LiveEdge Audio is proud to announce the TwoFati microphone!
It gets its name from two girls named Fatimata in Burkina Faso, who were
six years old when Weogo met them. There is a longer story…!
April 2020 Update:
The production version has a five-pin XLR connector and other tweaks.
Most of the parts are in hand. Current events have slowed production a bit, and we hope to have the first ten mics in hand by the end of May.
The TwoFati has a wide-pattern similar to an X/Y stereo pair of microphones, and
the angle adjustable elements and separate left/right level control of an X/Y pair.
But all on one mic handle, and in a relatively small, light format.
The mic elements remain co-incident at all angles.
In use, what this means is absolutely minimal phase issues.
Here’s the first prototype:
WHO is this mic for?
Streaming music and interviews, podcasts, video production, home and professional recording studios, choirs, Bluegrass Bands, Old Time Bands, Barbershop Quartets, Drummers, Vibraphone Players, Clarinet Players, Singer/Songwriters and More.
Do you have an X/Y pair of mics in your recording studio? Ever get them set just right and then have a muso bump them just a little, and have to re-set? Have you ever wanted to try them in vertical orientation instead of horizontal?
A Piano specific version is already in the design stage.
A few facts and numbers:
The microphone elements are cardioid, about 15mm in diameter, and weigh just under 2 grams.
Self-noise is 16db.
With the mic elements set 90 degrees to each other, pickup is down about 6db at 80 degrees off-axis, with a 3db boost directly in front of the mic, and over 13db of rejection at the rear of the mic.
With the elements at 130 degrees, the mic is down about 6db at 90 degrees off-axis, has about 120 degrees of pickup with even sensitivity, and about 8db or rear rejection.
(Note ~ these specs are frequency dependent.)
TwoFati saw much use at the 2018 and 2019 Swannanoa Gatherings on multiple stages:
http://swangathering.com/
And is currently (because of Covid19 not)working festivals and local gigs.
This mic is possible because of the amazing talents of microphone designer Bruce Bartlett, Laser Precision Cutting, and Wirtz Wire for micro-welding:
https://www.bartlettaudio.com/
WELCOME to LASER PRECISION CUTTING
http://wirtzwireedm.com/
And the support of the remarkable Laura Lengnick:
Cultivating Resilience
An Open Source Hardware Patent covers the overall TwoFati design and
particularly the adjustable, co-axial mic angle arrangement.
Drawings and a materials list are available and you can make one.
Please respect our creativity and design chops and pay a (voluntary)builder’s fee.
If you want to make these mics to sell, please contact us for fair terms.
Additionally, if you have suggestions for design changes, please let us know.
We already have variations of the mic in the planning stage – check back for updates!
Please use our contact page to get more information!