2. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Trevor Coley
• Trevor Coley, our founder, has more than 14 years in MI/Pro
Audio.
• Former General Manager of The Music Corporation and Eddie
Moors Music in the UK.
• Former International Sales Manager for Soundcraft / Spirit / Amek.
• Founder of Omnisonic International Limited in January 2003, a UK
based audio equipment distributor.
• European Sales Manager for SE Electronics from 2003-2004.
• Founder of the SONTRONICS brand in January 2005.
3. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Formula for Success
• QUALITY
Audio & Engineering Excellence
• INNOVATION
Interesting & Functional Products
• RELIABILITY
The “Feel Good” Factor
• AFFORDABILITY
Good Value & Healthy Profits For All
• VISION
Ongoing Development
Helios
Variable-pattern valve
condenser microphone
4. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Brand Objectives
• Retail ‘psychology’ is constantly telling our customers to expect
more value for less money – solutions must be found!
• Many Chinese-made brands have entered our busy market place
over the last few years.
• For most, the driving force was to take market share by racing to
the bottom.
• Little or no R&D are typically infused into these products. They
are OEM designs purchased off the shelf.
• Some quality and performance issues have given MADE-IN-CHINA
a bad rap
• However, with the right amount of creative input and investment,
new high quality brand can emerge from Chinese manufacture.
• Many major brands such as Sony, Digidesign, Soundcraft, Mackie
and Roland have all turned to China to help in finding a solution
to quality mass-manufacturing on a budget.
• MADE-IN-CHINA does not mean poor quality.
Icon
MADE-IN-CHINA
Pro-Control
MADE-IN-CHINA
Ultrasound
MADE-IN-CHINA
5. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Making A Difference
• For Sontronics, microphones are a passion.
• Despite the challenges, the over-riding desire to make a
contribution to the microphone industry compelled us to be here.
• We were determined to produce a microphone without the muddy,
over-emphasized low-mid and fizzy, harsh high-frequency
reproduction found in almost all Chinese OEM microphones.
• In the ‘old days’ of recording to tape, these extremes of frequency
were almost inaudible, so there was no obvious problem.
• However, most people are now recording in digital formats, and
these systems DO NOT like fizzy, harsh high frequencies! When
they are trying to track the random HF signal, they produce the
chattering sound of ‘dithering’. Not nice!
Orpheus
Multi-Pattern Condenser
Microphone
6. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Shaping Our Sound
• Shaping the SONTRONICS sound was not just guesswork.
• We were interested to learn what made certain well-known mics
so popular, so we hired in some favorites such as the U87, C12
and TLM103 to hear for ourselves.
• In all cases, each mic had its own unique character that made it
special but, importantly, not necessarily good at everything.
• It was also evident that each of these mics had ‘conservative’
technical data, with no overblown SPL or sensitivity figures.
• This set the benchmark for creating a range of mics, each with
their own identity, but with a consistent quality.
Omega
Valve Cardioid Condenser
Microphone
Omega has very
similar performance
characteristics to the
legendary AKG C12.
“The OMEGA gives a
sound that is warm and
rich with an uncluttered
top-end… it’s a good all-
round mic that could
become a real work
horse in any studio.”
Haydn Bendall
Pro Sound News Europe
7. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Let’s Talk Decibels
Omega
Valve Cardioid Condenser
Microphone
Omega has very
similar performance
characteristics to the
legendary AKG C12.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140 Jet Engine (3m)
Threshold of Pain
Rock Concert
Pneumatic Hammer (2m)
Accelerating Bike (5m)
Threshold of Hearing
Noisy Factory
Vacuum Cleaner
Busy Traffic
Quiet Restaurant
Residential Area (night)
Empty Movie House
Rustling Leaves
Human Breathing
8. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Mission Possible
• The primary mission for SONTRONICS was to get the first stage
of the recording chain sounding as good as possible. This
inspired me to try and create an individual range of microphones
that offer an audio quality comparable with the major brands like
AKG & NEUMANN.
• Most importantly, they must look good and have an accurate low-
mid reproduction and a smooth high-frequency roll-off!
OMEGAOEM microphone
Omega
Valve Cardioid Condenser
Microphone
9. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Going Retro
• Creating a range of mics from zero was one of the toughest
challenges to overcome. Strangely, the designs came after
creating what went inside each mic!
• After many attempts at trying to design something different, the
inspiration finally came … from antique furniture!
• Using the principle that most antique furniture looks good in an
old cottage or an ultra-modern apartment, I thought back to the
early days of recording. I styled my microphones with a 1940’s
studio in mind, imagining them in ‘monochrome’.
Sigma
Ribbon Microphone
10. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Will I Make Money? What If It Breaks?
• The microphone industry is tough and cluttered.
• Which brands should I retail? Which brands should I focus on?
There are two factors that influence that decision:
– Will the brand make you money?
– Are the products well supported in the event of failure?
• With the SONTRONICS brand, the answer is YES and YES.
• Firstly, through Music Marketing, we offer substantial profit
margins and also extra discounts for in-store demo units.
• Secondly, we offer a LIFETIME WARRANTY, which means no
worries for you and your customer.
• Put simply; we want you to enjoy selling SONTRONICS products!
Lifetime warranty
Sontronics Microphone
11. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Will I Make Money? What If It Breaks?
STC-2
Sontronics Microphone
$$$
$$
$
$$
$$$ AKG
BRAUNER
NEUMANN
SONTRONICS
RODE
AUDIO TECHNICA
STUDIO PROJECTS
SE ELECTRONICS
OEM BRANDS:
APEX, MXL, ADK, GOLDEN AGE, NADY. AKG $
12. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
What’s Coming Next?
STC-2
Sontronics Microphone
• The secret to any good recipe is to stick to it.
• Working to the principles of our ‘Formula For Success’, we are
constantly looking to the future.
• Ongoing development of current and new SONTRONICS products
is a key factor in our long-term survival in the market and we take
this very seriously. By working with real user-feedback, we are in
a position to create new products that meet real-world
requirements.
• As said previously, our aim is to perfect the front-end of the audio
recording chain and this is our focus.
• New products are already in testing and are scheduled to be
released at the 2007 NAMM show.
13. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
What Are They Good For?
STC-2
Sontronics Microphone
SONTRONICS - Microphone Application Guide
STC-1 DRUMS & PERCUSSION overheads, direct miking of SNARE/CYMBALS –
ACOUSTIC GUITAR (especially stereo pair) – ELECTRIC GUITAR AMPS.
STC-1S CHORAL / ORCHESTRAL recording (stereo pair) - SITAR/BALALAIKA/BOUZOUKI
with stereo pair - Native American FLUTE
STC-2 MALE & FEMALE VOCALS - Acoustic GUITAR - PIANO.
ORPHEUS MALE and FEMALE VOCALS - Acoustic GUITAR - PIANO - DRUM overheads
(especially in OMNI mode) - Direct miking over TOM-TOMS – CHORAL &
ORCHESTRAL recording (using two in +10dB OMNI mode) – BASS DRUM.
HELIOS MALE and FEMALE vocals - Electric GUITAR AMPS - BASS DRUM – TOM-TOMS -
PIANO – Broadcast VOICE-OVER - SPEECH - ACOUSTIC GUITAR - AMBIENT
DRUMS MIKING.
SIGMA Alto & Tenor saxophone - Violin - Male and female vocals - Broadcast/voice-over
speech - Electric guitar amplifiers - Piano - Drum overhead - Acoustic guitar -
Accordion - Flute - Native American Flute - A Cappella vocal.
OMEGA Male vocal - Broadcast/voice-over speech - Piano (using two) - Cello - Female
Vocal.
STC-5 Stage vocal - Home recording of vocals and acoustic guitar - Bass drum.
14. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Who Is Using Using Them?
Air Studios
• We are very proud of the good reputation SONTRONICS has
earned since its introduction in January 2005.
• Distribution partners in over 30 countries around the world
represent SONTRONICS, and this figure continues to grow.
• Importantly, we hear more and more reports of our microphones
being used by notable artists, engineers, producers, studios and
professional organizations.
STING – LAURA PAUSINI – QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE –
AIR STUDIOS – NATALIE IMBRUGLIA - WESTLIFE –
THE BBC – SKY TV – LONDON COLLEGE OF MUSIC –
ZUCCHERO – HUGH PADGHAM – JON JACOBS – NEK –
STAR ACADEMIE FRANCE – THE DIVINE COMEDY –
REAL WORLD STUDIOS - PJ HARVEY – DAVEY RAY MOOR
BBC Studios
Laura Pausini
Sting
15. Sontronics Microphones
QUALITY ● INNOVATION ● RELIABILITY ● AFFORDABILITY ● VISION
Important things to Remember
PJ Harvey
• HIGH PROFIT MARGINS
• LIFETIME WARRANTY
• EXCELLENT SUPPORT AND SERVICE
• GOODS IN STOCK!
• ESTABLISHED PRODUCT LINE
• INVESTMENT IN ONGOING DEVELOPMENT
• ROYALTY SCHEME
Hugh Padgham
Natalie Imbruglia
Sky TV
