beyerdynamic M160 5-stars Reviews

Perfect on guitar cabinet

Together with a dynamic mic, you can't go wrong recording guitar cabinets with this mic. It is very easy to align with the membrane of a MD421 or SM57 to avoid phase issues. It can also be great on acoustic guitars, if you want that low end. The hypercardioid polar patterns makes it very useful in many studio settings, but for me it is THE guitar cabinet mic.

excellent tool

using a pair on overheads. love them

But this!

A must for every studio, fantastic bang for the buck!

Reviews are true

Used for guitar recording based analysing reviews

I love this mic.

Wonderful on acoustic guitars, great smooth sound for amps also. Great for strings and horns, drums... and so many other things! Everything as expected from this classic.

smoothest overhead mics a guy could ask for

this is a classic ribbon mic and for a very good reason. cymbals tracked digitally can often get pretty harsh, especially when using a condenser mic. this is my favorite on overheads, it captures all the nuance of the kit but without any harshness

my favorite room mic

i got a pair of M160 i use it mainly as a room mics for drums and live sessions, those mics are best for small size rooms they don't pick a lot of harshness high frequencies from the cymbals and no low end booming and the mic sounds great on HI-Hats too, i use it for miking guitar cabs with Shure 57 i got the best midrangy sound blending it with 57.

True to life

got it to record my viola as it promised to suit string instruments well.I had never used a ribbon mic before and I am amazed by the quality of the results . Although I record with UAD Apollo I ordered a Radial Engineering McBoost to accompany it (just for that little extra gain ).

Natural and balanced

I intended to use M160 primarily on vocals due to the flat frequency responce and not boosted highs as on many condenser microphones. The mike gives a natural representation of my voice (much less sibilance). Also I tried it on guitar amp and acoustitc guitar and like how it sounds, warm, rich and pleasant. Works very well in combo with SM57 too. The microphone is small, and well manifactured.

Because it is a dynamic microphone, I would say it has low output, but even at the max level of my Steinberg UR22 it is not noisy. So, a preamp is good to have around.

I recommend it to anyone looking for something different than standard production large condensors.

MUST HAVE

This mic.... well just try it! It is what they say it is, GREAT, a must have a LEGEND. Sounds great, it's made really well and it's been a part of studio life since the old days.

Best mic for the money

Love this mic on drums and acoustic stuff. I have three now :)

Ribbon goodness

A couple of years ago I was looking forward to enrich my mic locker with some ribbon microphones so I ordered a pair of M160s and I was not disappointed. I use these whenever I need a smooth, warm, "vintage" tone, also on sources which might get too bright or harsh when recorded with condensers, for example, violins. When placed as overheads, the M160s give a very balanced picture of the drum kit and add that special ribbon colour which you'll immediately notice once you hear it. I also use the pair as X/Y room mics and the sound is powerful but not harsh. This microphone shines of strings, I have used it on guitar amps too with good results, even on vocals together with a large diaphragm condenser. Very versatile microphones which will be a great addition to anyone looking for a ribbon microphone tone.

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.