Crowley and Tripp Naked Eye
Manufacturer:
Crowley and TrippModel:
Naked EyeCountry of Manufacture:
United StatesMicrophone Type:
RibbonPolar Pattern:
Figure 8Production Start Year:
2006Production End Year:
2009Rarity:
5
Audio Recording:
Nylon string guitar recorded with a spaced pair of C&T Naked Eye ribbon microphones. (Faulkner array)
Multiple quality options available
Impulse Response Files:
Frequency Response:
Microphone History:
MoMics Opinion:
Crowley and Tripp could be viewed as disrupters, as independents with new ideas challenging the bigger microphone companies. They came into the market sideways, from manufacturing medical transducers (as SoundWave Research), and clearly had a love for vintage microphone as well as cutting-edge technology. They patented and launched what was marked as a carbon-nanotube based material in place of the usual aluminium foil. "The invention of Roswellite is definitely a breakthrough, and could replace the traditional aluminum leaf used in ribbon mics,” says co-founder Bob Crowley in a press release “It would be hard to accept ‘foils’ after seeing what we have done.”
Clearly the technology did not catch on, possibly because they patented it to prevent others from using it.
In my opinion the sound from the Roswellite is slightly darker than aluminium foil and the noise floor is a little higher.
The Roswellite version of the Naked Eye was usually produced with a black body and red grills. I liked the concept so much that I ordered a pair of Naked Eye mics when they were launched. Our microphones were a custom order from the factory in a sparkly blue-green finish with the cool alien eyeball badge.
Soundwave Research sold their microphone business to Shure in 2009 and some models are still in production - the Naked Eye became the KSM , the quirky branding and attitude disappeared, and the mics slowly faded from view as Shure had no real enthusiasm for the range and possibly just wanted to kill off an upstart competitor. Crowley and Tripp were a lot of fun for a few years - I wish they were still around and I hope that Bob and Hugh made some decent money from the sale.
Technical Description:
Measured frequency response - The green line is the front of the microphone and the blue line is the rear.
"The true nature of the Roswellite ribbon material used in the El Diablo is a closely guarded secret, but Crowley & Tripp have said that it's "a new class of advanced materials called 'Supermatter', which is engineered with nano-scaled structures that provide incredible strength and durability". Furthermore, apparently it "retains a memory for its original shape" that enables it to survive high-SPL applications such as miking kick drums. Yes, you did read that right — this is a ribbon that you can safely use to mic a kick drum! (See main text.) Not only can Roswellite handle high SPLs, it isn't bothered by wind blasts or phantom power and it won't sag or stretch, as traditional aluminium foil ribbons tend to, either. Interestingly, Crowley & Tripp have recently also introduced the Roswellite ribbon material to their Naked Eye model too. That Area 51 alien technology is such a godsend..."
