearly contagious within Sherman's client circle in the Los Angeles area. Judging by the mic's rapidly growing rental history, fans have found its 'spare-no-expense' design to rival classic and hallowed upper-end microphones. "Generally the VM1 KHE is being used for 'upper echelon' recording," explains Sherman. "Ninety-five percent of the time it's rented for a vocal mic, and it's chosen from a small handful of microphones like the Neumann U47, Neumann M49, Sony 800G, or Telefunken ELAM 251." "One thing that's definitely true about recording vocals is that no one microphone is going to be right for every vocal," continues Sherman. "However, with mics like an ELAM 251, odds are that you're going to grab it, use it, and it's going to sound good. It's clear that the KHE has begun to be recognized in that same light, and you know, that's saying quite a lot!" Although many professionals familiar with the great sonic attributes of the VM1 KHE may think of it as somewhat of an insider's vocal mic secret, the cat's now officially out of the bag and the word is spreading. "There's a buzz about the KHE, but it's not that widespread... yet," says Sherman. "It's a deep buzz within a small community ...it's hard to keep a good thing a secret for too long." In creating the Brauner VM1 Klaus Heyne Edition, microphone designer and manufacturer Dirk Brauner joined forces with respected mic modifier Klaus Heyne to design an intricately customized and meticulously hand-built, large-diaphragm, transformer-coupled tube microphone. Like all Brauner microphones, the VM1 KHE is handmade in Germany. After construction, each mic is shipped to Oregon's German Masterworks for final tweaking by Klaus Heyne himself. As a result, the VM1 KHE is a truly exceptional transducer that joins ranks alongside the world's most coveted and classic microphone designs. "The Brauner VM1 Klaus Heyne Edition has a magical quality that cannot be described," observed Brad Lunde, president of TransAudio Group, exclusive worldwide distributor. "To combine Klaus' tuning and modification skills here in America with Brauner's German manufacturing and design expertise is the stuff of legends. It's no wonder there is now a six-month waiting list for one of these microphones. So far, every KHE owner has called me to share their sheer excitement at the levels of performance their mic can reach. Pretty amazing since all these people already own fine collections of the world's best microphones!" |
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