pan60
08-29-2009, 09:02 PM
The New JZ BT301 Microphone
An Interview with Mr. Edijs Rudzis, Mr. Juris Zarins
?2009 pan60
BT301 Review
Ken Morgan, Wireline Studio
?2009 Ken Morgan
pan60:
Okay, as I recall the other day you said your name was pronounced Eddy ( US spelling ), Is that correct? can Icall you Eddy, or Ed?
Eddy:
Yes. Feel free to do that. Most people and friends call me Eddy.
pan60:
cool!
Eddy it is: )~
also, Can we get Mr. Juris Zarins to chime in?
Eddy:
For sure. We are working in same building every day of the week. And always everyone is welcome to ask him any questions. But through me or other members of JZ team as Juris is not very good at other languages excepting Russian of course ;)
pan60:
well I am not very good with english, and that all I know: o~
so, how about both of you yell us something about yourself? Please include some background, and just how did you ( Edijs ), come to be a part of the JZ team?
Juris Zarins:
I am involved in microphone manufacturing and business for about 20 years already. I started with repairing work for big name brands like Neumann, AKG, Telefunken and after some time it was clear that it is time to start produce microphones myself and create better sounding (and looking) products, because I noticed a lot of things in vintage mics which could be done differently and better. Here we should mention that I am professional jeweler and together with good knowledge of metal works and industrial design I was able to transform mics also in work of art. I know that my designs have been source of inspiration for many, many musicians, engineers and voice over artist.
So, in the beginning there were other brands, and then came Violet, which all range of mics as compromise between modern and vintage mics still belongs to me. Now JZ ? which is absolutely my company with manufacturing and selling rights worldwide.
pan60:
i love it when art and function come together: )~
Eddy:
I was working in MI store several years ago when friend of mine invited me to take a look on microphone factory and after that asked me to work for Violet Design, Estonian company which is worldwide distributor of Violet microphones. I was sales assistant for more than two years. Then JZ came out with idea of basically new type of microphone and some very innovative thing together with decision to form new company with absolutely different idea behind the products. I got offer to join Juris to lead JZ Microphones as VP Sales. It was great offer and big challenge for me!:) I am musician from age of 14 and it is my passion. I can spend hours and hours in rehearsal room and recording studio. And now it is also very interesting to work together with Juris in searches how to improve sound quality.
pan60:
I am sure everyone is aware of past battles with another microphone
manufacture competitor, can you tell us a bit about the JZ Microphone
company, and just how the company come to be, without mentioning the
competitor?
Juris Zarins:
Main thing is that I came out with idea of new type of capsule sputtering. We call this golden drop technology. Capsule is not covered with equal gold or other metal sputtering over all surface of diaphragm, but is covered with many different sized golden dots still keeping all surface active by very thin layer of gold. This gives you something like a lot of SDC?s in one LDC mic. Best of both worlds ? details and hi frequency range from SDC mics with keeping mids and lows from LDC mics.
Also capsule response is very fast in such combination so you have perfectly clear sound, not dark, colored, or to much harmonic distortion, as with old dual diaphragm capsule mics. I know that some of the vintage mics may sound warmer and have more body, but that sound is not as perfectly clear and detailed.
Eddy:
So this was crucial to launch new microphone brand as product with such ideology simply did not fit in Violet product range. As musician I know that there is also very many situations where it is better to choose some warmer ( ''dark, colored, or harmonic distortion? ) mics than a clean and crisp sounding mic. It is interesting that after doing A/B test between Black Hole and other mics human ear gives impression that there is less body and lows in BH, but when trying it in the mix you see that everything is there. It is because sound is so clean and right and mostly we are not used to that.
There was some more products in pipeline with alike thinking behind products and it was clear that we should come up with new brand and company together with new team for marketing and sales.
Eddy, as Ken is helping us out here and concentrating on the review, while we chat, he has a few questions for you.
Ken:
The 301 and its grandfather ( the 201) are pretty much exclusive shapes in
today's marketplace, and seem to work very well - what motivated you to
explore the body design?
Eddy:
We studied market of SDC and found out that everyone is copying everyone. Also JZ mentioned that there is some problem with cardioid pattern because of the body shape of Standard pencil mics. So after several weeks JZ came out with drawing of BT series. Then we added magnetic heads for easier use for BT201. BT301 is made to be more classic and we decided to not have changeable heads as also Electronics scheme is different from BT201. As company we are always into innovation as we see many unsolved problems in microphones. It keeps us going.
Ken:
With an arguably over-saturated microphone market, what should people look for in your product that will cause them to choose JZ over another product?
Eddy:
Something fresh and new. We do not try to replicate standard microphones, but offer new solutions to help you in everyday recordings. Basically people are not buying drills, but holes. Right? So we try to offer holes instead of drills. Every mic we have and will have is evolution in microphones. Also handcrafted product always is good investment for future. Every JZ capsule is made with hands. And do you know any other company who had came out with original design of capsule which really works in past 10 years?
pan60:
sweet, we need more companies willing to explore new designs as opposed to just turning out another clone.
this not intending to offend those doing clones, just that we have a great plenty of companies doing a awesome job with clones.
so, What type of machinery to you use? How much do you all source out and how much is done in house?
Juris Zarins:
Generally all mics are handmade and handcrafted therefore the most important emphasis is put on labor which is specially educated. But of course we do have the latest technologies, i.e. special laser devices, cutters, lathes based on CNC approach. Basically everything in our products is made in house. We outsource only manufacturing of PCB`s and cartoon packing. Every electronic part and also raw material is carefully tested and measured before they goes into our products. We do even small screws & bolts for mics by ourselves!
pan60:
nice, i love metal work and as most know dabble i bit in design, but my tooling is all old outdated and sometimes discarded tooling, but i do love it.
Tell me how do you start from a microphone idea, and take it to a
finished product?
Juris Zarins:
The idea for new microphone comes and goes around all the time. You just have to choose the best one! It?s like artists are getting inspiration and then writes a great song, the same is about mics. After that when you have discovered nice design you have to find way how to get this idea into real mic, real sound. And that?s matter of knowledge and experience. Most important thing ? in my designs visual look have to do something with sonic improvement also.
Always we test our prototype products in our studio for some period on different applications, then when we send out couple of them to our friends worldwide to get first feedback. So we can fine-tune new models before public launch.
Eddy:
Time to time I throw in some ideas what we are missing in the market and which issues have not been solved. It is great to interact with our customers as they have many good ideas. Very soon we will have some kind of contest for new mic designs ? everyone will be welcome.
There is no sense to copy something or replicate vintage mics. There is already too much companies doing that.
pan60:
Do you do work for other companies, or just on your own?
Eddy:
As I mentioned before factory manufactures mics also for Violet Design.
pan60:
Eddy, as a fellow musician, i must ask what instrument or instruments, do you play? Do you run a studio in your past time?
Eddy:
I am guitar player. I own several Schecter and PRS guitars and playing still playing in the band with my childhood friends ;) This is more for fun and relax. I do not have a Studio but I am kind of responsible for JZ Studio. It is located behind wall of my office, so I sometimes record my band there. These experiments are very educational for me to better understand mics and other recording equipment.
pan60:
I love guitar and also play a bit, not as much as i use to but i still try to make time, playing music is a way i relax myself: )~
Juris Zarins, tell us about your studio? Is it only for testing you products, or is it operated as a commercial fissility as well?
An Interview with Mr. Edijs Rudzis, Mr. Juris Zarins
?2009 pan60
BT301 Review
Ken Morgan, Wireline Studio
?2009 Ken Morgan
pan60:
Okay, as I recall the other day you said your name was pronounced Eddy ( US spelling ), Is that correct? can Icall you Eddy, or Ed?
Eddy:
Yes. Feel free to do that. Most people and friends call me Eddy.
pan60:
cool!
Eddy it is: )~
also, Can we get Mr. Juris Zarins to chime in?
Eddy:
For sure. We are working in same building every day of the week. And always everyone is welcome to ask him any questions. But through me or other members of JZ team as Juris is not very good at other languages excepting Russian of course ;)
pan60:
well I am not very good with english, and that all I know: o~
so, how about both of you yell us something about yourself? Please include some background, and just how did you ( Edijs ), come to be a part of the JZ team?
Juris Zarins:
I am involved in microphone manufacturing and business for about 20 years already. I started with repairing work for big name brands like Neumann, AKG, Telefunken and after some time it was clear that it is time to start produce microphones myself and create better sounding (and looking) products, because I noticed a lot of things in vintage mics which could be done differently and better. Here we should mention that I am professional jeweler and together with good knowledge of metal works and industrial design I was able to transform mics also in work of art. I know that my designs have been source of inspiration for many, many musicians, engineers and voice over artist.
So, in the beginning there were other brands, and then came Violet, which all range of mics as compromise between modern and vintage mics still belongs to me. Now JZ ? which is absolutely my company with manufacturing and selling rights worldwide.
pan60:
i love it when art and function come together: )~
Eddy:
I was working in MI store several years ago when friend of mine invited me to take a look on microphone factory and after that asked me to work for Violet Design, Estonian company which is worldwide distributor of Violet microphones. I was sales assistant for more than two years. Then JZ came out with idea of basically new type of microphone and some very innovative thing together with decision to form new company with absolutely different idea behind the products. I got offer to join Juris to lead JZ Microphones as VP Sales. It was great offer and big challenge for me!:) I am musician from age of 14 and it is my passion. I can spend hours and hours in rehearsal room and recording studio. And now it is also very interesting to work together with Juris in searches how to improve sound quality.
pan60:
I am sure everyone is aware of past battles with another microphone
manufacture competitor, can you tell us a bit about the JZ Microphone
company, and just how the company come to be, without mentioning the
competitor?
Juris Zarins:
Main thing is that I came out with idea of new type of capsule sputtering. We call this golden drop technology. Capsule is not covered with equal gold or other metal sputtering over all surface of diaphragm, but is covered with many different sized golden dots still keeping all surface active by very thin layer of gold. This gives you something like a lot of SDC?s in one LDC mic. Best of both worlds ? details and hi frequency range from SDC mics with keeping mids and lows from LDC mics.
Also capsule response is very fast in such combination so you have perfectly clear sound, not dark, colored, or to much harmonic distortion, as with old dual diaphragm capsule mics. I know that some of the vintage mics may sound warmer and have more body, but that sound is not as perfectly clear and detailed.
Eddy:
So this was crucial to launch new microphone brand as product with such ideology simply did not fit in Violet product range. As musician I know that there is also very many situations where it is better to choose some warmer ( ''dark, colored, or harmonic distortion? ) mics than a clean and crisp sounding mic. It is interesting that after doing A/B test between Black Hole and other mics human ear gives impression that there is less body and lows in BH, but when trying it in the mix you see that everything is there. It is because sound is so clean and right and mostly we are not used to that.
There was some more products in pipeline with alike thinking behind products and it was clear that we should come up with new brand and company together with new team for marketing and sales.
Eddy, as Ken is helping us out here and concentrating on the review, while we chat, he has a few questions for you.
Ken:
The 301 and its grandfather ( the 201) are pretty much exclusive shapes in
today's marketplace, and seem to work very well - what motivated you to
explore the body design?
Eddy:
We studied market of SDC and found out that everyone is copying everyone. Also JZ mentioned that there is some problem with cardioid pattern because of the body shape of Standard pencil mics. So after several weeks JZ came out with drawing of BT series. Then we added magnetic heads for easier use for BT201. BT301 is made to be more classic and we decided to not have changeable heads as also Electronics scheme is different from BT201. As company we are always into innovation as we see many unsolved problems in microphones. It keeps us going.
Ken:
With an arguably over-saturated microphone market, what should people look for in your product that will cause them to choose JZ over another product?
Eddy:
Something fresh and new. We do not try to replicate standard microphones, but offer new solutions to help you in everyday recordings. Basically people are not buying drills, but holes. Right? So we try to offer holes instead of drills. Every mic we have and will have is evolution in microphones. Also handcrafted product always is good investment for future. Every JZ capsule is made with hands. And do you know any other company who had came out with original design of capsule which really works in past 10 years?
pan60:
sweet, we need more companies willing to explore new designs as opposed to just turning out another clone.
this not intending to offend those doing clones, just that we have a great plenty of companies doing a awesome job with clones.
so, What type of machinery to you use? How much do you all source out and how much is done in house?
Juris Zarins:
Generally all mics are handmade and handcrafted therefore the most important emphasis is put on labor which is specially educated. But of course we do have the latest technologies, i.e. special laser devices, cutters, lathes based on CNC approach. Basically everything in our products is made in house. We outsource only manufacturing of PCB`s and cartoon packing. Every electronic part and also raw material is carefully tested and measured before they goes into our products. We do even small screws & bolts for mics by ourselves!
pan60:
nice, i love metal work and as most know dabble i bit in design, but my tooling is all old outdated and sometimes discarded tooling, but i do love it.
Tell me how do you start from a microphone idea, and take it to a
finished product?
Juris Zarins:
The idea for new microphone comes and goes around all the time. You just have to choose the best one! It?s like artists are getting inspiration and then writes a great song, the same is about mics. After that when you have discovered nice design you have to find way how to get this idea into real mic, real sound. And that?s matter of knowledge and experience. Most important thing ? in my designs visual look have to do something with sonic improvement also.
Always we test our prototype products in our studio for some period on different applications, then when we send out couple of them to our friends worldwide to get first feedback. So we can fine-tune new models before public launch.
Eddy:
Time to time I throw in some ideas what we are missing in the market and which issues have not been solved. It is great to interact with our customers as they have many good ideas. Very soon we will have some kind of contest for new mic designs ? everyone will be welcome.
There is no sense to copy something or replicate vintage mics. There is already too much companies doing that.
pan60:
Do you do work for other companies, or just on your own?
Eddy:
As I mentioned before factory manufactures mics also for Violet Design.
pan60:
Eddy, as a fellow musician, i must ask what instrument or instruments, do you play? Do you run a studio in your past time?
Eddy:
I am guitar player. I own several Schecter and PRS guitars and playing still playing in the band with my childhood friends ;) This is more for fun and relax. I do not have a Studio but I am kind of responsible for JZ Studio. It is located behind wall of my office, so I sometimes record my band there. These experiments are very educational for me to better understand mics and other recording equipment.
pan60:
I love guitar and also play a bit, not as much as i use to but i still try to make time, playing music is a way i relax myself: )~
Juris Zarins, tell us about your studio? Is it only for testing you products, or is it operated as a commercial fissility as well?