Bil Vorndick, owner of Mountainside Audio Labs and legendary producer / engineer for many acts, including Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Ralph Stanley, Alison Krauss, Doc Watson, James Taylor, Michelle Shocked, Bryan Sutton and many others, has been using his newly-aquired Mercenary Audio MFG KM-69 small diaphragm condenser as his go-to mic for acoustic guitar and mandolin, two very important instruments in his recorded oeuvre.

The KM-69 came to fruition as Mercenary Audio's first all-new product when Fletcher, Mercenary's founder, wanted a KM-84, but was unsatisfied with what he saw on the used market.

Never one to settle for less, Fletcher decided to contact a couple of the top-end designers that he'd forged close relationships through the “Mercenary Editions” program. With the old 84 as the goal, there were several iterations, but it was soon realized that there were improvements that could be made, had there ever been the chance. The ‘velvet’ of the original KM-84 was to be kept, but with added ‘shimmer’ to the upper reaches of the audio spectrum.

"To me, it is one of my favorite mics," said Vorndick, “I only have one, and I carry it with me to every session. Clean, natural, and a must for recording acoustic instruments. This is my brand new KM-84.

"When a musician you have worked with for decades says, ‘what is that mic, I like it,’ that just about says it all."

Based in Massachusetts, USA, Mercenary Audio also collaborates with certain manufacturers to create ‘Mercenary Editions’, which are either a twist on an existing product, an overhaul of one of the partner manufacturer’s existing products, or a brand new product.

Originally designed out of a desire for a hi-hat mic, the KM-69 is ideal for recording overheads as well as for acoustic instruments as varied as piano, acoustic guitars, mandolins and the whole gammut of traditional stringed instruments, as well as percussion.
www.km-69.com