Look what the postman brought….

It’s a Beyer M160 ribbon mic and it sounds sssmmmooooth…

Ribbon mics often sound darker than condensers and are therefore good for digital recording – especially on sources with a lot of high end information like overheads, guitars, strings and brass. The Beyer is quite bright compared to other ribbons such as Coles and RCA, but the top end is smooth and nicely rounded. It’s also unusual being a hyper-cardiod pattern whereas most ribbons are figure-8. The 160 is famous for capturing John Bonham’s drum sound on LZ’s When The Levee Breaks, and I’m looking forward to recreating that vibe sometime soon. See Scott Craggs’ Tape Op review.