Film Industries M5 dynamic microphone

Film Industries Ltd. are perhaps best known for their M8 ribbon microphone, but what about models M1 to M7? Well, here is 14.286 % of the answer: the M5 moving coil microphone.

Film Industries M5 moving coil microphone

This model was likely to be a competitor to the Reslosound VMC, and like the Reslo, the M5 features a paper diaphragm driving a moving coil in a magnetic field. The output is wired to a pair of screw terminals, for easy wiring without the need for a custom connector. It does not have a separate ground connection.

The large black rubber cylinder at the base is supposed to give some vibration damping, although perhaps not enough to make a major difference.

Although a 30 ohm mic, this one at least has a strong output, due to the large strong magnets.

And here's a somewhat wiggly frequency sweep of the mic:

Reslo Beeb Commando!

Here is a custom edition of our popular ‘Beeb’ modified Reslo ribbon mic. This is the first, and so far the only one we have made in these colours.

Like all of our 'Beeb' mics,  this features an upgraded 300 ohm output transformer, new ribbon and XLR socket. This special edition as well as a switchable high pass filter inductor to balance the proximity effect when used close to sources.

The custom camouflage colours makes it suitable for undercover operations, and even better for guitars and drums!

MOTM: Reslo NC-RB Lip microphone

Our Microphone of the Month for April is this rare oddball from Reslosound: the NC-RB.

This was Reslo's attempt at a commentator's lip microphone, and appears to be cobbled together from spare RB parts. The upper body and head are from an RB, but the head is rotated through 90 degrees and screwed to another chopped-down head.  The lower body-stroke-handle is a straight aluminium tube with a switch which terminates in a normal Reslo output socket.

Inside the head is a rotated  RB-style motor.  The magnets face the speaker, to provide some pop protection for the ribbon at the rear.

Behind the ribbon I found this metal baffle, which should control the pickup pattern and tweak the frequency response. There is also fibre glass and felt wadding for more protection.

Overall it is a strange little mic. The ribbon runs horizontally, which is generally considered a bad plan as, if it sags, it will droop into the metal pole pieces. They must have been a way of producing a lip mic without the expense of re-tooling for a completely new design. I have only ever seen this one, although I know of a customer who owns another.

What does NC stand for? "Not a Coles", perhaps?