on te st microphones
Groove Tubes
GT55,GT57,GT66 & GT67
Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphones
Groove Tubes’ versatile new mics offer a range of
facilities to suit every budget.
Photos: Mark Ewing
Hugh Robjohns
roove Tubes have been manufacturing
G a wide range of equipment, mostly
involving valve circuitry, for over 20
years. The company also make their own
valves at their factory in San Fernando,
California. As well as various guitar preamps
and amplifiers, equalisers and compressors,
they have a growing range of microphones,
and six new models were introduced last
year. Four large-diaphragm models are
reviewed here: the GT55, GT57, GT66 and
GT67. The flagship GT67 is a multi-pattern
condenser mic with valve electronics, with a
fixed-cardioid sibling, the GT66. The GT57
is essentially identical to the GT67, but with
FET-based electronics, and the GT55 is its
fixed-cardioid relative.
Hardware
The GT66 and GT67 mics are supplied in
large cardboard carrying cases, and
matched pairs (with adjacent serial
numbers) are available for stereo
applications. Each kit contains a valve power
supply, an 8m dedicated mic cable, an IEC
mains lead, a shockmount, a stand bracket,
and the microphone itself. A foam-lined and
paper-covered wooden box, which exudes a
vintage character all of its own, protects the
mic. The PSM1 carries a fused IEC mains
inlet at the rear, and a pair of XLR
connectors at the front. A red LED indicates
power (although this is only visible over a
narrow viewing angle), but there is no mains
switch, which I found unsatisfactory for
both safety and convenience reasons. The
mic is connected to the PSU via the bespoke
cable with seven-pin XLRs (the user’s manual
erroneously states it has six pins!), and the
The Groove Tubes GT57 microphone. mic output is provided on a standard
three-pin male XLR socket. Phantom power
194 SOUND ON SOUND • april 2003
is not required, but can be tolerated without
problems.
The plastic stand bracket is fitted with a
3/8 to 5/8-inch thread adaptor (hurrah!) and
the microphone sits in a cup on this bracket,
retained by a threaded collar. Unfortunately,
though, this is not captive and fits from
underneath, making it easy to drop and
lose. It is also possible to fit the bracket
upside-down, making it difficult to tighten
the screw collar sufficiently to support the
mic properly. For anyone mechanically
minded the correct assembly is obvious, but
I’m sure many users will be caught out.
The elasticated shockmount consists of a
metal inner frame suspended from eight
loops of elastic attached to an outer ring
circling the mid-point of the frame, to which
the stand bracket is also attached. As with
the bracket, the screw collar retaining the
mic in the shockmount is not captive — if
Groove Tubes GT55, GT57,
GT66 & GT67
pros
• Classic large-diaphragm performance.
• A fine condenser capsule design.
• Good standard of construction.
• Well-judged valve character or clean FET
circuitry.
• Configurations to suit all pockets.
• Versatile all-rounder mics.
cons
• No power switch on valve PSU.
• Frustrating design of mounting brackets.
summary
An integrated range of true condenser mics with
large diaphragms, fixed or switchable polar
patterns, and solid-state or valve circuitry. These
mics look professional and deliver impressive
sound quality, with finely judged characteristics.
you can leave the mic mounted in its
bracket this won’t be of much concern, but
for anyone who needs to disassemble the
mic and cradle on a regular basis, the collar
can become a major frustration.
GT66 & GT77
The GT66 is a chunky microphone with a
matt nickel finish — it weighs about 530g
and measures 47mm in diameter and
190mm in length. The side-firing condenser
capsule contains a 1.1-inch evaporated-gold
diaphragm which is just three microns thick.
A ‘disk resonator’ apparently interacts with
the diaphragm at high frequencies (above
about 14kHz) to help increase the HF
sensitivity. The front of the microphone is
indicated by the GT logo, and two miniature
toggle switches select a 10dB input pad and
a 75Hz high-pass filter, the latter intended
to help reduce rumble and proximity effects.
Unscrewing the base collar enables the
body tube to be removed to access the valve
and other components. A label carrying the
mic’s serial number is also revealed on the
output transformer. The military-grade
GT6205 miniature pentode valve is
supported on the underside of a small
circuit board carrying full-sized components,
and is used in a Class-A triode configuration
to achieve low noise and a wide dynamic
range.
The review microphones were not
supplied with any specifications or test
reports, but the UK distributor’s web site
provided some basic specifications (and
more information than the Groove Tubes
site, strangely). The maximum SPL the mic
can accommodate is 135dB, increasing to
150dBSPL with the 10dB pad switched in —
I know the sums don’t add up, but that’s
what the specs say! The frequency response
is claimed to extend between 20Hz and
18kHz within a narrow ±1.5dB tolerance,
and every mic is apparently matched to
within ±1dB of the company’s
‘golden microphone’
specification. The
cardioid polar pattern
of the GT66 is fairly
wide, but with
reasonable
front-back
The GT57 and GT67
can both be
switched for omni,
cardioid and
figure-of-eight polar
patterns, and the GT67
also offers a switch to
select between cardioid and
supercardioid variants in
cardioid mode.
rejection over most of the
frequency range. The directional
characteristics are typical of a
large diaphragm capsule, with a
progressively omnidirectional
bottom end, and a narrowing
towards a hypercardioid pattern
in the HF region.
The multi-pattern GT67 is
essentially a dual-diaphragm
version of the GT66, with the
same basic construction and
internal circuitry. It is the same
size but weighs a little more, at
550g, and has a different body
shape, with a slightly barrelled
body and chisel-shaped capsule
grille, resembling the classic
Neumann U87 form. Pad and
filter switches occupy similar
positions on the front of the mic,
while two further toggle
switches to select the polar
pattern are on the rear. The first
is a three-way switch providing
omni, cardioid or figure-of-eight
options, while the second switch
enables the cardioid mode to be
changed to a supercardioid
pattern. All the patterns work as
advertised, albeit with the typical
distortions associated with
large-diaphragm capsules. The
cardioid pattern seems wide, and
the supercardioid is a useful The Groove Tubes GT67 valve and GT55 FET mics.
option where tighter control is
required. Although it has a rear tail,
this is fairly insensitive and shouldn’t cause enclosing the same paper-covered wooden
any problems in normal use. microphone boxes used by the valve
models. Matched stereo pairs of mics are
GT55 & GT57 also available, if required. A stand bracket
These two microphones are identical to their (with thread adaptor again) is supplied as
tube counterparts in size and shape and standard, this time equipped with a black
employ the same capsules, but have FET plastic screw collar in place of the silver
solid-state electronics. The GT57 is a metal version supplied with the tube mics.
multi-pattern mic based on the Class-A FET electronics are used in place of
GT67, and the GT55 is a the valve circuitry, driven by standard 48V
fixed-cardioid model phantom power, and construction is to the
based on the GT66. same high standards as the valve models,
The most obvious with almost identical performance
visual difference specifications. However, the GT57
between the two multi-pattern mic does not have the
ranges is the supercardioid switch found on the GT67 —
matt black only the three-way omni/cardioid/
bodies on the figure-of-eight switch is present.
FET designs,
but these mics
Listening Tests
are also priced First impressions are that these are very nice
significantly mics and I enjoyed making use of them in a
below their valve variety of applications, from recording a
siblings. small choir and various orchestral string and
The GT55 & GT57 wind ensembles, to a range of solo
are both supplied in a instruments, hand percussion and voices.
▲
compact cardboard outer case I started my listening and recording tests
april 2003 • SOUND ON SOUND 195
 on te st microphones
GROOVE TUBES GT55,
GT57, GT66 & GT67
▲

with the FET versions and found them to be

well-behaved overall and with a typical
large-diaphragm character. They both
produce a rich, full, but generally
well-balanced sound, which is clean, neutral
and reasonably quiet. However, the mic is
susceptible to mechanical noise through the
mic stand and cable, and although the filter
helps considerably I would definitely
recommend purchasing the optional
shockmount here. The Groove Tubes GT66 valve mic with its PSM1 power
The GT57’s switchable patterns make supply. Both the GT66 and GT67 use the GT6205 miniature
this a very flexible mic, but I suspect most military-grade pentode valve (inset).
people rarely use anything other than
cardioid, so the GT55 is probably the better
buy given that its performance is
indistinguishable from that of the GT57 in
cardioid mode. As with all large-diaphragm
mics, the variations in polar response with
frequency and incident angle mean that
small changes of position relative to the
source can be used very effectively to tailor
the captured sound.
The two valve microphones supplement
the fine sound quality of the solid-state
models with a nicely judged thermionic
character. They certainly have a subtly fuller
and richer sound quality which is especially
apparent when used close to a source,
although the overall frequency response
seems unchanged. As with any valve mic, it
takes a few minutes for the tube to reach its
optimum temperature, and there is no
output at all for the first 30 seconds or so.
The valve appears to be quite well isolated
from mechanical shock, and I was unable to
provoke any microphony in normal use. The
elasticated shockmount supplied with the
valve models also proved far more effective
at minimising mechanical noise induction
through the stand, compared with the ‘hard
mount’ option.
The supercardioid and cardioid polar
patterns on the GT67 were interesting to
play with. Both seemed to have a significant
rear tail at high frequencies, and the
cardioid setting was very much wider than a small-diaphragm model — which says a lot are priced within reach of the keen amateur.
the supercardioid option at middle and low for the quality of these Groove Tubes And with solid-state and tube models,
frequencies. The provision of this extra models! offering fixed or variable polar patterns,
switch increased the flexibility of the mic, These mics all produced fine results and there’s a model to suit all requirements and
and I found I tended to use the would make good ‘all-rounders’, as they budgets. Ignoring the minor niggles over
supercardioid mode when close miking, to coped with pretty much every sound source some aspects of design, these mics provide
maximise separation. More distant sources well. Percussive transients were handled high-quality audio in attractive, flexible and
— and especially those that tended to move cleanly and with a crisp attack, and voices above all cost-effective packages.
— benefited from the cardioid setting. were portrayed with a full rounded tone,
Both valve and FET versions of these especially when close-miked. Moving up
mics are very similar in general character, from the FET to the valve versions brought information
and performed to a very creditable standard. an extra richness to the sound — a subtle £ GT55, £349; GT57, £399; GT66, £599, GT67,
Nothing seemed to faze these mics, thickening and increased density in the £749. Prices include VAT.
although they wouldn’t necessarily have character — while also managing to T M Audio +44 (0)871 717 7100.

been my first choice in all situations. Having somehow sound more expensive in some F +44 (0)871 717 7101.

said that, when I felt the need for a different subconscious way.
E info@midiman.co.uk
W www.midiman.co.uk
mic, the replacement was always The bottom line is that these are good W www.groovetubes.com
substantially more expensive and frequently mics. They look and sound professional yet

196 SOUND ON SOUND • april 2003