M160 : A classic on Percussion

I bought a pair for live percussion and overhead duties. They are fantastic. The sound is detailed and incredibly coherent and the ribbons turn even the harshest heavy-metal China crash cymbal into a pleasant, smooth, shimmering wash of sound. The sound of the whole kit, in fact, is amazing. The transients are smooth and snappy, and also the body of the drums has a lovely low mid richness that it seems only ribbons can provide.

As usual with passive ribbons there is a low output voltage so good preamps are a must. I use a Midas M32 which can provide enough gain for loud sound sources and live stuff in general, but if I was recording a quiet source with the M160 then I would get a Cloudlifter.