Shell Rock, IA – October 2023… Chandler Limited, the ‘Official Equipment Manufacturer of classic EMI Abbey Road Studios recording equipment,’ adds to their Abbey Road Studios series with the introduction of the TG Microphone ‘Type L.’
The TG Microphone Type L is a handmade phantom powered, solid-state large diaphragm condenser microphone, and — as the name implies — the Type L is descended from the innovative TG Microphone.
While the Type L retains the core circuitry, capsule and ‘Dual Tone System’ of the larger TG Microphone, it is voiced considerably different compared to its forebearer.
With its TG circuit, compact form factor — 6.125” long — and Dual Tone System, the Type L represents the perfect cross-section of larger than solid-state sounds, utility and versatility.
The Dual Tone System — familiar to TG Microphone users — modifies the input stage of the Type L and extends the versatility of the microphone to accommodate a greater array of sources. System ‘A’ is characteristically TG and rich in harmonics, whereas the ‘B’ voicing handles extreme SPLs — with the PAD engaged — and by contrast is, more pristine with a ribbon-like quality.
The TG Microphone Type L is cardioid and intended as the quintessential recording studio workhorse. The Type L is capable of rivaling scenarios where the C414, FET47, U87, U67 and C12 have been preferred, and may replace the practice of employing a dynamic and a ribbon in combination on guitar cabinets.
Chandler Limited’s Founder and Chief Designer, Wade Goeke, wanted to deliver a go-to utility microphone that would handle an assortment of scenarios. This new microphone needed to be more than a scaled-down version of the TG Microphone; he wanted the Type L to feature unique voicings and stand on its own.
Wade Goeke, Chandler Limited Founder and Chief Designer— "The main focus on the Type L (little), was that it would be a fat — out-sized — sounding workhorse that was still affordable; it's really the culmination of my last 15 years of microphone research and development. The heart of its versatility is the Dual Tone System, which is inspired by both the Drive switch on the REDD microphone and System A/B from the TG Microphone. System ‘A’ is a "more everything" setting, with lots of tonality, while ‘B’ is a round, warm and smooth sound, that several of our beta testers referred to as having a ribbon microphone type quality."
Mirek Stiles, Head of Audio products at Abbey Road Studios, shared his thoughts on the significance of the Type L to the well-established microphone lineup and its performance during testing at Abbey Road Studios.
Mirek Stiles, Head of Products, Abbey Road Studios— “Wade and I have toyed with the idea of a more accessible microphone for a while. Our main priority was being able to translate the TG sound into a more compact design. The end result is a totally unique and versatile little powerhouse of sound. I was quite taken back by its performance compared to other mics in the Abbey Road collection. This microphone is destined to become an instant classic and I’m sure will inspire the next generation of producers, engineers and artists who are looking for something a little bit different.”
FIELD-TESTING WITH RECORDING INDUSTRY STALWARTS
Producer and Songwriter Butch Walker— “Amazing. We threw it [TG Microphone Type L] up on a 112 cabinet with a Weber speaker in it, through my two-rock Bloomfield drive and this Tele and I didn't touch it; there was no EQ. I did leave it plugged into a line that was the actual vocal chain, so it was going through a [RS]660 compressor limiter, which is also the Chandler [RS660 Compressor], which I love…and so I left it on; it sounded great, I didn't even bypass it. It just sounded big and the mid-range is probably my favorite thing that I love about records. It's the sound of rock and roll. You know, without it, you don't really have guitars. Guitars live in that frequency. So it's important to me that a microphone can translate great mid-range…it kind of almost has a ribbon quality to it. You know…where ribbon mics can tend to be great for that mid-range without any top-end and without any low-end they just give you this like mid-range presence. But it's a little bit more dimensional than just a ribbon.”
Producer, engineer and mixer, Howard Willing— “Absolutely shocked…full stop. On, drums…tons of air, super harmonically rich and dense in the ‘A’ position. Pop it [TG Microphone Type L] over to the ‘B’ position, lots of bottom, lots of top, just really beautiful. “After drums, this [acoustic guitar] is actually my favorite instrument to hear it on. In the ‘A’ position, it lends itself to more kind of ‘60s rock and roll acoustic. If you move it over into the ‘B’ position, you get a lot more weight out of the guitar. And the brilliant part of this is that, if I want someone to double the acoustics, I can easily change the sound by switching from ‘A’ to ‘B’.”
Producer, engineer and mixer Bobby Holland— “Piano was one of the more ‘Wow’ instruments for me. In the ‘A’ setting it just had all of this wonderful color and rich harmonics, and it was just very big sounding in a really nice way. And then you switched over to ‘B’ and it was just beautiful; it wasn’t as colorful, but it was just perfect sounding…sort of like drums, it was just like ‘wow’ that’s what my piano sounds like; I just loved it. Normally I never reach for a condenser on electric guitar…and I really think that I will probably use this [TG Microphone Type L] more than any of my other microphones after hearing that, it was ‘that’s what an electric guitar is supposed to sound like,’ it was just right…it was just so versatile and cool and it didn’t have the brittle sort of harsh thing that a lot of condensers have on electric guitar.”
Producer, engineer and mixer, Ryan Hewitt used the Type L on session with Cody Jinks— “It sounds bigger than it is, it sounds bigger than it looks. Of course, the first thing that I had to do was really loud guitars. I’ve got my Marshall hundred watt amp and various other hundred watt amps; and my Chandler amp actually [GAV19T]…in front of my Marshall cabinet and did what I thought would certainly test a condenser microphone for its SPL handling capacities. The [TG Microphone] Type L, it sort of took it all in stride and was just like a perfectly balanced picture of what this amp sounded like in the room...It was loud, it was punchy and it had all the low-end I wanted. I pretty much got the sound of one microphone, which is pretty tough to do these days.”
Producer, songwriter Kevin Kadish, Type L on electric guitar and piano— “I think everyone’s gonna have one [TG Microphone Type L]. It’s incredible on piano, on electric guitars; I can’t wait to try it on acoustic guitar. It’s almost like having two different microphones in one, because the ‘A’ and ‘B’ mode are so different. ’A’ mode, to me feels like fatter and warmer, and ‘B’ mode is like more precise…for being precise it’s very tape-y. I don’t know how Wade does it, but every single time he makes something, it's what my ear wants to hear and this is no exception. The [Type] L is going to be for everybody, I think. I think because of the price point of it…It’s so versatile, it sounded amazing on piano, it sounded amazing on electric guitar, like amazing on electric guitar! …unreal, unreal…”
Producer, engineer and mixer Vance Powell— “I thought it [TG Microphone Type L] sounded exactly like what I wanted it to sound like. And that's the best thing you could say for any microphone. It sounded exactly like the amp we tried it on, it sounded exactly like what I wanted it to.”
To learn more about the TG Microphone Type L visit the: Type L product page.
When is the TG Microphone Type L available for purchase?
The TG Microphone Type L is available for order now; shipping begins October 2023.
U.S. street price (MAP): $789
