The first of several mics being readied for production in this new sE series will be a state-of-the-art active Ribbon mic with revolutionary performance, provided by discrete circuits and purpose designed transformers by Rupert Neve. The capsule and manufacturing are being controlled by sE, whilst the electronics, and the transformer, are being taken care of by Neve.
The second release will feature a large diaphragm tube mic, and a solid state condenser. The first three mics will all share a common look which both gives a nod to 'retro' whilst still driving forward with sE's modernistic 'industrial chic', says the company.
Rupert Neve says: "Recent developments in the way that humans perceive sound are demanding significant advances both in performance and the philosophy of audio processing. That which was 'good enough' for light-hearted amusement fails to satisfy the thoughtful listener - in fact deficient sound quality has been shown to result in frustration, even anger. The experienced listener is aware of incredibly small Sound Pressure Levels that in many cases are beyond the conventional range of hearing.
"I have worked for some time on the designs for a new range of microphones - the concepts of which are actually already being implemented in our own Rupert Neve Designs 5088 Console - namely utilising Discrete Single-Sided Circuits and my custom designed transformers.
"This association with Siwei Zou and sE will provide an ideal partnership in terms of their masterly and enthusiastic commitment to innovation and quality that have also been my own hallmarks for more than 50 years."
Siwei Zou says: "I have, for many years, admired the work of Mr Neve, and now that we have a chance to work together, I am able to realise a quality level in microphone technology that no other manufacturer to date has managed to achieve. The excellence we have worked so hard to achieve in production, design and capsule technology at sE, coupled with the best transformers this product area has ever seen, plus new cutting edge circuit board design means we are now able to produce high end mics, at a fraction of the cost of other high end brand models, but which have a sound and performance quality the likes of which this market has never seen before. This is a truly exciting time for sE and me personally."
sE Electronics' James Young comments, "It's a huge honour for us that Rupert even considered us among the big players as a company he might like to work with. In the end there was no way we could ever compete with the kind of money that a large corporation could throw around to secure a deal, so it's a testament to Mr Neve's principles and dedication to his art that he chose to work with the company that he thought would build the best product, plain and simple."
(Jim Evans)
