Design
Every great microphone starts with a great capsule. After much consideration, Vanguard chose a matched set of BeesNeez CK12 capsules for the V24. These Australian-made capsules are manufactured using modern, automated CNC processes inspired by the original vintage CK12. One of the most complex — and revered — capsule designs ever conceived, the CK12 is the beating heart of some of the most hallowed vintage microphones.
These capsules sit within Vanguard’s “tour-proof” V44S platform, with open-weave headbaskets for low internal reflections and a natural sound. The top headbasket rotates up to 120 degrees, with detents every 15 degrees for easy, repeatable settings.
The dual Cinemag® transformers emulate the properties of the famed “T14” transformer found in vintage Austrian microphones, using a larger core for better low-end response, along with higher-quality alloys and precision windings.
For the V24, Vanguard Audio Labs has spared no expense in sourcing premium-grade, over-specified components from manufacturers around the world. The majority of components are cryogenically treated, including a hand-selected pair of 6072A valves, alongside US-made, low-noise, precision-spec, audiophile-grade resistors.
Aesthetically, the precision-machined stainless steel body is hand-polished to a #4 grained finish. The V24’s serial number is laser-engraved on the lower rear of the microphone.
Performance
Vanguard designed the V24 with the character of the definitive vintage stereo microphone in mind, while also drawing on modern technology and design to meet the demands of today’s recording professionals.
Both historically accurate CK12 capsules are independently switchable via the power supply between 9 different patterns, allowing X/Y, Mid-Side and Blumlein stereo miking techniques within one microphone, as well as less conventional stereo approaches.
On the rear of the microphone are two switches. The original Austrian microphone was neither a pair of “12s” nor a pair of “251s”, but an amalgamation of the two — it used the “251 roll-off”, a capacitor which gives the famous Telefunken model its signature top end. Vanguard made this capacitor switchable per capsule, allowing for a “12” or “251” style response on each channel.
One of the most common frustrations with stereo microphones is the fragility of their headbasket rotation assemblies — designs prone to noisy operation, breakage and signal loss. Vanguard’s answer is a heavy-duty, punched-steel rotation mechanism that detents every 15 degrees for reliable, durable operation.
The power supply was designed from the ground up to provide clean, consistent power with no drift, and includes an additional phase-reversed top capsule output — ideal for less-than-ideal recording conditions such as concert taping, allowing mid-side recording with no additional mixer patching.
