This 19a4 set is completely original and comes with its proprietary 20B50 PSU and a rare 80's-era LOMO shockmount clip. The capsule is in excellent condition and the microphone sounds stunning - exactly as a 19a4 should. This particular 19a4 is priced lower than usual because of a few cosmetic and mechanical issues.
- The adjustable plastic collar around the capsule head is cracked. It has been carefully glued together and still performs as intended, but if you apply to much force when turning it from cardioid to omni or vice versa, it could break.
- The original large cable-mount connector that plugs into the PSU is impossible to find, so when building this cable we had to use a Soviet military version of the connector (just barely possible to find) which is spec'ed for a much wider gauge of cable. We could not find a cable collar thick enough to provide adequate strain relief, so we just carefully wrapped gaff tape around it. It's not classy and it's not particularly attractive - but it works. If we think of something better before it sells, it will be updated.
- The mic-end connector of the cable is not original, and was assembled from various Soviet connector parts by someone in Russia since the original proprietary connector (which is also used with the 19a13, 19a18, and 19a19) was impossible to find... until we had some new ones machined last year. Since this connector is working just fine we chose not to replace it, but we will ship one of our replacement connectors with the mic for future servicing
- The capsule grill mesh is coming up around the perimeter of the capsule head. This is strictly cosmetic and does not affect the sound or longevity of the microphone.
The LOMO 19a4 is a tube small diaphragm condenser manufactured in small quantities by the LOMO plant from 1963 - 1969. It is estimated that approximately 300-400 19a4s were produced in that time. The microphone uses the 6S6B subminiature tube, which is also used in the 19a10, 19a13, 19a14, and 19a18 microphones, and is the Soviet equivalent of the AC701K. It can be deduced by looking at it that the microphone was inspired by the Schoeps 221b, and like the 221b, has a rotating capsule head that allows the user to cover or open the capsule’s rear vents, thereby changing the mic’s polar pattern from cardioid (vented) to omni (closed). The 19a4 however has it’s own incredibly distinct rich and velvety sound with a slightly rounded top end and is one of the most beautiful sounding mics we’ve used. Despite being rounded on the top end,, it has excellent transient response and is able to capture incredible detail without any harshness or midrange emphasis making it both natural and euphonic at the same time. This makes it a fantastic choice for room mics, acoustic guitars, overheads, guitar amps, and bowed instruments.
