LOMO 19a23

This is a CKBK/LOMO 19a23, and it’s the only one we’ve ever seen or heard of. We've been unable to dig up any information about it anywhere, so all we can share is our own experience with the mic.

This is a solid state medium-diaphragm end-address condenser microphone designed and manufactured by CKBK, the Soviet research facility that developed the USSR’s finest microphones. This mic obviously never went into mass production. It is equipped with a cardioid capsule that is removable, and uses a very interesting proprietary connection system to the mic’s body, and implies that CKBK either produced other capsules for the mic, or at least had plans to do so. There are a few things about this mic that make it unique, one of them being that it uses a toroidal output transformer which is pretty rare in a condenser mic. In fact, the only other solid state condenser I can think of with a toroidal output transformer is the Soyuz Bomblet – and possibly some of their other designs. Interestingly enough, the tone of 19a23 is reminiscent the Bomblet – a rich full bodied tone that is clear but not overly bright, making it an ideal microphone for bright acoustic instruments (like the mandolin) and on snare because it can handle loud SPLs and happily takes additive EQ, much like a ribbon.