Kel Audio of Canada has canceled their release of the HM-2 budget condenser microphone. Gearwire covered the HM-2 in a recent story. A special notification on Kel's website reads:

HM-2 Important Notice:

Kel Audio Inc. regrets to announce that we will not be making the HM-2 microphone available to the marketplace.

In discussions with another microphone company, all parties agreed that the HM-2, as configured in our earlier product announcements, may unintentionally conflict with one of that company's products and we have chosen not to release the HM-2. We are working hard to release a new product with similar sonics before the end of the summer.

Kel Audio has refunded all customers who pre-ordered an HM-2. Kel Audio thanks everyone for your interest and confidence in its products and apologizes for any disappointment or confusion that may have been caused.

Sincerely,

Kelly Dueck

for Kel Audio Inc.

(Pure speculation ahead:)

We smell attorneys. While the sonic characteristics of a microphone are hard to protect as intellectual property, it's true that most other characteristics of a microphone can be easily protected in this way. We have to wonder: What mic manufacturer might have sent Kel a nastygram, based upon what claim?

At press time we hadn't heard back from Kel, but one thing that sticks out to us is the physical form factor of the HM-2. We have noticed certain similarities in the "lollipop" form factor between the HM-2 and certain models by Audix (SCX25 vocal condenser) and Blue (pick one). But who ever heard of Audix suing a microphone maker? :)

It's worth noting that Kel plan to release their internal design with its currently published sonic characteristics, and once that happens, expect us to cover it here at Gearwire.