Note: requires +48 V phantom power
Included microphone emulations:
The Edge Note is the latest member of Antelope’s (already impressive) Edge family of modelling mics, which until now consisted exclusively of large-diaphragm condenser models. The Note is a small diaphragm, fixed-cardioid condenser microphone and the first of its kind in Antelope’s range. For a modest price, this high-quality "stick" mic, reminiscent of studio classics, ships with a whopping 13 emulations of renowned microphone models – and can be used with any 48V phantom-powered preamp. The expertly-crafted software emulations are available either as native plug-ins on Mac or Windows, or, for optimum performance, as an integral part of Antelope Synergy Core audio interfaces, which are equipped with FPGA Real-Time Modeling hardware, and run the plug-ins with zero CPU-load.
The Edge Note is fitted with a fixed-cardioid, 16.1mm diaphragm which achieves rich and detailed renditions, whatever the circumstances. However, due to its high sensitivity, the Note is somewhat susceptible to plosive and wind noises, and should therefore be used with a pop or wind shield in certain situations. Thanks to its astonishing maximum SPL of 146dB, the Note can handle the loudest sources with ease. And if the max SPL doesn't suffice, the Note also is equipped with 0, -10, and -20dB pads, as well as a two-stage high-pass filter, with cut-off frequencies at 75Hz and 115Hz, to tighten up the low-end.
This latest addition to the Edge family is a highly flexible, jack-of-all-trades microphone – and a great choice for those wishing to record a wide variety of sources using a locker full of high-end microphones but without having to make a huge investment in each one. The Edge Note will do a great job at recording quiet and subtle sources, such as a cello or an acoustic guitar, as well as very loud sources, such as snare drums, brass instruments, or guitar amplifiers. It can of course be paired with a second Note for stereophonic recordings, such as drum overheads. Users also have the option of recording the signal "clean" and selecting the best microphone emulation later on, during the mixing phase.
Antelope Audio is a manufacturer of professional audio equipment that was founded by developer Igor Levin, who invented the famous AardSync clock generator with which his then-company Aardvark made waves in the world of audio engineering at the end of the 20th century. In 2005, Igor Levin went – as he himself put it – back to his roots and continued to develop the AardSync concept. The result of this development work was the “Oven Clock”, a word clock generator that is kept at a constant temperature of 64.5°C to provide increased stability and improve jitter performance. The newly founded Antelope Audio caused a similar splash in 2005 with its OCX Clock Generator. Today, Antelope Audio, which is based in Sofia, Bulgaria, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality audio interfaces and AD/DA converters and includes big names such as Rihanna, Jay-Z, and the Wu-Tang Clan among its users.
The Edge Note is designed to work with any regular 48V phantom-providing preamplifier, and the Edge Real-Time Modeling Software emulations can be executed by the studio computer. As mentioned above, however, the Edge Real-Time Modeling Software works even more effectively when used in combination with one of Antelope Audio’s Synergy Core interfaces, which not only provide top-of-the-line preamps and AD/DA conversion, but onboard DSP acceleration as well. The dedicated FPGA Real-Time Modeling hardware processes the microphone emulations in real-time, with imperceptible latency and zero CPU load, taking an already impressive setup to the next level.