A Meticulous Re-creation of the Fabled Sony C37a
The Tonelux JC37 was designed in collaboration with ace producer/engineer/mixer, Joe Chiccarelli, and it has all the makings of a desert island microphone. A meticulous re-creation of the fabled Sony C37a tube condenser, the JC37 is smooth (almost ribbon-ish) yet exhibits a fast transient response and plenty of presence, while delivering honest, natural audio reproduction. It sounds incredible on vocals, drum overheads, strings, acoustic guitar, piano — basically everything. Looking for a game changer for your mic locker? The JC37 is everything a vintage-inspired tube condenser should be. No matter what you put in front of it, it will sound legendary.
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Designed in collaboration with Joe Chiccarelli
With the JC37, Joe Chiccarelli (Tori Amos, Beck, U2, The Strokes, The Killers, Elton John, The White Stripes, Morrissey, Alanis Morissette, Jason Mraz) set out to create a modern production mic with the sound and utility of a vintage Sony C37a. As a longtime ’37 user, Joe knew what he wanted. The original’s omnidirectional setting was achieved by inserting a screwdriver into the back of the mic, which was a huge time suck. And most engineers preferred the sound of the mic in cardioid mode anyway. What’s more, the original’s frequency response, output impedance, and level functions added substantial noise without significant dividends. Thus, the Tonelux JC37 foregoes these superfluous features in favor of ease of use and a cleaner signal path.
The JC37 is a spot-on re-creation of its predecessor.
The JC37 power supply accommodates 2 mics for stereo applications.Based on the legendary Sony C37a tube condenser
The Tonelux JC37 is a present-day rendering of the legendary Sony C37a tube condenser — a mainstay in 1960s-era recording studios. The C37a can be heard on classic releases by Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Frank Sinatra, and many others. The JC37 retains all the base elements of its predecessor, including a tube-buffered, 37mm single-diaphragm transducer and a transformer output. Every contributing element of the original’s signal path was re-created, along with the physical construction of its body, grille, and built-in shockmount. To ensure accuracy, exhaustive listening tests were conducted at Sunset Sound Studios, with access to their considerable collection of C37a mics. The only appreciable difference between a vintage ’37 and a modern JC37 is the latter’s aforementioned lack of pattern, frequency response, output impedance, and level selectors.
The Tonelux JC37 — a mic locker essential
Once you have a JC37 in your mic locker, you’ll wonder how you lived without it. It tackles aggressive vocalists, harsh cymbals, and strident acoustic guitars like a champ, smoothing out their ice-pickiness while retaining every ounce of detail. When Joe Chiccarelli visited us here at Sweetwater, he mentioned just how many sessions he’s used his vintage ’37s on — Alanis Morissette, the Strokes, the White Stripes, the Shins, the Raconteurs, Jason Mraz — basically every artist he’s worked with. And how does the new JC37 compare to its predecessor? “It gets you 90 plus percent of the way there,” says Joe. He added that he recently used the new Tonelux JC37 on a project for Morrissey and found it to be a worthy replacement for his classic ’37s — worthy enough, he indicated, to part with his vintage mics.
Tonelux JC37 Tube Condenser Microphone Features:
- Large-diaphragm cardioid tube condenser patterned after the Sony C37a
- Designed in collaboration with producer/engineer/mixer, Joe Chiccarelli (Tori Amos, Beck, U2, The Strokes, The Killers, Elton John, The White Stripes, Morrissey, Alanis Morissette, Jason Mraz)
- Yields natural audio reproduction with ribbon-like smoothness, fast transient response, and plenty of presence
- Sounds incredible on vocals, drum overheads, strings, acoustic guitar, piano, and more
- Great for smoothing out aggressive vocalists, harsh cymbals, and strident acoustic guitars while retaining detail and clarity
- Built-in shockmount minimizes unwanted vibration noise
- Power supply accommodates 2 microphones for stereo applications
- Includes a padded case that holds 2 microphones and a power supply
