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The Reference Cardioid Microphone finds inspiration in classic European tube mics like the Neumann U47. Instead of focusing on achieving the sound of a vintage tube microphone, Manley Labs sought to recreate what one would have sounded like fresh out of the box. As the name suggests, this microphone features a fixed cardioid polar pattern and is extremely flexible in terms of sound sources it performs well on. If you're usually looking for a little more "oomph" in your vocal, guitar or drum sounds, this mic is for you.
For the Reference Silver Microphone, Manley Labs designers worked to replicate the sound of the legendary Sony C-37A. Their path to achieving this starts with the signal hitting a FET transformer, which resides under the microphones vacuum tube. From there, the signal moves through Manley's signature IRON output transformers. The resulting sound of the Reference Silver Microphone is one that is rich in character and offers a natural warmness.
We recently headed to Vintage King's studio to revisit the Reference Cardioid Microphone and Reference Silver Microphone from Manley Labs. Watch our new demo videos below, featuring Chrissy Morgan on vocals and Bryan Reilly on both acoustic guitar and drums.
