Recording - May 2020 - 14

That One Mic: I ns t r u ments
Josephson Engineering e22S

Manley Reference Silver Microphone

The e22S [reviewed January 2005] is a condenser microphone with a Cascode front end and
transformer output; this at once affords low self
noise and high max SPL, making a pad irrelevant.
Exotica: the Kora (a West African instrument that's
a cross between a lute and a harp, and includes
a drum head as part of its body). -Kelly Kay,
Josephson Engineering

The Manley Reference Silver [reviewed
February 2018] is a tube mic based on
the classic 1950s Sony C-37A. It features
a Josephson-designed capsule with a mechanical omni/cardioid polar pattern selector on the rear of the head basket. It
has a smooth, flat high end and a bold,
full low end response reminiscent of a
ribbon microphone; this makes it perfect
for taming finger noise, amplifier buzz
and hiss, and it's equally great for taming
cymbals and the bite of brass. What's the
most unique instrument someone
Electric Guitar Cab, Sax,
has captured with the Ref Silver?
Trumpet, Trombone, Snare,
These days, cello! -EveAnna
Drum Overheads, Vocals
Manley, Manley Laboratories

$1430; josephson.com

Toms, Snare, Kick, Piano, Guitar Amps, Acoustic
Guitar, Upright Bass, Harp, Violin, Banjo, Vocals

Lauten Audio LS-208
$599; lautenaudio.com

The LS-208 [reviewed July 2019] is definitely
our strongest 'all-rounder'. It's a noise-rejecting,
front-address condenser mic with onboard switches for sound-shaping at the source. It works on
literally anything and handles 135dB without a
pad, so it's incredibly solid for live and studio
work. As to the 'most unique' question, what the
LS-208 doesn't capture is more interesting; it rejects off-axis sounds, so you can record vocals or
instruments in an untreated room with a dog barking and a 10-year-old in the background going,
"Dad, dad, DAD, DAAAD!" and still get a great
take with minimal bleed. If
Electric Guitar, Snare,
that doesn't do it for you,
Toms, Kick, Bass Cabinet
apparently Rick Allen used
them to record explosions! -Trent Thompson, Lauten Audio

LEWITT LCT 140 AIR Small Diaphragm
Condenser
$149; lewitt-audio.com

The LCT 140 AIR [reviewed October 2019] is the only
mic you need to capture detailed instrument recordings.
With two sound characteristics, you can either flatten
the frequency response or add some high-end sparkle.
Plus, you get a low-cut and pad setting. Its small diaphragm condenser
capsule is great at perfectly capturing the transients of percussive and
acoustic instruments. For weirdest instrument, we recorded a Hang (google it) with amazing results.
-Thomas Tobias, LEWITT
Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Drums
14 RECORDING May 2020

$4199; manley.com

Mojave Audio MA-201fet
$799; mojaveaudio.com

Trying to pick a favorite out of our mic line is
like trying to pick a favorite child! All of our microphones excel at recording instruments, but we're
going to go with the large diaphragm, fixed cardioid, solid state MA-201fet [reviewed December
2009] for this roundup. As far as the weirdest,
most unique use, we narrowed it down to ducks,
crystal bowls, and a Praetorius Scheitolt (a medieval musical instrument of the mountain zither family)-but the ducks won. Our chief engineer and designer, David Royer,
Acoustic Guitar, Drum Overheads,
loves to make field
Piano, Vocals
recordings with his
flash card recorder. He captured a flock of ducks at a park near
his home in So Cal. There's one duck who is especially indignant near the end of the recording-listen at http://mojaveaudio.
com/audiovideo/ducks/ -Dusty Wakeman, Mojave Audio

MXL 603 Stereo Pair
$179; mxlmics.com

The MXL 603 Pair is essential stereo recording kit for
any mic locker.
It comes with two small diaphragm condensers that
Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Strings,
are clean, neutral and
Choir, Room Mics, Drum Overheads
perfect for most instruments, choir, rooms mics, drums, and more. -Trevor Fedele, MXL
http://www.josephson.com http://www.manley.com http://www.lautenaudio.com http://www.mojaveaudio.com http://www.lewitt-audio.com http://mojaveaudio http://www.mxlmics.com
Recording - May 2020

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