Sontronics HALO

With the Halo, British microphone specialist Sontronics presents a stylish microphone specially designed for miking guitar amps. Based on the multi-award-winning STC-80 dynamic handheld microphone, the Halo gives distorted guitars a concise, powerful sound. For the perfect amp sound "Out Of The Box", Sontronics relies on a special tonal tuning that makes it unnecessary for the user to reach for the EQ. The elaborate capsule suspension with its four springs guarantees excellent impact sound insulation and also ensures a spectacular look.

After Sontronics developed the Saturn large-diaphragm condenser model, a studio microphone with excellent sound and appearance especially for vocal recordings, the British microphone specialist is now introducing the Halo, a microphone for recording guitar amps. However, the elaborate capsule suspension is not just for a spectacular appearance: it ensures excellent recordings free from impact sound, even when rocking out in the immediate vicinity of the amp. The all-metal housing with its high-quality finish is also designed for rough everyday recording conditions, while the metal ring around the capsule protects the sensitive components from excessive strain.

The Halo is a dynamic microphone with a fixed cardioid characteristic. With a frequency range of 50 Hz to 15 kHz, it can transmit the full range of the amp sound. In terms of sound, the Halo is based on the award-winning STC-80 dynamic handheld microphone, although the sound tuning has been clearly trimmed for use on guitar amps. Sontronics mastermind Trevor Coley paid particular attention to achieving a perfect "out of the box" sound. "I'm a guitarist myself and wanted to create a microphone that works immediately in front of an amp." This saves many guitarists from having to reach for the EQ. "Since we developed the STC-80 and launched it on the market, many guitarists have told us how much they like using this microphone to pick up guitar amps," continues Sontronics boss Coley. "So we've retuned the sound based on this capsule and chosen an extravagant housing design to give guitarists a spectacular amp microphone that won't break the bank."