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Robin Schneider « One of my favorite mics »
Published on 01/22/14 at 06:38The Beyer M160 is a product from the late 60's microphone and has virtually not changed since.
It is used as the basis microphone for instruments, but can work very well on voice.
This is a double ribbon microphone, which gives it a hypercardioid where the majority of tapes are bi-directional.
Mention may be made KU3A RCA and KU4 AEA are cardioid, their prices turn around 4000 euros or more.
It should not be confused with his brother, the M130 it is bidirectional. Together they form an excellent torque M / S.
Note for storage: the M160 has two blue dot on the black ring that closes the gate. These points indicate the ties ribbons. Be careful to store the microphone with a dot in it, which guaranteed a vertical ribbons and therefore durability.
Response curve is quite atypical. It mixes both smooth and natural ribbons with the body and the presence of the typical Beyer brand. The sound is characterized by a small bump which extends from 2.5 kHz to 9 kHz. The proximity effect is very pronounced on the micro as it affects the frequency response well beyond the grave. And 10cm from a source you can expect a boost to 500Hz.
It has excellent transient response without reaching a cruel precision condenser microphone. This is where it comes in large part the feeling of naturalness and realism of this micro despite its frequency irregularities.
Be careful however to manipulation and overall strength. This microphone is fragile. He does not like the 48v and ribbon can relax when exposed to air currents. The anti pop filter is required on voice and even before the guitar amp pushed hard if the speakers generate drafts. When the microphone is not used, it should be put horizontally with its protective cover to ensure its longevity. Attention also donations to slammed doors and the air flow if you leave the mic in place when you open the windows to ventilate. If what I say is true for all bands, it is even more for the M160.
It should also take account of its very low sensitivity can kneel many preamplifiers, even when used in overhead battery. Allow at least 65dB of gain without breath you use them correctly.
OVERALL OPINION
I have a pair of M160 that I use for almost a year now.
I also use AEA R84, a Sontronics Saturn ...
The M160 is for me one of the best quality-price ratio of the market if we take care and we have a beefy preamp behind.
This is a really good microphone that will do a good record of all sources, especially if they have an important role in the arrangement.
It can also perfectly complement other microphones. It is such a great complement to R84 front of a guitar amp.
I use this microphone virtually everywhere. Especially on guitar amps, drum overhead in front of an acoustic guitar. I also wired for sound with a violinist.
He defeated soundly in my opinion many references in these areas, especially the SM57 yet still widely used on the amps.
Its small size makes it very easy to place too. In this overhead is a real treat in shower above the kit.
Directivity makes it an excellent companion home studio, where he will not pick up anything undesirable about the source. It is capable of giving the tape while having a directivity that only dynamic moving coil or static can offer.
Clearly, this is for me a must have for recording studios, especially if they already have good preamps.
It is used as the basis microphone for instruments, but can work very well on voice.
This is a double ribbon microphone, which gives it a hypercardioid where the majority of tapes are bi-directional.
Mention may be made KU3A RCA and KU4 AEA are cardioid, their prices turn around 4000 euros or more.
It should not be confused with his brother, the M130 it is bidirectional. Together they form an excellent torque M / S.
Note for storage: the M160 has two blue dot on the black ring that closes the gate. These points indicate the ties ribbons. Be careful to store the microphone with a dot in it, which guaranteed a vertical ribbons and therefore durability.
Response curve is quite atypical. It mixes both smooth and natural ribbons with the body and the presence of the typical Beyer brand. The sound is characterized by a small bump which extends from 2.5 kHz to 9 kHz. The proximity effect is very pronounced on the micro as it affects the frequency response well beyond the grave. And 10cm from a source you can expect a boost to 500Hz.
It has excellent transient response without reaching a cruel precision condenser microphone. This is where it comes in large part the feeling of naturalness and realism of this micro despite its frequency irregularities.
Be careful however to manipulation and overall strength. This microphone is fragile. He does not like the 48v and ribbon can relax when exposed to air currents. The anti pop filter is required on voice and even before the guitar amp pushed hard if the speakers generate drafts. When the microphone is not used, it should be put horizontally with its protective cover to ensure its longevity. Attention also donations to slammed doors and the air flow if you leave the mic in place when you open the windows to ventilate. If what I say is true for all bands, it is even more for the M160.
It should also take account of its very low sensitivity can kneel many preamplifiers, even when used in overhead battery. Allow at least 65dB of gain without breath you use them correctly.
OVERALL OPINION
I have a pair of M160 that I use for almost a year now.
I also use AEA R84, a Sontronics Saturn ...
The M160 is for me one of the best quality-price ratio of the market if we take care and we have a beefy preamp behind.
This is a really good microphone that will do a good record of all sources, especially if they have an important role in the arrangement.
It can also perfectly complement other microphones. It is such a great complement to R84 front of a guitar amp.
I use this microphone virtually everywhere. Especially on guitar amps, drum overhead in front of an acoustic guitar. I also wired for sound with a violinist.
He defeated soundly in my opinion many references in these areas, especially the SM57 yet still widely used on the amps.
Its small size makes it very easy to place too. In this overhead is a real treat in shower above the kit.
Directivity makes it an excellent companion home studio, where he will not pick up anything undesirable about the source. It is capable of giving the tape while having a directivity that only dynamic moving coil or static can offer.
Clearly, this is for me a must have for recording studios, especially if they already have good preamps.