MXL R44

Ribbon microphones are rapidly becoming my new favorite thing, so I was really psyched to try the MXL R44 ribbon microphone. It works the same as any other ribbon microphone, and its just as fragile as any of them, so be careful using it. Definitely don't use it for live gigs, or anywhere outside the studio. Make sure especially not to accidentally turn on phantom power, as the ribbon can not handle it, and the mic will be destroyed.

OVERALL OPINION

This is the first ribbon I've used that I wasn't absolutely in love with, but that's mainly because I've been fortunate to use really good ones. I like the sound of this on vocals, as well as a drum mono overhead. I also really like this microphone on horns, and string sections (or individual strings). There's really quite a wide variety to be had with ribbon mics in terms of which instruments you can record with them. I will say that this particular mic doesn't work too well on distorted guitars, at least not on its own.
This one isn't bad, and it does work just like a ribbon mic, but it doesn't have quite the warmth or feel of a good ribbon. It's still a decent mic, and when you consider the price of it, it holds up pretty well to its counterparts (like most MXL mics do, considering they are pretty cheap overall). I doubt I would want to use it in the studio as much as our Reslo ribbon mic, but I would certainly consider buying one for my home setup at some point, if I can't afford another ribbon (or I don't think it's worth it). I'm spoiled in the sense that I get to work in some nice studios where there are nice mics a lot, but for those of us who aren't as lucky, there's affordable, solid microphones like this one.

The MXL R44 is a ribbon microphone designed for use in the recording studio.  Since it is a ribbon microphone, I wouldn't recommend trying to use it in any other sort of situation.  The mic has a figure 8 polar pick up pattern and usually comes with the shock mount and a case.

OVERALL OPINION

For the price, the MXL R44 is a great bargain in terms of ribbon mics.  I've had the microphone in my collection for a couple of months as I was interested in seeing what a ribbon microphone of this price would sound like and I was pretty surprised.  I wasn't expecting much for the price but I was happy to find that this microphone has a pretty cool sound.  It isn't super clean and doesn't quite have the sound that a great ribbon microphone will have, but it isn't a bad emulation.  I think that even in a home studio situation, it is nice to have a lot of different types of microphones in your collection for all sorts of situations, and this provides you with a cheap option that has the sound of a ribbon microphone, granted if it isn't really close to the best of them.  This is just about as cheap as you can get a ribbon microphone in general, and it is good to know that this isn't a bad microphone at all even when disregarding the price.  It has a nice look and it is great that it comes with the shock mount to keep it secure and the case because the biggest thing to remember while using any ribbon microphone is that they are fragile and need to be treated with care.  The ribbon inside of the mic is quite fragile and can't be broken easily.  All in all, the MXL R44 is a good buy for home studio owners who want to experiment with their mic types and expand their collection at a cheap price.