This mic isn't a clone, nor is it supposed to "sound" like anything from yesteryear. It is just supposed to sound good (and that it does!).  We'd describe the Reference Cardioid as a very modern and forward mic. Very low self-noise, great detail and a slight push up around 8k. This push really allows the microphone to sit "up" in busy modern mixes without having an over sibilant presence. The proximity effect is also on point, which allows the user to really dial in the low-end presence if more is needed.  

This mic is hailed as a workhorse for the studio (piano, drum OH, guitars, etc), but for my money, this is mainly a vocal mic that can sound great on other sources.  The detail does allow you to use it in a plethora of instruments, but to me, this is mic made for vocals, especially vocals that are sitting in denser mixes.  

If you are looking for a great all-around vocal mic, with a touch of top end push, the Manley Reference Cardioid is a great place to start.

The Reference Cardioid Microphone shares the same electronic attributes as the Gold Reference Series, but has a center-fixed cardioid-only capsule with a thicker gauge (6 micron) gold sputtered diaphragm. With the similar film thickness and construction, similar high frequency resonance (a little edge), similar proximity effect and pretty good immunity from pops and sibilance problems, our Reference Cardioid more closely recalls how many of the vintage European tube mics such as the beloved U47 sounded like when they were new. Its rich tonal balance and liquid character is consistently admired for instruments such as guitars, drum overheads, saxophone, and especially vocals. With your present mic, if you find yourself leaning on your compressors and boosting 5 or 10K to score a bit more testosterone, then the Reference Cardioid just might be the mic you’re looking for to cure what ails ya. If you seem to be constantly boosting 12-18K and trying to get a clean, intimate sound, then probably the Reference Gold would be the safest bet.

Free 3-Year Warranty

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Returns

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