sE Electronics RN17 [Special order item]

The world's first pencil microphone equipped with a large transformer

*This product may take 2 to 3 months to be delivered.

RN17 - Redefining the Small Diaphragm Condenser with Rupert Neve

The world's first pencil microphone with a large, hand-wound, high-quality transformer

Research and development for the RN17, the second collaboration product between sE and Rupert Neve, began with discussions between Rupert and Siwei Zou about the benefits and challenges of small diaphragm condensers.

"The appeal of small diaphragm condensers is their clarity and high SPL, but they can sometimes sound a little too sharp compared to larger diaphragms," says Siwei. "The quality of the transformer is crucial to producing a great sound, but until now, there haven't been any small transformers available."
When Rupert told me, "I think this transformer would be good," I told him, "That's too big. This is a small capsule microphone." He said, "Okay! Let's make the impossible possible!" And that's how our challenge began.


Small Diaphragm

With a 15mm diaphragm (the world's smallest gold-deposited diaphragm), it boasts unparalleled transient response.
This tiny capsule is extremely responsive and excels at capturing the finest details in the high frequency range.

However, it is generally said that small diaphragms have poor low-frequency response. How do you address this?


Powerful transformer

As you can see from its appearance, the transformer used in the RN17 is significantly larger than normal. This full-size transformer was custom designed by Rupert Neve specifically for this microphone. It goes without saying that Rupert is unrivaled when it comes to designing audio transformers.
This transformer gives the RN17 an incredible sense of color across the entire frequency range.
The mids are powerful and detailed, and the lows are perfect and precise, achieving a level of balance and headroom never before seen in a small capsule microphone.
Matte Black Finish

The RN17's finish allows it to blend into the background, avoiding overly eye-catching presence on stage or in the studio.
Additional capsules (sold separately)

The RN17 comes standard with a cardioid capsule, but the wooden case has space for additional capsules (omni, cardioid cut, hypercardioid, figure 8) that can be used to accentuate the room sound (omni), adjust the low frequencies (cardioid cut), minimize side reflections (hypercardioid), or for mid-side miking (figure 8).


Custom-designed shock mount

The RN17 comes with a durable, easy-to-install, custom-designed shock mount to reduce unwanted effects such as vibrations from microphone stands.


specification

Capsule Type: Condenser Diaphragm: 17.2mm Gold/Mylar (21mm Figure 8)
・Directivity (Directivity can be changed by changing the capsule):
Cardioid (capsule included with RN17)
Cardioid with low cut, hypercardioid, omni, figure 8 (capsule sold separately)
Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Impedance: 200 Ohms
Sensitivity: 5.96 mV/Pa (-44.5dB)
Sensitivity (Figure 8): 2.51 mV/Pa (-52dB)
Maximum sound pressure level: 131 dB (0.5% THD @ 1 kHz)
S/N ratio: 76 dB (cardioid), 25.5 dB (figure 8)
Self-noise: 18 dB(A) (cardioid), 15 dB(A) (omni)
Pass filter: 100 Hz (only with cardioid cut capsule)
Connector: XLR 3-pin Operating power: 48V phantom power
Weight: 320g
Weight (figure 8): 330g
Diameter: 44 mm (Transformers), 17 mm (Capsule)
Length: 200 mm

Specifications are subject to change without notice