The Soyuz SU-023 Bomblet, is a unique large diaphragm condenser microphone handmade in Russia by master machinists. The Bomblet capsule is modeled after the vintage 19A19 LOMO microphone. LOMO (Leningrad Optical Mechanical Association) was a French/Russian company originally founded in St. Petersburg in 1914 that produced advanced optical instruments, medical equipment, consumer still and movie cameras, projectors, and a vast range of audio equipment including microphones, preamps, compressors and mixing consoles.

The SU-023's unique character comes from the triple back plate system which is unlike any other capsule in production. The circuit is designed around the original schematic designed by Soyuz’ own electronics engineer, Valery Nikolaevich.The transformer uses a special toroidal core from a source in the Urals and is wound at the Soyuz factory south of Moscow.

Every Bomblet is 100% handmade in house. The sound, construction, and overall feel of the microphone is unmatched by any mic in its class.

The package includes a mic clip, as well as a beautifully designed wooden case with form fitting foam to secure the microphone. The custom case is latched with heavy duty magnets to ensure safe travel from the mic locker to your live room or isolation booth.

The Soyuz SU-023 delivers sound as rich, warm, and beautiful as its handcrafted, polished design suggests. Also known as the Bomlet, the SU-023 is a high performance microphone at home in a wide range of critical recording applications, from drums to amplifiers.

The SU-023 cardioid capsule features a gold-sputtered, hand-tuned one-inch diaphragm. As is the case with most condenser mics, the real magic resides in the capsule. The capsule used in The Bomblet is based on the LOMO 19A21 which was developed in 1972 and put into production in 1974. LOMO based their capsule design on the AKG CK12, but instead of using two electrodes, LOMO used a single electrode and two “filters.” They essentially created a triple back plate capsule which eliminated the need for non-through holes, thus increasing the consistency between capsules. Soyuz has further developed the capsule, modifying how it is assembled and tuned. The result, when paired with Soyuz’s original schematic, is a rich, full sound which is not overly hyped in the high frequencies and has a very pleasant midrange.

As with all Soyuz microphones, the SU-023 is completely handmade: bodies and capsules are manually machined, transformers are wound in-house, and all wiring is true point-to-point. The SU-023’s unique character comes from the triple back plate system which is unlike any other capsule in production. The circuit is designed around the original schematic designed by Soyuz’ own electronics engineer, Valery Nikolaevich.The transformer uses a special toroidal core from a source in the Urals and is wound at the Soyuz factory south of Moscow.

In addition to excelling at recording vocals and orchestral instruments, the SU-023 has proven to be ideal for recording such difficult to capture high-decibel sources as kick drums and guitar and bass amplifiers.

Sound

The Bomblet pairs wonderfully with any sort of percussion and sources that naturally produce significant bass. It has a forward push that sits "up" in a mix without being too strident and compliments any source you stick it in front of. As an overhead and front of kit mic, it's flattering to even the brightest of cymbals and heavy-handed performances with a smoothing texture while still being fast enough to keep up with the sharp attack of a fast snare. On louder and bass-heavy sources like kick drum and bass amp,  it delivers a tight, full-bodied punch that is perfect for that "oomph" low-end extension of your kit with enough clarity to cut through a dense mix.