Soviet-American Audio Systems

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Soviet-American Audio Systems

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Soviet-American Audio Systems, Music production studio, 1021 S. Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN.

A reliable resource for rare, obscure, and esoteric vintage microphones and audio equipment with a primary focus on (but not limited to) Soviet and Japanese designs (ie LOMO, Kinap, IRPA, Oktava, Sony, Toshiba, Aiwa, etc).

11/20/2025

I shared this MK14 a while back with some different photos, and it is now officially for sale in our Reverb shop (link in bio). It comes from our studio’s working collection. It is a 1970 IRPA MK14 stereo tube condenser, one of only a few dozen ever made, and it is in beautiful original condition. It is the Soviet version of the Neumann SM69, and it is stunning.

This is one of the only known fully functional examples. It has been used on countless recordings at Russian Recording for years and is in perfect working order. It includes the original capsules with their original diaphragms, the BP43 power supply, the original cables and case, and a shock mount that fits the mic perfectly.

It uses two M7-style capsules, two 6S31B tubes (the Soviet equivalent of the AC701K), and two hand wound transformers. You can switch each capsule independently between cardioid, omni, and figure 8, which gives you true M/S, X/Y, wide stereo, mono, and everything in between. It has a low noise floor, huge headroom, and sounds stunning on rooms, overheads, vocals, guitars, acoustic instruments, horns, and piano.

It has been two weeks since the first big Reverb announcement, and more than half of the mics from the collection have sold, but there are still some remarkable pieces like this one available. Everything is listed in our Reverb shop. If you want to talk about the MK14 or anything else in the collection, just reach out.

11/05/2025

The time has come. After more than 20 years of collecting, researching, restoring, and transducing, we are selling our rarest and most extraordinary vintage microphones, including many you’ve seen featured here. This is an opportunity to own some of the rarest vintage tube, ribbon, and dynamic mics ever made, many of them the only known examples in the world, all in exceptional working order.

Our collection and studio are featured on Reverb.com today, and the first wave of listings is now live exclusively in our Reverb Shop. You can visit it through the link in our bio, and watch the 30-minute Reverb feature about our collection where you can also hear the mics in action, in a separate link.

This marks the next phase of SAAS, helping us launch our own line of equipment inspired by Soviet microphone design and our rebuilt vintage Sphere Eclipse Type III console. We’re starting with our Type III microphone preamps (see last slide), prototypes are already in use at studios across the country. Visit www.sovietamerican.com to join the waitlist and get updates.

Thanks to everyone that’s supported us and shown interest in the same things we find so interesting.

08/27/2025

Despite looking almost identical to a Shure 300 ribbon mic, this is actually a Sony C107, a late-60s medium-diaphragm multipattern tube microphone produced in very limited numbers and rarely seen outside Japan.

While the C37a became Sony’s most famous tube mic, the C107 was their flagship, costing 30% more. It uses a CP4a power supply, similar to the C37a’s CP3b but with variable polar pattern control and different voltages for its 6DH3 tube - Sony’s proprietary version of the Telefunken AC701k. The 6DH3 is nearly impossible to source today, and even “working” ones are often noisy. When we restore these, we always replace it with a Telefunken EF732, which is quiet, affordable, and sounds excellent.

Most C107s used gold-diaphragm capsules, but this one has a double-sided nickel membrane, giving it a uniquely airy top end that works beautifully on acoustic instruments, strings, and overheads. Our sample recording in the comments below features poorly played drums (by me) and guitar amps which aren’t an ideal fit, but should give you an idea of how it sounds. We’ll try to capture a more appropriate demo someday.

Listen to the C107 and compare it to the LOMO 19a14 at the samply link in our bio. You can even download the original multitracks if you’re nerdy enough.

In the photos you’ll notice our C107 is powered by a modified CP3b PSU. That’s because our pair arrived with no supplies or cables, so we retrofitted the CP3b with variable pattern control and correct voltages. We also had to swap in Soviet multipin connectors since the original proprietary ones are unobtainable. Needless to say, it was a pain in the ass.

08/06/2025

The LOMO 19a14 is one of the rarest tube microphones ever made by the LOMO factory, with fewer than 100 units manufactured. Despite being a large diaphragm tube condenser, it’s remarkably compact. That was achieved by locating its massive output transformer (the same one used in the 19a9) to the external power supply, and by tucking a subminiature 6S6B tube directly behind the capsule inside the mic body.

If you’re familiar with the more common 19a9, you’ll notice that the 19a14 is essentially just the headbasket of the 19a9, only without the extended body that houses the 19a9’s larger 6J1P tube. Designed by the same engineer, Dubrov, the 19a14 shares the same output transformer and PSU, but swaps in a double-sided version of the 19a9’s M7 capsule with a rear dummy diaphragm. This gives it a tighter cardioid pattern and a more pronounced presence peak compared to the 19a9’s single-sided M7.

If you’d like to hear how this mic sounds, visit the link in the comments below to hear an entire Charili XCX cover recorded using our studio’s matched pair of 19a14s. You’ll also find downloadable multitrack stems so you can dive deep in your own room, as well as the same recording made with our pair of Sony C107’s, which I’ll be posting about soon.

Stay tuned for major Soviet American news involving a very exciting new venture and the rarest pieces from our studio collection that may be available for sale in the coming months to help fund this endeavor (including this pair of 19a14s).

New mics listed in the online store, btw.

05/01/2025

Been working on some cool posts, videos and mic samples. Like a comparison between six of the rarest Japanese 77D-type microphones, some of the weirdest soviet dynamics, and a LOMO 19a14 vs a rare nickel-capsule Sony C107. I'm grateful that there are people besides me that find this stuff fascinating.

04/01/2025

The MD38SH is an omnidirectional dynamic microphone manufactured in Soviet Russia in the 1960’s. As with many of these super rare Soviet mics, it was made in very small quantities and usually for a very specific purpose. In this case, it’s an acoustic measurement microphone. We’ve only ever seen four of these fellas, and three of those passed through our doors. Aside from its looks, what’s most impressive about this mic is how it sounds. It’s surprisingly useful and musically flattering while maintaining a very colorful character that I’m refraining from describing as “lo-fi” since it sounds pretty darn good. But yeah, still kinda lo-fi just a very useable way, which makes it quite useful in our mic locker. Listen to a whole damn song recorded with one on our website,
at the link in our bio.

03/31/2025

We haven't run out of mics to post - we've just run out of time to prepare the posts. But I made time to present an exceedingly rare and impressive Soviet ribbon microphone, the MRTP ML11B.

The ML11B is a unidirectional ribbon mic developed and produced by MRTP (Ministry of the Radio Engineering Industry). These were manufactured in very small quantities using the finest components, designed for the most important and demanding applications within the Soviet Union. It's estimated that only around one hundred of these mics were ever made. This particular ML11B will turn 70 years old next year.

There are other ML11 models, all unidirectional ribbon microphones, but with different bodies, internals, ribbon sizes, and made by different departments (swipe to see them). The most "common" is the Oktava ML11m, while the rarest one we know of is the IRPA ML11 - one of the last Soviet ribbon mics we have yet to hold in our hands. Got one? Get in touch.

Swipe to see video of a drum recording using our pair of ML11Bs in a Glyn Johns configuration to record Jacob of Evening Standards, or head to the link in the comments to hear an entire song recorded with only a pair of them.

12/27/2024

The National WM-730a is a high-end Japanese made large diaphragm condenser from the early 1970’s. The microphone has a unidirectional polar pattern and a 3-way high pass filter switch

The microphone's capsule is very unique - the diaphragm is attached to the perforated metal cap - which really freaked me out when I removed it for a look. I quickly replaced it, worried I'd messed something up - I hadn't.

This was National’s answer to the Sony C38 FET, and was the more expensive option at the time. It’s a brilliant sounding mic that has a little more top end zing than the C38b, without being too harsh or strident. It’s a great vocal mic, and also fares well as an overhead, snare mic, or guitar mic. National rebranded the WM730a for Technics as the Technics RP3880-C which differed mostly in appearance. Swipe to the last few photos for some side-by-side comparisons, inside and out.

Like many other Japanese condensers, the WM-730a is powered using a 9 volt battery but does not accept phantom power. I used to think that sucked and would modify mics that only took 9V, but then realized that the batteries actually last a very long time (hundreds of hours of use), have a more stable voltage and lower noise floor. You can also get rechargeable batteries for them, eliminating the most annoying part of a battery powered mic - running out of batteries and money. The mics also have a really neat voltage meter in the front of the body to check your charge.

If you’d like to hear the WM730a used on a vocal, head to the link in our bio. And if you'd like to see all the new mics and outboard we've listed for sale, visit the link in the comments.

10/25/2024

Tons of exquisiye mics for sale. Rare, obscure, classic old, and new, and all of them working as their designers intended. Here's a smattering of what's available, but I'll try to post one mic that we're selling every day, or at least every other day. In the meantime scroll through or visit the link in our bio.

Full list is posted below, message me for more details and info about anything you see that is of interest.

You can buy directly from the site, or send me a DM with an offer. Happy to answer any questions you may have.

TUBE MICS:
Neumann SM69 Tube - $16,000
LOMO 19a18 - $2,500
3 x LOMO 19a4 - $2,500/each
2 x Gefell CMV563 - $7,500/pair

CONDENSER MICS:
Sony C37p #1046 - $2,100
Sony C37p #1055 - $2,400
Sony C37p (both) - $4,200
Sony C48 - $1,600
2 x Schoeps CMC-5 w/MK4, MK41, more - $2,800 total
2 x Sony C500 Consecutive Pair - $4,600/pair
2 x Soyuz Bomblet - $1,000/ea
Technics – RP3800 (National 730a) - $1,100
LOMO UM51 NOS Stereo Pair - $1,800/pair
LOMO UM51 NOS Deluxe Set - $1,200

RIBBON MICS
RCA BK5b w/windscreen - $1,500
AEA R88a Active (stereo) - $1,800
AEA R84 - $750
AEA N22 - $750
2 x AEA R92 - $650/ea
Toshiba Type K - $1,900
National VM-1 - $750
Soviet M.D.L. - $3,000
Fostex M88rp (like new) - $750
NHK/Toshiba RU4 Consecutive Stereo Pair - $2,200
Oktava ML19 NOS Stereo Set - $1,250/stereo set
2 x NHK/Aiwa RV-1a $3,000/pair, $1,600/ea
Toshiba G-Type - Consecutive Stereo Pair - $3,000
2 x Oktava ML11m - $1,000/ea, $1,900/pr
Oktava ML17 (mint) - $800
Oktava ML16 - Mint, Tan in Original Suitcase - $800
Oktava ML16 – NOS Mint Green in Suitcase - $1,000
Toshiba Type C w/Cinemag Transformer – $650
MRTP ML15 - very rare “LOMO/KINAP” Version - $1,800

DYNAMIC MICS:
Yamaha MZ-Series Drum Mic set of 5 - $1,250
Sony F-V300 (w MD409 capsule) - $650

OUTBOARD
2 x 60U261 LOMO FET Compressor Pair - $3,000
Gyraf Ambler Tilt EQ - $2,750
Iron Age V2 EQ – $1,400
2 x Buzz Tonic 500 Series EQs - $600/ea
2 x Drawmer DS-101 500 Sereies Gates - $300/ea
4 x AWTAC Compresors - $700/ea
4 x Pultec EQP-500x - $1,200/ea
2 x Vintage Langevin 117a Program/Mic Amps - $1,250/ea
4 x LOMO 60U-127 Passive Tube Tilt EQs - $1,250/ea

10/21/2024

After 15 years of searching, we've finally found not just one, but two LOMO 19a33s. I wouldn't know this mic even existed if it weren't for an eBay listing from the mid 2000's. All I knew is that it had two capsules and that strange PSU. So naturally I assumed it was a stereo mic. Now I know it's not (for now).

It's a solid state mono condenser microphone with two small diaphragm capsules positioned at a 120 degree angle. The PSU/control box powers the mic and provides remote control over the mic's utility. The 19a33 was designed to be used on a stage where there may have been multiple soloists or a moving target, like in opera or theater, by having the ability to be "turned" anywhere within a 120 degree span without having to move the mic itself by blending between the two capsules with the remote/PSU. The big dial on the front of the control box smoothly adjusts the blend between the capsules, effectively allowing you to point the mic without having to move it. Turn it 120 degrees left and the mic only picks up from the left capsule, turn it to the center and it picks up both capsules front and center, and turn it all the way to the right and it picks up at a 120 degree angle to the right of center. The switches on the top allow you to hang the mic upside down or right-side up and flip left and right accordingly.

Personally, it seems like some complicated and well-done engineering for something that doesn't seem particularly useful, but the mic sounds incredible. I've used one for vocals and the pair for acoustic guitar with great success so far. I'm interested in modifying the supplies to be able to output each capsule's signals separately for stereo use, or better yet, modify the dial to control stereo width from 120 degrees wide stereo to mono.

Audio samples pending.

10/07/2024

This is an IRPA MK3 large diaphragm tube condenser microphone from the1950's. The few MK3s that have surfaced (three that I know of) have always been referred to as a LOMO 19a7, including the one we have pictured here. I recently uncovered some original documentation and some photos that bust that myth once and for all. You can see a complete original MK3 set and some original documentation by swiping through the photos.

The original MK3 used a copper diaphragm (much like the Japanese Tsushin Kogyo CU-1 from the same era, which I posted about last week), but our MK3 arrived with an M7-style MK13 capsule. The MK3 microphone has no output transformer in its body because it is located in the power supply (also like the CU-1, and many other Soviet and Japanese tube mics). You can see the original PSU in the later photo as well, and it looks quite impressive. We had Greg Norman of Electrical Audio rebuild the sh*tty home-brew PSU our MK3 came with about 10 years ago. Greg reused the same little output transformer in his PSU, and I suspect that it's this transformer that makes the mic sound wrong. I'm almost certain that if I paired it with the same output transformer and coupling capacitor from the 19a9 PSU, it would start to sing. I'll try it and record before and after clips for all you nerds out there.

09/30/2024

This is number twelve of twelve Tsushin Kogyo CU-1 microphones ever made. Commissioned by NHK in Japan in the 1950s, this was the very first iteration of the iconic Sony C37a microphone. This historically significant microphone uses the same amplifier circuit as the C37a with a 6AU6 in a cathode-follower configuration. Our CU-1 is paired with a CP-2, but the original was paired with, you guessed it, a CP-1, which is next to impossible to find. I have included a photo of another CU-1 (serial #9) along with its original CP-1 PSU for reference. In that photo you can see the original NHK letters that were glued to the body, and on our CU-1 you can see the glue that was left over from the letters which are now long gone.

The CU-1 had a proprietary capsule that was quite different from the C3 capsule found in the C37a, C37p and C37b. It was cardioid-only, had a fascinating clamping resonator ring, and used a 45-micron thick copper diaphragm which you can see in the last photo. The original diaphragm was very noisy and unusable, so we sent it to John Peluso to see what could be done. Using a typical 3-6 micron mylar diaphragm wouldn't work, the capsule sucked it through the backplate. Instead, John sourced a 40-micron thick conductive aluminum sheet which he used to make a diaphragm for the mic and installed it with the same tension as the original. And believe it or not, the mic sounds absolutely incredible! We were shocked to find out that despite its low output (which makes sense since the diaphragm is so thick), it’s not only full range, but also pretty impressive sounding.

And yes, you can hear it used to record a full song where it was used on every instrument at the link in the comments below.

Address

1021 S. Walnut Street
Bloomington, IN
47401

Telephone

+18123277939

Website

http://eepurl.com/hgUZg1

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