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Placid Audio Resonator B

Pricing & Availability

  • MSRP: $300

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CardioidPlacid Audio Resonator B

Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

The Placid Audio Resonator B is a moving-coil dynamic microphone designed as an “effect” mic — in that it intentionally colors the sound for effect purposes.

The Resonator B is the second in Placid Audio’s Resonator series, and its creation was the result of Placid Audio founder Mark Pirro being contacted by the band Green Day. The band wanted a microphone that could deliver the “AM radio sound” of the Copperphone but could better handle the higher sound pressure level of guitar amplifiers.

Though the Copperphone cannot be damaged by high SPL, its diaphragm can go into squarewave clipping, which is usable but outside the boundaries of what the mic was designed to do. So Pirro began prototyping a high-SPL effect microphone, which resulted in the creation of the Resonator A.

While prototyping the Resonator A, Pirro discovered a variation in the tuning of the chamber that was met with positive response from friends in the industry, so he released the variation as Resonator B. The Resonator B can be visually identified by the horizontal slots of the grill. The Resonator A’s front grille uses vertical slots.

The Resonator B (and A - see below) employs a one-inch capsule with a mylar diaphragm. This capsule captures a wider bandwidth sound than the capsule used in the Copperphone. Where the Copperphone’s capsule responds from 200Hz - 3,000Hz, the Resonator A responds from 115Hz - 10,000Hz. The “effect” part of the Resonator A’s sonic response comes from heavy mechanical acoustic filtering in the form of a tuned, ported, and baffled resonant chamber. As in the Copperphone, all sonic filtering in the Resonator mics is mechanical; no electronic filtering is used.

Mark Pirro, Placid Audio

The resonant chamber in the Resonator B imparts a nostalgic character on the signal that is similar to that of an old Victrola or Gramophone. Its response is fairly direct and subject to a pronounced proximity effect when the sound source is very close.

The Resonator mics use the same outer chassis and capsule but employ different baffled chambers to achieve a similar sound with two distinct voicings. Which one is better? Hard to say - I suppose the difference is the sonic equivalent to that classic candy: Almond Joy vs. Mounds.

Finally, as with the Copperphone, the Resonator B can be used as a blend mic, alongside a “standard” studio microphone.

The Resonator B is built into a durable, machined copper housing and is fitted with a Switchcraft XLR connector. It comes with an adjustable aircraft aluminum mounting bracket.

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The mic was released in 2016.

Specifications

Pickup Patterns Pads & Filters
Cardioid (115 - 10,000 Hz)
Coil Diameter Impedance SPL/Noise
n/a 150 Ohms (Low) SPL n/a
Weight Length Max Diameter Interface(s)
794g (28.01oz) 152mm (5.98'') n/a
  • 3-pin XLR male (1)
Power Specifications

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