Sterling Audio Tube Condenser Microphones

In recent years, the onslaught of Chinese made condenser microphones has at least given the home/project studio the 'look' if not the 'sound' of pro studios. Many of these imports are excellent values for the money but still aren't quite up to the standards required for professional recording. The Sterling Audio line of microphones changes all that. I purchased the ST69 with the intent of using it primarily as a vocal mic, wanting the traditional 'warmer' sound found in tube microphones. However, the first application I got to use it on was recording an acoustic guitar. Normally I would have used a small diaphragm condenser to capture the transients and give the guitar more bite on the picking. I was awestruck at the results of the ST69! The clarity, transparency, and the dynamic response resulted in one of the best recordings of guitar I've had in 30 years. I immediately tried it on a square neck Dobro, and the results were just as stunning. Male vocals recorded using the mic were warm and silky smooth.. the proximity effect that cardioid mics are known for sometimes means that the low end blows out the overall sound.. not so with ST69. OVERALL OPINION By using the high-pass filter, the resulting warmth is enhanced and lets the true character of a voice shine. The 3 micron diaphragm obviously results in a superior dynamic response. Coupled with the class-A tube amplifier and very low self-noise, the ST69 compares (and in my opinion) exceeds the quality of some well-known German mics that one would pay 4 or 5 times the cost of the Sterling Audio. Additionally, the mic features an -10db pad and a switchable high-pass filter. The mic is incredibly solid and well-built. The included shock mount is far superior than that found with most Chinese imports and the power supply is rugged and appears to be built to last. Overall, I cannot find any faults in this microphone other than I now want several more. Take the next step up in recording and try out the ST69. You won't be disappointed

The Sterling Audio ST44 is a small diaphragm tube condenser microphone that is for use in the recording studio. A few months ago I had the opportunity to check out the ST44 at a large recording studio in Los Angeles. While the mic wasn't at all up there with the best that they had when you consider popularity or price, the ST44 did stand on it's own for the application I was using it for, which was as a distant room microphone in a very large room. The mic comes with a shock mount, hard shell carrying case, it's power supply and all the necessary cables. The mic does however require phantom power. The mic has a fixed cardioid polar pick up pattern and also has a -15 db pad and a high pass filter which is fixed at 75 Hz, dipping 12 db/octave. The mic has a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. OVERALL OPINION The Sterling Audio ST44 is some of the best bang for your buck that I've seen as of late when it comes to tube condenser microphones. It's incredibly cheap and still has a very full and rich sound. I've only had the opportunity to use it for one session where I set it up as a mono room microphone about ten feet back from a drum set. I was really happy with the result as it added a certain room thickness to the kit that I didn't get with any of the other microphones on the kit. The price definitely is the best part about the ST44 as it's probably the best sounding tube mic for the money that I've heard. It's better than the Apex 460 in my opinion, and even though it costs a little bit more, it's going to be worth it in the end. Sterling Audio has some great deals including the ST44 and also the ST77. I'd check out the ST44 is you're in the market for a tube mic on a budget.