On-Stage: MSA-9508 Side-Mount Mini-Boom
reviewed by Scott Evans
Kurt Ballou [Tape Op #76] showed me these gadgets a few years ago. They’re simple, 7’’ boom arms with a clamp that securely holds the boom on the shaft of a mic stand (or pipe,...
Gear Reviews
Microphones
Zoom: Q8 Video & 4-Track Audio Recorder
reviewed by Jonathan Saxon
If you are looking for a handheld audio/video recorder, and audio performance is a priority, the Zoom Q8 may be your best bet. This little unit, with its seemingly endless options for making...
Stager: SR-1A & SR-2N Ribbon Microphones
reviewed by Adam Monk
There are certain criteria I look for in gear that I choose to use and write about. It has to have excellent value and be useful in a wide variety of situations. Let’s face it. Money is tight...
Advanced Audio: CM 48T Large-Diaphragm Tube Mic
reviewed by Kirt Shearer
It seems like the market has never been more saturated with various types of new recording equipment attempting to emulate vintage gear. Vintage microphone recreations are hot right now —...
Audio-Technica: ATM350a Instrument Mic Systems
reviewed by Andy Hong
The ATM350a is a phantom-powered, small-diaphragm, electret condenser mic with a 12 mm × 38 mm cardioid capsule voiced for close-mic’ing instruments. In many recording...
Mojave Audio: MA-1000 Large-diaphragm Tube Mic
reviewed by Geoff Stanfield
I have been a Mojave mic owner since the company released the MA-200 back in 2005. It was David Bianco [Tape Op #104 bonus] who turned me onto Mojave’s offerings, saying, “You really...
Audio-Technica: AT8470 Quiet-Flex Mic Clips, AT8456a Quiet-Flex Mic Clips, AT8471 Isolation Mic Clip
reviewed by Andy Hong
While organizing my mic cabinets recently, I decided to replace some of the crappy plastic mic clips that I’ve collected over the years. Some of the cheap clips I bought separately, some came...
Audio-Technica: AT8459 Swivel Mount for Mic Clips
reviewed by Andy Hong
The AT8459 is a product that encourages you to say, “How did I ever live without it?” It’s a compact, double-socket arm with mic threads on the ball ends. After you screw on a mic...
Vanguard Audio Labs: V13 Large-Diaphragm Tube Mic
reviewed by Adam Kagan
"Smooth like whiskey" — that's how Vanguard Audio Lab's main man, Derek Bargaehr, describes the sound of the V13 large-diaphragm condenser mic. Vanguard, a small company based in Upland,...
Placid Audio: Resonator A & B Dynamic Mics
reviewed by Joel Hamilton
When a piece of equipment comes along that challenges the norms of the day, I always take notice. "Normal" is an ever-shifting sandbar in the harbor of consensus, and it never holds still for long in...
Shure: KSM8 Dualdyne Dynamic Mic
reviewed by Chris Koltay
My original plan was to write a typical Andy Hong review of the new Shure KSM8 mic, with measurements and thoughts from empirical testing accompanying my commentary of actual in-studio use. But soon...
Shure: MV88 iOS Stereo Mic
reviewed by Geoff Stanfield
At the 2016 AES Show in Los Angeles, I was shown a slew of great new gear. For me, the products I saw typically fell into a few different categories: (1) Cool product, but doesn't make sense for me;...