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The V13 capsule is a 34 mmdiameter assembly with a work-ing diaphragm that’s 26.4 mm(just over 1") in diameter. Thedual front/back capsules employedge-terminated, gold-sputteredMylar diaphragms that are amere 3 microns thick.

Going insideWhenever I encounter any

piece of gear, my inner geekcomes forth and the first thing Iwant to do is disassemble it andcheck out the insides. So minutesafter getting the V13, I wentunder the hood. The build qualityseems solid and the fit and finishare first-rate. A base plate nearthe output connector easilyunscrews to reveal the internalworkings (see photo 2).Looking inside unveiled a few

surprises. The board layout isclean with short signal paths. Theelectronics take a minimalistapproach with barely two dozencomponents, including high-gradeWima capacitors and a sizeablecustom-wound humbucking trans-former in a massive mu-metal cas-ing. On the reverse side is a

board with a sturdy 9-pin ceramic tube sock-et for what would usually be a 12AX7 or aECC33 dual triode, but not in this case.The tube circuit used in the V13 appears

to be the familiar push-pull triode configu-ration, but based on some kind of longplate triode—possibly a 12BH7, althoughthe only marking on the tube is aVanguard Audio logo. Vanguard is notrevealing the name of the exact tube, otherthan to say it is of European manufacture.However, the company does suggest thatusers seeking to experiment with othertubes for alternate sounds could possiblytry 12AX7, 12AT7 and 12AY7 types.I tried a variety of tubes with the V13.

Whether modern or NOS, the 12AX7sseemed somewhat harsh, although I did findan old and well-worn Mullard that actuallysounded fairly good in this application.

B Y G E O R G E P E T E R S E N

Vanguard Audio Labs V13 Tube MicrophoneA great multipattern offering from a new name in microphones

If I were to form a new proaudio company, I’m pretty sureI’d avoid creating studio micro-phones. There are lots of greattube and solid-state condensermicrophones on the market, andthe competition is fierce.However, I should come cleanand admit that I am a self-confessed mic junkie; I live bythe mantra that “you can neverhave too many microphones.”So when I first saw the V13from Vanguard Audio Labs—anew company run by a coupleof well-known pro audio veter-ans, dedicated to offering highquality products (the first ofwhich is the V13) at down-to-Earth prices that mere mortalscan afford—I was intrigued.Outwardly, the V13 immediate-

ly sets itself apart from the pack,with a large capsule clearly visi-ble under the open-weave, nickel-plated grille and wine-red bodyand matching power supply. The$699 package includes the V13itself, external 120/240V powersupply with “chickenhead” pat-tern selector knob, shockmount,and multipin connection cable, allpacked in a custom foam-lined flight case.Vanguard takes the package a few steps fur-ther, adding a wooden box housing the micbody for additional protection, an insert inthe case foam to accommodate spare (oralternate) tubes, and the matching wovencloth exterior on the power supply cable.See photo 1.

The basicsThe V13 is a large-diaphragm condenser

mic with a dual capsule design whose nineswitchable patterns, omni through cardioidto figure-8, go beyond the usual selection oftwo or three choices. The mic body itself hasswitches for a 10 dB pad, which raises themic’s maximum SPL handling from 134 dBto a ready-for-anything 144 dB, and a high-pass filter with a gentle 6 dB/octave curveand corner frequency of 125 Hz.

Compared to the 12AX7s, I had betterresults with some 12AY7s, yet I kept comingback to the V13’s original mystery tube,which provided the best results. My adviceis that tube swapping be left to experiencedusers. The unit should be powered downcompletely before attempting any such pro-cedures. Also, support the tube socket firmlywhen changing tubes to prevent snappingoff the daughterboard!

In sessionFortunately, the V13 sounds fine out of

the box, and I was anxious to check it out.One nice touch is the included VLSMshockmount, which has an open frontdesign for improved access to the mic intight placements. It’s a well-engineered andhighly effective mount that does a greatjob of shielding the mic from externalvibrations while holding the mic verysecurely without blocking the rear-mountedpad and filter switches. Its mounting threadalso works with the commonly-availableswivel clamps that come with other con-denser mics, opening up other possibilitiesfor working in cramped quarters.As I expected, changing settings on

either the pad or filter switches while themic was powered up created loud pop-ping sounds. However, I was pleased todiscover that any changes to the polar pat-tern switch were noiseless, which is greatfor “tuning” into a source or making A/Bcomparisons while listening. Both the filterand pad switches are marked with laser-etched graphics for the switch positions, atad difficult to read in dim lighting.Like most tube gear, the V13 requires

some time after power-up to reach thermalequilibrium and allow the tube to stabilize.About 20 minutes is great, but the V13 wasat least 95% there at the 10-minute mark.Don’t be in a hurry; chill out and take thistime to do vocal warmups, fix that awkwardbridge, retune that 12-string, or simply medi-tate to get in the proper mood.After using the V13 for a couple of

months on every sort of instrument andvocal, a few things were apparent. First ofall, if you are looking for a mic with a flat,ultralinear response, you will not find it

Excerpted from the October edition of REcORding Magazine 2016©2016 Music Maker Publications, inc. Reprinted with permission.5408 idylwild Trail, Boulder, cO 80301 Tel: (303) 516-9118 Fax: (303) 516-9119 For Subscription Information, call: 1-954-653-3927 or www.recordingmag.com

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with the V13. This mic is all about person-ality, rather than reality. This certainly isn’tbad per se; probably the best analogy Ican offer is that if you want to know whatyou really look like, check your driver’slicense picture or any shot taken with fluo-rescent lighting. It might be reality, but itprobably won’t be pretty.On the low end, the V-13 exhibits a

smooth warmness around 200 Hz—evenmore if you push the proximity effect. Beaware that this mic is extremely sensitive to

breath noise. The mic’s open grille prettymuch demands an external pop filter forany close-in vocal work.The midrange seems to

exhibit a slight bump—say,in the +1.5 to +2 dBrange—from 2 kHz to 8kHz, which is just enough toadd a subtle emphasis, butwithout the massive presenceboost some other mics exhib-it. This was perfect for femalevocals, which rarely needthat edge, while male vocalsmight need a touch of EQ tocut through a cluttered mix.The top end provides a sub-

stantial rising high-frequencyboost, peaking about +4 dBat 10 kHz. In most cases, thisoffers a nice edge and sheen, whether onvocals or harmonic-rich instruments like 12-string guitar or acoustic piano. At the sametime, this can sound shrill on a low-cost (orpoorly played) violin or trumpet. The bottomline? While the mic’s response is far fromflat (even in omni), the net effect on the rightsource can be sweet!Interestingly, the V13 claims a self-noise

of only 13 dBA—impressive for any tubemic. Combined with the capsule design, theresult is a transducer that exhibits a highdegree of detail and clarity. True, this micwill capture even the smallest performancenuances, but at the same time will bring outpiano bench squeaks, hammer noise, airhandling rumble, distant streetcars—youname it. If you have a great recordingspace, the V13 low-noise/high detail is

ideal when used as a distant room mic,while it’s tough enough to stand up to close-miked timbales.Another cool thing about the V13 is that it

really encourages users to get out of that“always leave it in cardioid” slump. Themic’s figure-8 pattern is very consistent fromfront to back, and moving a click or twotowards the omni setting (away from car-dioid) created a wonderful wide cardioidsetting that was spot-on for vocalists whotend to move around during the take.

Final thoughtsI used the V13 with a variety of pre-

amps, from the precision of a MillenniaMedia HV-3 to the warmfunk of an Altec 1567 to anentry-level Yamaha MG102desktop mixer, and waspleased with the results.Although each was distinctlydifferent, the mic’s character,clarity, and detail remainedintact in each instance.My main disappointment

was that I only had one V13to check out. But at only$699, that’s an issue with asimple solution. I like that.Affordable and beautiful,

the V13 is an encouragingstart for Vanguard Audio

Labs. It will be fun to see what new mics willjoin the V13 in the Vanguard line.

Price: $699

More from: Vanguard Audio Labs,www.vanguardaudiolabs.com

George Petersen (petersen@recordingmag.com) is the Editor of FRONT of HOUSE, amagazine for the live sound and touringindustry, and a recording musician and engi-neer living and working in San Francisco.

George, and the Editors of Recording,would like to remember Glen Heffner ofVanguard Audio Labs, a well-loved stalwartof our industry who died suddenly during thewriting of this review. We’ll miss you, Glen.

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Excerpted from the October edition of REcORding Magazine 2016©2016 Music Maker Publications, inc. Reprinted with permission.5408 idylwild Trail, Boulder, cO 80301 Tel: (303) 516-9118 Fax: (303) 516-9119 For Subscription Information, call: 1-954-653-3927 or www.recordingmag.com