Museum of Microphones | Vintage Microphone Collection

Microphone History:

MoMics View:

For a few years, Cadenza made a high impedance crystal microphone alongside their more common ribbon microphone. The two models shared most of the same body parts. All of the cast metal parts - the grill, lower body, tilting mechanism and tripod are the same for both models. However the crystal microphone could not be removed from the tripod and remained fixed in position, to be used on a desk or living room floor.

The Cadenza crystal microphones (usually) have a black base with a silver top, as shown in the photos, whereas the similar-looking ribbon microphones are painted in shades of blue and grey,

This very much looks like a budget model. The assembly is simple, just a capsule wired to a cable and held in position with some pink foam. And it was supplied in a neat triangular cardboard box whereas the ribbon mic had a fancy metal case. Sharing parts with their ribbon microphone would undoubtedly have helped to keep costs down - the Cadenza Crystal microphone has no unique parts except the crystal element itself, which would most likely have been bought in from another manufacturer.

Cadenza microphones were designed and manufactured by Simon Sound Services.