Prized for their warm and smooth sound since the early days of recording, ribbon microphones have made a comeback in recent years. But ribbon mics have an Achilles heel: the delicate aluminum ribbon element is susceptible to bending and breaking. High-SPL sources like drums or horns can ruin a fragile foil ribbon with one transient blast of air, upsetting its delicate tension and stretching it out of shape. It would take an extraordinary ribbon to hold up Shure's reputation for building nearly-indestructible microphones -- and that's exactly what you'll find inside the Shure KSM313/NE.

Roswellite: One Tough Ribbon

The Shure KSM313/NE's ribbon element is engineered from proprietary Roswellite, an acoustic nanomaterial with the tensile strength to retain its shape and sound under extreme conditions. The funny name means serious performance: This ribbon can handle up to 146 dB SPL across its frequency range of 30 Hz to 15 kHz, while delivering classic ribbon-mic sound on stage or in the studio. So go ahead -- use the 313 on guitar amp, bass amp, vocals, brass, even inside a kick drum! Roswellite's "shape memory" means it'll bounce right back.

A Boutique Pedigree

Gearheads with an eye for detail will notice that the Shure KSM313/NE ribbon microphone looks (and sounds) a lot like the Naked Eye mic once made by Crowley and Tripp, a now-defunct boutique manufacturer. When Shure acquired Crowley and Tripp, they secured the rights to Roswellite. The KSM313/NE's revolutionary Roswellite ribbon can go where no ribbon has gone before -- and retain the smooth, natural character that defines a ribbon. It's perfect for use anywhere you'd use a top-quality boutique ribbon mic, plus it's durable enough to use on extremely loud voices and instruments.

Split Personality: 2 Sides, 2 Sounds

Like all ribbon mics, the KSM313/NE has a bidirectional pickup pattern and can be addressed from front or back, with excellent rejection of its null points to the sides. What's more, the 313 employs dual voicing, meaning the sound signature is different on each side of the capsule. The front of the mic (with Shure's "S" logo) has a rich, full sound that's ideal for instruments, from delicate violin to high-SPL applications like blaring guitar cabs. Address the back of the mic for a gentle high-frequency lift perfect for vocals or voiceover. The back side of the KSM313/NE delivers upper-range presence beyond that of a typical ribbon -- but since it's still a ribbon, it's an excellent choice for taming sibilant or shrill voices.

Attention To Detail

Like its Naked Eye predecessor, the KSM313/NE is hand-assembled in the USA before being tuned and tested to exacting standards. As one of Shure's premium KSM offerings, the 313 is built with top-quality materials inside and out. A double-shielded transformer delivers maximum output, while keeping RF and magnetic interference to a minimum. And of course, Shure includes a custom swivel mount for versatile placement, velvet pouch, and aluminum case for your KSM313/NE.

Features:

- Premium microphone delivers the smooth, warm response that's characteristic of a ribbon
- Dual-voiced design delivers a rich, warm frequency response on the front, or a bright, extended top-end on the back
- Innovative Roswellite ribbon material is much more resilient than typical aluminum foil ribbons, retaining its "shape memory"
- Hand-assembled in the USA to match Shure's stringent quality standards zZounds is an authorized dealer of Shure products.

- Transducer Type: Roswellite Ribbon
- Frequency Response: 30Hz - 15,000Hz
- Directional Polar Pattern: Bidirectional
- Output Impedance: Transformer, balanced, actual 270 Ohm
- Polarity: Positive pressure on front side of ribbon produces positive voltage on pin 2 relative to pin 3,pin 1 ground
- Sensitivity (at 1 kHz, open circuit voltage): -54.5 dBV/Pa (1.88 mV/Pa)
- Dimensions & Weight Diameter: 4.32 cm (1.7 in) Height: 13.5 cm (5.3 in) Weight: 400g (0.881 lbs) Weight: 597g (1.131 lbs) w/monocle mount
- Max SPL: 146 dB
- Connector: Three pin professional audio (XLR) male

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Base Item

Shipping Weight: 3 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 11 x 7 x 5 in

Product Description

The Shure KSM313/NE is a premium bi-directional ribbon microphone for world-class audio and performance. The Dual-Voice design features discrete front-and-rear side sonic signatures for use with amplified instruments or in intimate vocal applications. Hand assembled in the USA with custom components and proprietary Roswellite(tm) technology for revolutionary ribbon resilience under extreme conditions.

Features

- Bi-directional polar pattern delivers premier audio with superior off-axis rejection
- True Dual-Voice tuned specifically for user's for choice of response - warm and full for amplifiers, or swivel for bright and flattering vocals
- Revolutionary Roswellite proprietary ribbon material replaces traditional foil ribbons with high tensile strength, toughness and shape memory that provides superior resilience at extreme SPLs
- Custom-sourced components for superior presence, minimized signal loss and maximized output.
- 146dB SPL across 30 - 15,000 Hz frequency response ideal for capturing fast transients in vocals, acoustic instruments and concert halls
- Legendary Shure quality and superior construction from hand-assembly of machined steel, silver, gold and aluminum materials
- Monocle stand mount custom swivel mount for fully versatile placement and orientation
- Protective wood case included for storage when not in use

The high-tensile strength, toughness and shape memory of Roswellite ribbon material replaces traditional foil ribbons for superior resilience at extreme SPLs.

With unique technology and application features, alongside superior materials and construction, Shure KSM Ribbon Microphones are the necessary choice for the world's most accomplished studio and live performances.