L-R: Will Owsley and Richard Bowman (sales manager, TransAudio Group)
Singer/songwriter Will Owsley, a multi-talented producer, engineer, session guitarist and recording artist, is almost always in the recording studio. His is a well-equipped home facility located in the Nashville area, nearby to many of his musical collaborators and creative cohorts, including Mutt Lange/Shania Twain, Amy Grant, Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Charlotte Church and the Neville Brothers.
Owsley, a self-professed “vintage microphone adorer,” recently purchased a Soundelux ifet7 studio condenser microphone. “Long ago I had access to a FET 47, which I used to sing on several things,” Owsley recalls. “Also, way back in the day, I was in a band called The Semantics on Geffen Records. For the record, I sang through a FET 47. In both instances, I remember how much I liked my voice through it. So when I saw that Soundelux came out with the first-ever ‘copy’ of the FET 47, I was immediately interested. I’ve also used a U87 a lot for voice, and since the ifet7 is a combination of a FET 47 and a U87–it has a switch that selects between two settings–I had to hear it just for the concept alone.”
The Soundelux ifet7 is a cardioid, phantom-powered, two-in-one re-creation of the U47 and U87 vintage FET microphones. The sturdy, high SPL-capable ifet7 incorporates 1960’s-era aural features of these two classic microphones, switchable by two completely separate sets of internal electronics. The ifet7 comes with an integral stand adapter arm and has an optional shockmount.
Owsley has recorded a wide variety of instruments and vocal sources via his Soundelux ifet7 with phenomenal results. “I really love the way it sounds,” he declares. “I’ve recorded upright bass with it, and we all know that FET 47s sound instantly unbelievable on kick drum. On the ‘instrument’ mode, it sounds very much like a FET 47, but it has a bit more gain, and it really captures bass transients well. Also in the instrument mode, I’ve cut bass drum, bass and guitars. On guitars, the ifet7 has a very open sound, and it’s a great combination with an SM57. I’ve also cut mandolin and acoustic guitar with it. Any kind of stringed instrument records fantastically with it in the Vocal mode, too.”
“For anyone on a strict budget that needs a great condenser mic that does lots of things, this is really the only choice,” he states. “A lot of microphones do one thing, but not two things well. Soundelux has really broken ground with a microphone that has two great sounds for the price of one. And as a consumer, I felt fantastic about investing in a microphone that was new vs. something used. Having a vintage sound in a new package and the reliability of a new microphone was very attractive to me as well.”
For more information, please go to www.owsleymusic.com and www.transaudiogroup.com.
