Building on the successes of the OC818 and OC18 large diaphragm condensers, plus an exceptional range of professional headphones, Austrian Audio have expanded their microphone family with the OD505 Active Dynamic Vocal Mic and OC707 True Condenser Vocal Mic .
Designed primarily for the stage, but also perfect for the studio, both of these microphones have some unique features that make them stand out from the crowd. In this blog post, we take our first look at these Austrian made vocal mics and discover what makes them so special.
The OD505 and OC707 exude quality – with a sleek die-cast metal chassis and strong metal grille. It's immediately apparent that these microphones are built to withstand the rigours of touring with professional musicians. They feel comfortable and elegant in your hand, with a weight that lets you know they're made from tough materials.
The seemingly ordinary look of the black OD505 and 'gunmetal' grey OC707 is accented by the 3 prongs that hold the mic capsule in place, leaving an open space beneath it. The inner area below the capsule is accented with 'Austrian Audio Red' to match the company badge inset into the handle.
These microphones look the business, and more importantly - they sound it too!
These microphones may look quite similar, but the OD505 and OC707 are very different under the grille. When we plugged them in to have a listen this was very apparent. Both sound incredibly clear and detailed, but each microphone had its own sonic character.
Before we look at the differences between each microphone in detail, we've made a list of the key features on each so that you can compare the OD505 and OC707 at a glance:
| Mic | OD505 | OC707 |
| Type | Active Dynamic | True Condenser |
| Capsule | ODC50 | OCC7 |
| Polar Pattern | Super Cardioid | Cardioid |
| Frequency Range | 35Hz - 16kHz | 70Hz - 20kHz |
| Sensitivity | 4.4 mV/Pa | 10 mV/Pa |
| Low Cut Filter | Yes – 120Hz 2nd Order | Yes – 120Hz 2nd Order |
| Body | Die-Cast Metal | Die-Cast Metal |
Further technical specifications of these microphones can be found here: OD505 / OC707
Let’s begin with a closer look the OD505. Austrian Audio call it an ‘Active Dynamic Vocal Microphone’ - but what does that mean? The ODC50 super cardioid capsule in the OD505 requires phantom power (48V) like a condenser. However, it has a natural sound and behaves more like a passive mic. The increased sensitivity and consistent performance gained from the active circuitry gives you the 'best of both worlds.' For the performer, this means a clear, open and reliable sound - regardless of the cable length or the internal resistance of the microphone preamplifier.
Under the metal grille, you’ll find an unusual looking conical cap sitting on top of the capsule. This is the '3D Pop Noise Filter’, designed by Austrian Audio to reduce the sounds of plosives hitting the capsule. It does this without affecting the overall performance of the microphone at all, meaning all you vocalists out there with powerful ‘puhs’ & ‘buhs’ can rest easy – you're not going to give the sound engineer a hard time with this mic in hand!
The OD505 Active Dynamic Vocal Microphone is perfect for singers, podcasters and radio broadcasters. It’s open, natural sound is a sound engineers dream, helping you get the best sounding performance on stage or in the studio with ease. The OD505 also comes with the OCH1 Mic Clip and MSC1 Microphone Case, so its always ready to go!
Now we turn our attention to the OC707. Whilst it may look like the OD505 on the outside, the same can’t be said for what’s inside. The OC707 is a true condenser microphone, and at its heart is the Austrian Audio OCC7 condenser capsule. The OCC7 takes its heritage from the legendary CK1 capsule, but with a modern twist. This brand new purpose built capsule has been designed to meet the demands of today’s musicians and engineers. Its gold coated polyethylene naphthalate diaphragm (just 3 microns thick) is far more robust than conventional mylar alternatives and provides an impressively linear response over a large dynamic range.
This specialised capsule gives allows every nuance of the vocals to cut through a mix with ease. What's more, the sensitivity of the capsule doesn't come with increased handling noise, thanks to a number of design choices to keep unwanted rumbles and knocks at bay. Contact points between the enclosure and the mounted capsule are kept to an absolute minimum. You’ll also find the same 2nd order low cut filter to remove unwanted low frequencies. It can also help to reduce the ‘proximity effect’ (low end boost) that can occur when the sound source and mic diaphragm are close to each other.
The number of reflective surfaces and materials in proximity to the capsule have been kept to an absolute minimum to eliminate resonances within the OC707. This also ensures that sound entering the capsule isn't impeded or deflected All these features allow the clearest possible path from sound source to capsule, and reduce unwanted noise from the signal to give the best possible sound.
The OC707 is a truly magnificent handheld condenser, allowing the performer or the engineer to get studio quality sound on stage (or indeed in the studio if you prefer!) It’s also a microphone to look at if you work with voice over, podcasting or radio broadcast for exceptional voice capture. Just like the OD505, the OC707 also comes with the OCH1 Mic Clip and MSC1 Microphone Case.
The OD505 Active Dynamic Microphone and OC707 True Condenser Microphone are both exceptional new vocal microphones from Austrian Audio. Their expertise in audio engineering has shone through with these new additions to their microphone family, and I suspect we’ll be seeing them on stage with artists very soon!
This new blog is presented by the team at Sound Technology Ltd, a leading distributor of musical instruments and pro audio equipment in the UK and ROI.
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