Vanguard V24

Vanguard’s new stereo mic is an exclusive tribute to an even more exclusive original.

There are manufacturers who recreate vintage gear to an ever more obsessive degree of accuracy, and there are manufacturers who see classic mics and studio hardware as inspirations rather than templates. Derek Bargaehr of Vanguard Audio Labs is in the latter camp. Most of his designs are obviously informed by historic models from the likes of Neumann and AKG, but they’re not intended as clones or copies. Rather, Derek’s goal is to make the best mic he can within the same broad set of design parameters, whilst keeping the end result affordable.

At first glance, though, the new V24 stereo microphone might seem like a departure from this philosophy. For one thing, it’s recognisably based on a particular vintage model. And for another, it would be hard to describe it as ‘affordable’...

Twice Twelve?

Introduced in the late 1950s, the AKG C24 remained in production for nearly two decades, though it’s thought that fewer than 800 were ever made. It is often described as a stereo version of the C12, and used the same capsule, valve and transformers as that mic, but with an alternative circuit topology that gave it a slightly different sound. The C24 was the only production stereo mic to employ the celebrated ‘brass ring’ version of AKG’s CK12 capsule; when it was discontinued it in the late ’70s, it was replaced by the solid‑state C422, which used the then‑new ‘nylon ring’ CK12. There was one major revision of the C24 during its long career, when for some reason AKG replaced the original diamond‑pattern grille mesh with a reportedly inferior grid‑like mesh that is said to cause resonance problems.

Like most single‑point stereo mics, the C24 has one fixed capsule and one that can be freely rotated. Turning this upper capsule allows any mutual angle between zero and 180 degrees to be configured. Pattern control is remote, either from a dedicated controller or the power supply depending on the version, with nine switchable patterns running the usual range from omni to figure‑8 with cardioid in the middle.

Although the C24 perhaps doesn’t quite have the same legendary status as the C12 or the related Telefunken ELA M 251, its rarity and its similarity to those mics means that it is nevertheless highly sought‑after. Yet, having analysed and repaired several C24s, Derek Bargaehr concluded that there was room to improve on the design, both mechanically and electrically. On a C24, there are no detents or markings to guide you when setting the mutual angle of the capsules, and the mechanism places a Meccano‑like strut right in front of each capsule, which presumably affects the sound. Derek found this mechanism unreliable and prone to failure, and consequently, his stereo mics use a new and more robust ‘tank turret’ rotation system with a 120‑degree span that is divided into 15‑degree steps, and with nothing in front of the capsules.

Derek’s analysis also led him to conclude that the C24 had a problem with crosstalk between the two channels, thanks to their sharing a power rail for the B+ voltage. His design eliminates this, reportedly delivering better stereo imaging as a result. Going further, the Vanguard V24 replaces the Haufe T14/1 transformers used in the C12 and C24 with larger ones, with the aim of extending the original design’s rather constrained low‑frequency response. And there are several other ways in which Derek’s design cheerfully departs from the original, the most obvious being the addition of a pair of filter switches on the mics itself. These do not, as you might expect, cut low frequencies, but introduce a very gentle high‑frequency attenuation that is intended to make the frequency response more akin to that of a typical ELA M 251. So, although the V24 is more closely inspired by a specific vintage design than other Vanguard models are, it’s still not intended as a straightforward clone of the C24 — as if such a thing could ever be straightforward.

Let’s Twist Again

The basic V24 ‘chassis’ and rotation mechanism were actually introduced in Vanguard’s V44S Gen2, which I reviewed back in 2022. Whereas that mic was finished in the company’s trademark ‘pinot noir’ gloss, however, the V24 is...