Soyuz

Most new, high-end microphones are direct copies of a few classic German or Austrian designs. Usually, they’re manufactured using modern CNC technology and thus rarely sound like the originals.

Soyuz uses its own, original microphones designs drawn from the best that both the Russian and German microphone traditions have to offer.

Soyuz manufacture them by hand in its own facility using only manual equipment and master machinists. In this way brand creates microphones that are unique, with their own personalities but which have that “classic” sound that engineers and artists so value. Soyuz strive to create “modern classics”.

The Soyuz factory, known as The Base, wouldn’t look out of place if it were transported back to the 1960s. It’s very much like what you would have found in one of the premiere microphone production facilities of that period– manual lathes and drill presses, white lab coats and analog testing machines. Everything is done much the same way as it was 60 years ago by companies like Neumann and AKG.

The manufacturing techniques used in that era created a sonic character that is impossible to achieve using modern, computer-controlled techniques. In the same way that the finest violins are all handmade, great microphones require that “human touch”. Soyuz do virtually 100% of its production in-house including making capsules, building power supplies and winding transformers.

Located just 2 hours south of Moscow, Tula has long been famous for being the home of Russia’s top machinists. It’s long history of metalworking began in the 1700s when the Demidov blacksmiths were commissioned by the Tsar to build Russia’s very first weapons factory. Since then, Tula has remained a center of weapons production and machining. Tula is also famous for producing samovars and gingerbread (prianiki). Russia’s oldest microphone factory, Oktava, was founded in Tula in 1927 and Soyuz has benefited greatly from hiring former engineers, assemblers and machinists who were trained there.

Recently Soyuz opened a new facility in Prague. This way the company can effectively serve its customers in the EU and US. All processes are overseen by trusted experts so there is absolutely no difference in quality between Made in Russia and new Made in Czech Republic products.

Soyuz (союз) is the Russian word for "union," and Soyuz Microphones is the result of a union between Eastern manufacturing prowess and Western design sensibilities. Soyuz believes the union between an artist and their microphone is profound, so the company build products that artists can rely on to access the full potential of their creative vision.

A company that isn’t moving forward is on its way to becoming obsolete. At The Base Soyuz have a vibrant R&D department complete with white-coated "mad" scientists. There's a healthy (some might say chaotic) culture of experimentation and innovation. As a company, Soyuz never stops searching for new ways to better serve the pro audio community with the products.