Pearl salutes Bernt Malmqvist with ELM-T Signature Edition

Having started working for Pearl Microphones in Stockholm in 1954, Bernt Malmqvist has amassed 68 years of experience. In early 2020, Malmqvist was provided with the opportunity to develop his own signature microphone. Following two years working on the project, the Pearl ELM-T Bernt Malmqvist Signature Edition true tube microphone has been unveiled.

The distinctive, large condenser is made more distinctive by its Rolex Green Nextel finish and variable polar patterns. With power supplied by a custom-made PSU from Andreas Grosser in Berlin, the microphone is built around the unique Pearl ELM capsule with a 7:1 height-to-width ratio. In combination with a true tube amplifier, the Signature Edition condenser provides a warm and detailed sound with a very smooth off-axis response. Very low for a true tube design, the large diaphragm maintains the self-noise at 15dBA, and the frequency response extends beyond 20kHz.

Built entirely by hand in Åstorp, southern Sweden, the ELM-T is packaged in an aluminium case with a PSU, cable, shock-mount and an individual frequency chart. Acquired by its former sister company Milab Microphones AB in 2017, Pearl Microphones remains one of the oldest, continuously operating microphone manufacturers in the world, founded in 1941.