Microtech Gefell UMT800

Microtech Gefell's first multi‑pattern mic is graced with the kind of looks which could assure it classic status — as long as its sound lives up to its stunning appearance. Paul White lends an ear.

Microtech Gefell were one of the first East German mic companies to gain respectability, even before the demise of the Berlin Wall, and in recent years their manufacturing quality and design has improved enormously, to the point where they can now be considered a major player in the capacitor mic league. While they don't set out to rival the budget prices of some other former Eastern Bloc manufacturers, Microtech Gefell products are still very competitive given the quality on offer, and you only need to take a perfunctory look at the engineering quality to see that the company are turning out some really beautiful mics.

Going To Work On An Egg

The UMT800 is a particularly elegant and eye‑catching microphone, not least because of its huge, egg‑shaped basket. Within lies a dual‑diaphragm (using gold‑sputtered PVC diaphragms), large‑diameter capacitor capsule, designated the M7. This capsule is also used in the company's UMT70S and UM92.1S models, though the support circuitry is different.

Available in either matte black or satin chrome finishes, the UMT800 is designed for recording studio use, though it also has broadcast and soundtrack applications. The preamp is a solid‑state, transformerless design and operates from regular 40V phantom power. Obviously, such a bulky mic needs to be mounted carefully, and you can buy either a swivel‑end mount or a rugged elastic suspension as an option. The mic is shipped in a nicely made, foam‑lined wooden case, and further optional accessories include a pop screen, windscreen, separate power supply and cable.

As you may have inferred from the use of a double‑diaphragm capsule, the UMT800 is a multi‑pattern mic offering five discrete patterns, which are selectable via a thumbwheel switch on the side of the mic's body. In addition to omni and figure‑of‑eight patterns, there are also three widths of cardioid response to chose from: wide cardioid, cardioid, and hypercardioid. A recessed dual DIP switch just below the pattern selector may be activated, using a pen or other pointed object, to bring in a 10dB pad and a low‑frequency roll‑off filter. Connection is via a conventionally wired XLR with gold pins, and the lower end of the mic casing has an internal thread to accept the swivel‑end mount. The case itself is machined from solid metal but, unfortunately, there's no easy way to get into it to look over the circuitry. Disassembly requires patience and a screwdriver rather than the more usual unscrewing of the end. Acoustic foam is used inside the lower half of the grille, though at the top end, where the capsule is, the tough outer grille is augmented only by a finer mesh layer directly inside.

The UMT800 emphasises chest resonance nicely but still sounds extremely tight.

A look at the technical spec shows that the mic has a nominal 40Hz‑18kHz frequency response, though there's still a significant usable range above 18kHz, and the frequency response plots show a slight lift in the 10kHz region, which helps to give the sound a little air without introducing harshness. Interestingly, the presence peak is most pronounced in omni mode, with a 5 or 6dB rise at around 12kHz. Sensitivity, at 13mV/Pa, is average for a mic of this type, with a quoted dynamic range of 121dB. Self‑noise is a respectable 14dB(A‑weighted), and in most respects the paper specification looks very typical for a large‑diaphragm capacitor mic of this calibre. What the paper spec doesn't really tell you is what the microphone sounds like, because, like the vast majority of large‑diaphragm models, the UMT800 gives its own unique interpretation of the sound being picked up.

Testing Times

To evaluate the UMT800 fairly, it was compared to a number of leading large‑diaphragm capacitor studio mics, and with vocal tests the results were quite revealing. Firstly, the apparent average sensitivity suggested by the spec sheet was confirmed — the output level was in the same ballpark as most of the comparison models. Tonally, the mic did manage to deliver that large‑diaphragm solidity and flattery, but in a very subtle way. Some mics known for their warm sound actually have quite a sloppy, uncontrolled bass end; the UMT800, in contrast, emphasises chest resonance nicely but still sounds extremely tight. I've also found that some of the more 'coloured'‑sounding mics balance the bottom‑end emphasis by adding a noticeable amount of top, and the result is a slightly scooped middle, which can make vocals seem a little recessed in the mix and can exacerbate sibilance in some performers. The UMT800 doesn't follow this pattern — the tonal balance stays even right across the spectrum, which has the effect of pushing vocals slightly forward , making them drier and more intimate. There's still plenty of real transient detail, but no artificial‑sounding brightness. Not only does this help keep sibilance under control, it also makes for a smoother, more natural high end that doesn't get fatiguing when you play back the recording at high levels. You really need to work with a given mic for a while, to find out what it's best at, and if you're looking for a mic to suit your own voice, be prepared to spend some time comparing models. From what I can tell of the UMT800, its apparently natural sound, combined with its subtle flattering qualities, should suit it to a wide range of voices and performance styles.